Günther Witschurke

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Günther Witschurke, July 2007

Günther Witschurke (born July 19, 1937 in Dresden ; † July 4,  2017  in Altenburg ) was a German composer and music teacher .

Life

Witschurke studied trombone with Alois Bambula in Dresden and completed his studies with the state examination. He used his experience as a trombonist in various orchestras as a basis for an external study of composition with Professors Karl-Rudi Griesbach , Hans-Hendrik Wehding and Fritz Geißler in Dresden.

Günther Witschurke has been based in Altenburg since 1978 . Until 1989 he was employed as a trombonist at the regional orchestra there, since then he has worked as a freelance composer and music teacher. His works were not only performed in many German cities, but also made known abroad (performances in Hungary, Bulgaria, France, Ireland, Israel, Austria, Spain, Great Britain, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the United States, among others). Since 1990, the Eccolo chamber music ensemble has been grouped around the composer, promoting the dissemination of his works. In 2010 Günther Witschurke received the City of Altenburg's Culture Prize.

He died in Altenburg after a long illness .

Works (selection)

Witschurke's extensive oeuvre includes over 180 works to date, including operas, ballets, orchestral works, choral works and symphonies, solo concerts, chamber music, organ works and songs. Some of his works were lost in 1987 in the fire at Altenburg Castle.

Stage works

  • Cinderella , incidental music op.12 (1974, first performance 1974)
  • The Suicide Club , Ballet op.42 (1987)
  • Mann im Mohn , play opera for children, op.97 (1994, premiere 1995)
  • Amor and Psyche , Chamber Opera Op. 98 (1994, WP 1995)
  • Monadenoper , great opera op.100 (1994)

Concerts

  • Trumpet Concerto op.16 (1975)
  • Timpani Concerto op.17 (1976, premiere 1981)
  • Violin Concerto op.37 (1986, WP 1989)
  • Triple Concerto for English horn, bass clarinet, contrabassoon and string orchestra op.58 (1990, premiere 1992)

Orchestral works

  • Sarabande (first version) op.6 (1968, premiere 1968)
  • Dramatic Overture op.8 (1971, premier 1971)
  • Portrait of the Virgin op.36 (1986, premiere 1996)
  • Fourth Symphony op. 45 ("Altenburger Sinfonie") (1987, premiere 1989)
  • The stained glass windows of Jerusalem op.116 (1997, WP 2002)
  • Motet for chamber orchestra in Memoriam Josquin des Prés (1998, WP 1998)
  • Ground Zero op.152 (2002)

Chamber music

  • Making a pearl out of a tear for speakers, woodwinds, strings and glockenspiel op.38 (1986, premiere 1986)
  • String Quartet op.50 (1989, WP 1990)
  • Eccolo for seven woodwinds op.61 (1991, WP 1991)
  • sans nom for four woodwinds op.71 (1992, WP 1992)
  • Melos for bassoon and three low string instruments op.76 (1992)
  • Requiem for Käthe Kollwitz for violin, piano, synthesizer and percussion op.91 (1993, premiere 1995)
  • Let's go now to Bethlehem for chamber orchestra and speaker op.120 (1997, premiere 1997)
  • Collage avec Choral for Trumpet, Trombone, Organ, Xylophone and Glockenspiel op.139 (2000, WP 2000)
  • Collage avec chant for organ, trumpet, viola, cello, glockenspiel and Cabaza op.153 (2003, WP 2003)
  • Gloria in exelsis deo for organ, trumpet, flute and glockenspiel op.161 (2005, premier 2005)
  • Pentaton for piano, flute, cello, glockenspiel and gong op.174 (2007, premier 2007)
  • Peace prayer for organ, two trombones, tuba, soprano, timpani, glockenspiel and gong op.178 (2009, world premiere 2009)
  • ∞ for organ, trumpet, viola, flute, timpani, xylophone, glockenspiel and percussion op.180 (2010, premier 2010)
  • NY for trombone, contrabassoon, trumpet, flute, clarinet and glockenspiel op.181 (2010)

Choral music

  • The Bells of Chatyn for choir and orchestra op.23 (1980, WP 1989)
  • Mass of Humility for mixed choir and orchestra op.72 (1992, WP 1994)
  • Nativity scene (Christmas story) for children's choir, four recorders, organ, percussion and speaker op. 84 (1993, premiere 1993)
  • DO NO PA for mixed choir, organ, trumpet, timpani and glockenspiel (1999, WP 1999)
  • Legend for girls' choir op.138 (1999, WP 2000)
  • "I want to sing and play for the Lord" for brass ensemble, organ, timpani, glockenspiel, gong, tubular bells and mixed choir op. 164 (2005)
  • ... hear my voice ... for three-part girls' choir and organ op.170 (2007, premiere 2007)
  • Passion. The suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the Gospel of Matthew for mixed choir, speaker, instrumental ensemble and organ op.171 (2007, premier 2008)

Music for brass

  • Portrait of the Virgin for four trumpets op.26 (1982, WP 1984)
  • Passacaglia op.55 (1989, WP 1990)
  • The fifth trumpet op.57 (1990, premiere 1991)
  • The sixth trumpet op.64 (1991, premiere 1991)
  • The seventh trumpet op.80 (1993, premiere 1993)
  • Three encounters for brass orchestra, organ and timpani op.95 (1994, premiere 1995)
  • Blessed are the meek for four trumpets op.124 (1998, premiere 1998)
  • DEUS NOSTER REFUGIUM for brass orchestra, organ and percussion op.141 (2001, WP 2001)

Solo pieces and duets

  • Miniature for trombone and piano op.9 (1971, premiere 1971)
  • Piano book for Eszter and Vera op.21 (1978, WP 1992)
  • Guernica for piano op.35 (1986, WP 1987)
  • Hommage à Johann Ludwig Krebs , Toccata for organ solo op.53 (1989, premiere 1990)
  • Hymns for organ (without pedal) and bassoon op.117 (1997, WP 2000)
  • Tearless Requiem for organ solo op.78a (1999, WP 1999)
  • Lamentation for New York for organ solo op.146 (2001)
  • Construction for organ solo op.147 (2002, WP 2003)
  • Trinité for organ solo op.158 (2005, world premiere 2005)
  • Series for violin solo op.182 (2011)

Songs

  • Five duets for alto and horn with percussion op.22 (1979, premiere 1980)
  • November Day for alto and piano op. 30 (1985, WP 1991)
  • Harz moon cycle for alto and piano op.63 (1991, premier 1991)
  • Love died of you for mezzo-soprano op.73 (1992, premiere 1993)
  • Two Korean songs for soprano and bassoon op.101 (1995, WP 1995)
  • Everything has its time for organ and soprano op.115 (1997, premiere 1997)
  • Song to the dead friend for piano, soprano, percussion and speaker op. 127 (1998, premiere 1998)

literature

  • Sebastian Hennig : From head to hand to ear - The music of Günther Witschurke * . In: plastic. The culture magazine from Central Germany, May / June / July 2011 issue, pp. 58–59 [1] .
  • Herrmann, Matthias; Weiss, Stefan (ed.): Dresden and advanced music in the 20th century. Part III: 1966-1999 , Laaber 2004, p. 127 f.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Altenburg composer Günther Witschurke dead . In: Leipziger Volkszeitung . No. 154 , July 6, 2017, p. 9 .
  2. ↑ Alois Franz Bambula (1911–2005) was a German trombonist and member of the Staatskapelle Dresden ( http://www.ulfig.eu/alois_bambula.html?keepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=300&width=520 )
  3. ↑ http://www.altenburg.eu/sixcms/detail.php?id=64410&_nav_id1=2509&_lang=de
  4. ^ LVZ-Online: Altenburg - An old school composer - on the death of Günther Witschurke - LVZ - Leipziger Volkszeitung. Retrieved July 5, 2017 .
personal data
SURNAME Witschurke, Günther
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German composer and music teacher
DATE OF BIRTH July 19, 1937
PLACE OF BIRTH Dresden
DATE OF DEATH 4th July 2017
Place of death Altenburg