Date of Award

1985

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Abstract

Martin Behrmann is the Director of the Berliner Kirchenmusik- schule in the Spandau section of West Berlin. Behrmann is also the conductor of the "Spandauer Kantorei" and another civic chorus in Hamburg, West Germany. Lehrbuch fur Chorleitung is the first of three volumes to be pub- lished by Hannsler-Verlag of Stuttgart. This first volume is due to be released by the publisher in the summer of 1985. Behrmann assumes and defends the position that conducting does not require special talent. The author maintains that conduc- ting can be taught and then proceeds to demonstrate his method. This method consists primarily of stimulating every conceivable musical problem which a choral conductor might encounter and rehearsing it with the assistance of an instructor. Behrmann places particular emphasis on rehearsal technique, advocating his own technique as one which can be studied in order for a beginner conductor to be able to develop his own individual technique. The author divides rehearsals into four phases and describes each phase, the duration, the material to be addressed, and the results to be expected. Within these four phases, difficulties are placed into three classifications. The majority of the book addresses these classifications of difficulties and all that they entail. Numerous excerpts from compositions (mostly by German composers) as well as short exercises by Behrmann are utilized throughout the book. The final chapter is demonstrative, more specifically, of his rehearsal technique concerning one particular piece of music, "Wie der Hirschshreiet" by Distler.

Pages

579

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_disstheses.4083

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