Continental Britons: Berthold Goldschmidt (1903-96)

Berthold Goldschmidt was born in Hamburg on 18 January 1903. After harmony lessons from Ferruco Busoni and turning down the opportunity to attend Arnold Schoenberg’s classes, Goldschmidt studied in Berlin at the Hochschule für Musik with Franz Schreker (1878-1934). An important event in his musical education was the first performance of Alban Berg’s opera Wozzeck in which he took part. Goldschmidt began to make a considerable mark on German musical life. His Op. 4, a Passacaglia, his First String Quartet and a Piano Sonata were frequently performed.

Several prestigious appointments followed, including assistant conductor of Darmstadt Opera, assistant conductor of Berlin State Opera and as guest conductor of the Leningrad (St. Petersburg) Symphony Orchestra. In 1932 his opera Der gewaltige Hahnrei (The Mighty Cuckold) was given its premiere. However, it was soon banned by the Nazis. The work was not heard again until its revival in 1992.

After being dismissed from the Städtisches Theater, Goldschmidt came to England. He took a flat in Belsize Park, where he was to live for the rest of his life. 

Between 1941 and 1947 Goldschmidt worked for the BBC as Music Director of the German Service, broadcasting into enemy territory. After the war, he held the post of chorus master at Glyndebourne as well as regular commitments as a conductor in London. 

Goldschmidt had his failures in the United Kingdom. He entered Beatrice Cenci into the competition for a new opera for the Arts Council Festival of Britain. Along with composers Arthur Benjamin, Alan Bush and Karl Rankl, Goldschmidt won a prize. However, due to a variety reasons, including ‘conspiracy’ and ‘politicising’ none of these operas were performed at the Festival. Beatrice Cenci had to wait until 1987 before being heard. The British operas that were premiered at the Festival were Britten’s Billy Budd and Vaughan Williams’ Pilgrim’s Progress. Add to this, the feeling that the composer had that he was being ignored by the Glock administration at the BBC and received few opportunities to have his music performed, he gave up composing. 

From 1957 until 1984 Goldschmidt chose to write no music. This was largely due to the lack of success of concertos for violin, cello and clarinet. However, aged 81 he had a new lease of life: this was from both a reevaluation of his music and a flurry of new compositions. Most importantly he was finally accepted in his native Germany as a great composer. 

Berthold Goldschmidt did not regard himself as a British composer despite living here for 60 years. But neither did he consider himself as a German one. He was a European composer. 

If you can only hear one work by Berthold Goldschmidt … 

The Ciaccona Sinfonica was composed in 1935 and was the first of his ‘English’ works. Unbelievably, it had to wait until 1960 for its first performance. It was subsequently revived by Simon Rattle at the Berlin Festival (1987) and was given its Proms premiere in 1993. The Sinfonica is presented in three movements. At twelve minutes’ length, this is an easily approachable work which is maybe just too short to be a full-blown symphony. But as a suite it is effective and varied in its impact. The thematic material of this work is derived from a ‘tonally ambiguous’ (not atonal or serial) chaconne theme which is developed into a set of satisfying variations. The middle movement, andante sostenuto is introverted and distinctly sad. The finale is an eccentric dance in the shape of a ‘gigue. The music is nearly always rhythmic with angular rather than linear melodies. It would be possible to define this work as being neo-Hindemithian, with its baroque and neo-classical colouring. However, there is also something that reminds the listener of Walter Leigh with their common roots in the music of the Weimar Republic. Occasionally Goldschmidt allow himself to wear his heart on his sleeve: a phrase or two owing more to the romanticism of Schrecker rather than the ‘modernists.’

With thanks to the English Music Festival, where much of this note was first published in their house journal Spirited (Winter 2016/2017)