Helmut Huchzermeyer

Helmut Huchzermeyer (born December 28, 1904 in Klaswipper , † March 1, 1984 in Minden ) was a German classical philologist , musicologist and composer .

Youth and education

Helmut Huchzermeyer was born in Klaswipper, today part of the city of Wipperfürth in the Oberbergisches Kreis in the administrative district of Cologne , as the son of the Evangelical Lutheran pastor Carl Huchzermeyer (1858–1929). The school education took place at the municipal high school in Wipperfürth up to the Abitur in 1924. During the entire school time he received solid training in organ , piano and violin playing as well as in theoretical subjects (including composition theory ) from the music teachers Georg Beringer and Alfons Schmetz at the teachers' college in Wipperfürth. Until 1929 he completed a teaching degree with the subjects Latin , Greek and possibly religious studies at the universities of Cologne, Marburg and Münster . At the same time he studied musicology with Ernst Bücken (Cologne), Hermann Stephani (Marburg) and Fritz Volbach (Münster). The latter, from Wipperfürth, became his special mentor. In 1930 Helmut Huchzermeyer was awarded a doctorate in Münster with a topic on ancient Greek music " Aulos and Kithara in Greek music until the end of the classical era" (printed in 1931). phil. PhD. This work is regarded as a standard work and even today is only outdated in a few points.

Professional career and activities

After internship and assessor activity at various grammar schools, the problem arose in 1933 that there was no need for grammar school teachers (especially classical philologists). Only through his exclusive activity as a music educator , most recently at the secondary school for girls in Osnabrück , did Helmut Huchzermeyer receive a budget position as a teacher. From 1940 to 1946 he was a soldier or in English. Captivity. From 1948 he devoted himself as a teacher at the Stiftisches Humanistische Gymnasium in Mönchengladbach , a boys' school, preferring the ancient languages. In 1951 he was appointed senior student councilor and headed the study seminar. He no longer gave music lessons, but put together a previously missing sizable school orchestra, which he directed until 1960 and which performed regularly on festive occasions and with its own concerts. At the same time he founded a brass group. In the early years in Mönchengladbach there was a renewed engagement with ancient Greek music. One result was the setting of Sophocles' Antigone for choir (in the original language), speaker and large orchestra. The occasion was the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Stiftisches Gymnasium as a full institution in 1952. In 1967 Helmut Huchzermeyer retired. His compositional work, he made his first attempts at composition when he was ten, comprises over 61 works of various genres. Sacred compositions make up about a third of the entire work. Helmut Huchzermeyer had been with Charlotte, born in 1935. Rüther (1915–1993) married. The couple had two children, one son is the internist and musicologist Hans Huchzermeyer . Huchzermeyer is buried in Klaswipper.

Publications

• Aulos and kithara in Greek music up to the end of the classical period (according to literary sources). Emsdetten (Westphalia) 1931.
• The importance and place of music in Greek tragedy. In: Festschrift 75 years Stiftisches Humanistisches Gymnasium M. Gladbach. Mönchengladbach 1952, pp. 63-71.
• For the performance of ancient tragedies on the modern stage. In: New magazine for music. Volume 123, 1962, pp. 492-497.
• with Hans Huchzermeyer: The importance of rhythm in music therapy of the Greeks from the early days to the beginning of Hellenism. In: Sudhoff's archive . Journal of the History of Science. Volume 58, 1974, pp. 113-148.
• Luther and the music. In: Luther. Journal of the Luther Society. Volume 39, 1968, pp. 14-25.

Compositions (selection)

I. Vocal music

Songs for a voice and piano

• Seven Ludwig Uhland songs (1928–1932)
• Five songs (1928–1947)
• "Mrs. Maria weighs her baby Jesus". Four songs for Christmas (1946)
• Six Theodor Storm songs (1946) (printed by Musikverlag Theo Kunz, Düsseldorf, around 1950)
• Four Hermann Löns songs (1930–1976)

Choral works

• Three Nikolaus Lenau songs for four-part choir (1921)
• Christmas Oratorio for solo voices, choir and orchestra (1921/22)
• Four sacred songs for three-part female choir (1923/24)
• “Sing to God, sing praises to his name”. 13 songs for three-part female choir (1922–1930)
• Three sacred choral songs for mixed choir (1925–1928)
• Choral cantata "We praise you, oh Lord and God" for four-part mixed choir, baritone solo and six brass instruments (3 trumpets, 3 trombones) (1968)
• "I lift my eyes", Psalm 121, 1–4 for four-part mixed choir and organ (1971)

II. Instrumental music, piano and organ music

• Three Little Character Pieces for Organ (1926)
• Three pieces for organ (1945/47)
• Toccata in D minor for organ (1965)
• Introduction, Variations and Fugue on "Praise the Lord" for organ (1969)

Music for recorder

• Folksong variations for two soprano and one treble recorder (1971/72)
• Festive prelude for two soprano, one alto and one tenor recorder (1973)
• Music for Christmas for two treble recorders and piano (harpsichord, organ) (1973/75)
• Two pieces for soprano recorder and piano (1975/76)
• Three pieces for soprano, treble recorder and piano (1976)

Music for brass

• Christmas Overture for two flugelhorns, two trumpets, two alto horns, three tenor horns, two trombones and tuba (1941)
• Music for brass instruments (two trumpets in Bb, two horns in F, trombone and tuba) (1957)
• Two pieces for brass (1966/67). Printed in: Aulos . Series of works for brass music. Möseler Verlag , Wolfenbüttel (1970)
• Festive wind music: wind music on "Die güldne Sonne" (1967), intrade - hymn - festive music (1969) for three trumpets in Bb and two trombones, festival music on "Nun danket alle Gott" (1969) for three trumpets in Bb and three Trumpets
• Variations for brass instruments: Variations and fugue on "Who only dear God lets walten" (1969), Variations on "Well, time is coming" (1970) for two trumpets in Bb and two tenor trombones
• Six wind music on songs for Advent and Christmas for two trumpets and a trombone (1970)

Chamber music in various line-ups

• Folk Suite for Small Orchestra (1938)
• Christmas music about the Quempas for flute, two violins and violoncello (or horn in F) (1945)
• Shepherd's Music (1945) and Old Style Minuet (1946) for flute and two violins
• “Now all thank God”. Celebration music for flute, two violins, violoncello or corno, trumpet and trombone (1946)
• "Who only lets God rule". Variations and Fugue for two violins, viola and violoncello (1946)
• Serene Suite for Playing and Singing for Small Orchestra (1953)
• Trio in G minor for violin, cello and piano (1955)
• Fantasy for violoncello and piano (1960)
• Quartet in C minor for violin, viola, cello and piano (1966/67)
• “Capriccio” (1973) and “Ballade” (1929, revised 1977) for violin and piano
• Six variations on "Happy birthday to you" for two violins, viola and violoncello (1978)

III. Orchestral works

• Spring Symphony in D major (1925–1928)
• Comedy Overture for Large Orchestra (1938)
• Symphonic Suite (1942–1944) (1st movement not completed)
• Triptych Hellenikon for large orchestra (1952)
• Concerto for oboe and string orchestra (1959/75)

IV. Stage work

• Antigone ( Sophocles ) for choir (Greek language), speaker (German language) and large orchestra (1951/52)

literature

• Helmut Huchzermeyer: Musical works. Ancient Greek Music, ed. by Hans Huchzermeyer, published by Huchzen Verlag , Minden 2000, ISBN 3-00-005972-5 (contains treatises on ancient Greek music, a setting of Antigone des Sophocles as well as an outline of the life and catalog raisonné of Helmut Huchzermeyer.
• Hans Huchzermeyer: Portrait of six composers from the first half of the 20th century. Wilhelm Meyer-Stolzenau - Theodor Meyer-Steineg - Günter Plappert - Franz Hofmann - Willy Mewes - Helmut Huchzermeyer. Minden 2017, ISBN 978-3-00-053511-6 .