KARL RICHTER

Born into a family of pastors from Saxony, from 1951 in Munich, Karl Richter (1926 - 1981) was cantor at the Church of Saint Mark, Professor at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München, conductor of the Münchner Bachchor und Bachorchester, leading harpsichordist and organist and above all a universal musician.

AT A TIME WHEN GERMAN BAROQUE MUSIC WAS BEING REDISCOVERED.

A "GESAMTKUNSTWERK" WITH THE STAMP OF THE 70S.

In May 2021, life's circumstances were such that his working organ, built in the second half of the 1970s, found a place in the great hall of AIDA-LÉMAN in Glans. The fine craftsmanship of Karl Richter and the collaboration of the talented German organ builder Paul Ott made this instrument a jewel of subtle design.

AIDA-LÉMAN's overall educational project, based on transdisciplinary, intergenerational and inclusive artistic education, convinced the Richter family of the merits and legitimacy of this magnificent instrument's place in our institution.

In close collaboration with Marcelo Giannini, professor at the HEM in Geneva, one of Karl Richter's last students, and thanks to the skills of the people within AIDA-LÉMAN, in particular our organ professor Humberto Salvagnin and especially Benjamin Hatt, director, himself a trained organ builder, this magnificent instrument has been built.

"GESAMTKUNSTWERK" was dismantled, transported and reassembled in record time at Karl Richter's family home in Erlenbach (ZH).

AVAILABILITY AND VISIT

The instrument is now at the disposal of professional organists and students who wish to come and discover the spirit and finesse of the instrument's design: the large room is very busy with the activities of the Academy, so visits are only possible by written appointment, sent by e-mail or by post to the management.

A musical bridge builder to the beyond

KARL RICHTER (1926 – 1981)

A story of impact

In the second half of the 20th century, the conductor, organist and harpsichordist Karl Richter established himself as a monolith in the history of Protestant sacred music and in the interpretation of Bach. Inspired by the role of Kapellmeister in the pure tradition of his country, Central Germany, and exposed at a very early age to the sounds of the Saxon organ, particularly through the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, he decided as a young adult to devote his life to the Musica sacra.

On the occasion of Karl Richter's 90th birthday in 2016, and after more than 20 years of research, Roland Wörner (a graduate in fine arts and letters, a specialist in German Baroque music, and an expert and biographer) has edited this new publication. He has set himself the task of collecting and commenting, as far as possible, on all the essential testimonies that have been published in various places about Karl Richter. He makes available to the interested reader portraits, concert interviews and record reviews from German and international sources, as well as all concert dates found, including the participating artists

The work has been published by the author himself in order to protect his subject from the control and standardisation of peer review. May it find an impartial and understanding readership.