- Richard Klemm
Richard Klemm (* 1902 in
Dresden ; † 1988 inBerlin ) was a German cellist, composer and a renowned teacher.Biography
His father (Oskar Richard Klemm) was a complete musician, who besides his main instrument (the
double bass ) played various other instruments which gained him a musical reputation through his engagements at private celebrations and events such as weddings. As a child Richard Klemm received from his father a musical education in several instruments (thecello ,piano ,violin andtrumpet ), and he also sang in theDresden Kreuzchor (Dresden Boys' Choir). In 1919 Klemm left Dresden and took up the position of cellist with theKönigsberg Spaorchester. During the years 1923-1926 he studied the cello withHugo Becker in Berlin, composition withPaul Juon , and thepiano . He graduated in both musical disciplines, the cello and the piano. For his final graduation examination pieces he played the cello solo sonata byZoltán Kodály andBeethoven 's piano concerto No 3. After completing his studies Richard Klemm became a cellist with theStaatskapelle Berlin (the orchestra of the Berlin State Opera. At the same time he also played in the chamber music ensembles of the Staatskapelle Berlin as well as with the Kniestaedt Quartet. In 1950 he taught himself to play theviola da gamba . In 1958 Richard Klemm was appointed professor at the West-Berlin's Academy of Music. Several of his pupils became cellists with theBerlin Philharmonic Orchestra (Wolfgang Boettcher, Christoph Kapler, Jörg Baumann, Alexander Wedow). Klemm's compositional work for four cellos contributed to the founding of the "Twelve Cellists Ensemble". He also composed pieces for the viola da gamba and passed on the playing technique of this instrument to his pupils. Later, his colleague Siegfried Borris wrote for him a concerto for viola da gamba and orchestra. For many years Klemm was a member of theRichard Wagner Festival Orchestra inBayreuth . His best-remembered compositions are the pieces he wrote for four cellos (Bolero ,Habanera ,Espana and ConcertWaltz ). He wrote arrangements of Johann SebastianBach 's Art of the Fugue for string quartet, as well as arrangements for four cellos of the cello concertos ofJoseph Haydn ,Robert Schumann andCamille Saint-Saens . In recognition of his service to music Richard Klemm was awarded a medal: theBundesverdienstkreuz (German Service Cross with ribbon). He was married to Ilse Ebermann and had three sons.Source
*Communication by Dr. Richard Klemm jun., Bonn, Germany, 2nd son of Richard Klemm
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