Composers in Germany 1933-1945

[MishaK]

I'm no great Strauss lover, but surely Metamorphosen and the Four Last Songs count as works of substance?

Fair enough. Though compared to his total output, it's very little.

[val]

WERNER EGK was a remarkable composer. His opera Peer Gynt is a masterpiece and includes some scenes that are an obvious satire of the nazis. By the way, there is a very good version conducted by Hans Wallberg (ORFEO). It is curious but this opera seems completely stranger to Richard Strauss style, and more influenced by Brecht/Weill and Hindemith.

The most amazing thing is that the opera was performed with no problems.

[Catison]

What about composers known to be entirely sympathetic to Hitler.  Is there any good music by these composers?

[uffeviking]

None of them come to my mind offhand. The writers of military marches don't count, and even there, the writer of the most famous march for the Luftwaffe, wrote it for the military service branch, not for Hitler.

An entirely different subject would be the visual artists, like painters and sculptors, but there is no place for them in this classical MUSIC forum.

[Valentino]

Wikipedia on Richard Strauss in the period discussed. Regrettable title:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Strauss#Strauss_and_the_Nazis

Can any of you knowledgables comment on the Friedentag opera? Musical interest, availability?

[Harry]

OOP

Well look on the CPO label for Pfitzner, available still, Orchestral works, and the fine disc with the Cello Concerti.

[Harry]

An easy introduction to Hans Pfitzner is on a DG CD with Christian Thielemann conducting the Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin in five short selections. Three from the opera Palestrina, one from Das Herz and the overture to Das Käthchen von Heilbronn.

And don't forget the remarkable Chamber music, and Orchestral works.
Have him very high in my favourite list my dear.

[val]

According to Slonimsky, Pfitzner composed an overture, in 1944, "Krakauer Begrüssung", and dedicated it to one of the worst Nazi mass murders in Poland, Hans Frank.

[Maciek]

 

[vandermolen]

The composer of "Bombs over England" and other film scores for Nazi propaganda films (ie "Kolberg") died recently.

[sound67]

His name was Norbert Schultze. He didn't die recently, but on Oct. 14, 2002.

He was also the composer of the international favorite "Lili Marleen", a song - ironically - adored by soldiers on either side of the war.

Underneath the lantern,
By the barrack gate
Darling I remember
The way you used to wait
T'was there that you whispered tenderly,
That you loved me,
You'd always be,
My Lilli of the Lamplight,
My own Lilli Marlene

Time would come for roll call,
Time for us to part,
Darling I'd caress you
And press you to my heart,
And there 'neath that far-off lantern light,
I'd hold you tight ,
We'd kiss good night,
My Lilli of the Lamplight,
My own Lilli Marlene

Orders came for sailing,
Somewhere over there
All confined to barracks
was more than I could bear
I knew you were waiting in the street
I heard your feet,
But could not meet,
My Lilly of the Lamplight,
my own Lilly Marlene

Resting in our billets,
Just behind the lines
Even tho' we're parted,
Your lips are close to mine
You wait where that lantern softly gleams,
Your sweet face seems
To haunt my dreams
My Lilly of the Lamplight,
My own Lilly Marlene

Thomas

P.S.: Pfitzner was a Nazi swine. No surprise Thielemann holds him in high regard.

[vandermolen]

Thanks Thomas, yes, that's the man.  It would be interesting to track down the lyrics of "Bombs over England" too. I seem to recall that in an interview, some years back, Schultze was unsurprisingly rather embarrassed about this particular opus.

In the same interview he recalled Dr Goebbels sitting down at the piano with him, to illustrate how a particular tune could be improved. Schultze was surprised by Goebbel's keyboard skills.

[sound67]

Since Goebbels was, among other things, the president of the Reichsfilmkammer, it was not wise for a German (film) composer not to follow his orders. A hilarious (and sad) account of the making of "Kolberg" can be found in the third book by Harry and Michael Medved, "The Hollywood Hall of Shame" (1984). The English lyrics of "Bomben auf Engeland" I could not find, the original lyrics go like this:

"Wir fühlen in Horsten und Höhen
Des Adlers verwegenes Glück!
Wir steigen zum Tor
Der Sonne empor,
Wir lassen die Erde zurück.

Kamerad! Kamerad! Alle Mädels müssen warten!
Kamerad! Kamerad! Der Befehl ist da, wir starten!
Kamerad! Kamerad! Die Losung ist bekannt:
Ran an den Feind! Ran an den Feind!
Bomben auf Engeland!

Wir stellen den britischen Löwen
Zum letzten entscheidenden Schlag.
Wir halten Gericht.
Ein Weltreich zerbricht.
Das wird unser stolzester Tag!

Kamerad! Kamerad! Alle Mädels müssen warten!
Kamerad! Kamerad! Der Befehl ist da, wir starten!
Kamerad! Kamerad! Die Losung ist bekannt:
Ran an den Feind! Ran an den Feind!
Bomben auf Engeland!

Hört ihr die Motoren singen:
Ran an den Feind!
Hört ihr's in den Ohren klingen:
Ran an den Feind!
Bomben! Bomben! Bomben auf Engeland!
Hört ihr die Motoren singen:
Ran an den Feind!
Hört ihr's in den Ohren klingen:
Ran an den Feind!
Bomben! Bomben! Bomben auf Engeland!"

From the same site (apparently, not a right-wing venue at all, just a commerical one) the tune can be downloaded as a ringtone!!! Yuck! 

[Harry]

P.S.: Pfitzner was a Nazi swine. No surprise Thielemann holds him in high regard.

Thank you Thomas, for these words, you must feel better now, right?
And Thielemann likes Nazi swines! Your intellectual level is amazing my friend!

I seperate the man from his music, if you don't mind.

[sound67]

Thank you Thomas, for these words, you must feel better now, right?
And Thielemann likes Nazi swines!

I didn't say that, did I? It is just that Thielemann seems to be catering to certain reactionary circles to further his career. As such, it was not suprising he chose a selection of worthless music by Pfitzner for one of his early major releases. Wagner would be pleased ...

[MishaK]

Well look on the CPO label for Pfitzner, available still, Orchestral works, and the fine disc with the Cello Concerti.

I was referring only to the Thielemann album Lis recommended and was only posting for gerenal information as I have little interest in either conductor or composer.

I didn't say that, did I? It is just that Thielemann seems to be catering to certain reactionary circles to further his career. As such, it was not suprising he chose a selection of worthless music by Pfitzner for one of his early major releases. Wagner would be pleased ...

Thielemann's idol is Frederick the Great of Prussia. He has a giant portrait of him in his study. I read in some interview how Thielemann admired his discipline and authority, bla bla. Now, Frederick the Great himself was glorified by the Nazis and propagated as the founder of protestant Germany. Goebbels called him "the first National-Socialist".  Of course, that had little to do with Frederick the Great himself.

[uffeviking]

I can well understand the dangers that a thread with this title could become a vehicle for a 'political' discussion

Prophetic opening line of your new subject, Dundonnell! I regret it as much as you probably do, but that's the nature of public internet fora. Maybe someone will bring it back on track, hopefully!

Lis

[MishaK]

Well, Lis, with all due respect, you can't really discuss composers of that era in a vacuum as if none of the events around them ever happened.

[uffeviking]

Granted, good and valid point; it's the 'stepping-across-the-line' posts, as the one about Thielemann's likes, that turn an interesting topic into something not intended by the originator.

[val]

I would like to say, regarding my previous post, that the sad and even sordid relation between Pfitzner and the nazis occurred in the end of his life. I see no reason to not enjoy some of his best works, in special his beautiful Lieder. He was always a very conservative composer, but a good one, with works really inspired.

He died in 1949, in the most abject misery.