Andre Asriel (22 February 1922 – 28 May 2019) was an Austrian-German composer.

Life

Born in Vienna, Asriel first attended the Akademisches Gymnasium and then the Bundesgymnasium IX (

Gymnasium Wasagasse The Gymnasium Wasagasse (''Bundesgymnasium Wien IX'', in short ''BG9'') is a secondary school in Alsergrund, the 9th district of Vienna. Alumni of the school include two Nobel laureates, an Academy Award winner and many notable politicians, artis ...

) in Vienna, where the later Oscar winner and composer Ernest Gold was his classmate. Here he pursued musical studies at the same time, studying piano with

Grete Hinterhofer Grete Hinterhofer (18 July 1899 – 27 June 1985) was an Austrian pianist, music teacher and composer. Life Hinterhofer was born in Wels. Her father was a teacher, her mother a piano teacher and composer. At the age of nine Hinterhofer received ...

and theory with

Richard Stöhr Richard Franz Stöhr (11 June 1874 – 11 December 1967) was an Austrian composer, music author and teacher. Born in Vienna, Stöhr studied composition with Robert Fuchs at the Vienna Conservatory. After working there as a repetiteur and cho ...

at the State Academy of Music in Vienna from 1936 to 1938. He was extraordinarily gifted and an outstanding pianist even at a young age. After the Anschluss to Nazi Germany, his mother ensured that her 16-year-old son Andre was able to emigrate to England with a Kindertransport as a racially persecuted person at the end of 1938. She herself did not manage to escape. With the beginning of the war in September 1939, all ties to the old homeland and the family were severed. Music was Asriel's interest even in a foreign country, but he did not know how to start and finance a suitable course of study. Through an encounter with the later poet

Erich Fried Erich Fried (6 May 1921 – 22 November 1988) was an Austrian-born poet, writer, and translator. He initially became known to a broader public in both Germany and Austria for his political poetry, and later for his love poems. As a writer, he mo ...

- also a former pupil of Wasagymnasium - he found contact with the exile organisation '' Freie Deutsche Jugend'' (FDJ), which also financed his studies. Asriel took over the leadership of the London FDJ choir and made friends among its members. As Licentiate of the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...

(L.R.A.M.), he continued his studies from 1941 with Franz Osborn (piano) and

Ernst Hermann Meyer Ernst Hermann Ludimar Meyer (8 December 1905 – 8 October 1988) was a German composer and musicologist, noted for his expertise on seventeenth-century English chamber music. Life Meyer was born in Berlin. He received his first piano lessons ...

(composition). His gratitude to the FDJ led Asriel to destroyed Germany in 1946 to help build socialism there. In 1946 he continued his music studies, which had been interrupted in exile, at the Hochschule für Musik in the western part of Berlin with

Reinhard Schwarz-Schilling Reinhard Schwarz-Schilling (9 May 1904 in Hannover – 9 December 1985 in Berlin) was a German composer. The son of a chemical manufacturer, Schwarz-Schilling embarked upon his musical studies in 1922, first in Munich and – interrupted by sev ...

and

Hermann Wunsch Hermann Wunsch (9 August 1884 – 21 December 1954) was a German composer, conductor, music theorist and lecturer in composition. Life and career Born in Neuss, Wunsch was born in Neuss, Rhineland, in 1884, the son of the railway works master B ...

(composition) and

Richard Rössler Richard Rössler, also ''Roessler'' or ''Rößler'' (14 November 1880 – 23 June 1962) was a Baltic German pianist, organist, composer and music educator (academic teacher). In 1910, he married the pianist Dora Charlotte Mayer (1887–1951), a W ...

(piano). This was followed by the state examination in piano in 1948. From 1950 to 1951, Andre Asriel was a master student at the Deutsche Akademie der Künste (East Berlin) with Hanns Eisler. From 1950 to 1967, he was a lecturer and then professor of composition at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" ( DDR). He retired in 1980. Asriel became known above all for his political songs. But film music was also an important field of activity for him. He wrote the music for more than 30 films. Furthermore, he composed chansons, ballads, chamber, vocal and instrumental music. Many of his compositions were influenced by jazz music. He was married to the Germanist Gertrud (Katja) Asriel from 1951 and had two children. In 1951, Asriel was awarded the

National Prize of the GDR The National Prize of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) (german: Nationalpreis der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik) was an award of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) given out in three different classes for scientific, artistic, ...

, in 1970 the , and in 1974 and 1982 the Patriotic Order of Merit.

Chamber music (1964–1972)

*''20 Variationen über "Ich hab mein Feinsliebchen"'', for flute and guitar *''Shakespeare-Suite'', for two trumpets and two trombones, 1993,

Neue Musik Neue Musik (English ''new music'', French ''nouvelle musique'') is the collective term for a wealth of different currents in composed Western art music from around 1910 to the present. Its focus is on compositions of 20th century music. It is char ...

*''Katzenwalzer'', for violin and piano

Music for keyboard instruments (1962–1988)

*''Sonate'', for piano *''Fuge in C'', for piano *''Toccata und Fuge'', for organ

Music for concert guitar (1962-1988)

*''Baroque in Blue'', for solo guitar *''A Little Jazz Music'', for guitar solo *''Prelude and Toccata'', for 2 guitars *''Etudes and Recital Pieces'', for solo guitar *''Four Pieces'', for 2 guitars *''Suite in E'', for 2 guitars *''Cinque pezzi obbligati'', for solo guitar

Choral music (1951–1977)

*''Mahle, Mühle mahle'' (

Walter Dehmel Walter may refer to: People * Walter (name), both a surname and a given name * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968) * Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 19 ...

), for

mixed choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

*''Suite in Scat'', für gemischten Chor und Rhythmusgruppe *''Sechs Fabeln nach Aesop'', for mixed choir *''Drei Chöre nach lateinischen Texten'', for mixed choir *''Drei Kommentare zu „Moro lasso“ by

Carlo Gesualdo Carlo Gesualdo da Venosa ( – 8 September 1613) was Prince of Venosa and Count of Conza. As a composer he is known for writing madrigals and pieces of sacred music that use a chromatic language not heard again until the late 19th century ...

'', for chamber choir and six instruments *''Drei ernste Gesänge'' (

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a pl ...

), for male choir

Mass Lieder (1941–1983)

*''Wir lieben das Leben'' (Erich Fried) *''Viel Blut ward hingegeben'' (

Kurt Barthel Kurt Barthel (1884–1969) is the father of the modern United States Naturism, nudist movement. Introduction He began the American League for Physical Culture in 1929 with an ad, first in the leading German nudist magazines published in Be ...

) *''Freundschaft, Einheit, Frieden'' (Herbert Keller) *''Es lebe das Brot'' (KuBa) *''Tapfer lacht die junge Garde'' (Kurt Barthel) *''Roter Oktober'' (KuBa) *''Schlacht am Galgenberg'' (

Manfred Bieler ''Manfred: A dramatic poem'' is a closet drama written in 1816–1817 by Lord Byron. It contains supernatural elements, in keeping with the popularity of the ghost story in England at the time. It is a typical example of a Gothic fiction. Byr ...

) *''Matrosen von Kiel'' (Bodo Krautz) *''Lied der Republik'' (

Heinz Kahlau Heinz Kahlau (6 February 1931 - 6 April 2012) was a German writer. He is remembered as one of the best known lyric poets in the German Democratic Republic. He wrote song lyrics, dramas and prose pieces. He was particularly well known for his ...

) *''Die rote Fahne'' (Helmut Kontauts)

Songs and Chansons (1948–1975)

*''Lied vom St.Nimmerleinstag'' (Bertolt Brecht) *''Gegen den Krieg'' (KuBa) *''Ungarisches Largo'' (Jens Gerlach) *''Lied von der Eile'' (Heinz Kahlau) *''Atomraketenlied'' (Jens Gerlach) *''Lehmhaus-Blues'' (Jens Gerlach) *''Lied vom Glück'' (Bertolt Brecht) *''Limericks'' ( Peter Hacks) *''Argumentation'' (Jens Gerlach) *''Dukatenlied'' (Jens Gerlach) *''Treue'' (

Heinrich Heine Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (; born Harry Heine; 13 December 1797 – 17 February 1856) was a German poet, writer and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of '' Lied ...

) *''Abend in einer großen Stadt'' ( Louis Fürnberg) *''Auf der Sonnenseite'' ( Manfred Krug) *''Shimmy in grün'' (Peter Hacks) *''Auf dem Bergarbeiterball'' (Peter Hacks) *''Die Oliven gedeihen'' (Peter Hacks) *''Oktober'' ( Alfred Kerr) *''Der September'' (

Erich Kästner Emil Erich Kästner (; 23 February 1899 – 29 July 1974) was a German writer, poet, screenwriter and satirist, known primarily for his humorous, socially astute poems and for children's books including '' Emil and the Detectives''. He received ...

) *''Der Monarch'' (Peter Hacks) *''Das Osterhuhn'' (Heinz Kahlau) *''Mondlied'' (Peter Hacks) *''Lied von den Kranichen'' ( Kurt Demmler) *''Karl I.'' (Heinrich Heine) *''So muss es sein'' ( Volker Braun nach Béranger)

Piano Lieder (1940–1971)

*''Childe Harold'' (Heinrich Heine) *''Drei Gesänge'' (

Langston Hughes James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1901 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri. One of the earliest innovators of the literary art form called jazz poetry, Hug ...

) *''Zwei Sprüche'' (Bertolt Brecht) *''Der Tod'' ( Matthias Claudius) *''Halt an dein Boot'' (Wolfram Dietrich) *''Sechs Lieder'' (Bertolt Brecht) *''Acht Liebeslieder'' (Jens Gerlach) *''Schön Dorindgen'' (Peter Hacks) *''Narrenlied'' ( William Shakespeare) *''Wer ist Sylvia'' (William Shakespeare) *''Baumlige Lieder'' (Helmut Stöhr) * Numerous folk song arrangements, including ::''Jiddische Volkslieder – Kinder- und Wiegenlieder'', Verlag Neue Musik, Berlin ::''Jiddische Volkslieder – Berufs- und Ständelieder'', Verlag Neue Musik, Berlin ::''Jiddische Volkslieder – Liebeslieder'', Verlag Neue Musik, Berlin

Film scores and theatre music (1955-1986)

Film scores

= Feature films

= *'' Der Lotterieschwede'' (1958),

Joachim Kunert Joachim Kunert (24 September 1929 – 18 September 2020) was a German film director and screenwriter. He directed more than 20 films between 1954 and 1989. His 1965 film '' The Adventures of Werner Holt'' was entered into the 4th Moscow Int ...

(after

Martin Andersen Nexø Martin Andersen Nexø (26 June 1869 – 1 June 1954) was a Danish writer. He was one of the authors in the Modern Breakthrough movement in Danish art and literature. He was a socialist throughout his life and during the second world war moved to ...

) *''

Ehesache Lorenz ''Ehesache Lorenz'' is an East German East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on ...

'' (1959), Joachim Kunert *''Wo der Zug nicht lange hält …'' (1960),

Joachim Hasler Joachim (; ''Yəhōyāqīm'', "he whom Tetragrammaton, Yahweh has set up"; ; ) was, according to Christian tradition, the husband of Saint Anne and the father of Mary, the mother of Jesus. The story of Joachim and Anne first appears in the Bibl ...

*''

Seilergasse 8 ''Seilergasse 8'' is an East German film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, ...

'' (1960), Joachim Kunert *''Die letzte Nacht'' (1961), Joachim Kunert (TV film) *'' On the Sunny Side'' (1961),

Ralf Kirsten Ralf Kirsten (30 May 1930 – 23 January 1998) was a German film director and screenwriter. He directed 22 films between 1955 and 1986. His 1984 film ''Where Others Keep Silent'' was entered into the 14th Moscow International Film Festival. ...

*''Die unbekannte Größe'' (1961), Baumert (TV film) *''Der Schwur des Soldaten Pooley'' (1961), (TV film) *''

Follow Me, Scoundrels ''Follow Me, Scoundrels'' (german: Mir nach, Canaillen!) is a 1964 East German historical adventure film directed by Ralf Kirsten and starring Manfred Krug, Monika Woytowicz Monika Woytowicz (born 1944) is a German stage, film and televisio ...

'' (1962), Heinz Thiel *'' Geheimarchiv an der Elbe'' (1962),

Kurt Jung-Alsen Kurt Jung-Alsen (18 June 1915 – 20 December 1976) was a German film director and screenwriter. He directed 24 films between 1954 and 1976. Selected filmography * ''The Call of the Sea'' (1951) * ''Duped Till Doomsday'' (1957) * ''Polonia- ...

*''Der Dieb von San Marengo'' (1963),

Günter Reisch Günter Reisch (24 November 1927 – 24 February 2014) was a German film director and screenwriter. He served in the German Army during the last stage of World War II. On 20 April 1944 he became a member of the Nazi Party. After his release from a ...

*''

Mir nach, Canaillen! ''Follow Me, Scoundrels'' (german: Mir nach, Canaillen!) is a 1964 East German historical adventure film directed by Ralf Kirsten and starring Manfred Krug, Monika Woytowicz, and Fred Düren. The film's sets were designed by the art director ...

'' (1964), Ralf Kirsten *'' Der verlorene Engel'' (1966/1971), Ralf Kirsten *''

Frau Venus und ihr Teufel ''Frau Venus und ihr Teufel'' is an East German film. It was released in 1967. Cast * Manfred Krug: Hans Müller / Tannhäuser * Ursula Werner: Maria / Moritz * Inge Keller: Venus * Wolfgang Greese: Landgraf * Helga Labudda: Josephine * Peter ...

'' (1967), Ralf Kirsten *'' Netzwerk'' (1970), Ralf Kirsten *''Zwei Briefe an Pospischiel'' (1970), Ralf Kirsten (TV film) *''

Die Elixiere des Teufels ''The Devil's Elixirs'' (german: Die Elixiere des Teufels) is a novel by E. T. A. Hoffmann. Published in 1815, the basic idea for the story was adopted from Matthew Gregory Lewis's novel ''The Monk'', which is itself mentioned in the text. A ...

'' (1973), Ralf Kirsten (after

E. T. A. Hoffmann Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (born Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann; 24 January 1776 – 25 June 1822) was a German Romantic author of fantasy and Gothic horror, a jurist, composer, music critic and artist. Penrith Goff, "E.T.A. Hoffmann" in E ...

) *''

Unterm Birnbaum {{Short description, Utility which translates U.N. terminology and nomenclature The United Nations Multilingual Terminology Database (UNTERM) is a linguistic tool which translates terminology and nomenclature used within the United Nations (UN) i ...

'' (1973), Ralf Kirsten (after Theodor Fontane) *'' Eine Pyramide für mich'' (1975), Ralf Kirsten

= Short films

= *''Lebendes Eisen'' (1955), Berthold Beissert (Popular science film) *''Märkische Novelle'' (1957), Max Jaap (documentary) *''Das Faschingskostüm'' (1958), Kurt Weiler (animated film) *''Martin Andersen Nexö'' (1959), Joachim Kunert (documentary) *''Der Bankraub'' (1961), Hans Joachim Hildebrandt (magazin) *''Die Füchsin und der Biber'' (1961), Ralf Kirsten (magazin) *''Moderne Grafik'' (1961), (popular science film) *''Dorfkinder'' (1962), Heinz Müller (documentary) *''Pasaremos'' (1962), (popular science film) *''Hase und Igel'' (1963), Horst Seemann (magazin) *''Gleisbau'' (1963), (popular science film) *''Hüben und drüben'' (1964),

Walter Heynowski Walter may refer to: People * Walter (name), both a surname and a given name * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968) * Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 19 ...

(documentary) *''Geschlechter'' (1964), (popular science film) *''O.K.'' (1965), Walter Heynowski (documentary) *''Borinage'' (1983/84),

Joris Ivens Georg Henri Anton "Joris" Ivens (18 November 1898 – 28 June 1989) was a Dutch documentary filmmaker. Among the notable films he directed or co-directed are '' A Tale of the Wind'', '' The Spanish Earth'', ''Rain'', ''...A Valparaiso'', ''M ...

Henri Storck Henri Storck (5 September 1907 – 17 September 1999) was a Belgian writer, filmmaker and documentarist. In 1933, he directed, with Joris Ivens, ''Misère au Borinage'', a film about the miners in the Borinage area. In 1938, with Andre Thirifa ...

documentary (1933, silent film, E.P.I., Club de l’Ecran, Brüssel) *''Drifters'' (1984/86),

John Grierson John Grierson (26 April 1898 – 19 February 1972) was a pioneering Scottish documentary maker, often considered the father of British and Canadian documentary film. In 1926, Grierson coined the term "documentary" in a review of Robert J. Fla ...

documentary (1929, silent film, E.M.B.Film Unit, GB)

Theater music

* 1949:

Friedrich Wolf Friedrich Wolf may refer to: *Friedrich Wolf (writer) (1888–1953), German doctor and writer *Friedrich August Wolf Friedrich August Wolf (; 15 February 1759 – 8 August 1824) was a German classicist and is considered the founder of modern ...

: ''Tai Yang erwacht'' – director: Wolfgang Langhoff (

Deutsches Theater Berlin The Deutsches Theater is a theater in Berlin, Germany. It was built in 1850 as Friedrich-Wilhelm-Städtisches Theater, after Frederick William IV of Prussia. Located on Schumann Street (Schumannstraße), the Deutsches Theater consists of two ad ...

) * 1962: Peter Hacks (after Aristophanes): ''Der Frieden'' – director:

Benno Besson Benno Besson (born René-Benjamin Besson; 4 November 1922 in Yverdon-les-Bains – 16 February 2006 in Berlin, Germany) was a Swiss actor and director. He had great success as director at Volksbühne Berlin, Deutsches Theater and Berliner Ense ...

(Deutsches Theater Berlin) *1963:

Rolf Schneider Rolf Georg Schneider (born 17 March 1940, Hagen, Germany) is a mathematician. Schneider is a professor emeritus at the University of Freiburg. His main research interests are convex geometry and stochastic geometry. Career Schneider completed his ...

: ''Prozeß Richard Waverly'' – director: Wolf-Dieter Panse (Deutsches Theater Berlin – Kammerspiele) *1963: Peter Hacks (after

John Gay John Gay (30 June 1685 – 4 December 1732) was an English poet and dramatist and member of the Scriblerus Club. He is best remembered for ''The Beggar's Opera'' (1728), a ballad opera. The characters, including Captain Macheath and Polly Peac ...

): ''Polly oder Die Bataille am Bluewater Creek'' * 1980: Mikhail Shatrov: ''Blaue Pferde auf rotem Gras'' – director:

Christoph Schroth Christoph is a male given name and surname. It is a German variant of Christopher. Notable people with the given name Christoph * Christoph Bach (1613–1661), German musician * Christoph Büchel (born 1966), Swiss artist * Christoph Dientzenhofe ...

( Berliner Ensemble) * 1981:

Carl Sternheim Carl Sternheim (born William Adolph Carl Francke; 1 April 1878 – 3 November 1942) was a German playwright and short story writer. One of the major exponents of German Expressionism, he especially satirized the moral sensibilities of the emergi ...

: ''Die Schule von Uznach'' – director: Gertrud-Elisabeth Zillmer (

Volksbühne Berlin The Volksbühne ("People's Theatre") is a theater in Berlin. Located in Berlin's city center Mitte on Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz (Rosa Luxemburg Square) in what was the GDR's capital. It has been called Berlin's most iconic theatre. About The Vo ...

– Sternfoyer) *''Faust I'' ( Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)

Radio play music

* 1950: Herbert Horn: ''Unsere Brücke'' – director: Rudolph Pallas ( Berliner Rundfunk) * 1950:

Anna Seghers Anna Seghers (; born ''Anna Reiling,'' 19 November 1900 – 1 June 1983), is the pseudonym of a German writer notable for exploring and depicting the moral experience of the Second World War. Born into a Jewish family and married to a Hungarian ...

: ' – director: Herwart Grosse ( Deutschlandsender) * 1964: Ernst Röhl (after

Johann Peter Hebel Johann Peter Hebel (10 May 1760 – 22 September 1826) was a German short story writer, dialectal poet, Lutheranism, Lutheran theologian and pedagogue, most famous for a collection of Alemannic German, Alemannic lyric poems (''Allemannisc ...

): ''Zundelfrieders Abenteuer'' – director: Maritta Hübner (Kinderhörspiel – Rundfunk der DDR

Publications

*''Jazz – Analysen und Aspekte'', VEB Lied der Zeit, Berlin 1966 (4th, revised and expanded ed. 1985)

References

External links

* * .
OeML, Asriel_Andre, Asriel, Andre Asriel
on '' Oesterreichisches Musiklexikon'', Online-Edition, Vienna 2002 ff., ; Print edition: vol. 1, Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften publishing house, Vienna 2002, .
''Wunsch und Wirklichkeit''
Porträt im Neues Deutschland, 23 January 2012.
Andre Asriel
on ''

Lexikon verfolgter Musiker und Musikerinnen der NS-Zeit The ''Lexikon verfolgter Musiker und Musikerinnen der NS-Zeit'' (LexM) is an Online encyclopedia of the University of Hamburg, which has been developed as a work in progress since 2005. Publication/contents The editors today are Sophie Fetthau ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Asriel, Andre 20th-century German composers Austrian composers 20th-century classical composers Male film score composers Academic staff of the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin Recipients of the Patriotic Order of Merit in gold Austrian emigrants to Germany Nazi concentration camp survivors 1922 births 2019 deaths Musicians from Vienna 20th-century German male musicians Austrian expatriates in the United Kingdom