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Gerhard Joseph WuenschMusicologist, Composer, Canadian

Now if I were a critic, I would probably say something

like Wuensch makes a stew with the leftovers of othercomposers. Why not If you put some spices in it and

a little bit of red wine, stew isn!t so bad"#$Gerhard Wuensch

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Born in 1925, Gerhard Wuensch grew up in Vienna and started piano lessons at the

age of six. After Austria was seized ! "azi Ger#an!, Wuensch, a $%uarter&'ew( was arred

fro# going to school ut later drafted into the Ger#an ar#!. )e was e*entuall! ta+en

prisoner of war ! ussian forces in 19-5. Wuensch was hiding with his troop in an old

far#house and when ussian ca*alr!#en arri*ed, he spotted an old accordion and started to

sing and pla! a ussian fol+ song to appease the soldiers, who egan cr!ing and singing

along. #prisoned in /oland, Wuensch eca#e se*erel! ill and was released that !ear.

)iding on a train in a flour sac+, he returned to Vienna and egan his #usical studies.

Wuensch recalled that Austrian #usic had een held ac+ in ti#e, eing closed off

fro# the world during the !ears of )itler0s reign. $his #a! help explain #! own

conser*ati*e attitude,( he explained !ears later. n Vienna, he recei*ed his /h.. at the

Acade#! of 3usic, and eca#e a staff co#poser and acco#panist for the Austrian adio

"etwor+. n 1954, he fell in lo*e with an A#erican singer who encouraged hi# to appl! for

a ulright 6cholarship7 and in 195- he 8oined the ni*ersit! of exas as a ulright

6cholar. here hisNocturne for Orchestra won an $Award for estful 3usic,( and he later

recalled appl!ing for the prize ecause $:his; #usic :was; so dull an!wa!.( After his studies,

Wuensch 8oined Butler ni*ersit! in ndiana to teach co#position and piano until 19ntario.

Gerhard Wuensch had #an! #usical influences due to his *aried ac+ground.

Ger#an and Austrian #usic, especiall! 3ax eger, who Wuensch wrote his doctoral

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dissertation on, and later recei*ed a grant fro# the =anada =ouncil of the Arts to pulish a

oo+ on, were the iggest earl! influences. As a deepl! religious child, and a practicing

o#an =atholic his whole life, religion and religious #usic also pla!ed large roles in his

co#positions. )owe*er, A#erica exposed hi# to new #usic, so#ething he had had *er!

little of in Austria, such as 8azz and lues. 3o*ing to =anada at one of its #ost $*irant

ti#e:s;,( Wuensch was ale to explore and asor =anadian #usic and culture. )is wife

recalled that =anada and its culture had a great influence on hi#, and he elie*ed there was

#ore support for co#posers in =anada than the nited 6tates.

hough an acti*e #e#er in the =anadian ?eague of =o#posers and the

=onte#porar! 3usic 6howcase, Wuensch de*eloped his co#positional st!le to e highl!

accessile and en8o!ale ! the pulic. )is stud! of #usic ga*e hi# a historical perspecti*e

to #usical de*elop#ent, and he expressed concern that 2@ thcentur! #usic was new $e*er!

decade(, lea*ing the audience $efuddled.( )is #usic, in contrast, is accessile and often

hu#orous with titles such asPing Pong Anyone, Op. 91for piano andMenage a Trois, Op.

70for clarinet, piano, and *iolin. dealizing the #usical culture of the 1 th centur!, where

#usic was written in an organic en*iron#ent, and not a $hot&house( en*iron#ent of grants

and funding, Wuensch0s interest was to write #usic for a purpose. e#ar+ing on this, he

said, $ wish so#eod! would tell #e, $Write me such and such a piece, li+e a tailor would

e told, $Ma!e me a suit out of this materia". )e en8o!ed writing #usic for specific e*ents,

co##issions, and for educational purposes, ne*er turning down a re%uest for a co#position.

Wuensch passed awa! in 2@@, ut #an! of his pedagogical pieces are still included in the

o!al =onser*ator! of 3usic0s piano s!llaus, and toda! he is est re#e#ered for these

children0s pieces.

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Bibliography

Behrens, 'ac+. $Gerhard Wuensch at @C A riute.( Ontario Notations, Winter #00$.

httpsCDDde*.#usiccentre.caDsitesDwww.#usiccentre.caDfilesD>ntEWin@