By Eileen Wingard
SAN DIEGO — Composer, conductor, pianist and teacher, Friedrich Gernsheim, (1839-1916), is little known today. Yet, during his lifetime, he was spoken of in the same breath as Brahms, Bruch and Reger. In fact, his works were published by the same publishers who published the compositions of Brahms. In 1874, the Musikalische Conversations-Lexikon, Berlinm wrote, “The vividness and clarity of his compositions and their poetry and freshness have enabled Gernsheim to attain popularity and recognition in the very best sense of the terms.”
When Enrique Lombrozo, local entrepreneur and amateur pianist contacted me to ask whether I had ever heard Gernsheim’s music, I responded negatively. Lombrozo proceeded to send me five CDs of the composer’s music: one with symphonies #2 and #4, one with violin concertos, one with cello sonatas, one with piano quintets and one which had his piano quartet paired with a piano quartet of Brahms.
I was particularly enamored by Gernsheim’s two piano quintets, their beautiful themes, engaging developments and striking contrasts between movements.
Gernsheim was born to Jewish parents in the town of Worms. The family name harkened back to their place of origin, the town of Gernsheim in southern Hessen. His father was a physician, his mother, a piano teacher who gave Friedrich his first lessons.
Their family name can still be found in the Old Synagogue of Worms. Unlike other Jewish-born
composers such as Felix Mendelssohn and Gustav Mahler, Friedrich Gernsheim remained Jewish. He was still able to reach pinnacles of success during his lifetime.
The revolutionary upheavals of 1848-49 caused the family to move to Mainz, then Frankfurt, where an 11-year old Gernsheim amazed his audience at his debut concert. Instruction at the Leipzig Conservatory with Ignaz Moscheles (piano), Moritz Hauptmann (theory), and Ferdinand David (violin) and five years of study in Paris rounded out Gernsheim’s training. He became one of the most alluring piano soloists of his generation.
When Gernsheim returned to Germany from Paris, his first position was as choral conductor in Saarbrucken. This followed with a teaching post in composition and piano at the Cologne Conservatory. Next, he served as Director of the Rotterdam Musical Society, where he remained for 16 years, championing the music of his dear friend, Johannes Brahms. Returning to Germany, he became director of the Stern Choral Society and joined the staff of the Stern Conservatory. He was considered a person of great authority in Berlin’s musical life. He died there at age the age of 77, during World War I.
He did not embrace the Wagnerian school or the 12-tone avant garde styles coming into vogue, which may be one reason that his music began to lose popularity. Once the Nazis came to power, his music was banned and burned. It is only now, through efforts such as that of the German recording label, cpo (Classic Produktion Osnabruck) that his music is being heard again.
cpo engaged outstanding performers to record Gernsheim’s music. Although these artists and ensembles may not be familiar to American audiences, they are well-known in Europe.
I will be donating the five CDs that Enrique Lombrozo sent me to the Music Collection of the
Astor Judaica Library at the Lawrence Family JCC so that they will be accessible for others to listen to them. I also hope Lombrozo might be able to interest musical organizations such as the La Jolla Music Society’s Summerfest or the San Diego Symphony to program the music of the German-Jewish composer, Friedrich Gernsheim.
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Eileen Wingard, a retired violinist with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts. She may be contacted via eileen.wingard@sdjewishworld.com