Willy Czernik

Willy Czernik was born on 24 January 1901 in Dresden (Germany). He studied first organ and piano at the Dresden conservatory, afterwards also composition and conducting. After his studies Willy Czernik first focused on a career as conductor. He became kapellmeister at the Frankfurt Opera under Clemens Krauss between 1926 and 1930. Subsequently he fulfilled the same position at the state theatre in Braunschweig, then at the Dresden State Opera. After World War II Willy Czernik first helped to re-establish the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra. From 1948 to 1953 he was conductor in Gießen, between 1956 and 1959 in Wiesbaden.

From around 1960 Willy Czernik more and more made a mark as a composer of operettas, light and film music. His best known works are the song "Chi sa" and the theme melody of the German television series "Die Firma Hesselbach". But Czernik also composed serious classical music, a better known work is his violin concerto which was premiered by Wolfgang Marschner.

Willy Czernik died on 6 January 1996 in Mühlheim am Main (Germany).

In my possession are two autograph manuscripts of songs by Willy Czernik. The songs are "Helle Nacht" and the duet of Friederike and Fred from the singspiel "Die Winzerkönigin".

The song "Helle Nacht" is scored for voice and piano and sets a poem by Paul Verlaine (in a translation by Richard Dehmel) to music. The manuscript is dedicated to Georg Völker (tenor and son of Franz Völker) and dated 23 May 1946.

The duet for Friederike and Fred is scored for 2 voices and piano. The song is part of the singspiel "Die Winzerkönigin" which was composed and premiered in 1936. My manuscript has an inscription to "Schorchi und seiner Lore" and is dated 21 July 1952. It comes from the same provenance like the manuscript of "Helle Nacht" and it seems likely that "Schorchi" is identical to Georg Völker.

In addition to the autograph manuscripts the archive also contains a manuscript of the unpublished songs "Das Clavecin", "Der Aufzug", "Regenlied" and "In stiller Dämmerung" by a copyist.