Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs

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Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs (21 September 1965 – 21 November 2023) was a German conductor, music scholar (specialising in Bruckner), and publicist on music.

Early career

Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs made his early conducting debut in 1984 with the orchestra of the Youth Music School in

Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst
). Since then, he had developed a career as a freelance concert conductor, editor, scholar and publicist on music. Cohrs finished his PhD in Musicology (University of Hamburg) in 2009.

Conductor

Ben Cohrs made his international conducting debut in November 2000 in the

Bolshoi Hall, when he introduced historically informed performing practice to the Russian National Orchestra. In March 2001 he participated in the farewell concert of the famous Philharmonia Hungarica, which was closed by the German Government and the Orchestral Union for political reasons. He appeared with orchestras such as the Royal Flanders Philharmonic (September 2001, Sumida Triphony Hall, Tokyo), Sarajevo Symphony Orchestra, and the Janacek Philharmonic; with the latter he gave the Austrian premiere of Bruckner’s completed Ninth Symphony in Gmunden.[1] In September 2013 he conducted the first performance of his new completion of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart´s Requiem in D minor in Germany (Bremen and Dortmund
).

Scholar and publicist on music

From 1996, Cohrs had contributed to international music magazines, presented pre-concert-talks as well as his own radio programmes (Radio Bremen, SWR, WDR, ORF), wrote programme notes, booklet notes, reports on musicological conferences and was a successful editor of music. From 1995 to 2012 he was a co-editor of the

RIAS-Kammerchor, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Lukasz Borowicz), 2018 the Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major (First Performance: Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Harding, Stockholm/Berwaldhallen, 4 September 2018), 2018 the Requiem d minor (First Performance: 22 November 2018, Berlin/Philharmonie, RIAS-Kammerchor, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Lukasz Borowicz), and 2021 the Symphony No. 4 in E-flat major (Version 1878–81, including - as appendices - the earlier Scherzo and Finale discarded in 1878; First Performance: 19 to 27 September 2021 in London, Luxembourg, Frankfurt, Dortmund and Cologne, London Symphony Orchestra
, Simon Rattle).

Cohrs died from a heart attack on 21 November 2023, at the age of 58.[4]

Editions of music

  • Lili Boulanger: Théme et Variations for Piano(1915). First Edition. Tonger, Cologne, 2005 (ISMN-M-005-32611-3)
  • Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. IX in d-minor (score and parts) New critical edition, Bruckner Complete Edition, Vienna 2000 (ISMN-M-50025-225-2)
  • Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. IX, Finale (unfinished). Completed Performance Version (1986–92/rev. 1996); (with Nicola Samale, John A. Phillips, Giuseppe Mazzuca); Adelaide/Bremen 1992. Revised Edition (with Nicola Samale): 2005/rev. 2008/rev. 2012; Score : Repertoire Explorer Nr. 444 / Musikproduktion Hoeflich, Munich, 2012; Orchestral Parts: BGC Manuscript Edition, Bremen.
  • Anton Bruckner: Scherzo und Trio / Ältere Trios mit Viola-Solo. Bruckner Complete Edition, Vienna 1998 (ISMN-M-50025-182-8)
  • Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. IX, Two earlier, discarded Trios. Performance Version Doblinger, Vienna, 1998 (ISMN-M-012-18480-8).
  • Universal-Edition
    , Vienna 1997 (UE 30 868).
  • Great Mass in C minor
    , Credo & Agnus Dei, Completion from original sources. Score: Repertoire Explorer Nr. 1049, Musikproduktion Höflich, Munich, 2010; Performance Material: BGC Manuscript Edition, Bremen
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Requiem in D minor, new Completion. Score: Repertoire Explorer Nr. 1425, Musikproduktion Höflich, Munich, 2013; Performance Material: BGC Manuscript Edition, Bremen
  • Erik Satie: Trois Gymnopédies, Arrangement for String Orchestra with Harp ad lib.; Score and Parts; First Edition, Doblinger, Vienna 2006 (ISMN-M-012-19299-2)
  • Unfinished
    ), Scherzo D 759/3 (Completed Performance Edition by Nicola Samale & Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs) / Orchestral Movement D 797/1 (Presumed Finale); Score: Repertoire Explorer Nr. 884 / Musikproduktion Hoeflich, Munich, 2008; Orchestral Parts: BGC Manuscript Edition, Bremen.

Selected writings in print

  • Das Finale der IX. Sinfonie von Anton Bruckner. Geschichte - Dokumente - Werk - Präsentation des Fragments. (Dissertation) Wiener Bruckner Studien 3, Vienna 2012,
    ISBN 978-3-900270-94-0
  • Bruckners Neunte im Fegefeuer der Rezeption.
    ISBN 3-88377-738-2
  • Anton Bruckner: IX. Symphonie d-moll (1. Satz–Scherzo & Trio–Adagio). Critical Report, Bruckner Complete Edition, Vienna 2001,
    ISBN 3-900270-53-8

Selected original compositions

  • L´amour perdu (MS, 1993), Berceuse for piano op. 4 (dedicated to Ole Georg Graf). Also arranged for small orchestra (MS, 1999)
  • Trois Pastorales (MS,1991) op. 3 for flute and clarinet (dedicated to Michael Donner)
  • Jesu, Deine Passion EKG 67 (MS, 1987/91). Chorale prelude for organ op. 2 (in memoriam Sebastian Hedemann)
  • Komm, Herr, segne uns (MS, 1980/4) op. 1, motet for mixed choir, flute and organ (dedicated to Daniela Scholz)

References

  1. ^ Symphony No. 9 with the SPCM the Finale with the Janacek Philharmonic Ostrava – live, Toscana Congress in Gmunden, 8 October 2002
  2. ^ Anton Bruckner Gesamtausgabe (bis 2014)
  3. ^ Anton Bruckner Urtext Gesamtausgabe
  4. ^ "Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs (1965–2023)". Abruckner. Retrieved 28 November 2023.

External links

  • Official Website
  • [1]
    Great Mass in C minor
    , preface (German/English) of the completion by Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs (2010)
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