Konrad Wallerstein

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Konrad Wallerstein (born October 30, 1879 in Prague , Austria-Hungary ; † probably October 28, 1944 in Auschwitz concentration camp ) was a Czech singing teacher, pedagogue and composer of Jewish descent.

biography

Together with his five siblings Gertrud Tauber, Laura Bunze, Victor Wallerstein, Lothar Wallerstein and Therese Goldschmidt, as well as his parents the cantor Moritz Wallerstein (1847–1906) and his wife Bertha, née. Reininger, Konrad grew up in the Josefstadt in Prague. The family lived on the 3rd floor at Dreibrunnerplatz No. 11 together with their two grandfathers in a 7-room apartment.

Konrad, who was born the fourth child, received private tuition at home in his childhood due to a weak eye until he later attended St. Stephen's High School in Prague. Wallerstein began his first job in a leather shop in 1895 and worked there for two years. He then works as an office worker. His musical talent was discovered by relatives during this time, whereupon Konrad received lessons in harmony and piano lessons in addition to his office work.

From 1899 to 1901 he studied at the organ department at the Prague Conservatory . He successfully completed his three-year training in the subjects of harmony , composition and figured bass after just two years.

His coach, the conductor at the Staatstheater Nürnberg , Felix Lederer, arranged a two-year engagement as a volunteer coach at the same theater for him in 1901. Despite the offers to continue working as a conductor, Wallerstein returned to Prague due to his father's serious illness and became choir director in the Karelinenthal parish. In addition, he supported his father as an assistant at his father's singing school. Konrad Wallerstein took over this school with the death of his father on November 7, 1906.

He married his first wife Regine Ullmann, whom he met in Nuremberg in 1902 , and married in 1907. Together they had their only son Heinz a year later. His wife died in 1909 of meningitis.

In 1914 the second wedding followed with his student Frieda Reimann. Together they had two daughters: Margot (* 1915) and Hanna (* 1921). The latter was the only one in the family to survive the Holocaust, as she was able to flee to London from the Nazis in 1939 .

Wallerstein was drafted into the military several times until he was finally retired at the end of 1916 because of his weak eyes. From 1920 he began to work in the newly founded Academy for Music and Performing Arts Prague (today: Academy of Performing Arts in Prague ). His position lasted 19 years. Wallerstein was a member of the professors' and disciplinary council for several years and headed the Prague branch of the German Music Pedagogical Association for 11 years. He was chairman of the general association for two years. In 1939 Konrad Wallerstein retired, but he continued to give private singing lessons. In his last years he was on the board of the Maisel Synagogue and took over the office of choirmaster . During this time he also composed pieces himself.

The Wallerstein family was also known in the Prague art scene for their house concerts. One of the best known is probably the private performance of Viktor Ullmann's songs and piano works in Wallerstein's apartment on March 3, 1940, with the composer himself at the piano and Konrad's daughter Margot, Robert Stein and Marion Podolier as singers. Konrad Wallerstein was known in the musician world of Prague through his educational successes and came into contact with Richard Strauss , Igor Stravinsky , Antonín Dvořák , Josef Suk , Karel Kovařovic , Alexander Zemlinsky , Clemens Heinrich Krauss , Paul Hindemith , Ernst Krenek , Franz Schalk and Felix Weingartner .

Because of their Jewish descent, Konrad and Frieda Wallerstein had to wear the yellow star from September 1, 1941 . On July 13, 1943, the couple was deported from Prague to Theresienstadt on transport Di-690,689 . On October 28, 1944, the transfer to Auschwitz with the transport number EV 1100/1099 followed. Two days later, the Wallerstein couple were murdered shortly after their arrival in Auschwitz.

Publications

1920 He publishes the second revised edition of the "Vocal Repetitorium. A compilation of the most important exercises for the purpose of hearing, voice and tone training, accuracy and pronouncements for initiating coloratura and breathing." by Moritz Wallerstein
1931 "Extract from the lectures on the special method of art singing"
1933 "Course and literature for singing lessons", including "Practical tips and advice on questions of vocal hygiene" and "The opera" with "Instructions for studying Elisabeth from" Tannhäuser "by Richard Wagner
1937 Book on the phonetics of the German language for Czechs and Slavs: Brochure in Czech (submitted to the Ministry of Education for assessment, but was never published)

Wallerstein's pupil

In his decades of pedagogical work as a singing professor, Konrad Wallerstein was able to bring a considerable number of singers to professional opera houses. His most famous students were:

Otakar Kraus , Antonin Lebeda, Paula Löwe, Steffi Meckler, Karo Kügler, Petanoví Brachteich, Stephan Chodounaký, Jan Persl, Paul Jeral, Franz Winternitz, Fritz Neumeyer, Pulpánová, Aussieger, Liesel Pirk, Margarete Kraus, Ada Nováková (Nordenová - Ada Nordenová ), Wenzel Pospisil, Jandra Koubová, Miloslav Jeník, Marenka Ziegelerová, Lubin-Böhm, Grete Löschner, Rothstein, Dragomir Stefanovic, Olly Ried, Engelbert Czubek, Elisha Ozraer, Hans Nack, Fritz Bürgmann, Rola Fiola, Gitte Schlegen, Martha Krasová, Fraz Kulpanová, Walter Janowitz, Olga Rinnebach, Otto Freue, Reinhold Popovics, Herbert Walders, Gretl Just, Liesl Kadera, Margarete Pfahl, Alfredo Kraus, Milo de Luca, Karl Norbert (née Karel Novotny), Elsa Kment and Hanna Kramer.

In addition, Konrad was also in vocal pedagogical contact with high nobility such as Thun, Czernin , Schönborn and Clanner. He had a special friendship with Prince Heinrich I von Hanau-Hořovice , in whose Castle Hořovice he often gave singing lessons and from there he went hunting with the prince. Hanau later became the godfather of the only son Heinrich.

estate

Konrad Wallerstein - memories original manuscript

Konrad Wallerstein's estate was transferred to the Center for Ostracized Music of the Rostock University of Music and Drama by his last, until recently still living descendant , and made available for scientific purposes. She herself received it in Prague in 1945 from a friend of the family's neighbors, who had received the documents for safekeeping before the Wallerstein family was deported.

The estate includes the following documents:

  • "My memories, a family picture" in handwritten form on carbon paper (approx. 180 pages)
  • "My memories, a family picture" as a typewriter copy (125 pages, copyist unknown)
  • an abbreviated version of the memoirs in English (50 pages, translator unknown)
  • Sheet music of a piece of music composed by Konrad Wallerstein "Progressionen"
  • 2 vocal pedagogy books written by Konrad Wallerstein
  • some pictures

In his autobiographical book: Memories , Wallerstein writes about his life, his students and Prince Heinrich I von Hanau-Hořovice, among other things . In the last chapter he treats well-known musicians like Antonín Dvořák and Alexander Zemlinsky in funny anecdotes .

literature

  • Zdenka E. Fischmann: Review of the Society of the History of Czechoslovak Jews. Pp. 202-204, 208
  • Caroline Stoessinger: A Century of Wisdom: Lessons from the Life of Alice Herz-Sommer, the World's oldest Holocaust Survivor. Pp. 48-50.
  • Wallerstein's estate, especially his "memories"

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ yvng.yadvashem.org
  2. ^ Konrad Wallerstein: Memories
  3. ↑ ibid
  4. ↑ ibid
  5. ↑ lexm.uni-hamburg.de
  6. ↑ ibid
  7. ↑ ibid
  8. ↑ schoenberg.com
  9. ↑ ibid
  10. ↑ ibid
  11. ↑ ullmann-lieder.com
  12. ^ Konrad Wallerstein: Memories
  13. ↑ nnn.de ( Memento from May 18, 2015 in the web archive archive.today )
  14. ↑ yvng.yadvashem.org
  15. ↑ boehmischeverlagsgeschichte.at
  16. ↑ bayreuther-festspiele.de
  17. ↑ forgottenoperasingers.blogspot.de
  18. ^ Konrad Wallerstein: Memories
  19. ↑ ibid
  20. ↑ nnn.de ( Memento from May 18, 2015 in the web archive archive.today )
personal data
SURNAME Wallerstein, Konrad
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Czech singing professor and composer of Jewish descent
DATE OF BIRTH October 30, 1879
PLACE OF BIRTH Prague
DATE OF DEATH uncertain: October 28, 1944
Place of death Auschwitz concentration camp