Jean Kurt Forest (2 April 1909 – 3 March 1975) was a German violinist and violist, Kapellmeister and composer. He began his career as concertmaster in film orchestras conducted by Paul Dessau, then played principal viola in Frankfurt and Hamburg. Drafted to the Wehrmacht in 1942, he defected to the Red Army in 1945 and remained a prisoner of war until 1948. Back in East Berlin, he shaped musical life in the GDR in several positions, before he focused on composition from 1954, composing political songs and operas raising social awareness.
Jean Kurt Forest
Werner Renner, Jean Kurt Forest and Willi Hera, 7 June 1960
Born Jean Kurt Forst[1] in Darmstadt,[2] the son of a paperhanger, he learned to play the violin at the age of four. From age six, he received a thorough and varied musical education at the Spangenberg Conservatory in Wiesbaden, studying violin, voice, piano, trumpet, timpani and harmony until 1925.[2] He mostly taught himself to play the viola and to compose.[3]
In 1942, Forest was drafted to the Wehrmacht, but in 1945 defected to the Red Army.[5] As a prisoner of war until 1948, he attended an Antifa School [de] and led its group Music and Artistics.[2] When he returned to Germany, he settled in East Berlin[6] and joined the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED).[2] He participated in Berlin in various functions in the development of musical life in the German Democratic Republic (GDR), first as a consultant for choral music at the Berliner Rundfunk to 1951, and as Kapellmeister for Deutscher Fernsehfunk from 1952. He was a freelance composer from 1954.[6]
In 1951, Forest was one of the founding members of the Verband der Komponisten und Musikwissenschaftler der DDR [de] (VDK)[2] and was Chairman of the Berlin District Association from 1967 to 1971.[2] In 1970 he was admitted to the Akademie der Künste der DDR (DAK).[7] From 1969 until his death, he directed the chamber ensembleMusica Nova.[5]
Forest composed around 250 songs,[5] several of the genre Massenlied. His opera Der arme Konrad, written between 1955 and 1957 after a play by Friedrich Wolf,[2] was followed in 1960 by the chamber opera Tai Yang erwacht,[5] also after Wolf. In his stage works, Forest focused on historic topics, pointing at social conscience, such as fascism, war and the atomic bomb.[6] In the 1960s, Forest was also active as a film score composer, for example in Credo: Martin Luther – Wittenberg 1517 [de] and Wenn Du zu mir hältst [de].[5]
Filmographyedit
Forest wrote film scores for several films, including:[1][7]
^ abc"Musik – Mitglieder / Jean Kurt Forest". Academy of Arts, Berlin (in German). Retrieved 15 August 2020.
Further readingedit
"Forest, Jean Kurt". In Minister of Intra-German Relations (ed.): SBZ-Biographie. Ein biographisches Nachschlagebuch über die sowjetische Besatzungszone, collated by Untersuchungsausschuß Freiheitlicher Juristen [de]. Deutscher Bundes-Verlag, Bonn 1964, p. 91.
Hans-Joachim Kynaß: Jean Kurt Forest / Kurzbiographie und ausgewählte Werke, in association with the Music Council of the GDR. Association of German Composers and Musicologists, Musikinformationszentrum, Berlin 1967.
jean, kurt, forest, april, 1909, march, 1975, german, violinist, violist, kapellmeister, composer, began, career, concertmaster, film, orchestras, conducted, paul, dessau, then, played, principal, viola, frankfurt, hamburg, drafted, wehrmacht, 1942, defected, . Jean Kurt Forest 2 April 1909 3 March 1975 was a German violinist and violist Kapellmeister and composer He began his career as concertmaster in film orchestras conducted by Paul Dessau then played principal viola in Frankfurt and Hamburg Drafted to the Wehrmacht in 1942 he defected to the Red Army in 1945 and remained a prisoner of war until 1948 Back in East Berlin he shaped musical life in the GDR in several positions before he focused on composition from 1954 composing political songs and operas raising social awareness Jean Kurt ForestWerner Renner Jean Kurt Forest and Willi Hera 7 June 1960BornJean Kurt Forst 1909 04 02 2 April 1909Darmstadt GermanyDied3 March 1975 1975 03 03 aged 65 East BerlinEducationSpangenberg ConservatoryOccupationsViolinist Violist Kapellmeister ComposerOrganizationsAlhambra Berlin Rundfunksinfonieorchester Frankfurt Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg Staatstheater Braunschweig Berliner Rundfunk Deutscher Fernsehfunk Akademie der Kunste der DDRAwardsArt Prize of the German Democratic Republic National Prize of the German Democratic Republic Patriotic Order of Merit Contents 1 Life 2 Work 2 1 Filmography 2 2 Awards 3 References 4 Further reading 5 External linksLife editBorn Jean Kurt Forst 1 in Darmstadt 2 the son of a paperhanger he learned to play the violin at the age of four From age six he received a thorough and varied musical education at the Spangenberg Conservatory in Wiesbaden studying violin voice piano trumpet timpani and harmony until 1925 2 He mostly taught himself to play the viola and to compose 3 He worked as concert master in Wiesbaden for the UFA film orchestra in 1926 and in the same position for the Alhambra de cinema in Berlin from 1927 to 1930 2 collaborating in both locations with conductor Paul Dessau 4 From 1930 to 1933 he played principal viola for the Rundfunksinfonieorchester Frankfurt and in the same role for the Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg and the Hamburg State Opera 2 from 1934 to 1936 5 In 1937 he was arrested by the Nazis because of his anti fascism attitude Dismissed from all positions he emigrated to Paris but was expelled back to Germany in 1938 5 He worked as Kapellmeister at the Stadttheater Neisse 5 and from 1939 at the Staatstheater Braunschweig 2 In 1942 Forest was drafted to the Wehrmacht but in 1945 defected to the Red Army 5 As a prisoner of war until 1948 he attended an Antifa School de and led its group Music and Artistics 2 When he returned to Germany he settled in East Berlin 6 and joined the Socialist Unity Party of Germany SED 2 He participated in Berlin in various functions in the development of musical life in the German Democratic Republic GDR first as a consultant for choral music at the Berliner Rundfunk to 1951 and as Kapellmeister for Deutscher Fernsehfunk from 1952 He was a freelance composer from 1954 6 In 1951 Forest was one of the founding members of the Verband der Komponisten und Musikwissenschaftler der DDR de VDK 2 and was Chairman of the Berlin District Association from 1967 to 1971 2 In 1970 he was admitted to the Akademie der Kunste der DDR DAK 7 From 1969 until his death he directed the chamber ensemble Musica Nova 5 He died in Berlin at age 65 and was buried at the Stahnsdorf South Western Cemetery Work editForest composed around 250 songs 5 several of the genre Massenlied His opera Der arme Konrad written between 1955 and 1957 after a play by Friedrich Wolf 2 was followed in 1960 by the chamber opera Tai Yang erwacht 5 also after Wolf In his stage works Forest focused on historic topics pointing at social conscience such as fascism war and the atomic bomb 6 In the 1960s Forest was also active as a film score composer for example in Credo Martin Luther Wittenberg 1517 de and Wenn Du zu mir haltst de 5 Filmography edit Forest wrote film scores for several films including 1 7 1958 Der Prozess wird vertagt 1961 Allons enfants pour l Algerie de 1962 Schlager der Woche de television film 1962 Schaut auf diese Stadt 1964 Er filmte auf 5 Kontinenten de 1964 Feierabend de 1967 Credo Martin Luther Wittenberg 1517 de 5 Awards edit Among Forest s awards were 7 1956 Theodor Fontane Prize de of Bezirk Potsdam 1959 Art Prize of the German Democratic Republic 1965 National Prize of the German Democratic Republic third class for art and literature 1965 Artur Becker Medal de in Gold 1968 Art prize of the FDGB de of the Free German Trade Union Federation 1969 Patriotic Order of Merit in SilverReferences edit a b Jean Kurt Forest filmportal de in German Retrieved 15 August 2020 a b c d e f g h i j Baumgartner Gabriele Hebig Dieter eds 2012 Forest Jean Kurt Biographisches Handbuch der SBZ DDR 1945 1990 in German Vol 1 2 Munich Walter de Gruyter p 189 ISBN 978 3 11 169913 4 Rau Katharina 2016 Forest Jean Kurt MGG in German Paul Dessau Komponist Biografie cinegraph de in German Retrieved 15 August 2020 a b c d e f g h i Forest Jean Kurt Wer war wer in der DDR de in German Vol 1 5th ed Berlin Ch Links 2010 ISBN 978 3 86153 561 4 a b c Grutzner Vera 2001 Forest Jean Kurt Grove Music Online 8th ed Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 gmo 9781561592630 article 09975 ISBN 978 1 56159 263 0 a b c Musik Mitglieder Jean Kurt Forest Academy of Arts Berlin in German Retrieved 15 August 2020 Further reading edit Forest Jean Kurt In Minister of Intra German Relations ed SBZ Biographie Ein biographisches Nachschlagebuch uber die sowjetische Besatzungszone collated by Untersuchungsausschuss Freiheitlicher Juristen de Deutscher Bundes Verlag Bonn 1964 p 91 Hans Joachim Kynass Jean Kurt Forest Kurzbiographie und ausgewahlte Werke in association with the Music Council of the GDR Association of German Composers and Musicologists Musikinformationszentrum Berlin 1967 External links editJean Kurt Forest at IMDb Georg Plathe Interview interview in German in Siegfried Trzoss Schlagergeschichte n des Ostens vol 1 1945 1965 Berlin 2007 Jean Kurt Forest Archiv Archives of the Academy of Arts Berlin Forest Jean Kurt Verlag Neue Musik Portals nbsp Biography nbsp Classical music nbsp Germany Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jean Kurt Forest amp oldid 1219035069, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
