Johannes Paul Thilman
Johannes Paul Thilman (11 January 1906 – 29 January 1973) was a German composer.
Johannes Paul Thilman
Paulae · CC BY 3.0
- Born
- 1906 · Dresden.
- Died
- 1973 · Dresden.
- Nationality
- Germany · German Democratic Republic
- Occupation
- composer · university teacher
- Honours
- National Prize of East Germany · Patriotic Order of Merit in Silver
- Languages
- German
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Johannes Paul Thilman. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q1401754 · wikipedia · Johannes Paul Thilman
In this article
Life
Life
Thilman, who actually wanted to become a teacher, encountered music at the age of 18 and taught himself initially. After a private lesson with Paul Hindemith and Hermann Scherchen, he attended the Leipzig Conservatory in 1929 and studied composition with Hermann Grabner. The first performances of his works took place after he finished his studies in 1931. They were performed in Donaueschingen by his teacher, Hindemith. In the year 1940, he became the instructor of composition at the "Carl Maria von Weber" School of Music in his hometown, Dresden. He was a professor there from the year 1956 until he became an Emeritus professor in 1968. Among his students were composers Friedrich Goldmann and Udo Zimmermann. Besides his academic activities, he was also involved in the music life of Dresden. In 1960, Thilman coveted the National Prize of East Germany.
Style
Style
Thilman was a conservative Composer. His music is tonal and refers to the form and harmony of Romantic music. His melody is always catchy and uncomplicated. Thilman was particularly inspired by folk music. This influence can be heard clearly in many of his works. Most of his works are kept short. Generally, his tone is fresh and uncomplicated rather than dramatic. Undoubtedly, Thilman oriented his works towards the aesthetics of the Socialist realism. In his later works, he often chose unusual settings and freer forms for his works. Thilman was very respected in East Germany. His Symphony no. 4 was particularly popular. Today, however, he is mostly forgotten.
Selected compositions
• Stage • Peter Schlemihl, Ballet (1965) • Orchestral • Kleine Sinfonie Nr.1 (Little Symphony No.1) in G major, Op.56 no.2 (1951) • Kleine Sinfonie Nr.2 (Little Symphony No.2) in F major, op.60 or 61 (1952) • Kleine Sinfonie Nr.3 (Little Symphony No.3) in D major, op.63 (1953) • Symphony No.4 in D minor, op.64 (1954) • Symphony No.5 "Sinfonie in einem Satz" (Symphony in One Movement), op.79 (1956) • Symphony No.6 in E major op.92 (1959) • Symphony No.7 in A major op.101 (1962) • Partita piccola for chamber orchestra, op.43 (1948) • Sinfonische Inventionen (Symphonic Inventions), op.77 (1955) • Sinfonische Prolog (Symphonic Prologue), op.94 (1960) • Music for Strings (1960) • Sinfonisches Vorspiel (Symphonic Prelude), op.100 (1961) • Episoden (Episodes) (1967) • Ode (1966–1968) • Impulse (1971) • Concertante • Concerto for piano and chamber orchestra (1928) • Concertino giocoso for trombone and orchestra, op.47 (1949) • Concerto for violin and orchestra, op.59 (1952) • Concertino for piano (left hand) and orchestra, op.65 (1954) • Concertino for trumpet and chamber orchestra, op.66 (1954) • Lichtenberger Konzert for violin and string orchestra (1958) • Concerto piccolo for harpsichord and small orchestra (or piano and chamber orchestra) (1968) • Double Concerto for bass clarinet and piano with string orchestra and percussion (1968) • Concerto for 2 pianos and orchestra (1968) • Orpheus, Concerto for English horn and small orchestra (1969) • Concerto for violin and chamber orchestra (1972) • Chamber • Das kleine Requiem for English horn, alto saxophone, viola and piano, op.27 • Sonata in Csharp minor for viola and piano (1935) • Kleine Sonate (Little Sonata) for English horn and piano, op.34 (1946) • Sonatine for string quartet, op.49 • Sonata No.1 for violin and piano, op.50 • String Quartet No.1 • String Quartet No.2, op.62 (1954) • Piano Quartet No.2, op.70 • Quintet for clarinet and strings, op.73 (1955) • Sextet for woodwinds and strings, op.74 (1955) • Piano Quintet (1955) • Sonata No.2 for violin and piano, op.80 • String Quartet No.3 in D major, op.81 • String Quartet No.4 "in einem Satz" (in One Movement), op.84 (1958) • Trio Piccolo for alto flute, bass clarinet and viola, op.90 • Kleine Sonate (Little Sonata) for cello and piano, op.96 (1960) • Piano Trio (1963) • 4 Gespräche for flute, bass clarinet and piano (1965) • Concerti espressivi for trombone, timpani and piano (1965) • Dramatische Szenen for string quartet (1969) • Kammerspiel for string quartet (1970) • String Quartet No.5 (1970) • Concertino for string quartet (1971) • Aspekte for flute, viola and harp • 6 Duets for violin and viola (pub Litolff 1964) • Piano • 2 Sonatas (d minor, f minor), op.30 (1946) • Sonatina patetica, op.39 (1947) • Händel-Variations, op.1 (1934) • 10 Neue Inventionen (10 New Inventions), op.86 (1958) • Sommerabend am Schwarzen Meer (1970) • 5 Inventions for four hands piano (1949) • Vocal • Das deutsche Tagewerk, Cantata • Dresdner Kantate • Unsterbliche Opfer for bass and orchestra (1960)
Writings (selection)
• Probleme der neuen Polyphonie. Dresden: Dresdener Verl.-Ges. [1949] (full text via the Munich Digitization Center). • Neue Musik. Polemische Beiträge. [Dresden]: VVB Verlag – Dresdner Verlag 1950. • Musikalische Formenlehre in unsrer Zeit. Dresden: Verlag der Kunst 1951.
Text attribution
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 Johannes Paul Thilman, revision 1351356386 (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.
Notes from the source article
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.Hall, Charles J. (2002) . Taylor & Francis. pp. 642, 1086. .
- 2.O'Loughlin, Niall. Wind Music. The Musical Times. Musical Times Publications Ltd. 107. 1483. 799. Sep 1966. 10.2307/954328.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
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
43,975 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Johannes Matthias SpergerPerson
- Johannes MöllerPerson
- Johannes NuciusPerson
- Johannes OerdingPerson
- Johannes PetzoldPerson
- Johannes PramsohlerPerson
- Johannes PriorisPerson
- Johannes PulloisPerson
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Johannes Paul Thilman?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.