Siegfried Köhler
Siegfried Köhler
Genres: Classical, ddr, gammarec, gdr, 2juma
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Rundfunk-Kinderchor Berlin
About Siegfried Köhler
Siegfried Köhler (March 2, 1927 in Meißen – July 14, 1984 in East Berlin) was a German composer in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). During World War II, Köhler worked with a musicians group (Spielschar) within the Hitler Youth organisation. After the end of the war, the Soviet secret police NKVD arrested him and charged him with being a member of the Werwolf. He was detained at the infamous prison Speziallager Nr. 4 in Bautzen. In March 1946 he was transferred into Speziallager Nr. 1 in Mühlberg and on June 21, 1946 he was handed over to the NKVD command in Dresden. He was released there suffering from tuberculosis. Köhler went on to study first Composition in Dresden and then Musicology and Art history in Leipzig. From 1963 to 1968 he worked as an art director at the state-owned music publisher VEB Deutsche Schallplatten in East Berlin. In 1968 he returned to Dresden and became the president of Musikhochschule Dresden. From 1982 until his death he was the president of the Association of Composers and Musicologists of the German Democratic Republic. In 1983 he was appointed as the director of the prestigious opera house Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden. However, he did not live to see the re-opening of the Semperoper in 1985. Köhler died on July 14, 1984 in East Berlin. Siegfried Köhler's best-known works are the song Heut ist ein wunderschöner Tag (1942) and the Christmas song Tausend Sterne sind ein Dom. His Symphony No. 5 "Pro Pace" (premiered in 1984) is a stunning reminder of the bombing of Dresden in World War II. For the record Peter Schreier singt Weihnachtslieder (1975), Köhler arranged all songs for solo tenor, boys' choir and orchestra. Siegfried Köhler (30 July 1923 - September 2017) was a German conductor and composer of classical music, who worked as a general music director of opera houses such as Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden and the Royal Swedish Opera. He also composed music (for the stage) and taught at universities of music in Cologne and Saarbrücken. Born in Freiburg im Breisgau, he studied at the Musikhochschule Freiburg. From 1942, he worked at the Theater Heilbronn as a harpist and repetiteur. During World War II. he was a Funker (radio operator). He conducted from 1946 in Freiburg, promoted in 1952 to 1. Kapellmeister (first conductor. From 1954 he worked at the opera in Düsseldorf. From 1957, he conducted at the Cologne Opera as a conductor, later as Generalmusikdirektor (GMD, director of music). He was also director of the Opernstudio of the Hochschule für Musik Köln. Köhler was from 1964 GMD in Saarbrücken, and simultaneously was professor of conducting at the Hochschule für Musik Saar. From 1973 to 1988, Köhler was GMD at the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden. He presented unusual repertory such as Auber's Die Stumme von Portici and Wagner's Rienzi, with Jon Buzea in the title role, Eike Wilm Schulte as Steffano Colonna and Gail Gilmore as Adriano. Köhler revived operas by Siegfried Wagner and conducted premieres of operas by Volker David Kirchner, Die Trauung (The Wedding) in 1975 and Das kalte Herz (The Cold Heart) in 1981. He appeared as a guest conductor internationally with notable orchestras. From 1989, Köhler was chief conductor at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm. He had conducted the Kungliga Hovkapellet first in 1975, and had the position of Hovkapellmästare from 1992 to 2005. Köhler's work is documented in recordings for radio, television and records. The production of Rienzi was broadcast live in the ZDF. He conducted excerpts from his own works for WERGO, with the Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz and the Königliche Hofkapelle Stockholm. He recorded in 1993 Der tapfere Soldat by Oscar Straus with the WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln and principal singers John Dickie, Johannes Martin Kränzle (de) and Caroline Stein. Köhler wrote his autobiography in 2003, with the same title as his operetta, Alles Capriolen. The subtitle is Ein Jahrhundert im Musiktheater (A century in music theatre). Köhler is an honorary member of the Richard-Wagner-Verband of Saarland, besides Gwyneth Jones, Catarina Ligendza, Siegmund Nimsgern and Astrid Varnay. He is also an honorary member of the Verband in Wiesbaden and of the Hessisches Staatstheater. Selected works Stage Alles Capriolen (operetta) Sabine, sei sittsam (musical) Old Germany (musical) WirbelWind und WonneWolken (revue-opera) Ladies and Gentlemen (musical criminal comedy) Instrumental Humoreske for harp Tango, Vision für großes Orchester Leidenschaft, Tanzszene für großes Orchester Vocal Sechs ernste Lieder for soprano and piano
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