Bernhard Sekles (20 March 1872 – 8 December 1934) was a German composer, conductor, pianist and pedagogue.
Life and career
Bernhard Sekles was born in Frankfurt am Main, the son of Maximilian Seckeles and Anna, (née Bischheim). The family name Seckeles was changed by Bernhard Sekles to Sekles. From 1894 to 1895 he was the third Kapellmeister at the Stadttheater in Mainz. In 1896 he became a teacher at the Hoch'sche Konservatorium in Frankfurt am Main; here he started the first jazz class anywhere in 1928. He was the director of the Hoch'sche Konservatorium from 1923 to 1933. For his composition students, See: List of music students by teacher: R to S#Bernhard Sekles. He was one of the first German Jewish academics to lose his job when Hitler came to power in Germany. He died in his native Frankfurt am Main.
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Der Zwerg und die Infantin, (The Birthday of the Infanta), ballet, op. 22, 1913, based on an Oscar Wilde fairy taleScheherazade, opera, op. 26, 1917Die Hochzeit des Faun, comic opera, 1921Die zehn Küsse, comic opera, 1926Aus den Gärten der Semiramis, symphonic poem, op. 19Kleine Suite, dem Andenken E. T. A. Hoffmanns, op. 21Die Temperamente, 4 symphonic movements for large orchestra, op. 29, 1916Passacaglia und Fuge for large orchestra and organ, op. 17, 1922Gesichte, miniatures for small orchestra, op. 29, 1923Der Dybuk, prelude for orchestra, op. 35, 1928Symphony N° 1, op. 37, 1930Trio for clarinet, violoncello and piano, op. 9Skizzen for piano, op. 10Serenade for 11 solo instruments, op. 14, 1907Divertimento for string quartet, op. 20, 1911Passacaglia und Fuge im vierfachen Kontrapunkt for string quartet, op. 23, 1914Sonate in d-moll" for violoncello and piano, op. 28, 1919String Quartet, op. 31, 1923Suite Nr. 1 for piano, op. 34Der Musik-Baukasten for piano (3 or 4 hands), 1930Chaconne über ein achttaktiges Marschthema (Chaconne on an Eight-Beat March Theme) for viola and piano, op. 38, 1931Sonata for violin and piano, op. 44"Lieder", op. 6Volkspoesien aus dem Rumänischen, for bartitone and piano, op. 7, 1900Aus >Hafis<, 4 songs for bartitone and piano, op.11, 1902Aus dem Schi-King (Friedrich Rückert), 18 Lieder for high voice and piano, op. 15, 19074 Lieder auf Gedichte von Friedrich Rückert for bartitone and piano, op. 18, 19114 Lieder for female choir and piano, op. 6, 18996 volkstümliche Gesänge for soprano, male choir and piano, op. 12, 1904Variationen über >Prinz Eugen< for male choir, wind and percussion instruments, op. 32, 1926Vater Noah for male choir, op. 36Psalm 137 for mixed choir, soprano and organ, 1933/1934 (Edited by Edmund Brownless)Musikdiktat, dictation exercises, Mainz 1901Instrumentations-Beispiele, examples of instrumentation, Mainz 1912Musikalische Geduldspiele – Elementarschule der Improvisation, Mainz 1931Grundzüge der Formenlehre (rules of harmony)Harmonielehre (manual of harmony)Articles in Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart (Kassel 2006) and New Grove (London 2001)Peter Cahn: Das Hoch'sche Konservatorium 1878-1978, Frankfurt am Main: Kramer, 1979, pages 257-270, 295-297.Joachim Tschiedel: Der "jüdische Scheindirektor" Bernhard Sekles und die Gründung der ersten europäischen Jazz-Klasse 1928, in: mr-Mitteilungen Nr. 20 - September 1996Joachim Tschiedel: Bernhard Sekles 1872 - 1934. Leben und Werk des Frankfurter Komponisten und Pädagogen, Schneverdingen 2005Theodor W. Adorno: Bernhard Sekles zum 50. Geburtstag, in Gesammelte Schriften Band 18, Frankfurt/Main 1984, S. 269 f.Theodor W. Adorno: Minima Moralia, Frankfurt/M. 1951, page 291 ff.Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, (Nicolas Slonimsky, Editor) New York: G. Schirmer, 1958Chamber Music: Rhapsody, Sonata op. 44, Sonata op. 28, Capriccio; Zuk Records 334, 2011.
