Friedrich Goldmann

Friedrich Goldmann
Name	Friedrich Goldmann
Birth date	21 May 1941
Birth place	Berlin
Death date	17 November 2009
Death place	Berlin
Occupation	Composer, conductor, teacher
Nationality	German

Friedrich Goldmann was a German composer, conductor, and pedagogue associated with twelve-tone, serial, and post-serial currents in late 20th-century classical music. He worked extensively in Berlin and influenced generations through positions at institutions such as the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin and the Akademie der Künste. Goldmann combined rigorous serialism-derived techniques with explorations of form, timbre, and notation, collaborating with ensembles, orchestras, and soloists across Europe.

Life and education

Goldmann was born in Berlin in 1941 and studied composition and conducting with teachers linked to the traditions of Paul Hindemith, Arnold Schoenberg, and Anton Webern-influenced pedagogy at institutions including the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin and informal circles that engaged with émigré networks such as those around Pierre Boulez, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and Luigi Nono. He encountered performers and composers from the New Music scene including members of Ensemble Modern, Gruppen für neue Musik Berlin, and the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne during formative years. Goldmann’s early contacts included conductors like Hermann Scherchen, Kurt Masur, and Otmar Suitner, and composers such as Günter Raphael, Hans Werner Henze, and Bernd Alois Zimmermann. His training intersected with institutions and events like the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin residencies, the ISCM World Music Days, and festivals in Donaueschingen and Darmstadt.

Compositional style and major works

Goldmann’s output ranges from chamber pieces to orchestral cycles and experimental works, reflecting influences from Anton Webern, Elliott Carter, György Ligeti, Alban Berg, and contemporaries like Helmut Lachenmann, Wolfgang Rihm, and Hans Zender. Notable works include symphonic projects responding to the traditions embodied by the Berlin Philharmonic, the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, and chamber repertoire designed for ensembles such as Ensemble Resonanz and Klangforum Wien. He explored serial procedures akin to those in the oeuvres of Karlheinz Stockhausen and Pierre Boulez, while incorporating timbral experimentation reminiscent of Iannis Xenakis, John Cage, and Morton Feldman. Major compositions were premiered at venues and festivals including Berliner Festspiele, Salzburg Festival, and the Edinburgh Festival, with performers from Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Südwestrundfunk (SWR), and Rundfunkchor Berlin.

Conducting and collaborations

As conductor, Goldmann worked with orchestras and ensembles including the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Staatskapelle Dresden, and contemporary ensembles such as Ensemble Modern, London Sinfonietta, Ensemble InterContemporain, and Asko Ensemble. He collaborated with soloists like Daniel Barenboim, Gidon Kremer, Mitsuko Uchida, Christian Tetzlaff, and conductors such as Riccardo Chailly and Krzysztof Penderecki. His partnerships extended to institutions including the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin for cross-disciplinary projects, and broadcast organizations like Deutschlandfunk and WDR. Goldmann led premieres and recordings at festivals such as Donaueschingen Festival, Wien Modern, and the MaerzMusik series.

Teaching and influence

Goldmann taught composition and conducting at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin and held masterclasses connected to the Royal Academy of Music, the Juilliard School exchange programs, and the Sibelius Academy outreach initiatives. His students entered institutions and ensembles including the Berlin Philharmonic Academy, Mozarteum University Salzburg, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra programs, and contemporary circles like Ensemble Recherche and Schola Cantorum Basiliensis alumni networks. Colleagues and pupils included composers and conductors aligned with European new music scenes, such as members of the Neue Musik Berlin network, and educators from the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg and Hochschule für Musik und Theater Leipzig.

Awards and recognition

Goldmann received honors and recognitions associated with organizations like the Berlin Prize, festival prizes from Donaueschingen Festival, artistic fellowships from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and awards conferred by bodies such as the German Music Council and the Academy of Arts, Berlin. His achievements were acknowledged in contexts alongside laureates of the Leipzig Bach Prize, the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize circle, and recipients of accolades from the City of Berlin and cultural ministries at the state level.

Recordings and legacy

Recordings of Goldmann’s works were issued on labels associated with Deutsche Grammophon, ECM Records, Harmonia Mundi, Wergo, and broadcaster archives from Deutscher Rundfunk and WDR. His music features in catalogues alongside recordings by Berliner Philharmoniker, SWR Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble InterContemporain, and soloists linked to Deutsche Oper Berlin productions. Goldmann’s manuscripts and correspondence are housed in collections at the Akademie der Künste, the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, and archives connected to festivals like Donaueschingen. His influence persists through performances at contemporary music series such as MaerzMusik and institutions like the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin.

Category:German composers Category:20th-century classical composers Category:2009 deaths Category:1941 births