Else Schmitz-Gohr
Else Schmitz-Gohr (12 August 1901 – 13 December 1987) was a German composer, pianist, and teacher who is best remembered for her Elegy for the Left Hand for piano, her successful students, and her recordings of Max Reger's works for piano. Schmitz-Gohr was born in Cologne. She studied at the Cologne Conservatory and the Stern Conservatory in Berlin.
Else Schmitz-Gohr

Egidius~dewiki · CC0
- Born
- 1901 · Cologne.
- Died
- 1987 · Cologne.
- Nationality
- Germany
- Occupation
- pianist · university teacher · composer · piano teacher
- Languages
- German
In this article
Chamber
• Allegro in G minor (violin and piano) • Allegro Moderato in E minor (piano trio) • Andante in G minor (piano trio) • Kleine Flöten-Duette (two flutes)
Orchestra
• Overture in G minor
Piano
• Elegy for the Left Hand • Fantasie in F major • Suite
Compositions
Her teachers included Franz Bolsche, Wilhelm Klatte, Dr. Otto Klauwell, James Kwast, and Fritz Hans Rehbold. She socialized with sculptor Lili Graf. In 1918, she debuted as a pianist under conductor Hermann Abendroth, and in 1922 won the Gustav Hollaender medal. Schmitz-Gohr toured throughout Germany and abroad as a pianist. She was known for her interpretation of modern composers, especially Max Reger, whose works she recorded commercially on LP KAS 30067 (Kaskade). She taught at the Rheinische Musikschule, the State Academy of Music in Cologne, and the Stern Conservatory. Her students included Dietmar von Capitaine, York Höller, Bernhard Klee, Aloys and Alfons Kontarsky, Georg Kroll, Irene Vogel Osiander, Erika Rademacher, Eckart Sellheim, and Joachim Volkmann. Nareh Arghamanyan recorded works by Schmitz-Gohr on her album Femmes de Légende Hänssler HC25026 (2025).
Schmitz-Gohr's compositions were published by Schott Music. They included:
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Else Schmitz-Gohr, revision 1362026221 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Recordings
* *
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Cohen, Aaron I. International encyclopedia of women composers. Books & Music USA Inc. 623. 1987. 0-9617485-2-4.
- 2.Else Schmitz-Gohr. Discogs.
- 3.Rieger. Klaviermusik von Komponistinnen: 24 Klavierstücke des 18.–20. Jahrhunderts. Schott Music GmbH & Co. KG. 1985.
- 4.Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Deutsches Kunstarchiv. Die Bildhauerin Lili Gräf bei Else Schmitz-Gohr. www.digiporta.net.
- 5.The Macmillan Company. The Macmillan Encyclopedia of Music and Musicians. 688. 1938.
- 6.Lichtenfeld, Monika. Höller, York. Oxford University Press. 2001. 10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.13226.
- 7.Randel, Don Michael. The Harvard Biographical Dictionary of Music. Harvard University Press. 1996. 978-0-674-37299-3.
- 8.Tagebuch Klavier. www.broekmans.com.
- 9.Boenke, H. Alais. Flute Music by Women Composers: An Annotated Catalog. ABC-CLIO. 1988. 978-0-313-26019-3.
- 10.Who's Who-Book & Pub. Who's who in the Arts. 1975. 978-3-921220-23-8.
- 11.Scarecrow Press. The Piano in Concert. 1364. 1982. 978-0-8108-1469-1.
- 12.SCHMITZ-GOHR, Else. Donne, Women in Music.
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 24 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Music memorabilia
41,929 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Elsa RespighiPerson
- Else BremsPerson
- Else ElsterPerson
- Else Marie PadePerson
- Elsie AttenhoferPerson
- Elspeth HansonPerson
- Elton AhiPerson
- Elton DeanPerson
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