Wolfgang Lesser (31 May 1923 – 27 September 1999) was a German composer and music official of the

GDR 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 ...

Life and career

Born in Breslau, Lesser, son of a merchant, attended the

Realgymnasium ''Gymnasium'' (; German plural: ''Gymnasien''), in the German education system, is the most advanced and highest of the three types of German secondary schools, the others being ''Hauptschule'' (lowest) and ''Realschule'' (middle). ''Gymnas ...

in Berlin and then completed an apprenticeship as a metalworker. In 1938 he began studying music at the former

Stern Conservatory The Stern Conservatory (''Stern'sches Konservatorium'') was a private music school in Berlin with many distinguished tutors and alumni. The school is now part of Berlin University of the Arts. History It was founded in 1850 as the ''Berliner Mu ...

in Berlin. Already in 1939 he emigrated as a Jew to London and worked in England as a varnisher and farmhand. The following year he was interned as

Enemy alien In customary international law, an enemy alien is any alien native, citizen, denizen or subject of any foreign nation or government with which a domestic nation or government is in conflict and who is liable to be apprehended, restrained, secur ...

on the

Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...

. In 1942, he became a member of the

Freie Deutsche Jugend The Free German Youth (; FDJ) is a youth movement in Germany. Formerly, it was the official youth wing of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) and the Socialist Unity Party of Germany. The organization was meant for young adults, both male an ...

and the

Communist Party of Germany The Communist Party of Germany (, ; KPD ) was a major Far-left politics, far-left political party in the Weimar Republic during the interwar period, German resistance to Nazism, underground resistance movement in Nazi Germany, and minor party ...

. Between 1943 and 1947, he was a member of the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

. In 1947 he returned to Berlin, became a member of the SED and worked for the FDJ in various functions. In 1949 he attended the state party school of the SED. In 1951 he became a member of the

Cultural Association of the GDR The Cultural Association of the GDR (, KB) was a federation of local clubs in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). It formed part of the Socialist Unity Party-led National Front, and sent representatives to the Volkskammer. The association had ...

. From 1950 to 1954, Lesser 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 ...

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, ...

Hanns Eisler Hanns Eisler (6 July 1898 – 6 September 1962) was a German-Austrian composer. He is best known for composing the national anthem of East Germany, for his long artistic association with Bertolt Brecht, and for the scores he wrote for films. The ...

and

Günter Kochan Günter Kochan (2 October 1930 – 22 February 2009) was a German composer. He studied with Boris Blacher and was a master student for composition with Hanns Eisler. From 1967 until his retirement in 1991, he worked as professor for musical com ...

. From 1954 to 1961, he worked as a composer and teacher for the State Folk Art Ensemble of the GDR. Since 1961, he has been a freelance musician. From 1964 to 1968, he was Second Secretary, from 1968 to 1978 then First Secretary of the Association of German Composers and Musicologists (VDK) resp. the (VKM). Since 1971, he was a member of the cultural commission of the Politbüro des ZK der SED and a member of the

Volkskammer The Volkskammer (, "People's Chamber") was the supreme power organ of East Germany. It was the only branch of government in the state, and per the principle of unified power, all state organs were subservient to it. The Volkskammer was initia ...

(until 1989), where he was a member of the Committee on National Education. From 1983 to 1985 he was chairman of the Anstalt zur Wahrung der Aufführungsrechte, as well as Secretary-General of the . From 1985 to 1989, he was President of the Association of Composers and Musicologists. In particular, Lesser composed political songs and chansons, but also stage music (e.g. for Friedrich Wolf's ''Thomas Müntzer'') and film music (e.g. for the DEFA films ''

Die Schönste ''Die Schönste'' is an East German film. It was completed in 1957, but was never shown publicly due to censorship. After reunification it was recreated and in this form had its premiere in 2002. Plot Two boys in West Berlin West Berlin ...

'' in 1957, ''

Beschreibung eines Sommers ''Beschreibung eines Sommers'' is an East German film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere ...

'' in 1962 and '' König Drosselbart'' in 1965) as well as the school opera ''Oktoberkinder''. (1970). Lesser died in Berlin at the age of 76.

Work

* ''Liederzyklus'' (1957) * ''Violinkonzert'' (1962) * ''Sonate für Solovioline'' (1963) * ''Das Jahr. Zyklus für Kinderchor und Instrumente'' (1963, text: Jens Gerlach). * ''Wir – die Partei'' (1971, text: Jens Gerlach) Stage music * for Friedrich Wolf's ''

Thomas Müntzer Thomas Müntzer ( – 27 May 1525) was a German preacher and theologian of the early Reformation whose opposition to both Martin Luther and the Catholic Church led to his open defiance of late-feudal authority in central Germany. Müntzer was f ...

'' * for Ben Jonson's ''

Volpone ''Volpone'' (, Italian for "sly fox") is a comedy play by English playwright Ben Jonson first produced in 1605–1606, drawing on elements of city comedy and beast fable. A merciless satire of greed and lust, it remains Jonson's most-perfo ...

'' * for

George Farquhar George Farquhar (1677The explanation for the dual birth year appears in Louis A. Strauss, ed., A Discourse Upon Comedy, The Recruiting Officer, and The Beaux' Stratagem by George Farquhar' (Boston: D.C. Heath & Co., 1914), p. v. Strauss notes t ...

s ''Glückritter'' Film music *1957: ''

'' *1959: ''Claudia'' *1960: ''

Der neue Fimmel Der or DER may refer to: Places * Darkənd, Azerbaijan * Dearborn (Amtrak station) (station code), in Michigan, US * Der (Sumer), an ancient city located in modern-day Iraq * d'Entrecasteaux Ridge, an oceanic ridge in the south-west Pacific Ocean ...

'' *1961: ''Drei Kapitel Glück'' *1961: '' Steinzeitballade'' *1962: ''Entdeckung des Julian Böll'' *1962: ''Peter und das Einmaleins mit der Sieben'' *1962: ''

Freispruch mangels Beweises ''Freispruch mangels Beweises'' is an 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 ...

'' *1962: ''

Das Stacheltier DEFA (''Deutsche Film-Aktiengesellschaft'') was the state-owned film studio of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) throughout the country's existence. Since 2019, DEFA's film heritage has been made accessible and licensable on the PR ...

– Die Moritat vom Durst'' *1963: ''

'' *1964: ''

Deutschland – Endstation Ost Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen constituent states have a total population of over 84 m ...

'' *1964: ''

Als Martin vierzehn war Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or—in the United States—Lou Gehrig's disease (LGD), is a rare, terminal neurodegenerative disorder that results in the progressive loss of both upper and low ...

'' *1965: '' König Drosselbart'' *1966: '' Lebende Ware''

Awards

Vaterländischer Verdienstorden The Patriotic Order of Merit (German: ''Vaterländischer Verdienstorden'', or VVO) was a national award granted annually in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). It was founded in 1954 and was awarded to individuals and institutions for outstanding ...

in Bronze (1964), Silver (1973) and Gold (1978) * Ehrenspange zum Vaterländischen Verdienstorden in Gold (1983) * Kunstpreis der DDR (1968) *

Nationalpreis der DDR The National Prize of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) () was an award of the East Germany, German Democratic Republic (GDR) given out in three different classes for scientific, artistic, and other meritorious achievement. With scien ...

(1969) *

Stern der Völkerfreundschaft The stern is the back or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Origi ...

in Gold (1988)

Honours

Stralsund Stralsund (; Swedish language, Swedish: ''Strålsund''), officially the Hanseatic League, Hanseatic City of Stralsund (German language, German: ''Hansestadt Stralsund''), is the fifth-largest city in the northeastern German federal state of Mecklen ...

(Ossenreyerstraße) a

Stolperstein A (; plural ) is a concrete cube bearing a brass plate inscribed with the name and life dates of victims of Nazi extermination or persecution. Literal translation, Literally, it means 'stumbling stone' and metaphorically 'stumbling block'. ...

in front of the house number 21/22 commemorates Wolfgang Lesser.Stolpersteine in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: Wolfgang Lesser
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References

External links