Wemheuer, Werner

Conductor, Composer

born: 05.02.1899 in Wiesbaden

died: 14.12.1977 in Wiesbaden

Wemheuer, son of the composer Erich Wemheuer (1869-1925), already made a name for himself as a child prodigy with piano recitals. In 1919, after a thorough musical education, he became répétiteur and conductor at the then Nassauisches Landestheater in Wiesbaden. He retained this position, apart from a brief interruption, until his retirement in 1964.

He began composing at an early age. He penned a series of stage music, ballet interludes, a Wiesbaden local revue "Bei uns" and other occasional compositions. His singspiel "Constanze" premiered in 1930. Wemheuer also wrote a number of songs, including settings of Erich Kästner's "Lärm im Spiegel" and a viola concerto. He also composed a four-movement concerto for the new instrument developed in 1926 by Frankfurt instrument maker Eugen Sprenger, the "Violoncello-Tenore"; it was first performed at the Wiesbaden Kurhaus at one of the "Wemheuer Evenings", at which only his and his father's works were performed. In 1930, on the occasion of the liberation of the Rhineland, Wemheuer set the "choral festival play" by the Reich's cultural director Edwin Redslob "Deutschlands Strom" to music, which was premiered on the "Unter den Eichen" grounds.

In his spare time, Wemheuer led the "Orchesterverein Wiesbadener Amateure", which merged with the Wiesbadener Orchesterverein in 1962.

Wemheuer was buried in the Südfriedhof c emetery.