Alfred Wolfsohn
Encyclopedia
Alfred Wolfsohn was a German singing teacher. He taught Charlotte Salomon
, and figures in her paintings as Amadeus Daberlohn.
He was the founder of a special style of voice training today known as the Roy Hart Theatre approach. His experiences of the cries of dying soldiers during World War I substantiated his intuitions and experiences of singing as expression of the whole human being, rather than singing compartmentalised into the separate categories of Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone and Bass. These intuitive thoughts led him to explore the nature and possibilities of what he termed as the Human Voice, as opposed to the specialised voice. Later his disgust at the artificially broadcast voices heard everywhere in Hitler's Berlin, and his horror at the darkest manifestations of humanity perpertrated by the Nazis further provoked his researches. A pioneer in the realms of voice research, his avant-garde studies revealed the potential of the voice as not only an instrument of artistic expression but also of human development and therapy. Wolfsohn's goal was to develop an unchained voice which he called The Voice of the Future.
. He adored his mother singing to him a song with a high voice for an angel and a low voice for St Peter. He received a good education, felt himself to be a loner but loved football.
In 1914, he was studying law at University when he was conscripted into the Army and fought on the Eastern front in World War I, later on the Western front. He suffered terrible traumas from the cries of pain and for not going to help one agonising soldier. He returned shell shocked and broken in health.From 1919 to 1920, he travelled to Italy, re-found strength and inspiration. Returning to Germany, he abandoned law and decided he wanted to sing. His lack of progress with his teachers prompted him to develop his own theories integrating his appreciation of music, art, literature and current psychological studies of the time (notably Carl Jung
).
In1933, Adolf Hitler
became Chancellor of Germany
, and Jews were further discriminated against. Wolfsohn began his first manuscript “Orpheus or the Way to a Mask” in that year.
’s stepmother, for help. Wolfsohn gave Lindberg lessons and spoke of his own theories on the voice. At that time he met Charlotte Salomon
for the first time, and he spoke with her for hours about art and creativity during the next years. He had no idea how much he had influenced her.
In January 1939, Salomon left for the south of France. A month later, Wolfsohn fled Berlin to London, helped by Alice Croner.
In 1940, To avoid internment, Wolfsohn volunteered to join the Pioneer Corps; he was later invalided out. In 1943, he is given permission by the British Government to give singing lessons.He began his longest and most comprehensive manuscript The Bridge in 1945.
In 1947, Roy Hart
met Wolfsohn and starts taking lessons from him.
In the 1950s, Wolfsohn had many students. Articles were written and contacts made with leading composers, musicians, actors, and writers to pass on the work but there is no great response. In 1956, his star pupil, Jenny Johnson, performed in the Hoffnung Music Festival to good reviews. A record “Vox Humana” was issued by Folkways and was released in the US. Wolfsohn’s ill health intensified. In 1956, A BBC documentary with Wolfsohn is broadcast. In 1959, Wolfsohn’s work was acknowledged by Dr Paul Moses, Speech and Voice Professor at Stanford University, San Francisco.
In 1962, Wolfsohn's health deteriorated and he died on 5 February of that year after developing a chest infection while in hospital. He had been teaching up to 10 days before his death. Roy Hart
, one of his most assiduous pupils, carried on with Wolfsohn's work.
Charlotte Salomon
Charlotte Salomon was a German-Jewish artist born in Berlin. She is primarily remembered as the creator of an autobiographical series of paintings Leben? oder Theater?: Ein Singspiel consisting of 769 individual works painted between 1941 and 1943 in the south of France, while Salomon was in...
, and figures in her paintings as Amadeus Daberlohn.
He was the founder of a special style of voice training today known as the Roy Hart Theatre approach. His experiences of the cries of dying soldiers during World War I substantiated his intuitions and experiences of singing as expression of the whole human being, rather than singing compartmentalised into the separate categories of Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone and Bass. These intuitive thoughts led him to explore the nature and possibilities of what he termed as the Human Voice, as opposed to the specialised voice. Later his disgust at the artificially broadcast voices heard everywhere in Hitler's Berlin, and his horror at the darkest manifestations of humanity perpertrated by the Nazis further provoked his researches. A pioneer in the realms of voice research, his avant-garde studies revealed the potential of the voice as not only an instrument of artistic expression but also of human development and therapy. Wolfsohn's goal was to develop an unchained voice which he called The Voice of the Future.
Early life
Alfred Wolfsohn was born in Berlin into a German-Jewish middle class family. His parents were religious but not strictly orthodox. When Wolfsohn was 10 years old, his father died of tuberculosisTuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. He adored his mother singing to him a song with a high voice for an angel and a low voice for St Peter. He received a good education, felt himself to be a loner but loved football.
In 1914, he was studying law at University when he was conscripted into the Army and fought on the Eastern front in World War I, later on the Western front. He suffered terrible traumas from the cries of pain and for not going to help one agonising soldier. He returned shell shocked and broken in health.From 1919 to 1920, he travelled to Italy, re-found strength and inspiration. Returning to Germany, he abandoned law and decided he wanted to sing. His lack of progress with his teachers prompted him to develop his own theories integrating his appreciation of music, art, literature and current psychological studies of the time (notably Carl Jung
Carl Jung
Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and the founder of Analytical Psychology. Jung is considered the first modern psychiatrist to view the human psyche as "by nature religious" and make it the focus of exploration. Jung is one of the best known researchers in the field of dream analysis and...
).
In1933, Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
became Chancellor of Germany
Chancellor of Germany
The Chancellor of Germany is, under the German 1949 constitution, the head of government of Germany...
, and Jews were further discriminated against. Wolfsohn began his first manuscript “Orpheus or the Way to a Mask” in that year.
Singing teacher
In 1935, when trying to get working papers for permission to teach singing, he was advised by Kurt Singer (Director of Berlin City Opera) to contact Paula Lindberg, the famous singer and Charlotte SalomonCharlotte Salomon
Charlotte Salomon was a German-Jewish artist born in Berlin. She is primarily remembered as the creator of an autobiographical series of paintings Leben? oder Theater?: Ein Singspiel consisting of 769 individual works painted between 1941 and 1943 in the south of France, while Salomon was in...
’s stepmother, for help. Wolfsohn gave Lindberg lessons and spoke of his own theories on the voice. At that time he met Charlotte Salomon
Charlotte Salomon
Charlotte Salomon was a German-Jewish artist born in Berlin. She is primarily remembered as the creator of an autobiographical series of paintings Leben? oder Theater?: Ein Singspiel consisting of 769 individual works painted between 1941 and 1943 in the south of France, while Salomon was in...
for the first time, and he spoke with her for hours about art and creativity during the next years. He had no idea how much he had influenced her.
In January 1939, Salomon left for the south of France. A month later, Wolfsohn fled Berlin to London, helped by Alice Croner.
In 1940, To avoid internment, Wolfsohn volunteered to join the Pioneer Corps; he was later invalided out. In 1943, he is given permission by the British Government to give singing lessons.He began his longest and most comprehensive manuscript The Bridge in 1945.
In 1947, Roy Hart
Roy Hart
Roy Hart was an actor from South Africa at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. He was a pupil of Alfred Wolfsohn's for many years and then furthered the work on voice after Wolfsohn's death...
met Wolfsohn and starts taking lessons from him.
In the 1950s, Wolfsohn had many students. Articles were written and contacts made with leading composers, musicians, actors, and writers to pass on the work but there is no great response. In 1956, his star pupil, Jenny Johnson, performed in the Hoffnung Music Festival to good reviews. A record “Vox Humana” was issued by Folkways and was released in the US. Wolfsohn’s ill health intensified. In 1956, A BBC documentary with Wolfsohn is broadcast. In 1959, Wolfsohn’s work was acknowledged by Dr Paul Moses, Speech and Voice Professor at Stanford University, San Francisco.
In 1962, Wolfsohn's health deteriorated and he died on 5 February of that year after developing a chest infection while in hospital. He had been teaching up to 10 days before his death. Roy Hart
Roy Hart
Roy Hart was an actor from South Africa at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. He was a pupil of Alfred Wolfsohn's for many years and then furthered the work on voice after Wolfsohn's death...
, one of his most assiduous pupils, carried on with Wolfsohn's work.
Sources
This page was created from material found at Roy Hart Theatre Archives, with authorization.Listening
- Vox Humana: Alfred Wolfsohn's Experiments in Extension of Human Vocal Range (Folkways RecordsFolkways RecordsFolkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987, and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways.-History:...
, 1956)