Wolfgang Lesser

Wolfgang Lesser (31 May 1923 – 27 September 1999) was a German composer and music official of the GDR.

Life and career Born in Breslau, Lesser, son of a merchant, attended the Realgymnasium in Berlin and then completed an apprenticeship as a metalworker. In 1938 he began studying music at the former Stern Conservatory in Berlin. Already in 1939 he emigrated as a Jew to London and worked in England as a varnisher and farmhand. The following year he was interned as Enemy alien on the Isle of Man. In 1942, he became a member of the Freie Deutsche Jugend and the Communist Party of Germany. Between 1943 and 1947, he was a member of the British Army.

In 1947 he returned to Berlin, became a member of the SED and worked for the FDJ in various functions. In 1949 he attended the state party school of the SED. In 1951 he became a member of the Cultural Association of the GDR. From 1950 to 1954, Lesser studied at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" with Rudolf Wagner-Régeny, Hanns Eisler and Günter Kochan. From 1954 to 1961, he worked as a composer and teacher for the State Folk Art Ensemble of the GDR. Since 1961, he has been a freelance musician.

From 1964 to 1968, he was Second Secretary, from 1968 to 1978 then First Secretary of the Association of German Composers and Musicologists (VDK) resp. the (VKM). Since 1971, he was a member of the cultural commission of the Politbüro des ZK der SED and a member of the Volkskammer (until 1989), where he was a member of the Committee on National Education. From 1983 to 1985 he was chairman of the Anstalt zur Wahrung der Aufführungsrechte, as well as Secretary-General of the . From 1985 to 1989, he was President of the Association of Composers and Musicologists.

In particular, Lesser composed political songs and chansons, but also stage music (e.g. for Friedrich Wolf's Thomas Müntzer) and film music (e.g. for the DEFA films Die Schönste in 1957, Beschreibung eines Sommers in 1962 and König Drosselbart in 1965) as well as the school opera Oktoberkinder. (1970).

Lesser died in Berlin at the age of 76.

Work Liederzyklus (1957) Violinkonzert (1962) Sonate für Solovioline (1963) Das Jahr. Zyklus für Kinderchor und Instrumente (1963, text: Jens Gerlach). Wir – die Partei (1971, text: Jens Gerlach)

Stage music for Friedrich Wolf's Thomas Müntzer for Ben Jonson's Volpone for George Farquhars Glückritter

Film music 1957: Die Schönste 1959: Claudia 1960: Der neue Fimmel 1961: Drei Kapitel Glück 1961: Steinzeitballade 1962: Entdeckung des Julian Böll 1962: Peter und das Einmaleins mit der Sieben 1962: Freispruch mangels Beweises 1962: Das Stacheltier – Die Moritat vom Durst 1963: Beschreibung eines Sommers 1964: Deutschland – Endstation Ost 1964: Als Martin vierzehn war 1965: König Drosselbart 1966: Lebende Ware

Awards Vaterländischer Verdienstorden in Bronze (1964), Silver (1973) and Gold (1978) Ehrenspange zum Vaterländischen Verdienstorden in Gold (1983) Kunstpreis der DDR (1968) Nationalpreis der DDR (1969) Stern der Völkerfreundschaft in Gold (1988)

Honours In Stralsund (Ossenreyerstraße) a Stolperstein in front of the house number 21/22 commemorates Wolfgang Lesser.