Hermann Necke

Hermann Necke (8 November 1850, in Wiehe – 15 February 1912, in Leipzig)[1] was a German composer, conductor, music director, pianist, and violinist of the Romantic period. He is best known for the galop Csikós Post,[2] first published in 1895 as part of Klänge aus Ungarn [Sounds from Hungary], Opus 286.

Hermann Necke
Necke, as published in the Christmas 1910 edition of The Etude
Born(1850-11-08)8 November 1850
Wiehe, Thuringia, Kingdom of Prussia
Died15 February 1912(1912-02-15) (aged 61)
Leipzig, Kingdom of Saxony, German Empire
Occupations
  • Concert pianist
  • Concert violinist
  • Conductor
  • Composer
  • Music director
Organizations
  • Dürener Männergesangverein
  • Feuerwehrkapelle Düren
  • Städtischekapelle Düren

While seldom heard today, Necke's prolific output of songs, choruses, and instrumental works (upwards of 400 opus numbers) was well-known during his lifetime.[3]

Life

Early years

Necke was brought up in Wiehe, and his initial education was "conducted under the guidance of several able teachers in Germany."[3] His desire to become a composer stemmed from a young age.

Musical career

Necke's compositions were quick to attract multiple publishers.[3] His first known published works, appearing in 1873, were a galop and rheinländer for brass band.

Necke led several singing societies, most notably the Dürener Männergesangverein [Düren Men's Singing Society] from 1877 to 1895.[4] The Dürener Männergesangverein was founded on September 6, 1877 by members of a similar group when the disagreeable personality of a newly elected conductor caused many to resign. According to Hildegard von Radzibor (1969, p. 76), the association's sole purpose as laid out by Necke was to revive and improve men's singing in a convivial manner through weekly meetings and practical exercise; to accomplish this, the Männergesangverein put on numerous private and public performances.[5]

Around the same time as the Dürener Männergesangverein's founding, Necke also took over management of the Düren fire brigade choir (soon to become the town's municipal chapel choir).[5] His tenure here lasted until retirement in 1910 and was very well-received, being described as vital towards establishing the choir as a semi-renowned group.[6] The Stadttheater Düren opened in 1907 under his watch.

Starting in 1884, Necke began to organize larger "Liedertafel" concerts that invited figures such as composer-pianist Franz Litterscheid.[7] These concerts also saw Necke perform as a pianist and violinist, his repertoire on the latter including Henri Vieuxtemps' Ballade et polonaise de concert and Charles Auguste de Bériot's violin concerti. After his retirement in 1910, the concerts were taken over by E. Jos. Müller and Ad. Bauer until their discontinuation in 1918.

Music

Reception

Necke's compositions were said to have been immediately popular and continued to have a large following in both Germany and the United States.[3] In fact, it was an American magazine—The Etude—that described his music as "marked by a vein of pleasing originality."

References

Citations
  1. The Music Sack.
  2. Dolmetsch Online.
  3. Cooke 1910, p. 810.
  4. Radzibor 1969, p. 120.
  5. Radzibor 1969, p. 76.
  6. Radzibor 1969, p. 106.
  7. Radzibor 1969, p. 78.

Bibliography
  • Cooke, James Francis, ed. (Dec 1910). "Well Known Composers of To-Day". The Etude. Vol. 28, no. 12. Lynchburg: Theodore Presser Company. p. 810. Retrieved 20 Aug 2019.
  • "Composers Biography: N". Dolmetsch Online. Retrieved 29 Aug 2010.
  • "Necke, Herman". The Music Sack. Retrieved 15 Feb 2012.
  • Radzibor, Hildegard von (1969). Untersuchungen zur Musikgeschichte der Stadt Düren [Investigation on the History of Music in Düren] (Inauguraldissertation). Beiträge zur rheinischen Musikgeschichte (in German). Vol. 79. Cologne: A. Volk. OCLC 1049407235. Retrieved 20 Aug 2019.
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