Other Instruments

Harald Genzmer belongs to the most important composers of the 20th century. Always being sceptical towards the dogmatism of the vanguard trend and thus following his teacher Paul Hindemith, he represents a music which is aimed to directly address the player as well as the listener. Genzmer says about his attitude "Music should be vital, artistic and understandable. It shall reach the interpreter as being practical, then the listener as being understandable."

Genzmer was born in Bremen/Germany on 9th February 1909. Crucial impulses for his artistic path came through encountering the works of Paul Hindemith, by whom he started to study composition in Berlin in 1928.

Following extensive activities in different areas of the musical world Genzmer was finally appointed teacher for composition at the newly founded high school for music in Freiburg i.Br. in 1946.
In 1957 he was appointed professor for composition in Munich where he is living since then.

Genzmer was and is a passionate teacher, and he can base this on an unusual and manifold Œuvre of composing, on an enormous knowledge and admiration of and respect for the history of music, on a superbly creative capability and composing competence, as well as on an amazing knowledge of other disciplines such as literature, art or natural science.
He was influenced by many composers, for example Debussy, Hindemith, Bartók and Strawinsky, but as a composer he found his own style, his own language and expressed this in a manifold of musical forms. Indeed, the catalogue of Genzmer is very rich, contains pieces for orchestra, compositions for voices as well as chamber music for all instruments. Remarkable is the significance of the concerto genre. For Genzmer a concerto is ideal to show the individualism of the musician as well as the characteristics of the different instruments. Harald Genzmer shows an admirable knowledge of using these possibilities as well as an understanding of the task the musician has to accomplish. In addition he has a nearly unfailing fantasy and vitality in discovering and experimenting with new methods, which give his music their own liveliness and timbre. Genzmer once said "The principle of composing is also service for the mankind".

Price incl. tax: Euro 12.00