Mark Lothar

Mark Lothar [ló:tar] (born Lothar Hundertmark; 23 May 1902, in Berlin – 6 April 1985, in Munich) was a German composer.

Life

From 1921 to 1926 he studied piano with Franz Schreker and Walther Carl Meiszner in Berlin[1] and with Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari in Munich. Early on he became famous accompanying singers such as Erna Berger, Corry Nera, who in 1934 on became his wife, and Hermann Prey. In 1933 he was recruited as a music specialist for the German Theater by Max Reinhardt, since Lothar was a member of the Kampfbund für deutsche Kultur, a antisemitic organization forming part of the Völkisch movement.[2] One year later he became the musical director of the Prussian State Theater in Berlin thanks to Gustaf Gründgens. He held this position until 1944. During his tenure, he composed various pieces on behalf of Joseph Goebbels.[2] In May 1938 his opera Tailor Wibbel, inspired by a play by Hans Müller-Schlösser, was performed at the Berlin State Opera. In August 1944, Adolf Hitler included in the Gottbegnadeten list, an exclusive list of artists exempt form military service.[2]

Since 1945 he worked for the Bavarian state theater and since 1955 as free composer based in Munich.

He was also renown as a composer of theater and film music (e.g. form Friedemann Bach, Holiday in Tyrol and Faust by Gustaf Gründgens) and of songs to text from Hermann Löns, Hermann Hesse, Joachim Ringelnatz, Christian Morgenstern and other German poets.

His grave is located on the Solln Cemetery in Munich.

Selected filmography

References
  1. "Lothar, Mark" in Munzinger Online/KLfG - Kritisches Lexikon zur fremdsprachigen Gegenwartsliteratur. In der Neuen Deutschen Biographie (NDB), Band 15, S. 233 ist fälschlicherweise von "Klavierunterricht bei W.C. Meiszner in Dresden [sic]" die Rede
  2. Klee, Ernst (2007). Das Kulturlexikon zum Dritten Reich : wer war was vor und nach 1945 (in German). Frankfurt am Main: S. Fischer. p. 378. ISBN 978-3-10-039326-5.
  • (in German) Lothar, Mark ; Ott, Alfons (Herausgeber): Mark Lothar. Ein Musikerporträt. München, Süddeutscher Verlag 1968. 228 Seiten.
  • (in German) Mark Lothar 1902-1985, Seine Musik - sein Leben. Eine Ausstellung aus den Beständen der Münchner Stadtbibliothek Am Gasteig vom 4. November bis 31. Dezember 1985. München: Münchner Stadtbibliothek Am Gasteig 1985. 40 S.


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