Manfred Weiss (12 February 1935 – 25 April 2023) was a German composer especially of

symphonies A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, most often for orchestra. Although the term has had many meanings from its origins in the ancient Greek era, by the late 18th century the word had taken on the meaning c ...

concertos A concerto (; plural ''concertos'', or ''concerti'' from the Italian plural) is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition, written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble. The ty ...

and

vocal music Vocal music is a type of singing performed by one or more singers, either with instrumental accompaniment, or without instrumental accompaniment (a cappella), in which singing provides the main focus of the piece. Music which employs singing but ...

, based in

Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...

. He taught composition and music theory at the

Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber The Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber (or Dresden University of Music Carl Maria von Weber; also/formerly known as Dresden Conservatory or Dresden Royal Conservatory) is a university school of music, university of music in Dresden, ...

from 1959, as professor from 1983 to 1997, influencing generations of composers, and instrumental in the restructuring of the music department after the

German reunification German reunification () was the process of re-establishing Germany as a single sovereign state, which began on 9 November 1989 and culminated on 3 October 1990 with the dissolution of the East Germany, German Democratic Republic and the int ...

Life

Weiss was born in

Niesky Niesky (; Polish and Sorbian: ''Niska'' ; ) is a small town in Upper Lusatia in eastern Saxony, Germany. It has a population of about 9,200 (2020) and is part of the district of Görlitz. Historically considered part of Upper Lusatia, it was a ...

Upper Lusatia Upper Lusatia (, ; , ; ; or ''Milsko''; ) is a historical region in Germany and Poland. Along with Lower Lusatia to the north, it makes up the region of Lusatia, named after the Polabian Slavs, Slavic ''Lusici'' tribe. Both parts of Lusatia a ...

. He grew up in a missionary family of the Herrnhut Brethren Community. He received violin lessons in Niesky and piano lessons in

Görlitz Görlitz (; ; ; ; ; Lusatian dialects, East Lusatian: , , ) is a town in the Germany, German state of Saxony. It is on the river Lusatian Neisse and is the largest town in Upper Lusatia, the second-largest town in the region of Lusatia after ...

in childhood. He also sang in the church choir and played the

organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...

. At the age of twelve he composed his first pieces. After his ''

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 1952, Weiss studied at the until 1955, composition with Hans Stieber and

music theory Music theory is the study of theoretical frameworks for understanding the practices and possibilities of music. ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' describes three interrelated uses of the term "music theory": The first is the "Elements of music, ...

with Franz von Glasenapp. Minor subjects were piano and

viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...

. From 1955 to 1957 he studied at the

Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" ' (, plural: ') is the generic term in German for institutions of higher education, corresponding to ''universities'' and ''colleges'' in English. The term ''Universität'' (plural: ''Universitäten'') is reserved for institutions with the right to ...

in East Berlin, composition with

Rudolf Wagner-Régeny Rudolf Wagner-Régeny (28 August 1903, Szászrégen, Transylvania, Kingdom of Hungary, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now Reghin, Romania) – 18 September 1969, Berlin) was a composer, conductor, and pianist. Born in Transylvania, Kingdom of Hungary, ...

, and music theory with

Ruth Zechlin Ruth Zechlin (22 June 1926 – 4 August 2007) was a German composer. Life Ruth Oschatz was born in Grosshartmannsdorf, where she began piano lessons at the age of five years, and wrote her first composition at the age of seven. From 1943 to 1 ...

(harmony) and Jürgen Wilbrandt (

counterpoint In music theory, counterpoint is the relationship of two or more simultaneous musical lines (also called voices) that are harmonically dependent on each other, yet independent in rhythm and melodic contour. The term originates from the Latin ...

) He graduated in 1957, but was not accepted for a position in Berlin due to critical remarks about the

East German uprising of 1953 The East German uprising of 1953 ( ) was an uprising that occurred over the course of two days in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 16 to 17 June 1953. It began with strike action by construction workers in East Berlin on 16 June ...

. From 1957 to 1959 he studied further in Wagner-Régeny's master class at the

Academy of Arts, Berlin The Academy of Arts () is a state arts institution in Berlin, Germany. The task of the Academy is to promote art, as well as to advise and support the states of Germany. The academy's predecessor organization was founded in 1696 by Elector F ...

. In 1959, he was appointed a

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 ...

for composition at the

in Dresden. He was professor of composition and music theory there from 1983, and

prorector Academic rank (also scientific rank) is the rank of a scientist or teacher in a college, high school, university or research establishment. The academic ranks indicate relative importance and power of individuals in academia. The academic ran ...

from 1991 to 1997, being instrumental in the restructuring of the music department after the

. He was emeritus from 1998. Weiss was a member of the . Weiss died in

on 25 April 2023, at age 88.

Work

Weiss composed more than 120 works, for orchestra, chamber and choral music as well as songs. His models include

Béla Bartók Béla Viktor János Bartók (; ; 25 March 1881 – 26 September 1945) was a Hungarian composer, pianist and ethnomusicologist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century; he and Franz Liszt are regarded as Hunga ...

Paul Hindemith Paul Hindemith ( ; ; 16 November 189528 December 1963) was a German and American composer, music theorist, teacher, violist and conductor. He founded the Amar Quartet in 1921, touring extensively in Europe. As a composer, he became a major advo ...

György Ligeti György Sándor Ligeti (; ; 28 May 1923 – 12 June 2006) was a Hungarian-Austrian composer of contemporary classical music. He has been described as "one of the most important avant-garde music, avant-garde composers in the latter half of the ...

Witold Lutosławski Witold Roman Lutosławski (; 25 January 1913 – 7 February 1994) was a Polish composer and conductor. Among the major composers of 20th-century classical music, he is "generally regarded as the most significant Polish composer since Szymanow ...

Arnold Schönberg Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian and American composer, music theorist, teacher and writer. He was among the first Modernism (music), modernists who transformed the practice of harmony in 20th-centu ...

and

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ( – 6 April 1971) was a Russian composer and conductor with French citizenship (from 1934) and American citizenship (from 1945). He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century c ...

. He was known for an upright attitude, defending his Christian ethics under the

East German East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from its formation on 7 October 1949 until its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on 3 October 1990. Until 1989, it was generally vie ...

regime. His works, including

manuscripts A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand or typewritten, as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in some indirect or automated way. More recently, the term has c ...

and recordings, are held by the

Saxon State and University Library Dresden The Saxon State and University Library Dresden (full name in ), abbreviated SLUB Dresden, is located in Dresden, Germany. It is both the regional library () for the Federal Republic of Germany, German State of Saxony as well as the academic libr ...

. Many works were published by

Breitkopf & Härtel Breitkopf & Härtel () is a German Music publisher, music publishing house. Founded in 1719 in Leipzig by Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf, it is the world's oldest music publisher. Overview The catalogue contains over 1,000 composers, 8,000 works ...

. Main works include: * Symphony No. 3 (1979/80) * Symphony No. 4 (1986/87) * Symphony No. 5 (1987) * Concerto for Organ, Strings and Percussion (1975/76) * Violin Concerto (1976/77) * Cello Concerto (1986) * ''Ahnung der Liebe'', song cycle for

baritone A baritone is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the bass (voice type), bass and the tenor voice type, voice-types. It is the most common male voice. The term originates from the ...

and orchestra (1976) * ''Die Erlösten Gottes'', cantata after the

Book of Revelation The Book of Revelation, also known as the Book of the Apocalypse or the Apocalypse of John, is the final book of the New Testament, and therefore the final book of the Bible#Christian Bible, Christian Bible. Written in Greek language, Greek, ...

for two mixed choirs, brass and percussion (1998) His song cycle was first performed at the Stadttheater Cottbus in 1976, with soloist Günther Leib and conductor F. Morgenstern. His organ concerto was first played in 1977 by soloist

Amadeus Webersinke Amadeus Webersinke (1920–2005) was a German pianist and organist. Webersinke studied from at the Institut für Kirchenmusik in Leipzig with Karl Straube, Johann Nepomuk David, and Otto Weinreich. He was a lecturer at the Felix Mendelssohn Co ...

and the Dresdner Staatskapelle conducted by

Siegfried Kurz Siegfried Kurz (18 July 1930 – 8 January 2023) was a German conductor, composer and academic. He influenced the musical scene of Dresden, as the conductor of the Semperoper for three decades, and a professor of conducting at the Hochschule f� ...

. In 1979 it was repeated, conducted by

Herbert Kegel Herbert Kegel (29 July 1920 – 20 November 1990) was a German conductor. Kegel was born in Dresden. He studied conducting with Karl Böhm and composition with Boris Blacher at the Dresden Conservatory from 1935 to 1940. In 1946 he began con ...

, leading to further performances and a recording. It was repeated further in 1987 on the occasion of the Leipzig Messe by the

Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra (Gewandhausorchester; also previously known in German as the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig) is a German symphony orchestra based in Leipzig, Germany. The orchestra is named after the concert hall in which it is bas ...

conducted by

Kurt Masur Kurt Masur (; 18 July 192719 December 2015) was a German Conducting, conductor. Called "one of the last old-style maestros", he directed many of the principal orchestras of his era. He had a long career as the Kapellmeister of the Leipzig Gewand ...

with Michael Schönheit as the organist. Kreuzkantor roderich kreile dresdner kreuzchor kreuzkirche vesperprobe Juni 2012

His Third Symphony was premiered in 1984 by the Staatskapelle conducted by

Herbert Blomstedt Herbert Thorson Blomstedt (; born 11 July 1927) is a Swedish conductor of classical music. At the age of 97 he continues to conduct concerts in Europe and the United States. Biography Herbert Blomstedt was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, t ...

, and his Fourth in 1989 by the

Dresdner Philharmonie The Dresdner Philharmonie (Dresden Philharmonic) is a German symphony orchestra based in Dresden. Its principal concert venue is the '' Kulturpalast''. The orchestra also performs at the Kreuzkirche and the Frauenkirche Dresden. It receive ...

conducted by

Lothar Zagrosek Lothar Zagrosek (born 13 November 1942 in Otting, Germany) is a German conductor. As a youth, he sang in the Regensburg Cathedral choir, including performances as the First Boy in ''The Magic Flute'' at the 1954 Salzburg Festival. From 1962 to ...

as part of the

Dresden Music Festival The Dresden Music Festival (German: Dresdner Musikfestspiele) is an annual music festival which takes place in Dresden, Germany in May and June. Although classical music, including contemporary classical music, forms the core of its performances, wo ...

. In 1998, ''Die Erlösten Gottes'' was premiered by the

Dresdner Kreuzchor The Dresdner Kreuzchor is the boys' choir of the Kreuzkirche in Dresden, Germany. It has a seven-century history and a world-wide reputation. Today, the choir has about 150 members between the ages of 9 and 19, from Dresden and the surroundin ...

conducted by Roderich Kreile, a gift to Kreile on the occasion of him assuming the post as Kreuzkantor. the soloist of his song cycle was baritone Günther Leib.

Awards

* 1977: by the city of Dresden * 1977: Hanns Eisler Prize by Radio DDR * 1977: Hans Stieber Prize by the Komponistenverband of Halle * 1985:

Art Prize of the German Democratic Republic The Art Prize of the German Democratic Republic (German: ''Kunstpreis der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik'') was an East German state award bestowed on individuals for contributions in various fields of art. History The Art Prize was annually a ...

Students

His students included: * Ruth Bodenstein-Hoyme * Michael Flade * Reiko Füting *

Gottfried Glöckner Gottfried Glöckner (born 24 June 1937) is a German composer, choral conductor and music educator. Life Born in Chemnitz, Glöckner attended the Zwickau Conservatory. Afterwards he worked as a music teacher in Bad Liebenwerda and Frankfurt (Ode ...

* Eckart Haupt * Wolfgang Heisig *

Jörg Herchet Jörg Herchet (born 20 September 1943) is a German composer. Life Born in Dresden, Herchet grew up as the son of a driver and a worker in modest circumstances. As a pupil he received Recorder (musical instrument), recorder and cello lessons, la ...

Hans-Dieter Karras Hans-Dieter Karras (born 1 November 1959
retrieved 16 July 2020) is a German

Ekkehard Klemm Ekkehard Klemm (born 1958), is a German conductor. Biography Klemm was born in Karl-Marx-Stadt, East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Ge ...

* Robert Linke * Rolf Thomas Lorenz *

Christian Münch Christian Münch (born 11 April 1951) is a German composer, organist, pianist and conductor. Life Münch was born in Freiberg in 1951 in a cantor's family. With his father he learned trumpet and organ. Since his childhood he received piano and ...

Writings

* ''Jeder hatte sein eigenes Programm. Die Komponistenklassen der Hochschule für Musik "Carl Maria von Weber" Dresden und ihre Absolventen 1966–1999''. In

Matthias Herrmann Matthias Herrmann (born 14 October 1955) is a German musicologist and university professor. Life Born in Mildenau, Herrmann became a member of the Dresdner Kreuzchor conducted by Kreuzkantor Rudolf Mauersberger, later Martin Flämig. He then s ...

(ed.): ''Dresden und die avancierte Musik im 20. Jahrhundert.'' , report of a colloquium by Dresdner Zentrum für Zeitgenössische Musik and the institute for musicology of the Hochschule für Musik Dresden, part 3: ''1966–1999, vom 9. bis 11. Oktober 2000 in Dresden''. Laaber, 2004, , .

References

External links

* *
Manfred Weiss
(in German) musicsack.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Weiss, Manfred 1935 births 2023 deaths People from Görlitz (district) 20th-century German classical composers