Hermann Reutter (German:[ˈhɛʁmanˈʁɔʏtɐ]; 17 June 1900 – 1 January 1985) was a German composer and pianist who worked as an academic teacher, university administrator, recitalist, and accompanist. He composed several operas, orchestral works, andchamber music, and especially manylieder, setting poems by authors writing in German, Russian, Spanish, Icelandic, English, and ancient Egyptian and Greek, among others.
He was director ofDr. Hoch's Konservatorium in Frankfurt from 1936 to 1945 and of theMusikhochschule Stuttgart from 1956 to 1966. He then taught master classes, regularly at theMusikhochschule München and at universities in the United States, Europe, and Japan. He founded the Internationale Hugo-Wolf-Akademie in Stuttgart in 1968, serving as its president until his death.
He took part in theDonaueschingen Festival from 1923 and had contact to the "Donaueschingen circle", especially toPaul Hindemith. From 1926, he was a frequent composer at the annual festival of theAllgemeiner Deutscher Musikverein, for several world premieres of his works. He focused onlied recitals as an accompanist from 1929, working with notable singers and conductors of the period.[1] Between 1930 and 1936, he toured the U.S. seven times as the accompanist of singerSigrid Onegin.[2]
After World War II, he returned to Stuttgart.[1] He took part in the inauguralFerienkurse für internationale neue Musik inDarmstadt in 1946, and accompaniedHenny Wolff in selections from Mahler'sLieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, songs from Ernst Krenek'sReisetagebuch, Op. 62, and his own compositions.[4]: 1, 4, 8 In 1948 and 1949, he was an instructor there for lied singing and its accompaniment.: 14, 19 In 1951, a concert at the festival of theBavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted byEugen Jochum, presented his Concerto for Two Pianos, Op. 63, with him and Hans Schröter as soloists.: 30
In 1950, Reutter composed a "Hymne an Deutschland" which PresidentTheodor Heuss suggested as the national anthem, but it was not chosen.[2] From 1952, he was professor of composition and lied interpretation at the Stuttgart Musikhochschule. In 1955, he became a member of theAkademie der Künste in Berlin and theBayerische Akademie der Schönen Künste in Munich. He served as a juror of theARD International Music Competition from 1956, and later as chairman of the jury in the category Singing. Reutter became the director of the Musikhochschule Stuttgart in 1956 and director emeritus in 1966.[2] He taught internationally from 1960 in master classes at several universities in the U.S., Europe and Japan.[2] He held a master class for lied at theMusikhochschule München from 1966 to 1974. He founded theHugo Wolf Academy [de] in Stuttgart in 1968, and served as its president.[1]
Reutter received, among others, the Ludwig Spohr Award of Braunschweig in 1953, the Grand Cross of theOrder of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1959 (with one star in 1975), anhonorary doctorate from the Music and Arts Institute in San Francisco in 1976, and the Hugo Wolf Medal of the International Hugo Wolf Society in Vienna the same year.[1]
Saul, opera in 1 act, Op. 33 (1928, 2nd version 1947); libretto based on the play byAlexander Lernet-Holenia
Der verlorene Sohn, opera in 5 scenes, Op. 34 (1929); libretto byRainer Maria Rilke afterAndré Gide; revised in 1952 as the oratorioDie Rückkehr des verlorenen Sohnes
Die Prinzessin und der Schweinehirt, musical drama in 10 scenes (1938); libretto afterHans Christian Andersen
Der Lübecker Totentanz, ein altes Mysterienspiel, Op. 35 (1948)
Der neue Hiob, ein Lehrstück (didactic drama) for soloists, chorus, piano and string orchestra, Op. 37 (1930); libretto by Robert Seitz
Andalusiana, Arien und Intermezzi for soprano and orchestra or piano (1962); words byFederico García Lorca
Ein Füllen ward geboren, Chanson Variée in 3 Strophen for medium voice and piano (1962)
Epitaph für einen Dichter for high voice and piano (1962); words fromA Green Bough byWilliam Faulkner
5 Fragmente nach Friedrich Hölderlin for tenor and piano (1965); words byFriedrich Hölderlin
Drei Monologe des Empedokles for baritone and orchestra or piano (1966); words byFriedrich Hölderlin
Szene und Monolog der Marfa for soprano and orchestra (1966); words from the playDemetrius byFriedrich Schiller
Sankt Sebastian, Triptychon for baritone and piano (1968); words by E. F. Sommer
Bogenschützen, Vocals for high voice and piano (1971); words byFederico García Lorca
9 Lieder nach Gedichten von Ricarda Huch for voice and piano (1971); words byRicarda Huch
Chamber Music, 4 selected poems for low male voice and piano (1972); words byJames Joyce
5 Lieder nach Gedichten von Marie Luise Kaschnitz for medium voice and piano (1972); words byMarie Luise Kaschnitz
4 Lieder nach Gedichten von Nelly Sachs for medium voice and piano (1972); words byNelly Sachs
Prediger Salomo (12, 1-9), Solo cantata for low voice, flute and piano or organ (1973)
Tre Notturni, 3 Gedichte for low male voice, piano and wind quintet (flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon) (1975); words byFriedrich Nietzsche
Der Liebe will ich singen, Minnenlieder aus der Zeit der Staufer for soprano, baritone and orchestra or piano (1976)
3 Lieder der Ophelia aus Shakespeares Hamlet for soprano and piano (1980); words byWilliam Shakespeare
Hamlet-Sinfonie in 2 parts for soprano, mezzo-soprano, 2 tenors, 2 baritones, 2 choristers, narrator and orchestra (1982); words byAugust Wilhelm Schlegel afterWilliam Shakespeare
Die Rückkehr des verlorenen Sohnes, chamber oratorio in 5 scenes for soloists, mixed chorus and orchestra, Op. 34 (1929, revised 1952); revision of the operaDer verlorene Sohn; words byAndré Gide in translation byRainer Maria Rilke
Der große Kalender [de], oratorio for soprano, baritone, mixed chorus, children's chorus, organ and orchestra, Op. 43 (1933, revised 1970)
Der glückliche Bauer, cantata after songs of Matthias Claudius for mixed or male chorus and orchestra, Op. 44 (revised version 1957); words byMatthias Claudius
Gesang des Deutschen, cantata for soprano, baritone, mixed chorus and orchestra, Op. 49 (1937); words byFriedrich Hölderlin
Chorfantasie in 3 movements for soprano, baritone, mixed chorus and orchestra, Op. 52 (1939); words byJohann Wolfgang von Goethe
Pandora, cantata for soprano, baritone, mixed chorus and orchestra, Op. 72 (1949); words byJohann Wolfgang von Goethe
Bauernhochzeit. 8 Gedichte zum Singen, Spielen und Tanzen for mixed chorus and orchestra (1950); words fromStimmen der Völker (Voices of the Peoples) byJohann Gottfried Herder
Sechs Chöre for mixed chorus, wind orchestra, piano, timpani and percussion (1952); words fromEl Gran Teatro del mundo byPedro Calderón de la Barca
Triptychon for tenor, mixed chorus and orchestra (1959); words byFriedrich Schiller
^abcdefghZündorf, Irmgard (2016)."Hermann Reutter (1900 – 1985)".LeMO Lebendiges Museum Online (in German). Stiftung Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Retrieved14 April 2020.
^Ulrich Bender,Kirchenmusiker im "Dritten Reich": Wilhelm Bender (1911 bis 1944): Musiker an der Berliner Parochialkirche: Person und Werk im kirchenpolitischen Wettbewerb, BoD, 2011, p. 166.
