Gideon Klein

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gideon Klein (born December 6, 1919 in Přerov ; died January 27, 1945 in the Fürstengrube concentration camp ) was a Czech-Jewish composer and pianist .

biography

Giuseppe Verdi; Messa da Requiem in the Theresienstadt Ghetto
Rafael Schächter , conductor; Gideon Klein, piano; Gertruda Borger, soprano; Hilda Aranson-Lindt, Messosoprano; David Grünfeld, tenor; Karel Berman , bass

As a child, Gideon Klein was unusually talented and began taking piano lessons with Růžena Kurzová at the age of 11 . My first compositions were created at the age of 10. He gave his first concert at the age of 14. In 1931 he went to Prague , where he attended the conservatory and then Vilém Kurz's master class for piano . A career as a pianist was emerging. The simultaneous high school studies he completed in 1938 with a diploma cum laude . His further studies ended with the occupation of Czechoslovakia by the German Wehrmacht - he had to interrupt his studies in musicology in 1939 due to the closure of Charles University in Prague, as well as his subsequent composition studies with Alois Hába in 1940 . During this time he created his “Divertimento” for wind octet, which is considered a key work and processes the political experiences and artistic influences of the time.

He was refused a place at the Royal Academy of Music in London . Even as a pianist, he was banned from appearing in public. From 1941 he therefore appeared under the pseudonym Karel Vranek, later only in private circles. In December 1941 he was deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp . Soon, together with musicians such as the composer Hans Krása , Viktor Ullmann and Pavel Haas , the singer Karel Berman , the pianist and conductor Rafael Schächter or the later conductor of the Czech Philharmonic Karel Ančerl, he was one of the most important people who were initially forbidden and then abused for propaganda purposes Cultural life of the camp city. He performed in concerts and wrote works that could be performed under the circumstances of the camp, gave lectures and also gave lessons.

In October 1944, nine days after completing his string trio , he was deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp and from there to the Fürstengrube satellite camp. Shortly before the liberation he died in the coal mines under unknown circumstances.

His sister Eliška Kleinová survived the camp and supported the publication of the works. In 1994 she founded the Gideon Klein Foundation.

In his works he combines influences from Leoš Janáček and Arnold Schönberg to create his own expressive music.

Commemoration

Stumbling blocks for Gideon Klein and Ilona Kleinova in Prague

For Gideon Klein and his mother, the artist Gunter Demnig in Prague laid stumbling blocks in front of the house on Rašínovo nábřeží in 1696/66 .

Works

  • 1929 Suite lyrique for piano - I. Prelude ; II. Capriccio ; III. Epilogue ; IV. Noc (night); V. Troubadour
  • 1933 Malà suita (small suite) for piano -I. Andante ; II. Zive (Lively)
  • 1934 Composition for voice and piano, text: Otokar Brezina
  • 1936–1938 Four movements for string quartet
  • 1940 Duo in the quarter tone system for violin and viola
  • 1939/1940 Divertimento wind octet (two oboes, clarinets, bassoons and horns each)
  • 1940 Three songs op. 1 high voice and piano
  • 1940 Prelude viola solo
  • 1940/1941 string quartet op.2
  • 1941 Duo for violin and cello (unfinished)
  • 1942 Madrigal Sag Tod after words by François Villon in the Czech translation by Otokar Fischer Two sopranos, alto, tenor and bass
  • 1942 První hřích (First Fall of Man ) male voice and choir
  • 1942 Madrigal The Pleasant in this World according to words by Friedrich Hölderlin in the Czech translation by Erik A. Saudek. Two sopranos, alto, tenor and bass
  • 1942 Bachuri, le'an tisa? Women's choir
  • 1942 arrangement of Czech and Russian folk tunes, tenor and female choir
    • 1. Aby nás pán Bůh miloval
    • 2. Chodzila liška po razi
    • 3. Chodíme, chodíme
    • 4. Na tých našich lukách
    • 5. Poljuško, pole
    • 6. Už mně koně vyváději [First version]
    • 7. Už mně koně vyváději [Second version]
  • 1942/1943 Fantasy and Fugue for string quartet
  • 1943 Lullaby ( Sch´haw b´ni ) arrangement of a Hebrew song female choir (or solo part / soprano) and piano
  • 1943 piano sonata
    • Allegro con fuoco
    • adagio
    • Allegro vivace
  • 1944 String trio for violin, viola and cello also reconstructed and orchestrated as partita for strings by Vojtěch Saudek
    • Allegro spiccato
    • Lento (variation on a Moravian folk song)
    • Molto vivace

See also

literature

  • Aurélie Branger: Gideon Klein (1919–1945). De Prague à Terezin: creer pour survivre . Observatoire Musical Français, Paris 2004. ISBN 2-84591-104-1 . (therein: catalog raisonné, pp. 51–58).
  • Initiative Hans Krása (Ed.): Composers in Theresienstadt. Pavel Haas - Gideon Klein - Hans Krása - Karel Reiner - Siegmund Schul - Viktor Ullmann . 2nd updated and expanded edition. Initiative Hans Krása, Hamburg 2001, ISBN 3-00-005164-3 .
  • Peter Ambros : Life played from sight. A dramatic life score . Thelem - WEB Universitätsverlag, Dresden 2003, ISBN 3-935712-21-9 . ( Lesecher 2), (life story of his sister Eliška Kleinová based on a tape interview from 1994).
  • Hans-Günter Klein : Gideon Klein - materials ; ISBN 978-3-928770-24-8 ; 132 p., Hamburg 1994

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Little, Gideon
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Czech composer
DATE OF BIRTH December 6, 1919
PLACE OF BIRTH Přerov
DATE OF DEATH January 27, 1945
Place of death Fürstengrube concentration camp