Hermann Zilcher

After the seizure of power by the Nazis, Zilcher became a member of the party, a fact for which he would later be criticized.

Training under James Kwast, Iwan Knorr and Bernhard Scholz is recorded. Carl Orff is recorded as having studied under Hermann Zilcher. The recorded working language is German. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are opera. Employment is recorded with Hochschule für Musik Würzburg and Hoch Conservatory. Distinctions recorded are Honorary doctorate from the Julius Maximilians University of Würzburg and Goethe Medal for Art and Science.

• Name — Hermann Zilcher • Born — 18 August 1881 • Birthplace — Frankfurt am Main, German Empire • Died — 1 January 1948 • Place of death — Würzburg, Germany • Occupation — Composer, pianist, conductor and music teacher • Website — www.hermann-zilcher.de

Zilcher received early piano lessons from his father, Paul Zilcher, who was known as a composer of didactic piano and chamber music. He studied from 1897 at the Dr. Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt, piano with James Kwast, counterpoint and morphology with Iwan Knorr, and composition with Bernhard Scholz. At graduation, he was awarded the Mozart Prize.

In 1901, Zilcher moved to Berlin, where he quickly established himself mainly as a pianist for singers and instrumentalists, with concert tours, which made him internationally known in the United States and in Europe. In 1905, he returned to Frankfurt as a piano teacher at the Dr. Hoch Conservatory. In 1908, he was appointed by Felix Mottl as a piano professor and in 1916 as a composition professor at the Academy of Music in Munich. In Munich, he worked closely with the head of the Munich Kammerspiele, Otto Falckenberg, for whom he wrote incidental music. In 1920, Zilcher became director of the Bavarian State Conservatory of Music in Würzburg and founded the Würzburg Mozart Festival in 1922, which soon became internationally famous. For these accomplishments, Zilcher was appointed in 1924 Privy Councillor by the Bavarian government and the University of Würzburg awarded him an honorary doctorate. In the late 1920s, Zilcher founded the Würzburg Chamber Orchestra, which achieved nationwide renown. As a result, he became increasingly engaged as guest conductor of other orchestras; for example, he conducted the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, at the invitation of Wilhelm Furtwängler. At this time, Zilcher conducted works of Arnold Schoenberg, Ernst Krenek, and Paul Hindemith. In 1933, Hindemith joined in a concert in Würzburg under Zilcher conducting as a soloist of his viola concerto, Op. 36., as the pianist of the Zilcher Trio with violinist Adolf Schiering and cellist Ernst Chanbley. Zilcher performed works of Mendelssohn in 1932. In 1941, his violin concerto, Op. 92. was premiered in a concert by the Berlin Philharmonic under the direction of Wilhelm Furtwängler. Due to a long-standing dispute, Zilcher was deprived of the management of the Mozart Festival and the directorship of the music school in 1943. In the final phase of World War II, Zilcher was approved to not serving on the front line, but was involved in the preparations for the Mozart Festival. Zilcher, after an anonymous complaint, was deposed as director of the Würzburg Conservatory due to his activities in the Nazi era. The US military administration sentenced him to logging operations, where he injured his hands. Due to a medical certificate, he was exempted from this work. Zilcher composed a fifth symphony in 1947. He had long suffered from a weak heart and died suddenly on 1 January 1948 at the age of 66 in Würzburg.

Zilcher was the father of actress Eva Zilcher and conductor Heinz Reinhart Zilcher.

• Stage • Fitzebutze, Traumspiel in 5 acts by Richard Dehmel, Op. 19 • Wie es euch gefällt (As You Like It), Incidental Music, Op. 33; for the play by William Shakespeare • Das Wintermärchen (The Winter's Tale), Incidental Music for small orchestra, Op. 39; for the play by William Shakespeare • Doktor Eisenbart, Comic Opera in 3 acts after Otto Falckenberg (libretto by Hermann Wolfgang von Waltershausen), Op. 45 (1920) • Der Widerspenstigen Zähmung (The Taming of the Shrew), Incidental Music for 12 instruments or small orchestra, Op. 54 (1925); for the play by William Shakespeare • Komödie der Irrungen (The Comedy of Errors) for 12 instruments (percussion) or small orchestra, Op. 73 (1935); for the play by William Shakespeare • Palm, Incidental Music for small orchestra, Op. 79 (1935); for the play by Josef Wenter • Ein Sommernachtstraum (A Midsummer Night's Dream), Incidental Music, Op. 93 (1940); for the play by William Shakespeare • Orchestral • Variationen (Variations) in B minor (1898) • Sinfonietta in E major for string orchestra, Op. 1 (1900) • Suite in G major, Op. 4 (1903) • Symphony No. 1 in A Major, op. 17 (1906) • Symphony No. 2 in F minor, Op. 23 (1908–1909) • An mein deutsches Land, Overture for orchestra and chorus ad libitum, Op. 48 • Tanz-Fantasie (Dance Fantasy), Op. 71 (1933) • Musica buffa, 10 Intermezzi for 12 instruments (percussion) or small orchestra, Op. 73a (1935); extracted from the incidental music for Komödie der Irrungen • Rameau-Suite for small orchestra, Op. 76 (1934); also for violin, cello and piano • Heinkel-Marsch, Op. 83 (1936) • Symphony No. 4 in Fsharp minor, Op. 84 • Symphony No. 5 "...und dennoch!..." in C minor, Op. 112 (1947) • Concertante • Concerto in D minor for 2 violins and orchestra, Op. 9 • Concerto No. 1 in B minor for violin and small orchestra, Op. 11 • Suite in vier Sätzen (Suite in Four Movements) in G major for 2 violins and small orchestra, Op. 15 • Skizzen aus dem Orient (Sketches from the Orient) for violin and chamber orchestra, Op. 18 (1906) • Concerto in B minor for piano and orchestra, Op. 20 (1906) • Konzertstück in einem Satze (Concert Piece in One Movement) in A minor for cello and orchestra, Op. 21 (1904) • Klage, Konzertstück in Fsharp minor for violin and small orchestra, Op. 22 (1908) • Nacht und Morgen for 2 pianos, timpani and string orchestra, Op. 24 (1909) • Konzertstück über ein Thema von W. A. Mozart in D major for flute and small orchestra, Op. 81 (1936) • Concerto No. 2 in A major for violin and orchestra, Op. 92 (1942) • Variationen über ein Thema von W. A. Mozart for cello and small orchestra, Op. 95 • Bayerische Suite (Bavarian Suite) for accordion and orchestra, Op. 98 • Kammerkonzert in F major for piano and orchestra (13 instruments), Op. 102 (1945) • Chamber music • 4 Weihnachtsstücke (4 Christmas Pieces) for violin and piano (1892) • 3 Stücke (3 Pieces) for violin and piano (1894) • Phantasie-Sonate for violin and piano (1895) • Piano Trio (1896) • Sonata in A major for violin and piano (1898) • Quintet in Fsharp minor for oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon and piano, Op. Juv. 30 (1899); also for stringed instruments • String Quartet in C minor (1900) • 2 Stücke (2 Pieces) for violin and piano, Op. 3 • 2 Stücke (2 Pieces) for 2 violins, Op. 7 • Sonata in D major for violin and piano, Op. 16 • Idyllen (Idylls) for violin, cello (or viola) and piano, Op. 17 • Ein Gedenkblatt for violin, cello (or viola) and piano, Op. 18 • Piano Quintet in Csharp minor, Op. 42 (1918) • Winterlandschaft (Winter Landscape) for cello and piano, Op. 53 • Piano Trio in E minor, Op. 56 (1926) • Schmerzliches adagio for clarinet and piano, Op. 49 • Rameau-Suite, Op. 76 (1934); also for small orchestra • Suite in G major for string quartet, Op. 77 • Kleine Serenade (Little Serenade) for oboe, clarinet, horn and viola, Op. 80 (1935) • Duet for violin and cello, Op. 89 • Trio in Form von Variationen in A minor for clarinet, cello and piano, Op. 90 (1938) • Bläserquintett "Vier Jahreszeiten" (Woodwind Quintet "The Four Seasons") in A major for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon, Op. 91 (1941) • Variationen über ein Thema von Mozart for violin and accordion, Op. 94; theme from Divertimento No. 2, K. 131 (1772) • Variationen über ein fränkisches Volkslied for violin and accordion, Op. 97 • Variationen über ein Thema von Schubert for violin and accordion, Op. 99 • Variationen über ein Thema von Mozart for clarinet, cello (or viola) and piano, Op. 101 • String Quartet in C minor, Op. 104 (1945) • Haus-Musik, 3 Pieces for violin or flute, accordion and piano, Op. 110 (1946) • Accordion • 3 Stücke, Op. 82 • Abendstimmung • Jahrmarktsbilder • Harmoniker-Marsch • Ländliche Musiken (Music on the Green), 3 Pieces for accordion orchestra, Op. 88a • Aus meiner Ferienmappe, 5 Pieces, Op. 88b • Tanz auf der Wiese • Wächterlied • Amselmelodien, Op. 98a • Kleine Übungs- und Vortragsstücke, Op. 103 • Schüler und Lehrer, 5 Duets for 2 accordions, Op. 106 (1946) • Piano • 4 Humoresken, Op. 5 (1903) • 4 Clavierstücke (4 Piano Pieces), Op. 6 • 6 kleine Stücke (4 Little Pieces) for piano 4-hands, Op. 8 (1902) • 7 Skizzen (7 Sketches), Op. 26 (1911) • Bilderbuch, 9 Klangstudien (9 Sound Studies), Op. 34 (1916) • Symphony No. 3 in A major for 2 pianos, Op. 50 (1923) • Winterbilder (Winter Scenes), 5 Short Pieces, Op. 57 (c.1926) • Klänge der Nacht (Night-Sounds), 6 Pieces, Op. 58 (1927) • Drei Weihnachtsstücke (3 Christmas Pieces), Op. 61 • Vier leichte Stücke (4 Easy Pieces) for piano 4-hands • Vocal • 5 Lieder (5 Songs) for medium voice and piano, Op. 10 • 4 Lieder (4 Songs) for high voice and piano, Op. 12 • 4 Lieder (4 Songs) for medium voice and piano, Op. 13 • 4 Lieder (4 Songs) for low voice and piano, Op. 14 • Dehmel-Zyklus, 14 Poems from Erlösungen, Weib und Welt and Aber die Liebe, for soprano, tenor and piano, Op. 25 (1919); words by Richard Dehmel • Hölderlin, Symphonic Cycle for tenor (or baritone) and orchestra, Op. 28 (1912–1913) • 4 Kriegslieder for voice and piano, Op. 30 (1914) • Deutsches Volksliederspiel, 16 Folk Songs for 4 voices and piano, Op. 32 (1915) • Ein Tanz Lied for coloratura soprano, violin and piano, Op. 36 • 15 kleine Lieder nach den Hey-Speckter'schen Fabeln for voice and piano, Op. 37 • Aus dem Hohelied Salomonis, Variations for 2 voices (alto, baritone), string quartet and piano, Op. 38 (c.1918) • 4 Lieder (4 Songs) for voice and piano, Op. 40 • 3 Gedichte von Richard Dehmel (3 Poems of Richard Dehmel) for voice and piano, Op. 41; words by Richard Dehmel • Die Natur: Hymnus von Goethe for medium voice and piano, Op. 47 (1922); words by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe • Goethe-Lieder for voice and piano, Op. 51 (1923); words by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe • Marienlieder, Cycle of 11 songs for high voice and string quartet, Op. 52 • 3 Gedichte von Goethe for high voice and orchestra, Op. 59 (c.1926); words by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe • Eichendorff-Zyklus for voice and piano, Op. 60 (1927); words by Joseph von Eichendorff • Rokoko-Suite for high voice, violin, cello and piano, Op. 65 • Fantasie for high voice, piano and orchestra, Op. 66 (1931); words from Trilogie der Leidenschaft by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe • 2 Gedichte for high voice, flute, trombone and small orchestra, Op. 78 • Choral • Die Liebesmesse in 3 parts for soloists, chorus and orchestra, Op. 27 (1911–1913) • Mann und Weib • Gott • Die Welt • Chiemsee-Terzette for 3 female voices (solo or chorus), Op. 46 • Lied des Schülers for school chorus, violin, harmonium and piano 4-hands, Op. 55 (1925) • 2 Gedichte von Goethe for male chorus and orchestra, Op. 62 (1927–1928) • Töne Lied, aus weiter Ferne..., 4 Poems for male chorus and string orchestra ad libitum, Op. 68 (1931); words by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe • Deutscher Glaube, Hymn for mixed chorus and orchestra, Op. 69 (1931) • Gebet der Jugend, Hymn for soprano, mixed chorus, children's chorus and orchestra, Op. 75 (1934); words by Karl Maria Kaufmann • An die Künstler for soprano, male chorus and orchestra, Op. 86 (1938); words by Friedrich Schiller • Vater unser for soprano, baritone, mixed chorus, organ and orchestra, Op. 87 (1938); words by Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock

Hermann Zilcher is recorded with the occupation university teacher. Recorded with the occupation music educator. Classed in the genre opera. Recorded as pianist, composer, conductor, music educator and university teacher.