Helmuth Sommer

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Helmuth Sommer (1992)

Helmuth Sommer (born November 10, 1911 in Berlin ; † November 25, 1993 there ) was a German composer and music teacher.

Life

Helmuth Sommer was born as the eighth child of Anna Sommer (née Müller) and Max Sommer. As a child he learned to play the violin , later on the piano , viola , guitar , accordion and saxophone were added.

He received his education first at a public music school, later at the Stern Conservatory (today: Julius Stern Institute) and in private studies with various instrumental, composition and instrumentation teachers.

As was common at the time, he made his living with popular music in the 1930s. For many years he led his own ensemble, with which he performed in the then numerous Berlin cabarets and also regularly on the island of Hiddensee . During this time he composed and arranged a large number of musical works, including a series of revues that were performed in Berlin-Neukölln .

Through the turmoil of the Second World War , he came to Italy and was taken prisoner by Yugoslavia. Even in this difficult situation he was able to play music . So he wrote a little opera to entertain his fellow prisoners (only for male voices, of course). Government agencies also knew how to use his talent, which led to the composition of several military marches .

After his release from captivity, he stayed in Yugoslavia for a few years and composed his main work there, the orchestral suite "Yugoslavian Sketches" (later renamed "Balkan Sketches") with the sentences "In the Postojna Grotto ", "Slovenian Folk Dance" , "Dalmatian Folk Song" and "Serbian Kolo".

From the mid-1950s he lived again in Berlin-Reinickendorf until his death , where he mainly worked as an instrument teacher. To give his students the opportunity to play together, he founded the "Jugendstreichorchester Reinickendorf" in 1957, which still exists today under the name " Junge Kammerorchester Reinickendorf " and since the death of Helmuth Sommer in 1993 by his great-nephew and former cellist of the orchestra, Jürgen Mittag, is directed. The concert master of this orchestra is Deborah Oskamp, ​​student and foster daughter of Helmuth Sommer.

Most famous works

  • "Yugoslavian sketches" (later renamed "Balkan sketches") with the sentences
"In the Postojna Grotto"
"Slovenian Folk Dance"
"Dalmatian Folk Song"
"Serbian Kolo"
  • “Six stories for nephews and nieces” for four-part choir and orchestra (based on Wilhelm Busch) with the movements
"The Bunny"
"The sack and the mice"
  • "Small Serenade" with the movements
Andante
Nocturne
scherzo
  • "Rhapsodie 84" (with saxophones)
  • "1 - 4 - 5 - 1 and mediants"
  • Little waltz
  • "Tarantella"
  • "I will never forget you"

Web links

Works to listen to

  1. ↑ To listen to: “In the Postojna Grotto”. First sentence from the “Yugoslav Sketches”. Young Chamber Orchestra Reinickendorf (Berlin) (JKOR), accessed on April 27, 2019 .
  2. ↑ To listen to: “Slovenian Folk Dance”. Second movement from the “Yugoslav Sketches”. Young Chamber Orchestra Reinickendorf (Berlin) (JKOR), accessed on April 27, 2019 .
  3. ↑ To listen to: “Dalmatian Folk Song”. Third movement from the “Yugoslav Sketches”. Young Chamber Orchestra Reinickendorf (Berlin) (JKOR), accessed on April 27, 2019 .
  4. ↑ To listen to: "Serbian Kolo". Fourth movement from the “Yugoslav Sketches”. Young Chamber Orchestra Reinickendorf (Berlin) (JKOR), accessed on April 27, 2019 .
  5. ↑ To listen to: "Das Häschen". First sentence from the "Six stories for nephews and nieces". Young Chamber Orchestra Reinickendorf (Berlin) (JKOR), accessed on April 27, 2019 .
  6. ↑ To listen to: “The Sack and the Mice”. Second movement from the "Six stories for nephews and nieces". Young Chamber Orchestra Reinickendorf (Berlin) (JKOR), accessed on April 27, 2019 .
  7. ↑ To listen to: Andante. First movement from the “Little Serenade”. Young Chamber Orchestra Reinickendorf (Berlin) (JKOR), accessed on April 27, 2019 .
  8. ↑ To listen to: Notturno. Second movement from the “Little Serenade”. Young Chamber Orchestra Reinickendorf (Berlin) (JKOR), accessed on April 27, 2019 .
  9. ↑ To listen to: Scherzo. Third movement from the “Little Serenade”. Young Chamber Orchestra Reinickendorf (Berlin) (JKOR), accessed on April 27, 2019 .
  10. ↑ To listen to: “Rhapsodie 84” (with saxophones). Young Chamber Orchestra Reinickendorf (Berlin) (JKOR), accessed on April 27, 2019 .
  11. ↑ To listen to: "1 - 4 - 5 - 1 and mediants". Young Chamber Orchestra Reinickendorf (Berlin) (JKOR), accessed on April 27, 2019 .
  12. ↑ To listen to: "Tarantella". Young Chamber Orchestra Reinickendorf (Berlin) (JKOR), accessed on April 27, 2019 .
  13. ↑ To listen to: "I will never forget you". Young Chamber Orchestra Reinickendorf (Berlin) (JKOR), accessed on April 27, 2019 .
personal data
SURNAME Summer, Helmuth
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German composer and music teacher
DATE OF BIRTH November 10, 1911
PLACE OF BIRTH Berlin
DATE OF DEATH November 25, 1993
Place of death Berlin