Geissler, Fritz
Geissler, Fritz
Geissler, Fritz, German composer; b. Wurzen, near Leipzig, Sept. 16, 1921; d. Bad Saarow, Jan. 11, 1984. He studied at the Leipzig Hochschule fur Musik, with Max Dehnert and Wilhelm Weismann (1948–50), where he later taught (1962–70). He then joined the faculty of the Dresden Cons., where he was named a prof, in 1974. His music is dialectical and almost Hegelian in its syllogistic development and climactic synthesis. The ground themes are carefully adumbrated before their integration in a final catharsis, and formal dissonances are emancipated by a freely modified application of 12-tone writing.
Works
DRAMATIC Opera : Der Schatten, fantastic opera (1975); Die Stadtpfeifer (1977); Das Chagrinleder (1978). B a l l e t : Pigment (1960); Sommernachtstraum (1965); Der Doppelganger (1969). Also Der verriickte Jourdain, a “Rossiniada” (1971). ORCH.: 2 chamber syms. (1954, 1970); Italienische Lustspielouverture, after Rossini (1958); November 1918, suite (1958); 9 syms.: No. 1 (1961), No. 2 (1963), No. 3 (1965–66), No. 4 for Strings (1968), No. 5 (1969), No. 6, Sinfonia concertante, for Wind Quintet and Strings (1971), No. 7 (1973), No. 8 for Soloists, Chorus, and Orch. (1974), and No. 9 (1978); Sinfonietta giocosa (1963); The Adventures of the Good Soldier Schweik, symphonic burlesque (1963); Essay (1969); 2 Symphonic Scenes (1970); Piano Concerto (1970); Beethoven-Variationen (1971); Cello Concerto (1974); Offenbach- Metamorphosen (1977); Concerto for Flute, Strings, Harpsichord, and Percussion (1977); Concerto for Organ, Percussion, and Strings (1979). CHAMBER: String Quartet (1951); Suite for Wind Quintet (1957); Chamber Concerto for Harpsichord, Flute, and 10 Instruments (1967); Ode to a Nightingale for Nonet (1967–68); Viola Sonata (1969); Piano Trio (1970); piano pieces. VOCAL: Gesang vom Menschen, oratorio (1968); Nachtelegien, romance for High Voice and Instruments (1969); Die Liebenden, romance for Tenor and 2 Instrumental Groups (1969); Schopfer Mensch, oratorio (1973); Die Glocke von Buchenivald, cantata (1974); Die Flamme von Mansfeld, oratorio (1978); choruses; songs.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire