Wenzinger August
Wenzinger August
Wenzinger, August, prominent Swiss cellist, viola da gambist, conductor, teacher, and music editor; b. Basel, Nov. 14,1905. He received his basic training at the Basel Cons.; then studied cello with Paul Grümmer and theory with Jarnach at the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne; also took private cello lessons with Feuermann in Berlin. He subsequently served as 1st cellist in the Bremen City Orch. (1929-34) and the Basel Allgemeine Musikgesellschaft (1936-70). He became interested in reviving the classical Baroque repertoire on original instruments, and acquired facility on the viola da gamba; conducted early music with the Capella Coloniensis of the West German Radio in Cologne (1954-58) and later led performances of Baroque operas in Hannover (1958-66). He taught at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis (from 1933); founded its viola da gamba trio in 1968. He ed. Bach’s unaccompanied cello suites and several Baroque operas, and also publ. exercises for the viola da gamba, Gambenübung (2 vols., 1935, 1938) and Gambenfibel (with M. Majer; 1943).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire