Karl Michael Komma (24 December 1913, Asch,

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

(now

Aš Aš (; german: Asch) is a town in Cheb District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 12,000 inhabitants. Administrative parts Villages of Dolní Paseky, Doubrava (Aš), Doubrava, Horní Paseky, Kopaniny (Aš), Kopaniny, ...

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

) – 23 September 2012, Memmingen,

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

) was a German composer and music-publicist.

Life

Komma studied at the German Music Academy in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

with George Szell, Fidelio F. Finke and before he went to

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: ''Heidlberg'') is a city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. As of the 2016 census, its population was 159,914 ...

in 1934 to study music with

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 ...

. Komma graduated in 1936 with a dissertation on

Jan Zach Jan Zach, called in German Johann Zach (baptized 26 November 1713 – 24 May 1773) was a Czech composer, violinist and organist. Although he was a gifted and versatile composer capable of writing both in Baroque and Classical idioms, his eccentr ...

. During this time he also conducted composition studies with Wolfgang Fortner, who became a conductor for Komma (

Donaueschingen Donaueschingen (; Low Alemannic: ''Eschinge'') is a German town in the Black Forest in the southwest of the federal state of Baden-Württemberg in the Schwarzwald-Baar '' Kreis''. It stands near the confluence of the two sources of the river Da ...

, premiere of the "German Dances" for string orchestra, 1938). From 1940 to 1945, Komma was the head of the music school in what is now

Liberec Liberec (; german: Reichenberg ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 103,000 inhabitants and it is the fifth-largest city in the country. It lies on the Lusatian Neisse, in a basin surrounded by mountains. The city centre is well preser ...

, and was awarded for his achievements. He also appeared in 1935 with a cantata for a NSDStB-Kundgebung in appearance, composed by a jubilant chorus for the annexation of

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and then ...

in 1938 and came with a pamphlet against

Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...

in 1939 ( in ''Musik im NS-Staat''), 1982, and ''Macht und Musik'', 1992). In 1952, he received the Nordgau Culture Prize of the city of

Amberg Amberg () is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in the Upper Palatinate, roughly halfway between Regensburg and Bayreuth. In 2020, over 42,000 people lived in the town. History The town was first mentioned in 1034, at that time under t ...

in the category of music. Komma, from 1954 to 1989, taught music history, music theory and composition at the

Musikhochschule Stuttgart The State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart is a professional school for musicians and performing artists in Stuttgart, Germany. Founded in 1857, it is one of the oldest schools of its kind in Germany. History The school was fo ...

and worked as a music journalist and composer with extensive oeuvre and was still active even in old age. In 1981 he became a full member of the Sudeten German Academy of Sciences and Arts in the Arts and Sciences.

Works (selection)

* Zwei Konzerte für Klavier und Orchester * Psalmkantate * Matthäus-Passion für Chor a cappella (1965) * ''Lamento di Tristano'' für Orchester * Triptychon ''Christ ist erstanden'' * Lasso-Fantasie für Orgel * Te Deum für Orgel * Streichquartett * Lieder nach Hölderlin, Celan und Härtling * Hommage à Händel für Chor a cappella * ''Die Hütte Gottes'', Oratorium für Soli, Chor und Orchester (1977 uraufgeführt durch den Oratorienchor Ulm unter der Leitung von Edgar Rabsch anlässlich der 600-Jahr-Feier der Grundsteinlegung des Ulmer Münsters) * Vier Stücke für Kammerorchester (1987, dem Reutlinger Jugendorchester (heute Junge Sinfonie Reutlingen) gewidmet) * Elegie und Scherzo für Englisch-Horn und Orchester (1999, Rainer M. Schmid gewidmet) * Drei Duos für Cello und Fagott (1986) * Sapphische Strophen für Fagott, Violoncello und Klavier (1981, Friedrich Edelmann und Rebecca Rust gewidmet) * Japanisch-deutsche Jahreszeiten 1995/96, Haikus für Fagott, Cello und Klavier * Tanz des Grossen Friedens, Concerto grosso für Cello, Fagott, Klavier und Streichorchester (1993, gewidmet Seiner Kaiserlichen Majestät dem Kaiser Akihito von Japan und Seiner Kaiserlichen Majestät der Kaiserin Michiko von Japan) * Choralsonate (3 Sätze) für Trompete oder Posaune und Orgel

Publications

* ''Johann Zach und die tschechischen Musiker im deutschen Umbruch des 18. Jahrhunderts''. Heidelberg, Phil. Diss., 1939. - Würzburg, 1938, 124 S. (Auch beim Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel, als: Heidelberger Studien zur Musikwissenschaft. Band 7) * ''Das böhmische Musikantentum'' (1960) * ''Musikgeschichte in Bildern'' (1961) * ''Lieder und Gesänge nach Friedrich Hölderlin'' (1967) * Lebenserinnerungen ''Lebenswege'' (1999)

Work (selections)

*
Würdigung auf der Web-Site der Württembergischen Philharmonie

Homepage mit Werkverzeichnis

Nachruf in der Südwest Presse
{{DEFAULTSORT:Komma, Karl 1913 births 2012 deaths Sacred music composers 20th-century classical composers Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Recipients of the Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg Sudeten German people Musicians from Liberec Czechoslovak emigrants to Germany People from Aš