Herbert Windt (15 September 1894,

Senftenberg Senftenberg ( German, ) or (Lower Sorbian, ) is a town in Lower Lusatia, Brandenburg, in eastern Germany, capital of the Oberspreewald-Lausitz district. Geography Senftenberg is located in the southwest of the historic Lower Lusatia region at t ...

Brandenburg Brandenburg, officially the State of Brandenburg, is a States of Germany, state in northeastern Germany. Brandenburg borders Poland and the states of Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony. It is the List of Ger ...

– 2 November 1965, Deisenhofen, now a part of

Oberhaching Oberhaching is a Municipalities in Germany, municipality in Bavaria, Germany, with 13,638 inhabitants (2020) on an area of . It is located south of Munich city centre and has a 1,250 year history. Architecture The most important buildings are ...

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

) was a German composer who became one of the most significant

film score A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to ...

composers of the

Third Reich Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictat ...

. He was best known for his collaborations with the

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

Leni Riefenstahl Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl (; 22 August 1902 – 8 September 2003) was a German film director, Film producer, producer, screenwriter, Film editing, editor, photographer, and actress. She is considered one of the most controversial ...

on films ''

Triumph of the Will ''Triumph of the Will'' () is a 1935 German Nazi propaganda film directed, produced, edited and co-written by Leni Riefenstahl. Adolf Hitler commissioned the film and served as an unofficial executive producer; his name appears in the opening ...

'' and '' Olympia''.

Biography

Windt studied at the Sternsches Konservatorium in Berlin but left to enlist in the army at the start of World War I. Severely wounded, he spent two years in hospital, during which he began composing chamber music. In 1920 Windt received a grant to study with the renowned

Franz Schreker Franz Schreker (originally ''Schrecker''; 23 March 1878 – 21 March 1934) was an Austrian composer, conductor, librettist, teacher and administrator. Primarily a composer of operas, Schreker developed a style characterized by aesthetic pluralit ...

in the composer's master class at the Berlin Academy of Music. Windt joined the

NSDAP The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor, the German Workers ...

in 1931. A grant by the government of the

Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic, officially known as the German Reich, was the German Reich, German state from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional republic for the first time in history; hence it is also referred to, and unofficially proclai ...

led to his opera ''

Andromache In Greek mythology, Andromache (; , ) was the wife of Hector, daughter of Eetion, and sister to Podes. She was born and raised in the city of Cilician Thebe, over which her father ruled. The name means "man battler", "fighter of men" or "m ...

'', which was first performed in 1932. An UFA film producer in the audience took notice of Windt's music. Windt was offered a commission to write the music for UFA's 1933 film ''Morgenrot'' (Red Morning), a story about a gallant World War I U-boat crew. Windt became one of the most significant

composers of the

along with Wolfgang Zeller, Michael Jary, Franz Grothe, and Georg Haentzschel. He composed music for several Nazi public events and radio programs. He was best known for his collaborations with

, the

of ''

'' (

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

/ 35), '' Olympia'' (

1938 Events January * January 1 – state-owned enterprise, State-owned railway networks are created by merger, in France (SNCF) and the Netherlands (Nederlandse Spoorwegen – NS). * January 20 – King Farouk of Egypt marries Saf ...

), and '' Tiefland'' (

1945 1945 marked the end of World War II, the fall of Nazi Germany, and the Empire of Japan. It is also the year concentration camps were liberated and the only year in which atomic weapons have been used in combat. Events World War II will be ...

/ 54), but he also worked with directors like

Wolfgang Liebeneiner Wolfgang Georg Louis Liebeneiner (6 October 1905 – 28 November 1987) was a German actor, film director and theatre director. Beginnings He was born in Lubawka, Liebau in Prussian Silesia. In 1928, he was taught by Otto Falckenberg, the directo ...

(''

Die Entlassung ''The Dismissal'' () is a 1942 German film directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner about the dismissal of Otto von Bismarck. It was one of only five films to receive the honorary distinction "Film of the Nation" by the Reich Propaganda Ministry Censor ...

''),

Georg Wilhelm Pabst Georg Wilhelm Pabst (25 August 1885 – 29 May 1967) was an Austrian film director and screenwriter. He started as an actor and theater director, before becoming one of the most influential German-language filmmakers during the Weimar Republic. ...

(''

Paracelsus Paracelsus (; ; 1493 – 24 September 1541), born Theophrastus von Hohenheim (full name Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim), was a Swiss physician, alchemist, lay theologian, and philosopher of the German Renaissance. H ...

''),

Frank Wisbar Frank Wisbar (born Franz Wysbar; 9 December 1899 – 17 March 1967) was a German film director and screenwriter. He directed more than 20 films between 1932 and 1967 in Germany and the United States, as well as amassing many television credits. H ...

('' The Unknown'', ''

Fährmann Maria ''Fährmann Maria'' ( ''Ferryman Maria'') is a 1936 German horror film directed by Frank Wisbar and starring Sybille Schmitz. Plot An elderly man operates a ferry near a small village. One evening, he weakens and dies while ferrying a silent stra ...

'', '' Stalingrad: Dogs, Do You Want to Live Forever?''), and

Gustav Ucicky Gustav Ucicky (6 July 1899 – 27 April 1961) was an Austrians, Austrian film director, screenwriter, and cinematographer. He was one of the more successful directors in Austria and Germany from the 1930s through to the early 1960s. His work cov ...

('' Morgenrot''). Windt's film scores for

propaganda film A propaganda film is a film that involves some form of propaganda. Propaganda films spread and promote certain ideas that are usually religious, political, or cultural in nature. A propaganda film is made with the intent that the viewer will ad ...

s drew the attention of the sociologist

Siegfried Kracauer Siegfried Kracauer (; ; February 8, 1889 – November 26, 1966) was a German writer, journalist, sociologist, cultural critic, and film theorist. He has sometimes been associated with the Frankfurt School of critical theory. He is notable for ...

, who analysed the composer's works in the tracts '' From Caligari to Hitler: A Psychological History of the German Film'' and '' Theory of Film: The Redemption of Physical Reality''. Despite the warm reception for his music in Nazi party circles, Windt himself fell into disfavor with the rulers of Germany in that period. He was completely cleared in the post-war de-Nazification trials.Information booklet for "Olympia" soundtrack album, 2002 Leni-Riefenstahl Produktion

Works

Cantata

* ''Andante religioso, eine Kammersinfonie nach sechs Sonaten'' (premiered in 1921) (Wien: Universal-Edition, 1942)

Opera

* ''

'' (1932 premiere in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

)

Film scores

* '' Morgenrot'' (1933) * ''

Refugees A refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person "forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as ...

'' (1933) * '' Der Sieg des Glaubens'' (1933) * ''

William Tell William Tell (, ; ; ; ) is a legendary folk hero of Switzerland. He is known for shooting an apple off his son's head. According to the legend, Tell was an expert mountain climber and marksman with a crossbow who assassinated Albrecht Gessler, ...

'' (1934) * ''

At the End of the World ''At the End of the World'' is a 1921 American silent action drama film produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is based on the play ''At the End of the World'' by and starred Betty Compson and Milton Sills. ...

'' (1934) * ''

The Riders of German East Africa '' The Riders of German East Africa'' (German: ''Die Reiter von Deutsch-Ostafrika'') is a 1934 German war film directed by Herbert Selpin and starring Sepp Rist, Ilse Stobrawa and Rudolf Klicks. It was shot at the Terra Studios in Berlin and locat ...

'' (1934) * '' The Four Musketeers'' (1934) * ''

'' (1935) * ''

My Life for Maria Isabella ''My Life for Maria Isabella'' () is a 1935 German drama film directed by Erich Waschneck and starring Viktor de Kowa, Maria Andergast and Peter Voß. It is a military drama, the titular Maria Isabella being the name of a regiment. Heavy cuts wer ...

'' (1935) *'' The Unknown'' (1936) * ''

'' (1936) * '' Home Guardsman Bruggler'' (1936) * '' Olympia'' (1938) * ''

The Mystery of Betty Bonn ''The Mystery of Betty Bonn'' () is a 1938 German adventure film directed by Robert A. Stemmle and starring Maria Andergast, Theodor Loos and Hans Nielsen.Kreimeier p. 286 The film was shot at the Babelsberg Studios in Berlin with sets designed ...

'' (1938) * ''

Frau Sixta ''Frau Sixta'' is a 1938 German historical drama film directed by Gustav Ucicky and starring Gustav Fröhlich, Franziska Kinz and Ilse Werner. It is based on the 1925 Frau Sixta (novel), novel of the same title by the Swiss writer Ernst Zahn. Th ...

'' (1938) * '' By a Silken Thread'' (1938) * ''

Pour le Mérite The (; , ), also informally known as the ''Blue Max'' () after German WWI flying ace Max Immelmann, is an order of merit established in 1740 by King Frederick II of Prussia. Separated into two classes, each with their own designs, the was ...

'' (1938) * ''

Cadets A cadet is a student or trainee within various organisations, primarily in military contexts where individuals undergo training to become commissioned officers. However, several civilian organisations, including civil aviation groups, maritime o ...

'' (1939) * ''

Midsummer Night's Fire ''Midsummer Night's Fire'' or ''St. John's Fire'' () is a 1939 German drama film directed by Arthur Maria Rabenalt and starring Anna Dammann, Ernst von Klipstein, and Gertrud Meyen. The film is based on the play '' Fires of St. John'' by Herma ...

'' (1939) * ''

Legion Condor The Condor Legion () was a unit of military personnel from the air force and army of Nazi Germany’s Wehrmacht which served with the Nationalist faction during the Spanish Civil War. The legion developed methods of strategic bombing that were ...

'' (1939) * '' Friedrich Schiller – Triumph eines Genies'' (1940) * ''

Feldzug in Polen ''Feldzug in Polen'' (''The Campaign in Poland'') is a 69-minute Nazi propaganda film released in 1940 depicting the 1939 invasion of Poland and directed by Fritz Hippler. Portraying the Poles as aggressors and ethnic Germans living in Poland a ...

'' (1940) * ''

Sieg im Westen ''Sieg im Westen'' (''Victory in the West'') is a 1941 Nazi propaganda film. It was produced by the Oberkommando des Heeres, the German Army High Command, rather than the Propaganda Ministry of Joseph Goebbels.Robert Edwin Hertzstein, ''The War ...

'' (1941) * '' Lightning Around Barbara'' (1941) * ''

Above All Else in the World ''Above All Else in the World'' () is a 1941 German drama film directed by Karl Ritter and starring Paul Hartmann, Hannes Stelzer and Fritz Kampers.Kreimeier p. 312 The title refers to the second line of the German national anthem. It was made ...

'' (1941) * ''

'' (1942) * '' The Red Terror'' (1942) * ''

'' (1943) * ''

The Crew of the Dora ''The Crew of the Dora'' () is a 1943 German film about ''Luftwaffe'' pilots. It depicts a love triangle involving two of them being overcome by their participation in battle together. The film was banned in 1944, because of the worsening war s ...

'' (1943) * '' Die Degenhardts'' (1944) * ''

Anna Alt ''Anna Alt'' (also known as ''Soloist Anna Alt,'' ) is a 1945 German drama film directed by Werner Klingler. The movie stars Anneliese Uhlig, Will Quadflieg and Emil Lohkamp.Hake p. 200 The story follows a talented pianist who sacrifices her o ...

'' (1945) * ''

The Woman from Last Night ''The Woman from Last Night'' () is a 1950 West German comedy film directed by Arthur Maria Rabenalt and starring Heli Finkenzeller, Albert Matterstock, and Hilde Sessak. It was shot at the Tempelhof Studios in West Berlin. The film's sets we ...

'' (1950) * ''

Stips ''Stips'' is a 1951 West German romantic comedy film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Gustav Fröhlich, Heli Finkenzeller and Eva Ingeborg Scholz.Bock & Bergfelder p. 139 It was shot at the Tempelhof Studios in West Berlin. The film's sets ...

'' (1951) * '' Fight of the Tertia'' (1952) * '' When the Heath Dreams at Night'' (1952) * '' Christina'' (1953) * '' Tiefland'' (1954) * '' Heroism after Hours'' (1955) * '' Stalingrad: Dogs, Do You Want to Live Forever?'' (1958) * ''

Heart Without Mercy ''Heart Without Mercy'' () is a 1958 West German crime film directed by Viktor Tourjansky and starring Barbara Rütting, Hansjörg Felmy and Werner Hinz.Hake p.117 It was made at the Wandsbek Studios in Hamburg. The film's sets were designed by ...

'' (1958) * '' Im Namen einer Mutter'' (1960)

References

Bibliography

* Volker, Reimar. ''"Von oben sehr erwünscht" : die Filmmusik Herbert Windts im NS-Propagandafilm''. Trier: WVT, Wissenschaftlicher Verlag Trier, 2003. * Walter, Michael. "Die Musik des Olympiafilms von 1938". ''Acta Musicologica'' 62, no. 1 (Jan-Apr 1990): 82-113 .

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Windt, Herbert 1894 births 1965 deaths People from Senftenberg Musicians from the Province of Brandenburg Nazi Party members German film score composers German male film score composers Nazi culture German opera composers German male opera composers 20th-century German composers 20th-century German male musicians