Kaminski, Heinrich

Kaminski, Heinrich, eminent German composer; b. Tiengen, Baden, July 4, 1886; d. Ried, Bavaria, June 21, 1946. He studied at the Univ. of Heidelberg with Wolfrum and in Berlin with Kaun, Klatte, and Juon. He settled in Ried (1914). After teaching a master class at the Prussian Academy of the Arts in Berlin (1930–33), he returned to Ried. His writing is strictly polyphonic and almost rigid in form. The religious and mystic character of his sacred music stems from his family origins (he was the son of a clergyman); the chief influences in his work were Bach and Bruckner. The Heinrich-Kaminski-Gesellschaft was organized in 1987.

Works

dramatic: Passionspiel (1920); Jürg Jenatsch, opera (Dresden, April 27, 1929); Das Spiel vom König Aphelius, music drama (1946; Göttingen, Jan. 29, 1950). orch.: Concerto Grosso for 2 Orchs. (1922); Dorische Musik (1933); Concerto for Orchestra (1936); Piano Concerto (1937); Tanzdrama (1942). chamber: Quartet for Clarinet, Viola, Cello, and Piano (1912); 2 string quartets (1913, 1916); Quintet for Clarinet, Horn, Violin, Viola, and Cello (1924); Musik for 2 Violins and Harpsichord (1931); Hauskonzert for Violin and Piano (1941); Ballade for Horn and Piano (1943).keyboard:Piano: Klavierbuch (1934); 10 kleine Übungen für das polyphone Klavierspiel (1935). Organ: Wie schön leucht’ uns der Morgenstern, toccata (1923); Chorale-Sonata (1926); 3 chorale preludes (1928); Toccata and Fugue (1939). vocal: O Herre Gott, motet for Chorus and Organ (1918); Magnificat for Soprano, Viola, Chorus, and Orch. (1925); Der Mensch, motet for Alto, Chorus, and Orch. (1926); Die Erde, motet for Chorus (1928); Triptychon for Alto or Baritone and Organ (1926–29); Die deutsch Messe for Chorus (1934); In memoriam Gabrielae Alto, Violin, and Orch. (1940); other songs; folk-song arrangements.

Bibliography

K. Schleifer, H. K. (Kassel, 1945); K. Schleifer and R. Schwarz-Stilling, H. K: Werkverzeichnis (Kassel, 1947); I. Samson, Das Vokalschaffen von H. K., mit Ausnahme der Opern (Frankfurt am Main, 1956); A. Suder, ed., H. K. (Tutzing, 1986); H. Hartog, H. K. (Tutzing, 1987).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire