Erich Katz

Erich Katz ( born July 31, 1900 in Poznan, † 30 July 1973 in Santa Barbara ( California)) was a German-born musicologist, composer, music critic and musician who emigrated to the United States in 1943.

Life

Katz was the son of a Jewish watchmaker Albert Katz and Grete Katz (born Schmerl ) born. From 1907 to 1918 he attended in Berlin- Charlottenburg, the Kaiser- Friedrich- school and school Herder and put 1918 Notabitur from. He then studied at the Stern Conservatory and at the Academy of Music in Berlin, and later in Freiburg im Breisgau, where he presented his dissertation The musical style concepts of the 17th century 1926.

Katz married in 1926, the pianist Adelheid Soltau and in 1928 co-founded the Freiburg courses in music theory. Until 1933 he worked as a music critic of the Freiburg newspaper. 1938 Katz was captured and taken to the concentration camp at Dachau. At this time, the Nazis dismissed some prisoners under the proviso to leave Germany immediately, whereupon Katz in 1939 along with his daughter Hanna fled to England. 1943 Katz was able to emigrate to the United States, where he became professor of composition at the New York College of Music and later became head of the department. From 1959 until his death he taught at Santa Barbara City College. He was friends with the composer Carl Orff and Paul Hindemith, who also influenced his compositional style. Katz is regarded as the driving force of the early music movement in America. His legacy is preserved in the Erich Katz Collection at the flute music center of the Regis University.

Publications

• The musical style concepts of the 17th century. Charlottenburg, 1926.
• In the Beginning, in: American Recorder XIX / 4 ( February 1979), pp. 155-156.
• Recorder Folk Songs (Minus Flute ) (Audio CD) Traditions Alive, LLC (April 2011) ASIN B004K3L2IC.