{{Short description|German conductor and composer (1930–2023)}} {{Use British English|date=January 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox person | name = Siegfried Kurz | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date|1930|07|18|df=y}} | birth_place = Dresden, Saxony, Germany<!-- DO NOT LINK, see MOS:GEOLINK for further guidance --> | death_date = {{death date and age|2023|01|08|1930|07|18|df=y}} | death_place = Dresden, Germany | occupation = {{cslist|Conductor|composer|academic teacher}} | organizations = {{plainlist| * Semperoper * Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber }} | awards = National Prize of the GDR | children = 1 }}
'''Siegfried Kurz''' (18 July 1930 – 8 January 2023) was a German conductor, composer and academic. He influenced the musical scene of Dresden, as the conductor of the Semperoper for three decades, and a professor of conducting at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber. He conducted the world premiere of Udo Zimmermann's ''{{ill|Levins Mühle|de|Levins Mühle (Oper)}}''.
== Life == Born on 18 July 1930 in Dresden,<ref name="NMZ-obit" /> Kurz began his musical career as a trumpeter.<ref name="MDR.DE 2023">{{cite web | title=Dresden: Ehemaliger Dirigent der Semperoper Siegfried Kurz gestorben | website=MDR.DE | date=11 January 2023 | url=https://www.mdr.de/kultur/musik/dirigent-siegfried-kurz-semperoper-dresden-gestorben-102.html | language=de | access-date=11 January 2023}}</ref> From 1945, he studied composition (with Fidelio F. Finke), and orchestral conducting and trumpet at the Academy of Music and Theatre in his home town.<ref name="Klemm 2023">{{cite web | last=Klemm | first=Ekkehard | title=Ein unbequemer Dirigent ist verstummt | website=Musik in Dresden | date=11 January 2023 | url=https://www.musik-in-dresden.de/2023/01/11/siegfried-kurz-dirigent/ | language=de | access-date=11 January 2023}}</ref> Already in 1949, a year before completing his studies, he was given the direction of the drama music at the Staatsschauspiel Dresden.<ref name="Klemm 2023" /> He remained in this position until 1960, then moved to the Staatsoper Dresden; he began as Kapellmeister, was promoted to Staatskapellmeister in 1964, to Generalmusikdirektor in 1971 and finally to executive musical director (''geschäftsführender musikalischer Oberleiter'') in 1976.<ref name="NMZ-obit" /> In 1983, he ended his permanent engagement at the Staatsoper Dresden but remained associated with the house as a conductor.<ref name="semperoper 2023">{{cite web | title=Nachruf: Semperoper Dresden trauert um Prof. Siegfried Kurz | website=semperoper | date=11 January 2023 | url=https://www.semperoper.de/aktuelles/newsdetail/blog/nachruf-semperoper-dresden-trauert-um-prof-siegfried-kurz.html | language=de | access-date=11 January 2023}}</ref> From 1984, he was Kapellmeister at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden.<ref name="MDR.DE 2023" />
Kurz was awarded several important prizes, such as the National Prize of the GDR (both in 1976 and 1988).<ref name="ZEIT ONLINE 2022">{{cite news | title=Dresdner Dirigent Siegfried Kurz ist tot | website=Die Zeit | date=16 November 2022 | url=https://www.zeit.de/kultur/musik/2023-01/dirigent-sigfried-kurz-tot | language=de | access-date=11 January 2023 | last1=Vojta | first1=Sarah }}</ref> Kurz, who lived in Niederlößnitz, part of Radebeul, was awarded the {{ill|Art Prize of Radebeul|de|Kunstpreis der Großen Kreisstadt Radebeul}} in 2001.<ref name="Klemm 2023" />
=== Composer === Kurz appeared as a composer mainly from the 1950s to the 1970s; later his duties as a conductor predominated.<ref name="Klemm 2023" /> The focus of his work is on orchestral compositions. He first wrote in a neoclassicist, playful-musical idiom. In addition to the influence of Paul Hindemith, echoes of jazz music can also be detected, for example in the Trumpet Concerto, probably his best-known work.<ref name="MDR.DE 2023" /> The concerto was part of school education.<ref name="MDR.DE 2023" /><ref name="Klemm 2023" />
Towards the end of the 1950s, Kurz began to intensify his musical expression. He leaned more towards Béla Bartók and experimented with the possibilities of the twelve-tone technique (symphonies).<ref name="MDR.DE 2023" /> Kurz treated twelve-tone rows more as stylistic devices, dealt with them freely and used a freitonal harmony. Further characteristics of his style are Counterpointish design, powerfully emphasised rhythm, vitality and freshness. His mature works combine serious and thoughtful to exuberant and cheerful passages in the sense of an optimistic attitude.<ref name="Klemm 2023" />
=== Conductor === Particularly as conductor of the Staatsoper Dresden and Staatskapelle, Kurz was one of the most important personalities of the Dresden music scene in the second half of the 20th century. He conducted numerous opera performances, some of which were also released on record. His repertoire was extraordinarily broad: in addition to the standard German repertoire from Mozart to Richard Strauss, it included works from the Italian and Slavic cultural areas. He collaborated with stage directors including Ruth Berghaus. Kurz conducted as a guest internationally, at the Leipzig Opera Wagner's ''Tristan und Isolde'', in Paris Wagner's ''Das Rheingold'', ''Der Rosenkavalier'' by Richard Strauss in Venice and Buenos Aires, Wagner's ''Parsifal'' and Prokofiev's ''Der feurige Engel'' at the Oper Bonn, and Weber's ''Der Freischütz'' in Japan.<ref name="Klemm 2023" />
Kurz was strongly committed to 20th century operas. The production of Schönberg's ''Moses und Aron'', directed by Harry Kupfer, found international recognition.<ref name="Klemm 2023" /> He conducted Berg's ''Wozzeck'', Paul Dessau's ''Die Verurteilung des Lukullus'' and ''Lanzelot'', Orff's ''Antigonae'', Bartók's Herzog Blaubarts Burg, and the world premiere of Udo Zimmermann's ''{{ill|Levins Mühle|de|Levins Mühle (Oper)}}'' in 1972.<ref name="Klemm 2023" />
=== Teaching === Kurz taught at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber from 1976, and became a professor in 1979.<ref name="Klemm 2023" /><ref name="NMZ-obit" /> Among his students were Michael Güttler, {{ill|Martin Hoff|de}}, Hans-Christoph Rademann and {{ill|Eckehard Stier|de}}.<ref name="Klemm 2023" />
=== Personal life === Kurz was married to a former harpist; the couple had a daughter. He was a passionate mountaineer.<ref name="Klemm 2023" />
Kurz died on 8 January 2023, aged 92, in Dresden<ref name="NMZ-obit">{{cite news |title=Dresdner Dirigent Siegfried Kurz gestorben |url=https://www.nmz.de/kiz/nachrichten/dresdner-dirigent-siegfried-kurz-gestorben |access-date=14 January 2023 |work=Neue Musikzeitung |date=11 January 2023}}</ref><ref name="MDR.DE 2023" /><ref name="semperoper 2023" /><ref name="RTL">{{cite news | title=Dresdner Dirigent Siegfried Kurz gestorben | work=RTL | date=11 January 2023 | url=https://www.rtl.de/cms/dresdner-dirigent-siegfried-kurz-gestorben-ee680760-52ed-58ba-8205-1d2a677ecb93.html | language=de | access-date=11 January 2023}}</ref> after a long illness.<ref name="Klemm 2023" />
== Work == Kurz's works are held by the German National Library, including:<ref name="DNB">{{cite web | title=Compositions by Sebastian Kurz | publisher =E |year=2023 | url=https://portal.dnb.de/opac/simpleSearch?reset=true&cqlMode=true&query=komRef%3D129565385&selectedCategory=any | language=de | access-date=12 January 2023}}</ref>
'''Orchestral works''' * Symphony No. 1, Op. 28 (1958) * Symphony No. 2, Op. 29 (1960) * ''Sinfonia piccola'', Op. 24 (1953) * ''Heiteres Vorspiel'' for orchestra (1952) * ''Konzertante Musik'' for orchestra (1953) * ''Tänzerische Suite'', Op. 25 (1955) * ''Orchestermusik'', Op. 30 (1960) * ''Orchestervariationen'', Op. 33 (1965) * ''Sonatine für Orchester'', Op. 34 (1967) * ''Musik für Blechbläser, Pauken und Streicher'', Op. 36 (1969) * ''Aufenthalt auf Erden, Reflexionen für Orchester'' after Pablo Neruda, Op. 38 (1975) * Incidental music
'''Concertos''' * Piano Concerto, Op. 32 (1964) * ''Divertimento für Klavier und Streichorchester'', Op. 15 (1950) * Violin Concerto, Op. 26 (1955) * ''Kammerkonzert für Bläserquintett und Streichorchester'', Op. 31 (1961) * Concerto for Trumpet and Strings, Op. 23 (1953) * Horn Concerto, Op. 37 (1972/73)
'''Vocal music''' * ''Jeff und Andy'', musical (1970)
'''Chamber music''' * String Quartet No. 1, Op. 27 (1957) * String Quartet No. 2, Op. 35 (1968) * ''Sonatine für sieben Blechbläser'', Op. 18 (1952) * Wind Quintet, Op. 12 (1950)
== References == {{Reflist}}
== Further reading == * Karl Laux (ed.): ''Das Musikleben in der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik''. Leipzig
== External links == * {{discogs artist}} * {{IMDb name|nm3179006}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kurz, Siegfried}} Category:1930 births Category:2023 deaths Category:20th-century German classical composers Category:German conductors (music) Category:Academic staff of the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Category:Composers from Dresden Category:20th-century German male composers