Hermann Zilcher

Hermann Karl Josef Zilcher (born August 18, 1881 in Frankfurt am Main ; † January 1, 1948 in Würzburg ) was a German composer , pianist , conductor and music teacher , director of the Würzburg State Conservatory and privy councilor. He was the initiator of the Würzburg Mozart Festival and the father of the actress Eva Zilcher (1920–1994) and the conductor Heinz Reinhart Zilcher (1906–1967).

Life

Zilcher received early piano lessons from his father, the composer and piano teacher Paul Zilcher (1855-1943), who was known as a composer of didactic piano and chamber music. The son studied from 1897 at the Dr. Hoch'schen Conservatory in Frankfurt am Main piano with James Kwast , counterpoint and theory of forms with Iwan Knorr and composition with Bernhard Scholz . Upon graduation, he was awarded the Mozart Prize in his hometown. In 1901 he went to Berlin , where he quickly made a career, especially as an accompanist for singers and instrumentalists. In addition, concert tours in the USA and Europe made him internationally known. In 1905 he returned to the Dr. Hoch'sche Conservatory back. In 1908 he was appointed to a piano professorship by Felix Mottl and in 1916 to a composition professorship at the Academy of Music in Munich. In Munich he worked intensively with the director of the Münchner Kammerspiele, Otto Falckenberg (1873–1947), for whom he wrote drama music.

In 1920 he became director of the Bavarian State Conservatory in Würzburg , in 1922 he founded the Würzburg Mozart Festival, which was soon to become internationally known, and did important musical development work at the conservatory and in the city. For these services, Zilcher was appointed a secret councilor by the Bavarian state government and an honorary doctorate by the Medical Faculty of the University of Würzburg.

At the end of the 1920s, Hermann Zilcher founded the Würzburg Chamber Orchestra, which soon became known nationwide. As a result, Zilcher was increasingly engaged as a guest conductor in other orchestras. At the invitation of Wilhelm Furtwängler, he repeatedly conducted the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. During this time, Zilcher also performed works by Arnold Schönberg , Ernst Krenek and Paul Hindemith . In 1933 Hindemith appeared in a concert under Zilcher's direction as a soloist in his Viola Concerto op. 36 in Würzburg. As the pianist of the Zilcher Trio (with the violinist Adolf Schiering and the cellist Ernst Cahnbley), Zilcher also performed Mendelssohn in 1932.

After the seizure of power of the Nazis Zilcher member of the as was nationalist force and anti-Semitic Militant League for German Culture . With effect from May 1, 1933, Zilcher became a member of the NSDAP ( membership number 3.561.191). However, Zilcher probably only applied for NSDAP membership in 1935, after the then Second Mayor Oskar Rudolf Dengel had asked him several times to become a party member, when the membership ban was still in place, so that Zilcher 1937 retroactively to May 1, 1933 despite previous lodge membership in the party. He was also a member of the National Socialist Motor Corps (NSKK) for two years .

In 1933 Zilcher composed a system-glorifying cantata (“ Gebet der Jugend ” op. 75) based on a text by KM Kaufmann . The work was performed in November 1935 in a concert on the Frankfurt broadcaster under Zilcher's direction, broadcast and announced in a press release at the time as follows: "The poem of this small choral work is a homage to the Führer and Reich." In 1934 Zilcher criticized the Zeitschrift für Musik the Nazi music ideal of a “steely romanticism” propagated by Goebbels and spoke out in favor of non-political music: “And it is precisely music without politics that must be closest to us musicians in terms of blood. (We would never want to miss the 'blue flower' of romanticism, the 'midnight land' etc. from our dreams!) BUT: even this music - even if it is not steely-romantic, not clanking swords or stomping on the march - is part of our spiritual battle People, - even the quietest, deepest melody is an integral part of the struggle to be German! " (Joseph Goebbels said in his speech at the opening of the Reichsmusikkammer on November 15, 1933: " There is a kind of steely romanticism that has made German life worth living again, a romanticism that does not hide from the harshness of existence or tries to escape it in blue distances ” ).

In 1936, Zilcher's incoming private mail was monitored by the Gestapo . From November 1, 1939 to December 31, 1941, Zilcher was the successor of the study professor Franz Friedrich honorary councilor of the Würzburg NSDAP, whereby, according to Wagner, he was "only involved in questions of urban music education." In 1940, Zilcher wrote a commission from the Cologne City Theaters Incidental music for Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream . This is described by Ernst Klee as "substitute music" for the incidental music by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy , which was banned during the Nazi era . Fred K. Prieberg has pointed out, however, that the substitute music desired by the brown rulers had already been created by Carl Orff (1939) . And Matthias Wagner sees in Zilcher's work only “an addition to his earlier compositions for the plays of Shakespeare”. In 1941 Zilcher's Violin Concerto op. 92 was premiered in a concert by the Berlin Philharmonic under the direction of Wilhelm Furtwängler . In the same year he received the Goethe Medal for Art and Science from Hitler .

Due to a long-standing controversy with the Gauleiter of Mainfranken Otto Hellmuth , who had awarded him the Mainfränkischen Kulturpreis in 1937, Zilcher was withdrawn from the management of the Mozart Festival and the director's post of the music school for youth and people in Würzburg in 1943. Nevertheless, he was involved in the preparations for the Mozart Festival in 1944. In the final phase of the Second World War , Zilcher was included in the list of gods and gifts approved by Hitler in August 1944 , which saved him from being deployed at the front, including on the home front , but at the same time obliged him to be an “artist war deployment” (deployment on command at cultural events).

On September 14, 1945, after an anonymous complaint with incriminating details about his work during the Nazi era, Zilcher was deposed as director of the Würzburg Conservatory by the US military administration and asked to do woodcutting work, during which he injured his hands. On the basis of a certificate dated November 7, 1945, he was then released from this work. Zilcher, who had composed a fifth symphony in 1947, had suffered from heart failure for a long time and suddenly died on January 1, 1948 at the age of 66 in Würzburg. Because of Zilcher's death, there was no final judgment in the arbitration chamber proceedings , only a posthumous hearing. At the request of the lawyers in June 1948, the proceedings were discontinued. On the basis of a memorandum from December 1948, M. Wagner suspects that Zilcher would not have been classified as an “incriminated person”, but “only as a“ fellow traveler ””.

Zilcher's compositional work includes orchestral and choral works, two operas, chamber music and songs, études , piano works and numerous works for accordion .

He also enjoyed an outstanding reputation as a music teacher . He also made a name for himself as the initiator of the Würzburg Mozart Festival since the early 1920s . Zilcher's students included u. a. Norbert Glanzberg , Ernst Häublein , Karl Höller , Winfried Zillig , Kurt Eichhorn , Maria Landes-Hindemith , Philippine Schick and Carl Orff . His son Heinz-Reinhart Zilcher (1906–1967) worked as a conductor in Stettin, Hamburg and Duisburg. His daughter Eva was born in 1920 and his daughter Helga in 1939.

Music and effect

Hermann Zilcher is one of the traditionalists of the 20th century and is stylistically somewhere between late romantic and modern. In 1926, Zilcher was characterized by Alfred Einstein as follows: "one of the most outstanding German composers, half Brahmsian successor, half neo-romantic and sound-impressionistic direction". The musicologist Barbara Haas sums it up: “Hermann Zilcher [...] can be described as a composer between old and new; He was a composer of moderate modernity, whose tonal language developed from the music of the 19th century and enriched it with original personality traits. ”These personality traits show themselves in a tendency towards simplification and clarity of form, in a tendency towards artistic polyphony of the movement as well as - especially in the late work - to monothematic concentration and a uniform basic mood. In addition, there is a preference for the “folk tone”, which Zilcher shares with his role models Schumann and Brahms, but which can also be found in more modern composers such as Bartók or Hindemith.

Zilcher had particular success during his lifetime with the oratorio “Die Liebesmesse” (completed in 1912, premiered in Strasbourg in 1913), with his “Deutsche Volksliederspiel” for four mixed voices and piano (1915) and with the violin concerto no 2 from 1942. The posthumous world premiere of his last symphony No. 5 (… “and still!” ...), conducted by Eugen Jochum , was also well received in Hamburg in 1948. In Germany his works have been performed only rarely. It was not until the 1990s that Zilcher's music found broader interest again, as demonstrated by CD releases and an increasing number of performances.

Awards

• Dr. med. hc from the University of Würzburg
• Title of a Bavarian secret government council
• 1931 Silver Mozart Medal from the International Mozarteum Foundation
• 1937 Main Franconian Culture Prize
• 1941 Golden Mozart Medal from the International Mozarteum Foundation
• 1941 Silver city plaque of the city of Würzburg on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Mozart Festival
• 1941 the Goethe Medal for Art and Science

Works

Compositions

• Orchestral works
  • Symphony No. 1 in A major, Op. 17 (1906)
  • Symphony No. 2 in F minor, Op. 23 (1908/09)
  • Symphony No. 4 in F sharp minor op.84
  • Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 112 " ... and yet! ... " (1947)
  • Concert piece for violoncello and orchestra in A minor, Op. 21
  • Piano Concerto No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20 (1912/13)
  • Piano Concerto No. 2 in F major op.102 (1945)
  • "Night and Morning" op. 24 for 2 pianos, timpani and strings (1917)
  • Comedy suite "The Taming of the Shrew" op. 54 b for 12 instruments (1925)
  • Musica buffa op. 73, music for Shakespeare's “Comedy of Errors”, 10 interludes for 12 instruments (percussion) or small orchestra (1935)
  • Music for "As You Like It" Op. 33 by Shakespeare
• Vocal music
  • 2 operas
  • Songs
• Chamber music
  • String Quartet in C minor, Op. 104 (1945)
  • Piano Trio in E minor, Op. 56 (1926)
  • Trio in the form of Variations in A minor op.90 for clarinet, violoncello and piano (1938)
  • Piano quintet in c sharp minor op. 42 (1918)
  • Wind quintet (for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon), op.91 (1941)
• Piano works
  • Symphony No. 3 in A major op.50 for two pianos (1923)
  • 4 Humoresken op.5 (1903)
  • 7 sketches op.26 (1911)
  • "Picture Book", 9 piano studies op. 34 (1916)
  • "Sounds of the Night", 6 piano pieces op. 58 (1927)
• Works for accordion
  • Variations on a Theme by Mozart op. 94 for violin and accordion
  • Variations on a Franconian folk song op. 97 for violin and accordion
  • Blackbird Melodies op.98
  • Small exercise and performance pieces, op.103
  • Five duets for two accordions op.106
  • Evening mood op. 82 for accordion
  • March for accordion op.82
  • Tanz auf der Wiese op. 88 for accordion
  • Guardian Song op. 88 for accordion

Fonts

• From my sketchbook
• Pattern of handwriting

Discography

• 1999 Works, State Association of Bavarian Sound Artists (CD for the monograph)
• 1999 Trio in E minor, Op. 56, Quintet in C sharp minor, Op. 42, Largo 5144
• 1999 Trio in A minor op.90, Tacet 73
• 1999 Trio in E minor, Op. 56, Audite 97.481
• 2000 Rameau Suite op.76b, Schubert's Dances op.96a, Mozart's Dances op.96b, Trio in A minor op.90, Largo 5145
• 2001 piano works op.5, op.6, op.58, op.61, Largo 5147
• 2002 songs op.10, op.13, op.14, op.40, op.41, op.51 / II, Orfeo C 190 021 A
• 2007 songs op.12, op.37, op.60, Oehms OC 802
• 2008 Trio in E minor, Op. 56, Keferstein kef 77973

Documents

Letters from Hermann Zilcher are in the holdings of the Leipzig music publisher CF Peters in the Leipzig State Archives .

literature

• Barbara Haas et al. a. Ed .: Hermann Zilcher (monograph with numerous sheet music samples and photos), Verlag Dr. Hans Schneider, Tutzing 1999 ISBN 978-3-7952-0992-6 .
• Michael Klubertanz: Article Hermann Zilcher in MGG , Kassel 2006.
• Matthias Wagner: Privy Councilor Professor Dr. hc Hermann Zilcher. Aspects of his Würzburg years in the mirror of new file finds , in Mainfränkisches Jahrbuch für Geschichte und Kunst, Volume 50 , pp. 114–135, Würzburg 1998.
• Hermann Zilcher - A Life for Music , exhibition catalog of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek 1981.
• Theodor Hlouschek: Hermann Zilcher, his life, his work , Weimar 1952.
• Hans Schneider: Hermann Zilcher 1881–1948. Cheery from an artist's life in Würzburg. Experienced, collected and written down by Hans Schneider. A fan print from the Echterhaus , Würzburg 1980.
• Peter Cahn : The Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt am Main 1878–1978 , Frankfurt / M. 1979.
• Hans Oppenheim : Hermann Zilcher, his life, his work. In: Contemporary composers, Munich 1921.
• Alfred Einstein : Article Hermann Zilcher. In: Das neue Musik-Lexikon, Berlin 1926 p. 726.

Web links

• Works by and about Hermann Zilcher in the catalog of the German National Library
• Official website
• Biography of the Hermann Zilcher Society at www.hermann-zilcher.de
• The estate is in the Bavarian State Library
• Sheet music and audio files by Hermann Zilcher in the International Music Score Library Project

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Joachim Stepp, in Barbara Haas a. a. Ed .: Hermann Zilcher, Tutzing 1999, p. 33.
2. ↑ ^{a b} Fred K. Prieberg : Handbook of German Musicians 1933–1945 , CD-Rom-Lexikon, Kiel 2004, p. 7983, on KfdK and party membership see also Ernst Klee : Das Kulturlexikon zum Third Reich. Who was what before and after 1945. S. Fischer, Frankfurt am Main 2007, ISBN 978-3-10-039326-5 , p. 683.
3. ↑ Peter Weidisch: Würzburg in the "Third Reich". In: Ulrich Wagner (Hrsg.): History of the city of Würzburg. 4 volumes, Volume I-III / 2, Theiss, Stuttgart 2001-2007; III / 1–2: From the transition to Bavaria to the 21st century. Volume 2, 2007, ISBN 978-3-8062-1478-9 , p. 1285, note 345-348.
4. ↑ On the lodge affiliation see Matthias Wagner, in: Mainfränkisches Jahrbuch, Volume 50 , Würzburg 1998, p. 125, footnote 22.
5. ^ Matthias Wagner, in: Mainfränkisches Jahrbuch, Volume 50 , Würzburg 1998, p. 127, footnote 77.
6. ^ Fred K. Prieberg: Handbook of German Musicians 1933–1945 . CD-ROM-Lexikon 2004, p. 7984 (quotation from RRG press releases no.483 , 1 / XI / 35, sheet 45.)
7. ↑ ZfM CI / 9, September 1934, pp. 918-925; quoted from Fred K. Prieberg: Handbook of German Musicians 1933–1945 . Kiel, 2004, CD-ROM Lexicon, p. 7985.
8. ↑ J. Goebbels, in: Signals for the musical world , XCI / 47, Berlin 1933, p. 780.
9. ↑ Matthias Wagner in: Mainfränkisches Jahrbuch, Volume 50 , Würzburg 1998, p. 120. Wagner erroneously writes in 1938, but refers to a letter printed in Fig. 6 (p. 135) from Gestapo file 17972 in the Würzburg State Archives. This document shows that “all mail, express mail and telegrams for Zilcher” were initially checked for two months. It remains to be seen whether a subsequent extension of the monitoring was ordered.
10. ↑ Peter Weidisch: Würzburg in the "Third Reich". In: Ulrich Wagner (Hrsg.): History of the city of Würzburg. 4 volumes, Volume I-III / 2, Theiss, Stuttgart 2001-2007; III / 1–2: From the transition to Bavaria to the 21st century. 2007, ISBN 978-3-8062-1478-9 , pp. 196-289 and 1271-1290; here: p. 221.
11. ^ Matthias Wagner in: Mainfränkisches Jahrbuch, Volume 50 , Würzburg 1998, p. 121 and footnote 119, p. 129.
12. ^ Ernst Klee: The culture lexicon for the Third Reich. Who was what before and after 1945. S. Fischer, Frankfurt am Main 2007, p. 683.
    Fred K. Prieberg: Music in the Nazi State , Frankfurt / Main 1982, p. 158 ff.
    Matthias Wagner in Mainfränkisches Jahrbuch, Volume 50 , Würzburg 1998, p. 121.
13. ^ Fred K. Prieberg: Handbook of German Musicians 1933–1945 , CD-ROM Lexicon, 2004, p. 7987.
14. ↑ Joachim Stepp, in Barbara Haas a. a. Ed .: Hermann Zilcher , Tutzing 1999, p. 36; Fred K. Prieberg: Handbook of German Musicians 1933–1945 , CD-ROM Lexicon 2004, p. 7983; Matthias Wagner, in: Mainfränkisches Jahrbuch, Volume 50 , Würzburg 1998, p. 121.
15. ^ Matthias Wagner, in: Mainfränkisches Jahrbuch, Volume 50 , Würzburg 1998, p. 119.
16. ^ Ernst Klee: The culture lexicon for the Third Reich. Who was what before and after 1945. S. Fischer, Frankfurt am Main 2007, p. 683; Oliver Rathkolb: Faithful to the leader and God's grace. Artist elite in the Third Reich , Vienna 1991, p. 173 ff.
17. ^ Wagner, in: Mainfränkisches Jahrbuch, Volume 50 , Würzburg 1998, p. 119.
18. ^ Wagner, in: Mainfränkisches Jahrbuch, Volume 50 1998, p. 128, footnote 91.
19. ^ Matthias Wagner, in: Mainfränkisches Jahrbuch, Volume 50 , Würzburg 1998, p. 123.
20. ^ Alfred Einstein, in: Das neue Musik-Lexikon , Berlin 1926, p. 726
21. ↑ Barbara Haas, in: Hermann Zilcher , Tutzing 1999, p. 119
22. ↑ Reinhold Sietz wrote in 1968 in: MGG Volume 14, p. 83.100 of a “universal, now little-noticed work of Zilcher”.
23. ↑ Peter Weidisch: Würzburg in the "Third Reich". In: Ulrich Wagner (Hrsg.): History of the city of Würzburg. 4 volumes, Volume I-III / 2, Theiss, Stuttgart 2001-2007; III / 1–2: From the transition to Bavaria to the 21st century. Volume 2, 2007, ISBN 978-3-8062-1478-9 , p. 1273, note 60.
24. ↑ Peter Weidisch: Würzburg in the "Third Reich". In: Ulrich Wagner (Hrsg.): History of the city of Würzburg. 4 volumes, Volume I-III / 2, Theiss, Stuttgart 2001-2007; III / 1–2: From the transition to Bavaria to the 21st century. Volume 2, 2007, ISBN 978-3-8062-1478-9 , p. 1285, note 348.