We heartily congratulate our great and unforgotten composer
Harald Genzmer on the occasion of his centenary

Harald Genzmer

* 9 February 1909 in Blumenthal, Germany
† 16 December 2007 in Munich, Germany

Echo Klassik-Preisträger 2009 - Editorische Leistung des Jahres

Harald Genzmer 9.2.1909 – 16.12.2007. Zum 100. Geburtstag. 10 CDs [Thorofon CTH 2553]

Brief Biography

Harald Genzmer, born on 9 February 1909 in Blumenthal bei Bremen, composer.
On his father’s side, he was descended from a family of pastors and lawyers who lived in Freienwalde an der Oder in the 17th century and possibly originated from the town of Genzmer in Oderbruch (today Genschmar in the administrative district of Märkisch-Oderland in Brandenburg). Genzmer’s father, Felix, received a professorship in constitutional law in later years. He had a strong interest in ancient Germanic texts and translated the Edda. The maternal side of Genzmer’s family was a family from Berlin and Stettin.

Harald Genzmer completed his school-leaving examination in Marburg in 1927 after the family had frequently changed residence (Posen 1910, Berlin-Lankwitz in 1919 and Rostock in 1921). Young Genzmer’s first influential musical listening impressions included performances of the “Alpine Symphony” of Richard Strauss (Rostock, 1923) and of the “Music for Orchestra” of Rudi Stephan (Rostock, 1923). In Marburg, he primarily heard performances of chamber music, including those of the Rosé Quartet. A performance of the Amar String Quartet with Paul Hindemith (in Giessen, 1924) was especially influential for Genzmer’s further musical development. He received instruction in organ, piano and music theory from Herman Stephani, the Director of Marburg University, already during his years at secondary school and continuing until 1928.

In 1928 Genzmer passed the entrance examinations at the Berlin Academy of Music in the subjects of composition and clarinet. The examination commission was made up of Franz Schreker, Georg Schünemann and Paul Hindemith. Genzmer studied composition with Paul Hindemith from 1928 until 1934 until the latter left Berlin. Other courses attended by Genzmer during this period included organology (with Curt Sachs), musicology (with Georg Schünemann), piano instruction (with Rudolf Schmidt) and clarinet instruction (with Alfred Richter).

Genzmer worked as a rehearsal pianist from 1934 until 1937 and later as head rehearsal pianist at the Breslau Opera. Genzmer was awarded an Olympic bronze medal at the 1936 Olympic Summer Games in Berlin in the category of “solo and choir” for his work “The Runner.” From 1938 until 1942 he taught music theory and ensemble playing at the Adult Music Education in Berlin-Neukölln. After being conscripted for military service in 1940, he first served as a clarinettist and was later released for concerts for the armed forces and base hospitals. His collaboration with Oskar Sala, early propagator of the Trautonium, began during this period. Genzmer wrote numerous works for this instrument, including two concertos for Trautonium and orchestra. Other compositions with the Trautonium were probably lost during the war. Genzmer frequently accompanied Sala on his concert tours.

In 1946 Genzmer was appointed Assistant Director and Professor of Composition at the newly founded Music Academy in Freiburg im Breisgau. During this period he composed the “Suite in C” for piano, premiered by Carl Seemann. From 1957 to 1974 he taught composition at the Academy of Music in Munich. He was a member of the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts and of the Berlin Academy of Fine Arts. Pupils of Harald Genzmer included Bertold Hummel, Heinz Winbeck and Friedrich Zehm. Harald Genzmer lived and composed in Munich following his retirement until his death on 16 December 2007.

Among his numerous honours, the following are particularly worthy of mention: the Music Prize of the City of Munich (1962), the Maximilian Order for Science and Art (1991) and the Culture Prize of the Bavarian Provincial Foundation (1996). Harald Genzmer has left a compositional oeuvre of enormous dimensions. At its centre are orchestral, chamber and choral music in every musical genre. In addition, there are numerous works for piano and organ. The stage music is limited to the ballet “The Magic Mirror” (1965). Musical thinking and musical practice are inseparably woven together with Harald Genzmer - composition, teaching and performance practice form a unity. His line of vision is constantly directed towards the human being, whether interpreters or listeners, amateurs or professional musicians. The composer remarked in 1978: “Music should be vital, artistic and comprehensible. It can win over the interpreter with its practicability, and then the listener with its graspability.”

Copyright photos: Schott Archive / Peter Andersen 1991