Hermann Josef Nellessen

Hermann Josef Nellessen
Born(1923-04-29)29 April 1923
Died4 August 2004(2004-08-04) (aged 81)
Berlin, Germany
Alma materHochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln
Era20th century
EmployerHochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin
Political party
LDPD
MovementLiberal socialism

Hermann Josef Nellessen (29 April 1923 – 2004) was a German composer and conductor.

Life

Born in Aachen, Nellessen studied piano and conducting with Hermann Abendroth at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln. In 1954, he moved to East Germany, where he worked as musical director at the theatres in Brandenburg and Cottbus and as director of the Neubrandenburg State Symphony Orchestra.

Nellessen was a member of the Liberal Democratic Party of Germany (LPDP). In March 1977, he was elected as a member of the Central Executive Committee of the LDPD at the 12th Party Congress of the LDPD in Weimar.[1]

From 1979, Nellessen worked as a lecturer at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" in Berlin. His compositional work concentrated on symphonic and concertante works. From the 1980s, he increasingly turned to choral music.[2]

Work

His œuvre includes numerous choral works, folk song arrangements and settings of texts and poems.[3]

Collaboration

  • Der Mond ist aufgegangen
  • Still, weil's Kindlein schlafen will
  • O Tannenbaum, du trägst ein grünes Kleid
  • Süßer die Glocken nie klingen after "Süßer die Glocken nie klingen"
  • Sah ein Knab ein Röslein steh'n
  • Wenn ich ein Vöglein wär

Choral pieces

  • Ein gutes Tier ist das Klavier (text by Wilhelm Busch)
  • Es wollt ein Jägerlein Jagen
  • Die Nachtigall
  • Ich wollte in der Stille sein

Honours

Nellessen was awarded the Carl Blechen and the Fritz Reuter prizes.

References

  1. ↑ From the 12th Party Congress of the Liberal Democratic Party of Germany. In Der Morgen, 5 March 1977, p. 4.
  2. ↑ Berliner Chorspiegel Nr. 129, June 2003, p. 14 (PDF-Datei; 225 kB)
  3. ↑ Nellessen, Hermann Josef on Digital Arkives