Walter Jentsch

Walter Jentsch (born August 11, 1900 in Langenbielau (Silesia, today Bielawa , Poland), † July 2, 1979 ) was a German composer, bandmaster and radio director.

Life

Walter Jentsch studied music with the Austrian conductor Julius Prüwer in Breslau and at the State Academy for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna (today University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna ). From 1924 to 1926 he was Opera Kapellmeister in Königsberg (Prussia) , until 1927 in Mönchengladbach , before moving to Berlin. There Jentsch worked as a stage composer and conductor.

With the seizure of power of the Nazis in 1933 Jentsch came to broadcasting, first as a sound engineer for Germany transmitter , then as head of the music department in the German short-wave transmitter , the Nazi's international broadcaster.

After the Second World War , Jentsch started a career as a university lecturer. In 1949 he became a lecturer in composition at the Stern Conservatory in Berlin and taught at the Berlin University of Music . Jentsch mainly composed songs, piano sonatas and piano concertos.

The New York Times wrote on August 1, 1974 about the Newport Music Festival that was taking place at the time , this time concentrating on "forgotten works" and citing two composers; one of them was Walter Jentsch:

“Who on earth are these composers? Even the Newport Music Festival doesn't know. John Stranack, who had [...] unearthed Jentsch's Kleine Kammermusik , found the sheet music in good condition, but could not find any sources that could shed light on the composer. [...] 'These composers are completely unknown to mankind.' "

Awards

• 1969 Johann Wenzel Stamitz Prize