Friedrich Goldmann
Encyclopedia
Friedrich Goldmann was a German
composer
and conductor
.
, Goldmann’s music education began in 1951 when he joined the Dresdner Kreuzchor
. At age 18, he received a scholarship by the city of Darmstadt
to study composition with Karlheinz Stockhausen
at the Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik in 1959 (Müller 2001), who further encouraged him over the following years. He moved on to study with Johannes Paul Thilman at the Dresden Conservatory from 1959, taking his exam in 1962. From 1962 until 1964 he attended a master class at the Akademie der Künste
in Berlin with Rudolph Wagner-Régeny. Around this time, he worked as a freelance musical assistant at the Berliner Ensemble
where he befriended other composers and writers, including Heiner Müller
, Luigi Nono
and Luca Lombardi
. He also met Paul Dessau
, who became a close friend and mentor. From 1964 until 1968, he studied musicology at Humboldt University of Berlin, after which he worked as a freelance composer and conductor (Müller 2001).
Major commissions include works for the 425th anniversary of the Saxonian State Library in Dresden, the 20th anniversary celebration of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Expo 2000
in Hannover, Ensemble Modern
, Arditti Quartet
, several works for Konzerthaus Berlin, Semperoper
Dresden and the Pélerinages Festival in Weimar.
As a conductor, he worked with several orchestras and ensembles (including Berliner Philharmoniker - (CD: Stockhausen, Gruppen
, Deutsche Grammophon), Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Staatskapelle Berlin
[incl. Schönberg's Moses und Aron, 1987], Gruppe Neue Musik “Hanns Eisler” and Scharoun Ensemble) and performed all over Europe, Russia, USA, Japan and South Korea. He had a close working relationship with Ensemble Modern
from the first days of the ensemble’s formation. Their collaborations included a tour of Russia, the French and West German premieres of Luigi Nono’s Prometeo, as well as performances and recordings of Goldmann’s own works.
Since 1988 he was the principal conductor of the Boris Blacher Ensemble in Berlin. Recordings of his and other composers’ music have been released by Nova, Wergo
, Deutsche Grammophon
, Academy, Edel Classics, RCA, BMG and other labels. Other conductors who have performed his works include Pierre Boulez
, Daniel Barenboim
, Mark Elder
and Ingo Metzmacher
.
From 1980 until 1991, he taught master classes at Berlin’s Akademie der Künste. In 1991 he became a professor of composition at the Hochschule der Künste, Berlin (now Universität der Künste) (Müller 2001). There, he headed the Institute for New Music from 2003 until 2005. He also held master classes in Seoul, South Korea, and Tokyo, Japan.
Among his students were Enno Poppe
, Helmut Oehring
, Nicolaus Richter de Vroe, Steffen Schleiermacher
, Chatschatur Kanajan, Johannes Wallmann, Charlotte Seither, Paul Frick, Chatschatur Kanajan and Sergej Newski.
He was a member of the Academies of Fine Arts of Berlin (from 1978) and of West Berlin (from 1990), and the Saxon Academy of Fine Arts, Dresden (from 1995) (Müller 2001). He was also a member of the German-French Cultural Council, and Deutscher Musikrat (German Music Council, a member of the International Music Council
). From 1990 until 1997 he was president of the German section of the International Society of Contemporary Music (ISCM) (Müller 2001). Awards include the Hanns-Eisler-Preis, Kulturpreis and Nationalpreis of the GDR.
Friedrich Goldmann died in Berlin on 24 July 2009. He was 68 years old. His grave is located at Berlin’s Dorotheenstädtischer Friedhof cemetery. Currently the majority of his autograph scores are located at the archive of Berlin’s Akademie der Künste
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
.
Life
Born on 27 April 1941, in Siegmar-Schönau, ChemnitzChemnitz
Chemnitz is the third-largest city of the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Chemnitz is an independent city which is not part of any county and seat of the government region Direktionsbezirk Chemnitz. Located in the northern foothills of the Ore Mountains, it is a part of the Saxon triangle...
, Goldmann’s music education began in 1951 when he joined the Dresdner Kreuzchor
Dresdner Kreuzchor
The Dresdner Kreuzchor is the boys' choir of the Kreuzkirche in Dresden. It has a seven century history. Today the choir has about 150 members from the age of 9-19 from Dresden and the surrounding region. Most of the boys live in a boarding school. The Choir Boys are also called "Kruzianer". The...
. At age 18, he received a scholarship by the city of Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
to study composition with Karlheinz Stockhausen
Karlheinz Stockhausen
Karlheinz Stockhausen was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Another critic calls him "one of the great visionaries of 20th-century music"...
at the Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik in 1959 (Müller 2001), who further encouraged him over the following years. He moved on to study with Johannes Paul Thilman at the Dresden Conservatory from 1959, taking his exam in 1962. From 1962 until 1964 he attended a master class at the Akademie der Künste
Akademie der Künste
The Akademie der Künste, Berlin is an arts institution in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in 1696 by Elector Frederick III of Brandenburg as the Prussian Academy of Arts, an academic institution where members could meet and discuss and share ideas...
in Berlin with Rudolph Wagner-Régeny. Around this time, he worked as a freelance musical assistant at the Berliner Ensemble
Berliner Ensemble
The Berliner Ensemble is a German theatre company established by playwright Bertolt Brecht and his wife, Helene Weigel in January 1949 in East Berlin...
where he befriended other composers and writers, including Heiner Müller
Heiner Müller
Heiner Müller was a German dramatist, poet, writer, essayist and theatre director. Described as "the theatre's greatest living poet" since Samuel Beckett, Müller is arguably the most important German dramatist of the 20th century after Bertolt Brecht...
, Luigi Nono
Luigi Nono
Luigi Nono was an Italian avant-garde composer of classical music and remains one of the most prominent composers of the 20th century.- Early years :Born in Venice, he was a member of a wealthy artistic family, and his grandfather was a notable painter...
and Luca Lombardi
Luca Lombardi
-Biography:Lombardi studied composition initially with Armando Renzi and Roberto Lupi, later enrolling at the Pesaro Conservatory where he studied with Boris Porena, receiving his diploma in 1970. He then studied musicology at the University of Rome, graduating with a thesis on Hanns Eisler...
. He also met Paul Dessau
Paul Dessau
Paul Dessau was a German composer and conductor.- Biography :Dessau was born in Hamburg into a musical family...
, who became a close friend and mentor. From 1964 until 1968, he studied musicology at Humboldt University of Berlin, after which he worked as a freelance composer and conductor (Müller 2001).
Major commissions include works for the 425th anniversary of the Saxonian State Library in Dresden, the 20th anniversary celebration of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Expo 2000
Expo 2000
Expo 2000 was a World's Fair held in Hanover, Germany from Thursday, June 1 to Tuesday, October 31, 2000. It was located on the Hanover fairground , which is famous for hosting CeBIT...
in Hannover, Ensemble Modern
Ensemble Modern
Ensemble Modern is a chamber ensemble dedicated to the music of modern composers. Formed in 1980, the group is based in Frankfurt, Germany and made up variously of about twenty members from numerous countries....
, Arditti Quartet
Arditti Quartet
The Arditti Quartet is a string quartet founded in 1974. The quartet is associated particularly with contemporary music.-Early history:The quartet was founded in 1974 by violinist Irvine Arditti together with John Senter, Levine Andrade and Lenox Mackenzie...
, several works for Konzerthaus Berlin, Semperoper
Semperoper
The Semperoper is the opera house of the Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden and the concert hall of the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden . It is located near the Elbe River in the historic center of Dresden, Germany.The opera house was originally built by the architect Gottfried Semper in 1841...
Dresden and the Pélerinages Festival in Weimar.
As a conductor, he worked with several orchestras and ensembles (including Berliner Philharmoniker - (CD: Stockhausen, Gruppen
Gruppen (Stockhausen)
Gruppen for three orchestras is amongst the best-known compositions of German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, and is Work Number 6 in the composer's catalog of works. Gruppen is "a landmark in 20th-century music . ....
, Deutsche Grammophon), Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Staatskapelle Berlin
Staatskapelle Berlin
The Staatskapelle Berlin is a German orchestra, the orchestra of the Berlin State Opera .The orchestra traces its roots to 1570, when Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg established an orchestra at his court...
[incl. Schönberg's Moses und Aron, 1987], Gruppe Neue Musik “Hanns Eisler” and Scharoun Ensemble) and performed all over Europe, Russia, USA, Japan and South Korea. He had a close working relationship with Ensemble Modern
Ensemble Modern
Ensemble Modern is a chamber ensemble dedicated to the music of modern composers. Formed in 1980, the group is based in Frankfurt, Germany and made up variously of about twenty members from numerous countries....
from the first days of the ensemble’s formation. Their collaborations included a tour of Russia, the French and West German premieres of Luigi Nono’s Prometeo, as well as performances and recordings of Goldmann’s own works.
Since 1988 he was the principal conductor of the Boris Blacher Ensemble in Berlin. Recordings of his and other composers’ music have been released by Nova, Wergo
WERGO
WERGO is a German record label focusing on contemporary classical music. It was founded in 1962 by the art historian Werner Goldschmidt and the musicologist Helmut Kirchmayer and is currently based in Mainz, Germany....
, Deutsche Grammophon
Deutsche Grammophon
Deutsche Grammophon is a German classical record label which was the foundation of the future corporation to be known as PolyGram. It is now part of Universal Music Group since its acquisition and absorption of PolyGram in 1999, and it is also UMG's oldest active label...
, Academy, Edel Classics, RCA, BMG and other labels. Other conductors who have performed his works include Pierre Boulez
Pierre Boulez
Pierre Boulez is a French composer of contemporary classical music, a pianist, and a conductor.-Early years:Boulez was born in Montbrison, Loire, France. As a child he began piano lessons and demonstrated aptitude in both music and mathematics...
, Daniel Barenboim
Daniel Barenboim
Daniel Barenboim, KBE is an Argentinian-Israeli pianist and conductor. He has served as music director of several major symphonic and operatic orchestras and made numerous recordings....
, Mark Elder
Mark Elder
Sir Mark Philip Elder, CBE is a British conductor. He is the music director of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, England.-Biography:Elder was born in Hexham, Northumberland, England, the son of a dentist...
and Ingo Metzmacher
Ingo Metzmacher
Ingo Metzmacher is a German conductor. He is the son of the cellist Rudolf Metzmacher. His musical education in piano, music theory and conducting was in Hanover, Salzburg and Cologne...
.
From 1980 until 1991, he taught master classes at Berlin’s Akademie der Künste. In 1991 he became a professor of composition at the Hochschule der Künste, Berlin (now Universität der Künste) (Müller 2001). There, he headed the Institute for New Music from 2003 until 2005. He also held master classes in Seoul, South Korea, and Tokyo, Japan.
Among his students were Enno Poppe
Enno Poppe
Enno Poppe is a German composer and conductor of classical music and an academic teacher.-Professional career:...
, Helmut Oehring
Helmut Oehring
Helmut Oehring is a German composer. He studied with Friedrich Goldmann and Georg Katzer at the Akademie der Künste. He was guest of the Villa Massimo....
, Nicolaus Richter de Vroe, Steffen Schleiermacher
Steffen Schleiermacher
Steffen Schleiermacher is a German composer, pianist, and conductor.After studying at the Leipzig Music School with Siegfried Thiele, he continued working there as a music theory and ear training assistant...
, Chatschatur Kanajan, Johannes Wallmann, Charlotte Seither, Paul Frick, Chatschatur Kanajan and Sergej Newski.
He was a member of the Academies of Fine Arts of Berlin (from 1978) and of West Berlin (from 1990), and the Saxon Academy of Fine Arts, Dresden (from 1995) (Müller 2001). He was also a member of the German-French Cultural Council, and Deutscher Musikrat (German Music Council, a member of the International Music Council
International Music Council
The International Music Council was created in 1949 as UNESCO's advisory body on matters of music. It is based at UNESCO's headquarters in Paris, France, where it functions as an independent international non-governmental organization...
). From 1990 until 1997 he was president of the German section of the International Society of Contemporary Music (ISCM) (Müller 2001). Awards include the Hanns-Eisler-Preis, Kulturpreis and Nationalpreis of the GDR.
Friedrich Goldmann died in Berlin on 24 July 2009. He was 68 years old. His grave is located at Berlin’s Dorotheenstädtischer Friedhof cemetery. Currently the majority of his autograph scores are located at the archive of Berlin’s Akademie der Künste
Akademie der Künste
The Akademie der Künste, Berlin is an arts institution in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in 1696 by Elector Frederick III of Brandenburg as the Prussian Academy of Arts, an academic institution where members could meet and discuss and share ideas...
.