Wetz, Richard

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Wetz, Richard

Wetz, Richard German composer, conductor, and teacher; b. Gleiwitz, Feb. 26, 1875; d. Erfurt, Jan. 16, 1935. He studied with R. Hofmann in Leipzig and Thuille in Munich (1899-1900), and also attended the Univ. of Munich. He was a theater conductor in Straslund and Barmen, and in 1906 settled in Erfurt as conductor of the Musikverein and the Singakademie; also taught at the Weimar Hochschule für Musik (from 1916). His output was greatly influenced by Bruckner. A Richard Wetz-Gesellschaft was founded in Gleiwitz in 1943 to promote his music, which included an opera, Das ewige Feuer (Düsseldorf, March 19, 1907), Kleistouvertüre for Orch., 2 violin concertos, 3 syms., various choral works, including a Requiem for Baritone, Chorus, and Orch. and the Weihnachtsoratorio for Soprano, Baritone, Chorus, and Orch., Heder, and some chamber music, including 2 string quartets.

Writings

Anton Bruckner (Leipzig, 1922); Franz Liszt (Leipzig, 1925); Beethoven (Erfurt, 1927; 2nd ed., 1933).

Bibliography

G. Armin, Die Lieder von R. W. (Leipzig, 1911); E. Schellenberg, R. W. (Leipzig, 1911; 2nd ed., 1914); H. Polack, R. W. Sein Werk (Leipzig, 1935).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire