Edmund Kötscher Explained

"Connie" Edmund Kötscher (17 April 1909 – 15 January 1990) was a German light music composer and bandleader.

Life and career

Born in Berlin, Kötscher studied music at the Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt, Weimar with Max Strub and . He then worked as a conductor with various orchestras before leading his own dance orchestra. From 1933/34, he was concertmaster at the Admiralspalast in Berlin. After the Erhard Bauschke Orchestra was frequently on tour or otherwise contractually bound, Kötscher was commissioned to build up an orchestra for a German shortwave broadcaster.^[1] From 1939, he and his dance orchestra (a studio band of musicians from the Admiralspalast, to which the pianist also belonged) played a series of records for Imperial und Electrola such as Großstadtmelodie (Imperial 17269, with the), Fidele Geisterstunde^[2] and Cabaret der Noten (1939),^[3] Schön ist die Zeit der jungen Liebe, Sing mit mir (1942),^[4] (both with Herta Mayen) and Ich sag’ dir guten Morgen (ca. 1942/43, with Liselotte Malkowsky, Electrola 7310). Kötscher wrote about 2000 songs, mostly light music and hits like Abends in der kleinen Bar, Liechensteiner Polka,^[5] Amsterdamer Polka, Wenn die Lichter wieder scheinen (recorded by Arne Hülphers^{[6] [7] [8]}), but also Swing influenced pieces like Step Boys.^[9] He also composed works for accordion, big band and orchestra; in addition, he wrote an arrangement of Mozart's Violin concerto in G major.^[10]

Kötscher died in Berlin at the age of 80.

Further reading

• Armin Suppan, Wolfgang Suppan: Das Blasmusik-Lexikon. Komponisten – Autoren – Werke – Literatur.^[11] Published in connection with the Styrian brass band association, 5th edition, HeBu-Musikverlag, Kraichtal 2010, .
• Paul E. Bierley, William H. Rehrig: The Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music – Composers and Their Music, Westerville, Ohio: Integrity Press, 1991, .
• Edmund Kötscher, in Die Blasmusik – Official organ of the Bund Deutscher Blasmusikverbände e.V., Freiburg im Breisgau, June 1990,,
• Andreas Masel: Das Große Ober- und Niederbayerische Blasmusikbuch; mit Beiträgen von Stephan Ametsbichler, Stefan Hirsch und Heinz Wohlmuth; Ehrentafel der Ober- und Niederbayerischen Blasmusikkapellen, published by the Musikbund von Ober- und Niederbayern, Vienna: Verlag Christian Brandstätter, 1989, 543 p.

External links

• • • Edmund Kötscher on Allmusic

Notes and References

1. , edited by, Jazz-Institut Darmstadt. Wolke Verlagsges. Mbh, 1996,
2. Berlin März 1939 - KC 27 563 - Imperial 17 251
3. Imperial 17 245 / KC 27539
4. Electrola, EG 7291 / ORA 5851
5. "Fiesta" is a version of Liechtensteiner Polka adapted by Shane MacGowan and Jem Finer, issued on the 1988 The Pogues album If I Should Fall from Grace with God.
6. Music: Edmund Kötscher; lyrics: Charles Alson; from the film Menschen ohne Schwerkraft
7. https://www.filmportal.de/en/movie/menschen-ohne-schwerkraft_06e5cb55e9dc5002e04053d50b37498a Menschen ohne Schwerkraft
8. Arne Hülphers with Orchester and Otto Gerd Fischer (singer); recording: Grammophon 47563/Polydor
9. [Tom Lord]
10. Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus. Violin concerto in G major. Hier: Cadenzen zum I. und II. Satz von Edmund Kötscher. Originalhandschrift. Der Braune Musikverlag. Ohne Ort, 1940
11. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/758736109 Das Blasmusik-Lexikon : Komponisten - Autoren - Werke - Literatur