Karl Hermann Pillney (8 April 1896 – 10 April 1980) Fred K. Prieberg: ''Handbuch Deutsche Musiker 1933–1945'', CD-Rom-Lexikon, Kiel 2004, p. 5279. was an Austrian composer and concert pianist.

Life

Born in

Graz Graz () is the capital of the Austrian Federal states of Austria, federal state of Styria and the List of cities and towns in Austria, second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 inc ...

, Pillney, son of a harpist and chamber musician, attended the . After the

Abitur ''Abitur'' (), often shortened colloquially to ''Abi'', is a qualification granted at the end of secondary education in Germany. It is conferred on students who pass their final exams at the end of ISCED 3, usually after twelve or thirteen year ...

in 1915, he went to the Konservatorium in Köln, where he studied with

Hermann Abendroth Hermann Paul Maximilian Abendroth (19 January 1883 – 29 May 1956) was a German conductor. Early life Abendroth was born on 19 January 1883, at Frankfurt, the son of a bookseller. Several other members of the family were artists in diverse dis ...

among others. In 1923 he passed his concert exam as a concert pianist. Pillney undertook concert tours in Europe and overseas. In 1925 he received an appointment at the Rheinische Musikschule in Cologne. From 1930 he was a concert pianist, head of a

master class ''Master Class'' is a 1995 play by American playwright Terrence McNally, presented as a fictional master class by opera singer Maria Callas near the end of her life, in the 1970s. The play features incidental vocal music by Giuseppe Verdi, Giac ...

for piano playing and from 1940, professor at the

Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln The Cologne University of Music () is a public university of music and dance located in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Established in 1850 as the Conservatorium der Musik in Coeln, it is one of the largest music academies in Europe, w ...

. In November 1931, Pillney was attacked by the NS-press because of his musical time play ''Von Freitag bis Donnerstag''. After the "

Machtergreifung The rise to power of Adolf Hitler, dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945, began in the newly established Weimar Republic in September 1919, when Hitler joined the '' Deutsche Arbeiterpartei'' (DAP; German Workers' Party). He quickly rose t ...

" by the Nazis, Pillney was nevertheless accepted as a member of 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 ...

on 1 April 1933 and registered under the number 1.785.769, but was excluded again from 1934 to 1937. In the post-war period, he remained a university

lecturer Lecturer is an academic rank within many universities, though the meaning of the term varies somewhat from country to country. It generally denotes an academic expert who is hired to teach on a full- or part-time basis. They may also conduct re ...

until 1951, but then worked as a freelance composer. He considered the arrangement and publication of

early music Early music generally comprises Medieval music (500–1400) and Renaissance music (1400–1600), but can also include Baroque music (1600–1750) or Ancient music (before 500 AD). Originating in Europe, early music is a broad Dates of classical ...

, especially

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...

and other composers, to be his task. Pillney's most successful work as a composer is the 1968 variation cycle for piano and orchestra ''Eskapaden eines Gassenhauers'', in which he varies the hit ''Was machst Du mit dem Knie, lieber Hans'' in different classical styles. Pillney died in

Bergisch Gladbach Bergisch Gladbach () is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in the Cologne/Bonn Region of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and capital of the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis (district). Geography Bergisch Gladbach is east of the Rhine and abo ...

at the age of 84.

Works

* Arrangement of the ''Variationen und Fuge über ein Thema'' by

Max Reger Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger (19 March 187311 May 1916) was a German composer, pianist, organist, conductor, and academic teacher. He worked as a concert pianist, a musical director at the Paulinerkirche, Leipzig, Leipzig University Chu ...

for piano and orchestra (

premiere A premiere, also spelled première, (from , ) is the debut (first public presentation) of a work, i.e. play, film, dance, musical composition, or even a performer in that work. History Raymond F. Betts attributes the introduction of the ...

in Cologne, 1924) * Arrangement of J. S. Bach's ''

The Musical Offering ''The Musical Offering'' (German: or ), BWV 1079, is a collection of keyboard canons and fugues and other pieces of music by Johann Sebastian Bach, all based on a single musical theme given to him by Frederick the Great (King Frederick II of Prus ...

'' * ''Christus'', Motets 1928 * ''Von Freitag bis Donnerstag'', Operneinakter 1931 * ''Musik für Klavier und Orchester'', 1932 * Completion of the final fugue of J. S. Bach's ''

The Art of Fugue ''The Art of Fugue'', or ''The Art of the Fugue'' (), BWV 1080, is an incomplete musical work of unspecified instrumentation by Johann Sebastian Bach. Written in the last decade of his life, ''The Art of Fugue'' is the culmination of Bach's e ...

'' * Cadence (''Fugato'') to the last movement of Mozart's Piano Concerto in D minor * ''Eskapaden eines Gassenhauers'', 1968

Students

Jürg Baur Jürg Baur (11 November 1918 – 31 January 2010) was a German composer whose works include ''Incontri and Mutazioni.'' Baur studied at the Cologne University of Music and taught there in his later years. Baur was also awarded the Federal Cross ...

* Egon Sarabèr, author of ''Methode und Praxis der Musikgestaltung'', 2011 * Eckart Sellheim.

Literature

* ''In dulci jubilo sechs alte Weihnachtslieder ; für eine Singstimme, Flöte (Violine), Gambe (Bratsche), Violoncello und Cembalo (Klavier)''. (1986) * Ingrid Marie-Theres Knierbein, ''Karl Hermann Pillney: Cembalist, Pianist, Komponist aus Bensberg; zum 100. Geburtstag am 8. April 1996'', in Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Rheinische Musikgeschichte Mitteilungen 83 (1996) * Reinhold Wecker, ''Karl Hermann Pillney. Künstler, Komponist und Pädagoge''.''Karl Hermann Pillney : Künstler, Komponist und Pädagoge''
on WorldCat Contributions to the rheinischen Musikgeschichte Vol. 162, Merseburger: Kassel 2002

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pillney, Karl Hermann Austrian Nazis 20th-century Austrian classical pianists 20th-century Austrian composers 20th-century Austrian male musicians Academic staff of the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln Nazi Party members Austrian male classical pianists 1896 births 1980 deaths Musicians from Graz