Fritz Geißler

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Fritz Geißler (born September 16, 1921 in Wurzen, Germany; died January 11, 1984 in Bad Saarow, Germany) is one of the importants composers of the German Democratic Republic.

[edit] Life

Fritz Geißler, son of Elsa and Walther Geißler, grew up in poor conditions. He got his first violin lessons at the public school Wurzen. From 1936 to 1939 he learned violin and saxophone at the Stadtpfeife Naunhof. In 1979 he used his experiences from this time for his opera ,Die Stadtpfeifer’. He earned money for private violin, theory of music and piano lessons as violinist and saxophonist in coffeehouses and dance bands. 1940 he was conscripted into the Wehrmacht and ordered in 1942 to Guernsey. After his captivity in England he studied composition, theory of music, viola and violin at the college of music in Leipzig under Max Dehnert, Arnold Matz and Wilhelm Weismann. Due to a hand injury he had to give up his job as violist at the Staatliche Sinfonieorchester Gotha. From 1953-1954 he studied composition at the college of music Berlin-Charlottenburg under Hermann Wunsch and Boris Blacher. He taught theory of music and composition at the University of Leipzig and at the colleges of music in Leipzig and Dresden. His pupils are Wilfried Krätschmar, Peter Hermann, Reinhard Pfundt, Ottmar Treibmann, Friedrich Schenker and Lothar Voigtländer. Since 1971 he was member of the Akademie der Künste of the GDR. Since 1972 he was vice-president of the GDRs composers’ society. 1971 he was honored with the national award. He died at the June 11 1984.

[edit] Works

Fritz Geißler has written about 140 pieces. He wrote chamber music, songs, cantatas, oratorios, concerts and solos. His most important works are operas and symphonies as existential confrontations with the questions of time. The 11 symphonies had been performed by outstanding orchestras like Gewandhausorchester Leipzig the Staatskapelle Dresden. His 2. symphony (1962-1964) is the first symphony in the GDR basing on an twelve-tone row.