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 ...

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

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

. 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 Schriever
idagio.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