Gottfried Piefke | Composers

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Gottfried Piefke
Gottfried Piefke

Born
09.10.1815 in Schwerin

Died
25.01.1884 in Frankfurt (Oder)

Info

Johann Gottfried Piefke (1815-1884) hailed from Schwerin on the Warthe where he was born the son of a city musician and organist. In 1835 he joined the ranks of the 8th Life Grenadiers in Frankfurt on the Oder as a musician. He remained with both the regiment and the band until his death. From 1838 to 1843 he studied at the university of music in Berlin. Finally, in 1843 he took over the baton of the band of the Life Grenadiers as Staff Bandmaster. In 1859 he was promoted to Director of Music and in 1865 he was awarded the title of Royal Director of Music. On March 20 of the same year he was honored by the title of “Director of Music of all Bands of the III Army Corps” that had been especially created for him. Piefke mastered almost all instruments of his band and was thus in a position to teach each one of his musicians individually in terms of technique, sound production, interpretation and performance. He participated in three campaigns of the German Wars of Unification with his band: at Düppel he conducted four bands of the III Army Corps (with his sword and not the baton), and was wholly unimpressed by the impacts of artillery fire around him. The foremost conductor of that time, namely Hans von Bülow, was also full of praise for Piefke, as he was a master in transcribing for band the music of Beethoven, Mozart, Wagner and Liszt producing brilliant performances of these works with the 8th Life Grenadiers. Piefke composed some 60 marches, which are, however, only partly are known today. Ten of them were accepted into the Prussian Collection of Army Marches between 1846 and 1912. It therefore is fully understandable indeed that he was generally regarded as the most renowed military bandmaster of the Royal Prussian Army during his lifetime.

Current Title

Preußens Gloria

Preußens Gloria

Margarethenmarsch

Margarethenmarsch

Music by Gottfried Piefke

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Compositions
Recordings

Preußens Gloria

Preußens Gloria

It goes without saying that the victorious Franco-German War of 1870/71 and - associated therewith - the foundation of the German Empire together with the proclamation of the German emperor in the...
Concert Band
MVSR1687
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RUNDEL Promo 2012

RUNDEL Promo 2012

The RUNDEL promo catalog 1/2012 includes 38 new band pieces from RUNDEL Music Publications plus sample audio CD. You can listen to the audio samples here online or order the printed catalog with...
Concert Band
KAT12.1
Wishlist

Ins Land hinaus

Ins Land hinaus

RUNDEL | audio | compact disc | CD | 68 Einzug der Olympischen Meisterringer - Neue Kameraden - Bei der Mühle - Ungarns Kinder - Helenenmarsch - Margarethenmarsch - Jázkun-Induló - Leitmeritzer...
CD (Compact Disc)
MVSR068-2
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Margarethenmarsch

Margarethenmarsch

As a son of an organist and town musician Johann Gottfried Piefke grew up in a musical environment and it does not surprise therefore, that he enrolled for his military service in 1835 in the band of...
Concert Band
MVSR2487
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