Gurlitt, Manfred

Gurlitt, Manfred, German conductor, teacher, and composer, cousin of Wilibald Gurlitt; b. Berlin, Sept. 6, 1890; d. Tokyo, April 29, 1972. He was a student in Berlin of Mayer-Mahr and Breithaupt (piano), Kaun (theory and composition), and Humperdinck (composition). In 1911 he became an assistant at the Bayreuth Festivals, and also conducted opera in Essen and Augsburg. After serving as 1st conductor and opera director at the Bremen City Theater (1914-24), he returned to Berlin and was granted the title of Generalmusikdirektor, appeared as a guest conductor at the State Opera and on the radio, and taught at the Hochschule fur Musik. After the Nazis proscribed his activities, he settled in Tokyo in 1939 as a conductor and teacher. He conducted his own opera company there from 1953.

Works

DRAMATIC Opera : Die Heilige (Bremen, Jan. 27, 1920); Wozzeck (Bremen, April 22, 1926); Soldaten (Diisseldorf, Nov. 1930); Nana (Dortmund, 1933); Nachtlicher Spuk(1937); Warum? (1940); Nordische Ballade (1944); Wir schreiten aus (1958). ORCH.: Symphonische Musik (1922); Orchester-Gesange (1925); Chamber Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Chamber Orch. (1927) and No. 2 for Violin and Chamber Orch. (1929); Cello Concerto (1937); 2 syms.: No. 1, Goya- Symphonic (1938) and No. 2, Shakespeare-Symphonie for 5 Voices and Orch. (1954). VOCAL: 5 Gesange for Soprano and Chamber Orch. (1923); Drei politische Reden aus der Franzosischen Revolution for Baritone, Men’s Chorus, and Orch. (1944); songs. OTHER: Chamber music and piano pieces.

Bibliography

H. Gotz, M. G.: Leben und Werk (Frankfurt am Main, 1996).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire