Gerda Schriever (27 August 1928 – 30 May 2014) was a German
contralto
A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type.
The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typica ...
in
oratorio
An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is ...
and recital, and an academic teacher. She appeared for decades with the
Thomanerchor
The Thomanerchor (English: St. Thomas Choir of Leipzig) is a boys' choir in Leipzig, Germany. The choir was founded in 1212. The choir comprises about 90 boys from 9 to 18 years of age. The members, called ''Thomaner'', reside in a boarding sch ...
in Leipzig, also recording and for broadcast. She appeared at international festivals. Schriever was an academic voice teacher at the
University of Music and Theatre Leipzig
The University of Music and Theatre "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" Leipzig (german: Hochschule für Musik und Theater "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" Leipzig) is a public university in Leipzig (Saxony, Germany). Founded in 1843 by Felix Mendelssohn ...
.
Life
Schriever was born 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 ...
, the daughter of Fritz Schriever who was a teacher at the
Thomasschule
St. Thomas School, Leipzig (german: Thomasschule zu Leipzig; la, Schola Thomana Lipsiensis) is a co-educational and public boarding school in Leipzig, Saxony, Germany. It was founded by the Augustinians in 1212 and is one of the oldest schools ...
when
Gustav Schreck and
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 ...
were
Thomaskantor
(Cantor at St. Thomas) is the common name for the musical director of the , now an internationally known boys' choir founded in Leipzig in 1212. The official historic title of the Thomaskantor in Latin, ', describes the two functions of cantor a ...
.
She was exposed to the weekly ''Motette'' of the
Thomanerchor
The Thomanerchor (English: St. Thomas Choir of Leipzig) is a boys' choir in Leipzig, Germany. The choir was founded in 1212. The choir comprises about 90 boys from 9 to 18 years of age. The members, called ''Thomaner'', reside in a boarding sch ...
early.
From age 16, she was a in the and performed with conductors such as
Hermann Abendroth
Hermann Paul Maximilian Abendroth (19 January 1883 – 29 May 1956) was a German conductor.
Early life
Abendroth was born on 19 January 1883, at Frankfurt, the son of a bookseller. Several other members of the family were artists in diverse dis ...
and
Günther Ramin
Günther Werner Hans Ramin (15 October 1898 – 27 February 1956) was an influential German organist, conductor, composer and pedagogue in the first half of the 20th century.
Ramin, the son of a pastor, was born in Karlsruhe, Germany. At the a ...
. She studied voice at the
Musikhochschule Leipzig from 1948 to 1953. She appeared already during her studies as a soloist with
Diethard Hellmann
Diethard Hellmann (28 December 1928 – 14 October 1999) was a German Kantor and an academic in Leipzig, Mainz and Munich.
Professional career
Born in Grimma, Dietmann Hellmann was a member of the Thomanerchor. He studied church music in Leipzig ...
, in 1951 in Bach's ''
Christmas Oratorio
The ''Christmas Oratorio'' (German: ''Weihnachtsoratorium''), , is an oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach intended for performance in church during the Christmas season. It is in six parts, each part a cantata intended for performance on one of ...
'' and in 1952 in his ''
St. John Passion''. She gave a first
Lieder recital in Leipzig when she received the Carl Maria von Weber Prize for Lied interpretation in 1952. In 1953, she was awarded the prize for best German singer at the
Geneva International Music Competition
The Geneva International Music Competition () is one of the world's leading international music competitions, founded in 1939. In 1957, it was one of the founding members of the World Federation of International Music Competition (WFIMC), whose he ...
.
From 1954 onwards, she was soloist of the Thomanerchor for more than two decades, with Ramin,
Kurt Thomas,
Erhard Mauersberger
Erhard Mauersberger (29 December 1903 in Mauersberg, Saxony – 11 December 1982 in Leipzig) was a German choral conductor who conducted the Thomanerchor as the 14th Thomaskantor since Johann Sebastian Bach. He was also an academic teacher and ...
and
Hans-Joachim Rotzsch
Hans-Joachim Rotzsch (25 April 1929 – 25 September 2013) was a German choral conductor, conducting the Thomanerchor from 1972 until 1991 as the fifteenth Thomaskantor since Johann Sebastian Bach. He was also a tenor and an academic teacher.
B ...
. With Mauersberger and the
Gewandhausorchester
The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra (Gewandhausorchester; also previously known in German as the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig) is a German symphony orchestra based in Leipzig, Germany. The orchestra is named after the concert hall in which it is bas ...
, she performed several Bach cantatas at the Thomaskirche which were broadcast by Radio der DDR.
In 1967, she appeared in a broadcast of the ''Christmas Oratorio'', alongside
Adele Stolte
Adele Stolte (12 October 1932 – 26 September 2020) was a German soprano singer in concert and Lieder, and an academic voice teacher.
Biography
Born in Sperenberg, Stolte attended schools in Lübeck and Potsdam. She studied voice with Anneli ...
, Rotzsch and
Hermann Christian Polster
Hermann Christian Polster (born 8 April 1937) is a German opera singer ( bass).
Life
Born in Leipzig, the son of the concert singer and singing teacher Fritz Polster, he received his first education from his father. He was a member of the Dresd ...
.
With these soloists, she was a member of the Leipzig Bach Soloists from 1968 to 1972.
Schriever also performed with the
Dresdner Kreuzchor
The Dresdner Kreuzchor is the boys' choir of the Kreuzkirche in Dresden, Germany. It has a seven-century history and a world-wide reputation. Today, the choir has about 150 members between the ages of 9 and 19, from Dresden and the surroundin ...
, conducted by
Rudolf Mauersberger
Rudolf Mauersberger (29 January 1889 – 22 February 1971) was a German choral conductor and composer. His younger brother Erhard was also a conductor and composer.
Career
After positions in Aachen and Eisenach, he became director of the re ...
and then
Martin Flämig, She sang
cantatas and oratorios in Germany and abroad and took part in Bach and Handel festivals as well as radio and record recordings.
She was also internationally renowned as a lied singer.
Schriever taught singing at the
University of Music and Theatre Leipzig
The University of Music and Theatre "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" Leipzig (german: Hochschule für Musik und Theater "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" Leipzig) is a public university in Leipzig (Saxony, Germany). Founded in 1843 by Felix Mendelssohn ...
. In 1992, she was appointed honorary professor. Among her students was
Gotthold Schwarz
Gotthold Schwarz (born 2 May 1952 in Zwickau) is a German Bass-baritone and conductor. Based in Leipzig, he started as a member of the Thomanerchor and has conducted the Gewandhausorchester. Between 2016 and 2021, he was the 17th Thomaskantor af ...
.
Schriever was married to the pianist Hans-Joachim Drechsel. The couple had three children.
She died in Leipzig at the age of 85. The Thomanerchor performed at her funeral.
References
External links
*
Gerda Schriever (Mezzo-soprano, Contralto)Bach Cantatas Website
*
*
Recordings by Gerda Schrieveridagio.com
Stunde der Musik am 22.10.1970 in Heilstätten Zschadraß / Gerda Schriever Alt(concert poster, in German) europeana.eu
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schriever, Gerda
German mezzo-sopranos
Academic staff of the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig
1928 births
2014 deaths
Musicians from Leipzig