The career of Paul Dessau, a Hamburg-born composer and conductor active from the early twentieth century until 1979, spanned three distinct German political regimes. His musical contributions ranged from cinema scores for Walt Disney and Ladislas Starevich to large-scale operas and vocal works composed within the German Democratic Republic.
Early Training and Orchestral Career
Born in 1894, Dessau studied violin at the Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatory starting in 1909. His professional path began at the Stadttheater Hamburg in 1912, followed by conducting roles at the Kammerspiele Hamburg and the Cologne Opera under Otto Klemperer. By 1925, he served as Principal Kapellmeister at the Städtische Oper Berlin under the direction of Bruno Walter.
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Dessau emigrated from Germany in 1933, spending time in France before moving to the United States in 1939. His Hollywood tenure included composing film scores, following a period during the 1920s where he had provided background music for silent pictures and early animation. He also produced oratorios such as Haggadah shel Pessach while abroad.
Work in the German Democratic Republic
Returning to East Berlin in 1948, Dessau became a significant figure in the GDR's cultural establishment. Appointed a professor at the Staatliche Schauspielschule in 1952, he joined the Akademie der Künste and served as its vice-president from 1957 to 1962. His academic output included teaching master classes to students such as Friedrich Goldmann and Jörg Herchet.
Operatic and Vocal Output
Collaboration with Bertolt Brecht defined much of his later creative output. His operas, premiered at the Staatsoper Berlin, include Die Verurteilung des Lukullus, Puntila, and Einstein. Alongside these, he wrote Gebrauchsmusik and political vocal works such as the Deutsches Miserere and the Appell der Arbeiterklasse, consistently balancing avant-garde advocacy with state-sanctioned compositions.
Fast facts
- Born: 1894, Hamburg
- Died: 1979, Königs Wusterhausen
- Educated at: Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatory
- Citizenship: German Empire, Weimar Republic, German Democratic Republic
- Buried at: Dorotheenstadt Cemetery
- Key Appointment: Vice-president, Academy of Arts of the GDR (1957–1962)
- Notable Award: Star of People's Friendship in Gold (1979)
- Operatic Premiere: Die Verurteilung des Lukullus (1951)
Questions readers ask
Which major directors did Paul Dessau work with?
He collaborated with figures including Arnold Fanck, Robert Siodmak, Max Ophüls, and Bertolt Brecht.
What subjects were covered in his operatic works?
Achievements
- Goethe Prize of the City of Berlin — 1978
- Order of Karl Marx
- Patriotic Order of Merit in Gold
- National Prize of East Germany
- Medal for Fighters Against Fascism
- Genres: opera and symphony
