Wolfgang Lesser (31 May 1923 – 27 September 1999) was a German composer and music official of the

DDR DDR or ddr may refer to: *ddr, ISO 639-3 code for the Dhudhuroa language *DDr., title for a double doctorate in Germany *DDR, station code for Dadar railway station, Mumbai, India *' (German Democratic Republic), official name of the former Eas ...

Life and career

Born in Breslau, Lesser, son of a merchant, attended the Realgymnasium in Berlin and then completed an apprenticeship as a metalworker. In 1938 he began studying music at the former Stern Conservatory in Berlin. Already in 1939 he emigrated as a Jew to London and worked in England as a varnisher and farmhand. The following year he was interned as Enemy alien on the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

. In 1942, he became a member of the Freie Deutsche Jugend and the

Communist Party of Germany The Communist Party of Germany (german: Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands, , KPD ) was a major political party in the Weimar Republic between 1918 and 1933, an underground resistance movement in Nazi Germany, and a minor party in West German ...

. Between 1943 and 1947, he was a member of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

. In 1947 he returned to Berlin, became a member of the SED and worked for the FDJ in various functions. In 1949 he attended the state party school of the SED. In 1951 he became a member of the

Cultural Association of the GDR The Cultural Association of the GDR (german: Kulturbund der DDR, KB) was a federation of local clubs in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). It formed part of the Socialist Unity Party-led National Front, and sent representatives to the Volksk ...

. From 1950 to 1954, Lesser studied at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" with

Rudolf Wagner-Régeny Rudolf Wagner-Régeny (28 August 1903, Szászrégen, Transylvania, Kingdom of Hungary, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now Reghin, Romania) – 18 September 1969, Berlin) was a composer, conductor, and pianist. Born in Transylvania, Kingdom of Hungary, ...

, Hanns Eisler and

Günter Kochan Günter Kochan (2 October 1930 – 22 February 2009) was a German composer. He studied with Boris Blacher and was a master student for composition with Hanns Eisler. From 1967 until his retirement in 1991, he worked as professor for musical comp ...

. From 1954 to 1961, he worked as a composer and teacher for the State Folk Art Ensemble of the GDR. Since 1961, he has been a freelance musician. From 1964 to 1968, he was Second Secretary, from 1968 to 1978 then First Secretary of the Association of German Composers and Musicologists (VDK) resp. the (VKM). Since 1971, he was a member of the cultural commission of the Politbüro des ZK der SED and a member of the Volkskammer (until 1989), where he was a member of the Committee on National Education. From 1983 to 1985 he was chairman of the Anstalt zur Wahrung der Aufführungsrechte, as well as Secretary-General of the . From 1985 to 1989, he was President of the Association of Composers and Musicologists. In particular, Lesser composed political songs and chansons, but also stage music (e.g. for

Friedrich Wolf Friedrich Wolf may refer to: *Friedrich Wolf (writer) (1888–1953), German doctor and writer *Friedrich August Wolf Friedrich August Wolf (; 15 February 1759 – 8 August 1824) was a German classicist and is considered the founder of modern ...

's ''Thomas Müntzer'') and film music (e.g. for the DEFA films ''

Die Schönste ''Die Schönste'' is an East German film. It was completed in 1957, but was never shown publicly due to censorship. After reunification it was recreated and in this form had its premier in 2002. Plot Two boys in West Berlin West Berlin (ge ...

'' in 1957, ''

Beschreibung eines Sommers ''Beschreibung eines Sommers'' is an East German East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its diss ...

'' in 1962 and '' König Drosselbart'' in 1965) as well as the school opera ''Oktoberkinder''. (1970). Lesser died in Berlin at the age of 76.

Work

* ''Liederzyklus'' (1957) * ''Violinkonzert'' (1962) * ''Sonate für Solovioline'' (1963) * ''Das Jahr. Zyklus für Kinderchor und Instrumente'' (1963, text:

Jens Gerlach Jens may refer to: * Jens (given name), a list of people with the name * Jens (surname), a list of people * Jens, Switzerland, a municipality * 1719 Jens, an asteroid See also * Jensen (disambiguation) * Jenssi Joensuu (; krl, Jovensuu; ) i ...

). * ''Wir – die Partei'' (1971, text: Jens Gerlach) Stage music * for Friedrich Wolf's '' Thomas Müntzer'' * for Ben Jonson's '' Volpone'' * for

George Farquhar George Farquhar (1677The explanation for the dual birth year appears in Louis A. Strauss, ed., A Discourse Upon Comedy, The Recruiting Officer, and The Beaux’ Stratagem by George Farquhar' (Boston: D.C. Heath & Co., 1914), p. v. Strauss notes ...

s ''Glückritter'' Film music *1957: ''

'' *1959: ''Claudia'' *1960: '' Der neue Fimmel'' *1961: ''Drei Kapitel Glück'' *1961: '' Steinzeitballade'' *1962: ''Entdeckung des Julian Böll'' *1962: ''Peter und das Einmaleins mit der Sieben'' *1962: '' Freispruch mangels Beweises'' *1962: ''

Das Stacheltier DEFA (''Deutsche Film-Aktiengesellschaft'') was the state-owned film studio of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) throughout the country's existence. Since 2019, DEFA's film heritage has been made accessible and licensable on the PRO ...

– Die Moritat vom Durst'' *1963: ''

'' *1964: '' Deutschland – Endstation Ost'' *1964: '' Als Martin vierzehn war'' *1965: '' König Drosselbart'' *1966: '' Lebende Ware''

Awards

Vaterländischer Verdienstorden The Patriotic Order of Merit (German: ''Vaterländischer Verdienstorden'', or VVO) was a national award granted annually in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). It was founded in 1954 and was awarded to individuals and institutions for outstanding ...

in Bronze (1964), Silver (1973) and Gold (1978) * Ehrenspange zum Vaterländischen Verdienstorden in Gold (1983) *

Kunstpreis der DDR The Art Prize of the German Democratic Republic (German: ''Kunstpreis der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik'') was an East German state award bestowed on individuals for contributions in various fields of art. History The Art Prize was annually a ...

(1968) *

Nationalpreis der DDR The National Prize of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) (german: Nationalpreis der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik) was an award of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) given out in three different classes for scientific, artistic, ...

(1969) *

Stern der Völkerfreundschaft The Star of People's Friendship (german: Stern der Völkerfreundschaft), Star of Nations' Friendship, was an order awarded by the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Established 20 August 1959, it was given to individuals of exceptional merit wh ...

in Gold (1988)

Honours

Stralsund Stralsund (; Swedish: ''Strålsund''), officially the Hanseatic City of Stralsund (German: ''Hansestadt Stralsund''), is the fifth-largest city in the northeastern German federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania after Rostock, Schwerin, Neub ...

(Ossenreyerstraße) a Stolperstein in front of the house number 21/22 commemorates Wolfgang Lesser.Stolpersteine in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: Wolfgang Lesser
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References

External links