Gerhard Trede

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Gerhard Trede (born January 17, 1913 in Hamburg ; † September 30, 1996 in Hamburg) was a German composer who was best known in the USA for his extensive and varied film music. As in-house composer for the UFA Wochenschau , he produced Sometimes under the artist name Victor Cavini, a music archive comprising over 3,000 works, which is still used today for various films, series, productions and video games. In 1996 he was awarded the Cross of Merit on Ribbon for his life's work. He died on September 30, 1996 of heart failure in the Asklepios Clinic Barmbek, Hamburg. Together with his wife, he provided the funds for the Gerhard Trede Foundation .

Life

Gerhard Trede was born on January 17, 1913 in Hamburg as the son of a middle-class family. His parents attached great importance to a musical education and so Gerhard Trede began taking violin lessons at an early age. In addition to his affinity for music, his school days were marked by many sporting successes. After leaving school, Trede began studying music for seven years. He was characterized by a broad, cross-style musical interest. After graduating, Gerhard Trede worked from 1952 to 1982 as a resident composer for the UFA Wochenschau and the Neue Deutsche Wochenschau. His compositions served as background music for news broadcasts which preceded cinema screenings.

These 30 years represented Gerhard Trede's most productive creative phase: he wrote up to 100 titles per year. The result was a multifaceted oeuvre that includes over 3000 compositions of all styles and various instrumental compositions and, thanks to its thematic categorization and accessibility, is the basis of many documentaries, productions and series to this day. Some of these titles were published under his stage name Victor Cavini. In addition to various works for film and television, the compositional work includes symphonic music (z. B. "Life" or "Violin Concerto in G Minor"), pop and light music . What is remarkable is the fact that Trede himself played over 50 instruments. T. recorded independently for studio recordings. He brought the instruments as well as the corresponding musical languages and playing styles with him from his travels from different countries.

In the last years of his life, Gerhard Trede composed the elegy “Never Again War” - to deal with his experiences as a soldier in World War II . It is to be understood as a call to humanity against the horrors of war. In 1996, Gerhard Trede was awarded the Cross of Merit on Ribbon in recognition of his special services to the people and the state. In the same year Gerhard and Elsa Trede decreed that their estate and the future income from the exploitation of the rights to Gerhard Trede's compositional works should flow into the Gerhard Trede Foundation. Gerhard Trede died on September 30, 1996. The foundation was approved by the City of Hamburg in 1999 and its purpose in particular is to promote art in the field of music.

Works (selection)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ The Gerhard Trede Foundation
personal data
SURNAME Trede, Gerhard
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German composer
DATE OF BIRTH January 17, 1913
PLACE OF BIRTH Hamburg
DATE OF DEATH September 30, 1996
Place of death Hamburg