Born: October 22, 1891 - Josefsthal, near Gablonz, Bohemia
Died: June 12, 1968 - Dresden, Germany

The German composer and pedagogue, Fidelio F(ritz or Friedrich) Finke, studied with his father and with his uncle, Romeo Finke, director of the German Academy of Music in Prague, and then attended Novak's master-classes in composition at the Prague Conservatory from 1908 to 1911.

Fidelio Fritz Finke joined Prague Conservatory's faculty as a teacher of theory and piano in 1915, becoming a professor in 1926. He he also was national inspector of the German music schools in Czechoslovakia from 1920 to 1938, and head of the master-classes in composition at the German Academy of Music in Prague from 1927 to 1945. After serving as director and as a teacher of a master-class in composition at the Dresden Akademie für Musik und Theater from 1946 to 1951, he was a professor of composition at the Leipzig Hochschule für Musik from 1951 to 1959). His works evolved from German classicism to the exploration of the Second Viennese School and neo-Classicism before embracing a readily accessible style.

Works

Dramatic: Operas:
Die versunkene Glocke (1918); Die fakobsfahrt (Prague, 1936); Der schlagfertige Liebhaber (1954); Der Zauberfisch (Dresden, 1960).
Dance Pantomime:
Lied der Zeit (1946).
Orchestral:
Eine Schauspiel-Ouvertüre (1908); 8 suites: No. 1 for Strings (1911), No. 2 (948), No. 3 (1949), No. 4 for 16 Winds and Percussion (1953), No. 5 for Winds (1955), No. 6 (1956), No. 7 (1961), and No. 8 for 5 Winds, 2 Pianos, and Strings (1961); Pan, symphony (1919); Piano Concerto (1930); Concerto for Orchestra (1931); Divertimento for Chamber Orchestra (1964); Festliche Musik (1965).
Chamber:
Piano Quintet (1911); 5 string quartets (1914-64); Piano Trio (923); Violin Sonata (1924); Sonata for Solo Cello (1926); Flute Sonata (1927); Sonata for 4 Recorders (1936); 100 Stüicke for Recorder (1936); Sonata for Solo Harp (1945); Horn Sonata (1946); Clarinet Sonata (1949); Viola Sonata (1954); Wind Quintet (1955); piano pieces; organ music.
Vocal:
Deutsche Kantate for Soprano, Bass, Chorus, Boys' Chorus, Organ, and Orchestra (1940); Eros, cantata for Soprano, Tenor, and Orchestra (1966); songs.

Source: Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of 20^th Century Classical Musicians (1997)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (April 2006)

Use of Chorale Melodies in his works

Title

Chorale Melody

Year

Fantasie, Variationen und Doppelfuge on Aus tiefer Not

Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir

1928

Links to other Sites

Bibliography

D. Hartwig: Fedelio Fritz Finke: Leben und Werk (Habilitationsschrift, University of Leipzig, 1970).