Fritz Dietrich (13 February 1905 – January 1945) was a German

musicologist Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some mu ...

and

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

Biography

Dietrich was born in

Pforzheim Pforzheim () is a city of over 125,000 inhabitants in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, in the southwest of Germany. It is known for its jewelry and watch-making industry, and as such has gained the nickname "Goldstadt" ("Golden City") ...

. After his secondary education there, he attended the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology for one semester, before moving to music. He studied from 1925 in

Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau (; abbreviated as Freiburg i. Br. or Freiburg i. B.; Low Alemannic: ''Friburg im Brisgau''), commonly referred to as Freiburg, is an independent city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population of about 230,000 (as o ...

with

Wilibald Gurlitt Wilibald Gurlitt (1 March 1889, Dresden – 15 December 1963, Freiburg) was a German musicologist. Gurlitt, son of the art historian Cornelius Gurlitt, attended the St. Anne Semi-Classical Secondary School (''Annenrealgymnasium'') in Dresd ...

and

Heinrich Besseler Heinrich Besseler (April 2, 1900 – July 25, 1969) was a German musicologist born in Hörde. He is particularly known for his colossal work, ''Die Musik des Mittelalters und der Renaissance'' (1931), which provided a new perspective on historical m ...

. Later study saw him move to

Heidelberg University } Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, (german: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg; la, Universitas Ruperto Carola Heidelbergensis) is a public research university in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, ...

, where Besseler had moved. For a short time, Dietrich studied in

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...

at the conservatory, under

Karl Straube Montgomery Rufus Karl Siegfried Straube (6 January 1873 – 27 April 1950) was a German church musician, organist, and choral conductor, famous above all for championing the abundant organ music of Max Reger. Career Born in Berlin, Straube stu ...

. From 1931 to 1934, Dietrich took a music assistantship in Heidelberg, whilst training to teach at university level. This he did in 1935, but with the

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

regime strengthening its grip on the German society, working opportunities for music teachers dwindled. Between 1935 and 1944 Dietrich worked for the Bärenreiter publishing house in Kassel,Online version i
Kerkmusicus Hans Jansen
and himself published a collection of small notebooks with music for laymen. He was conscripted into the army, and in January 1945 went missing on the Eastern front in the area around Heiligenbeil (now

Mamonovo Mamonovo (russian: Мамоново), prior to 1945 known by its German name Heiligenbeil ( pl, Święta Siekierka or ''Świętomiejsce''; lt, Šventpilis; Prussian: ''Swintamīstan''), is a town in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia. Population figures ...

Kaliningrad Oblast Kaliningrad Oblast (russian: Калинингра́дская о́бласть, translit=Kaliningradskaya oblast') is the westernmost federal subject of Russia. It is a semi-exclave situated on the Baltic Sea. The largest city and administr ...

, Russia) at the start of the East Prussian offensive by the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...

. Dietrich's known works were written for organ and

recorder Recorder or The Recorder may refer to: Newspapers * ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper * ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US * ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a news ...

as well as much vocal music. He was an able player of the

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

, organ,

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. A ...

and

viola The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...

Works

(BA = Bärenreiter-Ausgabe) Compositions: * ''Zehn kleine Märsche'' en little marchesfor two unison recorders. BA 859. * ''Vierzehn kleine Spielradel'' for two recorders in

fifth interval In the theory and practice of music, a fifth interval is an ordered pair of notes that are separated by an interval of 6–8 semitones. There are three types of fifth intervals, namely * ''perfect'' fifths (7 semitones), * ''diminishe ...

. BA 864. * ''Sonatine in C'' for recorder and piano. BA 980. * ''Zehn kleine Walzer''

en little waltzes En or EN may refer to: Businesses * Bouygues (stock symbol EN) * Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway (reporting mark EN, but now known as Southern Railway of Vancouver Island) * Euronews, a news television and internet channel Language and writing * E ...

for two unison recorders. BA 1035. * ''Wenn alle Brünnlein fließen'', variations for two choir recorders and

alto recorder The alto recorder in F, also known as a treble (and, historically, as consort flute and common flute) is a member of the recorder family. Up until the 17th century the alto instrument was normally in G4 instead of F4. The alto is between the s ...

. BA 1254. * ''Drei kleine Suiten'' for two choir recorders and alto recorder. BA 1255. * ''Elemente der Orgelchoralimprovisation'' lements of organ improvisation* ''Die kleine Lerche'' (The little lark] Writings: * ''Geschichte des deutschen Orgelchorals im 17. Jahrhundert'' istory of the German organ chorale in the 17th century(1932) * ''Musik und Zeit'' usic and time(1933) * ''Analogieformen in

Bachs Bachs is a municipality in the district of Dielsdorf in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. History Bachs is first mentioned in 1100 as ''Fusebach'' and ''Fuisipach''. In 1384 the village section of Altbachs (Old Bachs) was mentioned as ''O ...

Tokkaten und Präludien für die Orgel''. ''

Bach-Jahrbuch The ''Bach-Jahrbuch'' ("Bach yearbook" or according to the publication's website "Bach Annals") is an Periodical literature, annual publication related to the composer Bach. It is published in German by the Neue Bachgesellschaft in Leipzig. It is t ...

'' nalogous forms in Bach's toccatas and preludes for organ(1931) 51–71 Collections edited by Dietrich for Bärenreiter publishing house: * ''

Heinrich Albert Heinrich Friedrich Albert (12 February 1874 to 1 November 1960) was a German civil servant, diplomat, politician, businessman and lawyer who served as minister for reconstruction and the Treasury in the government of Wilhelm Cuno in 1922/1923. ...

. Lieder'' for one voice and accompaniment by keyboard or lute. (editor, 1932). BA 569 * ''

Der Hohenfriedberger "Der Hohenfriedberger" ( AM I, 21 (Army March I, 1c and Army march III, 1b)), also called "Hohenfriedberger Marsch" or "Der Hohenfriedberger Marsch", is one of the most classic and well known German military marches. It takes its name from the vic ...

'' and other old marches for piano four hands. BA 1001. * ''Laterne, Laterne, Sonne, Mond und Sterne'', folk nursery songs in very simple settings for piano. BA 1003. * ''Unsere Weihnachtslieder'' to be sung at the piano, with one melody instrument (flute, violin) ad libitum. BA 1004. * ''Altdeutsche Tanzmusik aus Nörmigers Tabulatur 1598'' set for C-recorder (or another melody instrument) and piano. (1937) BA 1010. * ''Kleines Hirtenbüchel auf die Weihnacht'' to sing and play for soprano and alto recorder. (1937) BA 1106. * ''Gesellige Lieder'' from German folk heritage, to be sung at the piano, with one melody instrument (flute, violin) ad libitum. BA 1141.

Biography

Works

See also

References

Further reading