Wilhelm Weismann

Wilhelm Weismann (born September 20, 1900 in Alfdorf / Württemberg ; † May 14, 1980 in Leipzig ) was a German composer and musicologist .

Life

Weismann was born on September 20th in Alfdorf on the plateau of the Welzheimer Forest . His parents ran a general store. His mother, sister of the well-known musicologist Alfred Heuss , encouraged his artistic inclinations and he received his first piano and music lessons. The merchant's son showed his musical interest early on by composing small choral movements.

After a long struggle for his father's permission, he studied from 1919 to 1921 at the Stuttgart Conservatory and then from 1921 to 1923 in Leipzig composition (with Sigfrid Karg-Elert ) and musicology (with Hermann Abert and Arnold Schering ). After completing his studies, he embarked on a momentous trip to Italy in 1924, during which he visited Sicily , Rome , Naples and Florence and during which he was greatly impressed by Italian architecture and painting. In the Uffizi he was able to see original compositions by Carlo Gesualdo di Venosa . They inspired him to write “Four Italian Madrigals”, which were performed at the Donaueschinger Musiktage in 1925 and made him well known.

From 1924 he was editor and correspondent of the " Zeitschrift für Musik ", the publisher of which was his uncle Alfred Heuss . In 1929 he became a lecturer at the Leipzig music publisher Edition Peters , where he was appointed editor-in-chief in 1956 for the first time in publishing history. In addition to publications, he was responsible for the “Peters-Nachrichten”, co-founded the “German Yearbook for Musicology” and after 1945 expanded the profile of the publisher to include contributions from contemporary music. He promoted a number of younger composer colleagues. Through his mediation, the famous pianist and pedagogue Bronislaw von Pozniak could be won for the new edition of Chopin's piano works in Edition Peters.

From 1946 to 1955 and from 1961 to 1976 he taught at the Leipzig Music Academy as a lecturer, in 1948 he was appointed professor. From 1956 to 1963 he was in charge of the first complete edition of Gesualdo's madrigals, the work of which, together with Italian vocal music, occupied him for life in essays and in musical discussions.

In 1968 he protested in a telegram to the Lord Mayor of Leipzig against the demolition of the university church as a "unique cultural monument". In 1964 he received the National Prize of the GDR III. Class and in early May 1980 the Patriotic Order of Merit in gold.

Wilhelm Weismann died on May 14, 1980 in Leipzig.

Works (selection)

• Four Italian Madrigals (1925)
• The 23rd Psalm (The Lord is my Shepherd) , motet for solo and choir (1954)
• Concerto for solos, mixed choir and organ (1957)
• Three madrigals based on words by Friedrich Hölderlin (1963)
• The four seasons . Madrigals. (1970)
• Sulamith . Concerto for solo soprano, choir and large orchestra (1975)
• My Swabian songbook for voice and piano.
• Six songs based on old German poems for voice and piano.

swell

• triangle. The culture magazine from MDR Figaro. - 11th year November 2006, published by MDR - pp. 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39. from "A Life Picture" by Dr. sc. phil. Eberhard Kneipel