Herbert Eimert (born 8 April 1897 in Bad Kreuznach, died 15 December 1972 i… Read Full Bio ↴Herbert Eimert (born 8 April 1897 in Bad Kreuznach, died 15 December 1972 in Düsseldorf) was a German music theorist, musicologist, journalist, music critic, editor, radio producer, and composer.
Herbert Eimert studied music theory and composition from 1919-1924 at the Cologne Musikhochschule with Hermann Abendroth, Johann Eduard Franz Bölsche, and August von Othegraven. In 1924, while still a student, he published an Atonale Musiklehre (Atonal Music Theory Text) which, together with a twelve-tone string quartet composed for the end-of-term examination concert, led to an altercation with Bölsche, who withdrew the quartet from the program and expelled Eimert from his composition class.
In 1924, he began studies in musicology at the University of Cologne with Ernst Bücken, Willi Kahl, and Georg Kinsky, and read philosophy with Max Scheler (a pupil of Husserl) and Nicolai Hartmann. He attained his doctorate in 1931 with a dissertation titled Musikalische Formstrukturen im 17. und 18. Jahrhundert. Versuch einer Formbeschreibung (Musical Form Structures in the 17th and 18th Century. Attempt at a Description of Form).
From 1927-33 he was employed at the Cologne Radio and wrote for music magazines such as Melos and the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik. In 1930 he became a music critic for the Kölner Stadtanzeiger, and from 1935–45 worked as an editor at the Kölnischen Zeitung.
After the war, he became in 1945 the first salaried staff member of the Cologne Radio (NWDR), administered by the British occupation forces. In 1947 he took over the NWDR Department of Cultural Reporting, and in 1948 became director of the Musikalische Nachtprogramme (late-night music programs), a position he held until 1966. In 1951, Eimert and Werner Meyer-Eppler persuaded the director of NWDR, Hanns Hartmann, to create a Studio for Electronic Music, which Eimert directed until 1962. This became the most influential studio in the world during the 1950s and 1960s, with composers such as Michael von Biel, Konrad Boehmer, Herbert Brün, Franco Evangelisti, Johannes Fritsch, Rolf Gehlhaar, Karel Goeyvaerts, David C. Johnson, Mauricio Kagel, Gottfried Michael Koenig, Ernst Krenek, György Ligeti, Mesías Maiguashca, Henri Pousseur, Karlheinz Stockhausen (who succeeded Eimert as director), and Iannis Xenakis working there (Morawska-Büngeler 1988).
In 1950 he published the Lehrbuch zur Zwölftonmusik, which became one of the best-known introductory texts on Schoenbergian twelve-tone technique, and was translated into Italian, Spanish, and Hungarian. From 1955-62 he edited in conjunction with Karlheinz Stockhausen the influential journal Die Reihe. His book Grundlagen der musikalischen Reihentechnik appeared in 1964. From 1951–57 he lectured at the Darmstadt Vacation Courses. In 1965 he became Professor at the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne and directed their studio for electronic music until 1971. Together with Hans Ulrich Humpert, his successor at the electronic studio of the Musikhochschule, he worked on the Lexikon der elektronischen Musik (Dictionary of Electronic Music). Just short of completing the manuscript Eimert died, on 15 December 1972, in Düsseldorf .
Herbert Eimert studied music theory and composition from 1919-1924 at the Cologne Musikhochschule with Hermann Abendroth, Johann Eduard Franz Bölsche, and August von Othegraven. In 1924, while still a student, he published an Atonale Musiklehre (Atonal Music Theory Text) which, together with a twelve-tone string quartet composed for the end-of-term examination concert, led to an altercation with Bölsche, who withdrew the quartet from the program and expelled Eimert from his composition class.
In 1924, he began studies in musicology at the University of Cologne with Ernst Bücken, Willi Kahl, and Georg Kinsky, and read philosophy with Max Scheler (a pupil of Husserl) and Nicolai Hartmann. He attained his doctorate in 1931 with a dissertation titled Musikalische Formstrukturen im 17. und 18. Jahrhundert. Versuch einer Formbeschreibung (Musical Form Structures in the 17th and 18th Century. Attempt at a Description of Form).
From 1927-33 he was employed at the Cologne Radio and wrote for music magazines such as Melos and the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik. In 1930 he became a music critic for the Kölner Stadtanzeiger, and from 1935–45 worked as an editor at the Kölnischen Zeitung.
After the war, he became in 1945 the first salaried staff member of the Cologne Radio (NWDR), administered by the British occupation forces. In 1947 he took over the NWDR Department of Cultural Reporting, and in 1948 became director of the Musikalische Nachtprogramme (late-night music programs), a position he held until 1966. In 1951, Eimert and Werner Meyer-Eppler persuaded the director of NWDR, Hanns Hartmann, to create a Studio for Electronic Music, which Eimert directed until 1962. This became the most influential studio in the world during the 1950s and 1960s, with composers such as Michael von Biel, Konrad Boehmer, Herbert Brün, Franco Evangelisti, Johannes Fritsch, Rolf Gehlhaar, Karel Goeyvaerts, David C. Johnson, Mauricio Kagel, Gottfried Michael Koenig, Ernst Krenek, György Ligeti, Mesías Maiguashca, Henri Pousseur, Karlheinz Stockhausen (who succeeded Eimert as director), and Iannis Xenakis working there (Morawska-Büngeler 1988).
In 1950 he published the Lehrbuch zur Zwölftonmusik, which became one of the best-known introductory texts on Schoenbergian twelve-tone technique, and was translated into Italian, Spanish, and Hungarian. From 1955-62 he edited in conjunction with Karlheinz Stockhausen the influential journal Die Reihe. His book Grundlagen der musikalischen Reihentechnik appeared in 1964. From 1951–57 he lectured at the Darmstadt Vacation Courses. In 1965 he became Professor at the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne and directed their studio for electronic music until 1971. Together with Hans Ulrich Humpert, his successor at the electronic studio of the Musikhochschule, he worked on the Lexikon der elektronischen Musik (Dictionary of Electronic Music). Just short of completing the manuscript Eimert died, on 15 December 1972, in Düsseldorf .
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Klangstudie II
Herbert Eimert Lyrics
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@giorgiosancristoforo3761
do not confuse early electronic music with avant-garde electronic music.
Nothing in common.
The music made with the instruments of Cahill, Theremin, Trautwein, Martenot was just classical music performed with electronic novelties.
These instrument just imitate the sound of acoustical instruments.
The electronic music of the avant-garde was composed with tape and oscillators and had nothing in common with classical music nor with acoustical instruments.
The most important thing people often fail to understand is that avant-garde
electronic music was not just about technology but above all music theory, acoustics and information theory. The goal of avant-garde composers was to COMPOSE the timbre using the same serial technique used for the pitches, durations, volumes etc..
@mattjadencarroll
The first composition to incorporate an electronic instrument is without a doubt Andrey Paschenko - Symphonic Mystery in 1924.
However, since this is largely a classical music composition, you probably couldn't call it "electronic music".
The problem there is, where do you draw the line between classical music and electronic music? Is Paul Hindemith - 7 Pieces for 3 Trautoniums (1930) considered electronic music because it only uses electronic instruments? What about Percy Grainger - Free Music No. 1 (1935)?
Is Walter Ruttman - Weekend (1930) and Jack Ellitt - Journey #1 (1934) considered electronic music, or is it just a "sound collage"?
It's a tough question. All I can say is that, by 1940, Norman McLaren was undeniably making electronic music (see Dots or Loops).
@howardomunsoni2
My imagination drifts off into a surreal dark world. Very inspiring.
@CoffeeAndPaul
There were scads of electronic composers who came before, particularly Italian and French. Look up Luigi and Antonio Russolo, for instance, who composed back in the 20s and 30s, or Pierre Schaeffer who helped found 'musique concrete' back in the 40s. Lots of good stuff is found before even the start the concept of the integrated circuit :)
@giorgiosancristoforo3761
I'm Italian. Russolo NEVER composed electronic music and had no influence at all in electronic avant-garde nor musique concrete.
It was just the first "composer" to use noise machines in music. and nobody took him seriously, even later...
But Varèse did much better a few years later and without imitating sounds (imitation was typical in symphonic poem, so it was OLD already) with percussions.
The electronic music of the avant grade was born in RTF (1948) France, WDR (1951) Germany, RAI (1954) Italy
@udol.4612
The third Eimert this evening... and the earliest... 55 years old... together with H. Beyer (s. down), i was relieved, that this quit early music comes nearly from the latest romantic, has a clear and consequent augmentation.... Why is such great music not to hear in our "modern" concerthouses?
Great evening - Thanx!
@WocklessGamingforAnimeMoms
Shame you dont hear much about this guy. Really intresting stuff he did.
@CYBERCATXO
Love these unique music
@LOUIS-gf3yd
Les premiers pas avec la musique éléctronique étaient un peu bizarres à entendre mais 1952 c'est quand même une entiquitée
@udomatthiasdrums5322
still love it!!
@ludwigsmodilla9524
Tolles Ding
@KorbentMarksman
This reminds me quite a lot of some stuff by Scott Walker