Klaus Beckmann

Beckmann

Klaus Beckmann (1935-) is a German organist and musicologist. He has published editions of early organ music for Breitkopf & Härtel, Forum music, and Edition Schott. In addition to scores, he has published many monumental works of literature such as Repertorium Orgelmusik and Die Norddeutsche Schule.

From 2003 to 2015, Beckmann, along with his colleague Claudia Schumacher, edited the 36-volume series Meister der Norddeutschen Orgelschule.

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Life

Klaus Beckmann was born in Wanne-Eickel (in Ruhr), Germany, in 1935.

Beckmann's early musical education was hindered by WWII. During WWII, his father Wilhelm Beckmann worked as a military band director (previously as a school teacher and headmaster). Due to threats of bombings in the Ruhr area, his family moved to Preussisch-Holland (in Poland, now Pasłęk). In 1945, his family fled back to Wanne-Eickel, where his father continued to direct musical productions including symphonies, choirs, and operas.

Klaus started learning the piano when he was 12 years old from his father, later with Elfi Gerlach. He performed the A Major Piano Concerto by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozert conducted by Wilhelm Beckmann.

During his confirmation around March 1950, Beckmann heard the organ for the first time, and he started taking lessons shortly after. His first organ teacher was Ernst Richter, who later taught Klaus harmony as well. He later studied with Gisbert Schneider, Dietram Schubert, and Dr. Eckart. While still a student, Klaus Beckmann directed a performance of Wir bauen eine Stadt by Paul Hindemith and played the Sergei Rachmaninoff Prelude in C-Sharp Minor Op. 3 No. 2. Around February, 1956, after graduating from high school, Klaus Beckmann performed his first organ recital, which included the Ciaconna in E Minor by Dietrich Buxtehude.

Klaus Beckmann attended secondary level 1 music conservatory in Detmold. His thesis was concerning the structure of settings of vocal songs by contemporary composers. Some organ pieces he studied include Trio Sonata no. 4 by Johann Sebastian Bach, Max Reger Introduction and Passacaglia in D Minor, Jean Langlais Te Deum, and Jehan Alain Variations sur un theme de Clément Janequin. After this, he further studied music in Köln. His thesis covered Antoine de Bertrand's settings of the "Amours" by Pierre de Ronsard.

Feeling a lack of suitable literature for school and church choirs, Klaus Beckmann got his first experience creating editions while working with original sources while preparing an edition of chansons and passions for choir by composers including Sermisy, Passerau, Costeley, Scandello and Beber.

Klaus Beckmann claims that he was the first person to note that one section of the Toccata in D Minor (BuxWV 155) by Dietrich Buxtehude should have been marked in 3/4 time instead of 4/4 time, this discovery taking place on October 13, 1969. He also identified the organists Johann Praetorius and Hieronymus Praetorius III as composers of surviving works based on stylistic grounds and historical evidence, and he connected the piece in the Pelplin Tablatures labled Ewaldt to Ewald Hintz a composer in Gdanśk.

References

Beckmann, Klaus. Dietrich Buxtehudes Orgelwerke: Überlieferung, Edition, Historisch legitimierte Aufführungspraxis. Mainz: Schott, 2021. p. 342-344.

Katalog der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek. Accessed 19 July, 2023.