Hans-Joachim Rotzsch (25 April 1929 – 25 September 2013) was a German choral conductor, conducting 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 scho ...

from 1972 until 1991 as the fifteenth

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 ...

since

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...

. He was also a tenor and an academic teacher.

Biography

Hans-Joachim Rotzsch 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 wel ...

and educated from 1940 to 1945 at the

Musisches Gymnasium Frankfurt The Musisches Gymnasium Frankfurt was an educational institution leading to a university entrance qualification within the framework of the Reich Ministry of Science, Education and Culture, National Socialist Education System. It was founded in 1 ...

, directed by Kurt Thomas. In 1949 he began to study church music at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" Leipzig, learning organ with

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 ...

.Hans-Joachim Rotzsch
on the bach-cantatas website Rotzsch became known as an oratorio tenor. In 1972 he was appointed professor at the Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Hochschule. From 1972 until 1991 he was the Thomaskantor, as the 15th successor of Bach in this position. He was a

Stasi The Ministry for State Security, commonly known as the (),An abbreviation of . was the Intelligence agency, state security service of the East Germany from 1950 to 1990. The Stasi's function was similar to the KGB, serving as a means of maint ...

informer from 1973 onward.Leipziger Volkszeitung: ''"Wir Salzburger geben unseren Thomaskantor nicht wieder her" In Leipzig wegen Stasi-Tätigkeit vor sieben Jahren gefeuert – in Österreich am Mozarteum gefeiert''; Interview mit Hans-Joachim Rotzsch; Ausgabe vom 4. Juni 1998 In 1992 he became a guest professor for Protestant church music at the

Mozarteum University of Salzburg Mozarteum University Salzburg (German: ''Universität Mozarteum Salzburg'') is one of three affiliated but separate (it is actually a state university) entities under the “Mozarteum” moniker in Salzburg municipality; the International Moz ...

, where he taught until 2000.

Literature

* Kurt Meyer: ''Der Fünfzehnte nach Bach. Thomaskantor Hans Joachim Rotzsch''; Schkeuditzer Buchverlag, 2002;

Recordings

* ''Bach Made in Germany Vol. 1 – Cantatas II'' – Boy soprano, Hans-Joachim Rotzsch (tenor), Hans Hauptmann,

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 ...

, conductor

, Leipzig Classics * Bach: ''Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis'', BWV 21, Arleen Augér,

Peter Schreier Peter Schreier (29 July 1935 – 25 December 2019) was a German tenor in opera, concert and lied, and a conductor. He was regarded as one of the leading lyric tenors of the 20th century. Schreier was a member of the Dresdner Kreuzchor conduct ...

, Siegfried Lorenz, Thomanerchor Leipzig, Neues Bachisches Collegium Musicum, 1981–83 * Bach: ''

Der Himmel lacht! Die Erde jubilieret, BWV 31 (Heaven laughs! Earth exults), 31, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach for the first day of Easter. Bach composed the cantata in Weimar and first performed it on 21 April 1715. History and words On 2 March 1714 Bach was appointed conc ...

Erfreut euch, ihr Herzen, BWV 66 (Rejoice, you hearts), BWV66.2, 66, is a Bach cantata, church cantata for Easter by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed it for the Easter Monday, Second Day of Easter in Leipzig and first performed it on 10 April 1724. He based it on his congrat ...

'', Helga Termer, Heidi Rieß,

Eberhard Büchner Eberhard Büchner (born 6 November 1939 in Dresden) is a German operatic and concert tenor. He made his debut in 1964 as Tamino in Mozart's ''Die Zauberflöte'' at the Mecklenburg State Theatre. Recordings * Franz Schubert: Messe G-Dur for sop ...

, Siegfried Lorenz,

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 ...

, Thomanerchor, Gewandhausorchester

References

External links

Wir Salzburger geben unseren Thomaskantor nicht wieder her.
interview in the Leipziger Volkszeitung, 4 June 1998 (in German)

"Leipzigs Thomaskantor Rotzsch dirigiert Paulus in Hamburg", Hamburger Abendblatt, 18 February 1988 (in German)
Entries for Hans-Joachim Rotzsch
on

WorldCat WorldCat is a union catalog that itemizes the collections of tens of thousands of institutions (mostly libraries), in many countries, that are current or past members of the OCLC global cooperative. It is operated by OCLC, Inc. Many of the OCL ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rotzsch, Hans-Joachim 1929 births 2013 deaths Musicians from Leipzig German choral conductors German male conductors (music) German tenors Leipzig University faculty Thomaskantors Academics of Mozarteum University Salzburg Recipients of the Art Prize of the German Democratic Republic People of the Stasi