Herbert Gadsch (Composer)

Born: April 7, 1913 - Mittweida, Saxony, Germany
Died: February 3, 2011 - Großenhain, Saxony, Germany

The German church musician and composer, Edmund Herbert Gadsch, grew up up in a musical family, and has always stood firmly for Gadsch that he wanted to be a musician. He studied from 1930 to 1935 at the Leipzig Conservatory organ, piano and music theory.

In 1937, Herbert Gadsch was a church musician at St. Marien in Großenhain. In 1939 he took over the direction of the Posaunenchores. After Gadsch in 1942 had been a soldier in World War II, he returned in 1950 from Russian captivity. In 1952 he was appointed Church Music Director (KMD) of Kirchenbezirkes Großenhain. He held this post until 1981. After that, he was until 1986 Professor of liturgical organ playing and composition at the Landeskirchenmusikschule (National School of Church Music) in Dresden. In 2007, Herbert Gadsch with his wife Ilse had their grace wedding, celebrating the 70-year marriage anniversary.

Herbert Gadsch’s was not limited nly to sacred compositions. He had a wide range of important secular works. Especially he liked composing for for children, he set Kindermesse by Dietrich Mendt and wrote the musical Das musikalische Nashorn to a text by Peter Hacks.

Works (selection)

Missa sine Credo for a cappella choir (Berlin, 2005)
Partita for organ on Grosser Gott, wir loben dich (Berlin, 2006)
Himmel, Erde Luft und Meer - Variations for recorder
Kleine Festmusik
Tochter Zion
11 little preludes for organ manuals only
Lobe den Herren
Psalmkonzert
Markuspassion
Chromatische Chaconne
Wir wollen alle fröhlich sein – Auf, auf, mein Herz, mit Freuden – doppelchörige Ostermotette
Weihnachtsmusik über ein russisches Volkslied (Christmas Music on a Russian folk song), for organ (Berlin, 2012)

Source: German Wikipedia Website (August 2012), English translation by Aryeh Oron (May 2013)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (May 2013)

Use of Chorale Melodies in his works

Title

Chorale Melody

Year

Allein Gott in der Höh Sei Ehr

Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr

Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort, Rondo on Luther-Lieder; for organ (Ditzingen : Ed. Musica Rinata, 1998)

Erhalt uns, Herr bei deinem Wort

1998

Links to other Sites

Herbert Gadsch (Wikipedia) [German]

Bibliography

Herbert Gadsch: Umgang mit dem Kirchenlied - Alte Praktiken und neue Möglichkeiten (Evang. Verlagsanstalt, Berlin, 1978)
Herbert Gadsch: Liedbegleitung - einmal anders
Herbert Gadsch & Joachim Jänke: Kleine Geschichte der Grossenhainer Kantorei.