Siegfried Köhler (2 March 1927 in
Meißen – 14 July 1984 in East Berlin) was a German composer in the
German Democratic Republic.
Life
During World War II, Köhler worked with a musicians group (Spielschar) within the
Hitler Youth organisation. After the end of the war, the Soviet secret police
NKVD arrested him and charged him with being a member of the
Werwolf. He was detained at the infamous prison
Speziallager Nr. 4 in
Bautzen. In March 1946 he was transferred into
Speziallager Nr. 1 in
Mühlberg and on 21 June 1946 he was handed over to the NKVD command in
Dresden.[1] He was released there suffering from
tuberculosis.[2] Köhler went on to study first Composition in
Dresden and then
musicology and
Art history in Leipzig.
From 1963 to 1968 he worked as an art director at the state-owned music publisher
VEB Deutsche Schallplatten in East Berlin. In 1968 he returned to Dresden and became the president of
Musikhochschule Dresden. From 1982 until his death he was the president of the Association of Composers and Musicologists of the German Democratic Republic. In 1983 he was appointed as the director of the prestigious opera house
Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden. However, he did not live to see the re-opening of the
Semperoper in 1985. Köhler died on 14 July 1984 in East Berlin.
Siegfried Köhler's best-known works are the song Heut ist ein wunderschöner Tag (1942) and the Christmas song Tausend Sterne sind ein Dom. His
Symphony No. 5 "Pro Pace" (premiered in 1984) is a stunning reminder of the
bombing of Dresden in World War II. For the record Peter Schreier singt Weihnachtslieder (1975), Köhler arranged all songs for solo tenor, boys' choir and orchestra.
Works
Lied vom Leben, Cantata, text by Siegfried Köhler op. 1 (1947)
Zum Neuen Jahre Glück und Heil. Joyful music set to a text by
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe for mixed choir and small orchestra, op. 2 (1954)
Sechs schlichte Liedweisen, op. 3 (1950)
Deutschland, also known as Deutsche
Motette after poetry by
Kurt Barthel for a youth choir of six voices, op. 4
Besinnung und AufbruchCantata for soprano (or tenor), mixed choir and small orchestra after poetry by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, op. 5 (1951)
Hausmusik in 5 movements for piano, op. 6 (1952)
Deutschland, du, unsere Heimat (also known as Heut ist ein wunderschöner Tag). Cantata song for choir and instruments, text by Siegfried Köhler op. 7 (1952)
Lied der Jugend. Eine Kantate zur Jugendweihe und anderen festlichen Anlässen for solo, choir and instruments ad lib., text by
Louis Fürnberg op. 15 (1956)
Spanische Visionen: Der Sieg von
Guernica Cantata a capella after poetry by
Paul Éluard, op. 16 (1957)
Sonatine in F for piano, op. 17 (1958)
Kleine Festmusik for string orchestra (or string quartet with contrabass), op. 18 (1958)
Sonatine in C for piano, op. 19
Prolog für Orchester, op. 20 (1959)
Musik für Kathrin. Twelve children's songs for two-handed piano, op. 21 (1961)
Vier Lieder nach Dichtungen von Mao Tse-tung, text by
Mao Zedong, translated by
Rolf Schneider [
de], op. 22 (1961)
Reich des Menschen, poem for soprano, alto and baritone, mixed choir and orchestra, text by
Johannes R. Becher, op. 23 (1961/62)
Greif zu den Sternen, Kind der Zeit Cantate for the opening of the 4th German Festival of Gymnastics and Sports 1963 in Leipzig, text by
Max Zimmering, op. 24 (1963)
Von Liebe und Tod for high singing voice and piano, text by Johannes R. Becher, op. 29 (1965)
Erde, fruchtbar und schön. Cantata for soprano, mixed choir and string orchestra, op. 30
Der Struwwelpeter oder Lustige Geschichten und drollige Bilder, ballads for song, dance and narration, text by
Heinrich Hoffmann, op. 31 (1966)
Sketches on Der Struwwelpeter Revision of the piano pieces op. 31a (1966)
Rotterdam 14 May 1940. Sonata for French horn and piano, op.32 (1966)
Max und Moritz. Eine Bubengeschichte in sieben Streichen for speaker and chamber orchestra, text by
Wilhelm Busch, op. 33 (1967)
Fipps, der Affe. Unterhaltsames und Ungehöriges, text by Wilhelm Busch, op. 34 (1964)
Aspekte. Skizzen für Nonett (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, violin, viola, violoncello, contrabass) and a high singing voice or speaker ad lib., text by Siegfried Köhler, op. 36 (1968)
Bernauer Liedfolge: Es wächst das Werk in weitem Rund for the 20th anniversary of the German Democratic Republic, text by
Willi Layh, op. 37 (1968)
Concertino für Klarinette und Streichorchester, op. 38 (1969)
Land meiner Liebe, poem for soprano and orchestra, text by Siegfried Köhler, op. 39 (1969)
Festliche Ouvertüre for large orchestra, op. 40 (1969)
Dass unsere Liebe eine Heimat hat, cycle of ten pieces for choir, text by
Günther Deicke, op. 41 (1968)
5th Symphony Pro Pace (also known as Auferstehung) for soli, speaker, mixed choir and large orchestra, text by Ulrich Grasnick, op. 78 (1983)
Literature
Siegfried Köhler and
Johannes Weyrauch: Unsere schönsten Weihnachtslieder. 27 beliebte Lieder zur Weihnachtszeit, Leipzig [1970]
Max Gerd Schönfelder: Siegfried Köhler für Sie porträtiert. Leipzig, 1984 (with a list of works, pp. 65–70).
References
^Kartei Siegfried Köhler in the archive of Initiativgruppe Lager Mühlberg
^Andreas Weigelt: Chronik der Initiativgruppe Lager Mühlberg e.V.. IG Lager Mühlberg, Mühlberg/Elbe, 2010 ([1], p. 139, at
Google Books), referenced by:
Dieter Härtwig: Er erträumte ein „Reich des Menschen“. In: Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten March 2, 2002