Cesar Bresgen
Encyclopedia
Cesar Bresgen was an Austria
n composer
.
to Maria and August Bresgen, both artists. He spent his childhood in Zell am See
, Munich
, Prague
, and Salzburg
.
He studied from 1930 to 1936 at the Musikhochschule München
piano
, organ
, conducting and composition
with Joseph Haas
. From 1933 he moved to London
, where he worked as a pianist and composer, co-operating with dancers, including Leslie Barrowes.
He married in 1936. He worked at the Munich radio station from 1936 to 1938. In 1939, he became professor of composition at the Mozarteum in Salzburg.
He became one of Hitler's favourite composers, composing the three act official commemorative cantata in 1938 entitled The SA lives forever, dedicated to the Sturmabteilung
. He composed several of the most famous vocal
works for the Hitler Youth
. He was one of the most important guides of the Hitler Youth movement. He worked with the Cultural Office of the Reich Youth Leadership. He was regularly invited to perform by the SS Main Office and commissioned to compose for, perform at, and invited to, the most important Nazi Party events.
He was a soldier in the final years of World War II
, fighting on the Western front. After the war he worked as an organist and choral director in Mittersill
, Austria. He met there Anton Webern
, which made a significant impression on him. In 1947, he began to teach again at the Mozarteum, becoming eventually a professor.
In 1956, he married pianist Eleonore Jorhan.
Like his friend Carl Orff
, he work in extensively in pedagogy.
In 1976 he won the Grand Austrian State Prize
for music.
He died in Salzburg.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Biography
He was born in FlorenceFlorence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
to Maria and August Bresgen, both artists. He spent his childhood in Zell am See
Zell am See
Zell am See is the capital city of the Zell am See district in the Austrian state of Salzburg. The city has about 10,000 inhabitants.Zell am See is a tourist destination and a transportation hub for the region...
, Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, and Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
.
He studied from 1930 to 1936 at the Musikhochschule München
Hochschule für Musik und Theater München
The Hochschule für Musik und Theater München is one of the most respected traditional vocational universities in Germany specialising in music and the performing arts. The seat of the Hochschule is the former Führerbau of the NSDAP, located at Arcisstraße 12, on the eastern side of the Königsplatz...
piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, conducting and composition
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
with Joseph Haas
Joseph Haas
Joseph Haas was a German late romantic composer and music teacher.-Biography:He was born in Maihingen, near Nördlingen to teacher Alban Haas from his second marriage, being half-brother to the theologist and historian Alban Haas. At an early age he came into contact with music...
. From 1933 he moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where he worked as a pianist and composer, co-operating with dancers, including Leslie Barrowes.
He married in 1936. He worked at the Munich radio station from 1936 to 1938. In 1939, he became professor of composition at the Mozarteum in Salzburg.
He became one of Hitler's favourite composers, composing the three act official commemorative cantata in 1938 entitled The SA lives forever, dedicated to the Sturmabteilung
Sturmabteilung
The Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary organization of the National Socialist German Workers' Party . It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s...
. He composed several of the most famous vocal
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
works for the Hitler Youth
Hitler Youth
The Hitler Youth was a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party. It existed from 1922 to 1945. The HJ was the second oldest paramilitary Nazi group, founded one year after its adult counterpart, the Sturmabteilung...
. He was one of the most important guides of the Hitler Youth movement. He worked with the Cultural Office of the Reich Youth Leadership. He was regularly invited to perform by the SS Main Office and commissioned to compose for, perform at, and invited to, the most important Nazi Party events.
He was a soldier in the final years of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, fighting on the Western front. After the war he worked as an organist and choral director in Mittersill
Mittersill
Mittersill is a city in the federal state of Salzburg, Austria, in the Pinzgau region of the Alps. It is located on the Salzach River. It had a population of 5,464 in 2005.- Geography :...
, Austria. He met there Anton Webern
Anton Webern
Anton Webern was an Austrian composer and conductor. He was a member of the Second Viennese School. As a student and significant follower of Arnold Schoenberg, he became one of the best-known exponents of the twelve-tone technique; in addition, his innovations regarding schematic organization of...
, which made a significant impression on him. In 1947, he began to teach again at the Mozarteum, becoming eventually a professor.
In 1956, he married pianist Eleonore Jorhan.
Like his friend Carl Orff
Carl Orff
Carl Orff was a 20th-century German composer, best known for his cantata Carmina Burana . In addition to his career as a composer, Orff developed an influential method of music education for children.-Early life:...
, he work in extensively in pedagogy.
In 1976 he won the Grand Austrian State Prize
Grand Austrian State Prize
The Grand Austrian State Prize is a decoration given annually by Austria to an artist for exceptional work. The recipient must be an Austrian citizen with a permanent residence in Austria....
for music.
He died in Salzburg.