Gruppe Neue Musik Hanns Eisler

Last updated
Gruppe Neue Musik Hanns Eisler
Origin Leipzig, German Democratic Republic
Genres Contemporary classical
Occupation(s) Chamber ensemble
Years active1970–1993

Gruppe Neue Musik Hanns Eisler was an ensemble of musicians founded in 1970 in Leipzig with a focus on contemporary classical music, which played several world premieres and toured internationally. [1] The ensemble disbanded in 1993.

Contents

History

The ensemble Gruppe Neue Musik "Hanns Eisler" was founded in Leipzig on 17 December 1970 by composer and trombone player Friedrich Schenker, oboist Burkhard Glaetzner, pianist Gerhard Erber and others, to perform contemporary classical music. [2] Its regular conductors were Max Pommer, Friedrich Goldmann and Christian Münch. [3]

Repertoire

The core repertoire of Gruppe Neue Musik Hanns Eisler consisted of works by Arnold Schönberg, Anton Webern and Hanns Eisler as well as Stefan Wolpe, Charles Ives and Paul Dessau. [3] The group's mission was to keep the spirit of their namesake alive, which meant that they focused not on performing his work, but on promoting new music. [1] More than 250 first performances by more than 70 composers include Edison Denisov's Trio, Nicolaus A. Huber's Demijour, Luca Lombardi's Einklang, Wolfgang Rihm's Kalt, Goldmann's Konzert für Posaune und 3 Instrumentalgruppen, Luigi Nono's Kolomb. [4] and Alax by Iannis Xenakis. [5] In addition, they played several East German first performances of works by international composers such as John Cage's Piano Concerto, Edison Denisov's Chorale-Variations, Dieter Schnebel's Glossolalie, Stockhausen's Zyklus , Iannis Xenakis's Nomos Alpha, Isang Yun's Piri and Bernd Alois Zimmermann's Intercommunicatione. [3]

Tours and disbanding

Gruppe Neue Musik Hanns Eisler was one of the first East German ensembles to tour beyond the Iron Curtain, including several performances throughout Western Europe and Japan. [6] They were often invited to the Steirischer Herbst, the Warsaw Autumn Festival, the Donaueschingen Festival and the Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik among others. [7] It was the most important ensemble for contemporary music in East Germany. Alongside Ensemble InterContemporain and Ensemble Modern it was also one of the most respected contemporary chamber music ensembles in Europe. The ensemble disbanded after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1993, considering its mission accomplished. [7]

Awards

Film

The 1980 documentary film Kampuchea – Sterben und Auferstehen  [ de ] was scored by Reiner Bredemeyer.

Recordings

Recordings by the group were released by Wergo, including:

Related Research Articles

Friedrich Goldmann was a German composer and conductor.

Hanspeter Kyburz is a contemporary Swiss composer of classical music, known for applying electronic music techniques to his productions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ensemble Sortisatio</span>

Ensemble Sortisatio is a quartet founded by violist Matthias Sannemüller in 1992 in Leipzig, Germany. Its members are mostly soloists at the MDR Symphony Orchestra. They have specialized in contemporary classical music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forum Zeitgenössischer Musik Leipzig</span>

The Forum Zeitgenössischer Musik Leipzig [FZML](Forum of Contemporary Music Leipzig) is a non-profit organisation situated in Leipzig and an independent cultural organisation for the project-based communication of contemporary music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roswitha Trexler</span> German operatic soprano and mezzo-soprano

Roswitha Trexler is a German operatic soprano and mezzo-soprano who became internationally known especially as an interpreter of the music of Hans Eisler and for her commitment to avantgarde vocal music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burkhard Glaetzner</span> German musician and conductor

Burkhard Glaetzner is a German oboe virtuoso und conductor. He is one of the leading oboe players in Germany.

Wolfgang Weber is a German cellist.

Reiner Kontressowitz is a German musicologist and lyricist.

Gerd Schenker is a German percussionist.

The Leipziger Consort was a well-known chamber music ensemble from the DDR

Axel Schmidt is a German cor anglais player and oboist.

Gerhard Erber was a German classical pianist and academic teacher. He played as a member of the East German ensemble Gruppe Neue Musik Hanns Eisler, which focused on contemporary chamber music. He was a professor of piano at the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig, and organised a Bach competition in Köthen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Friedrich Schenker</span> German composer (1942–2013)

Friedrich Schenker was a German avant-garde composer and trombone player.

Dieter Zahn is a German double bassist.

Matthias Sannemüller is a German violist.

Hans-Christian Bartel was a German violist and composer.

Günter Neubert is a German composer and tonmeister.

Paul-Heinz Dittrich was a German composer and academic teacher. Based in East Berlin, he focused on chamber music, with many works inspired by poetry. His works were performed earlier in the West than in the East. He was an influential composer of contemporary music in Germany who taught internationally, including in the United States, Israel, and Korea.

The Hanns Eisler Prize was an East-German music award, named after the composer Hanns Eisler. It was awarded by Radio DDR – with advisory participation of the music section of the Akademie der Künste der DDR in Berlin (East) and the Verband der Komponisten und Musikwissenschaftler der DDR (VDK) – and on the occasion of his 70th birthday on 6 July 1968, the first time in the ballroom of the Alten Rathaus. The Hanns Eisler Prize was endowed with 10,000 marks and was one of the most renowned music prizes in the German Democratic Republic.

Hans-Peter Jannoch (1938–2004) was a German conductor, composer and pianist.

References

  1. 1 2 Frackman, Kyle; cPowell, Larson (2015). Classical Music in the German Democratic Republic: Production and Reception. Boydell & Brewer. p. 173. ISBN   9781571139160.
  2. Amzoll 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 Schneider, Frank (1997). Die Gruppe Neue Musik "Hanns Eisler. pp. 224ff.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  4. Thomas Schäfer, ed. (1999). Luigi Nono. Aufbruch in Grenzbereiche. Pfau-Verlag: Saarbrücken. ISBN   3-89727-079-X., S. 70 f.
  5. Glaetzner, Burkhard (1990). Reiner Kontressowitz (ed.). Gruppe Neue Musik "Hanns Eisler" 1970–1990. Leipzig: Spiel-Horizonte. p. 40.
  6. Burkhard Glaetzner; Reiner Kontressowitz, eds. (1990). "Gruppe Neue Musik "Hanns Eisler" 1970–1990". Spiel-Horizonte (in German). Leipzig: 8.
  7. 1 2 Programme 1975–1999 der Gruppe Neue Musik "Hanns Eisler"

Bibliography