Erika Kickton

Erika Kickton was born on 21 May 1896 in Berlin-Schöneberg (Germany). According to later biographical sources, she studied applied arts in Potsdam, Weimar and Berlin and also studied music and composition in Berlin with Otto Becker and Wilhelm Klatte. From 1921 to 1927 she reportedly directed a music seminar in Potsdam and worked as music correspondent for the Potsdamer Tageszeitung.
Erika Kickton was already active as a writer at the beginning of the 1920s. In addition to the poetry collection "Gedanken und Stimmungen in Versen" (1921), she published "Durch Potsdams Gärten" in the same year and the historical essay "Von Poztupimi nach Potsdam. Ein Spaziergang durch die Jahrhunderte" in "Westermanns Monatshefte" in 1924. Her interests increasingly turned towards musicological and philosophical subjects. In 1925, for example, she contributed the article "Musik und Moral" to the "Neue Musik-Zeitung", and in the following year Merseburger published her book "Was wissen wir über Musik?", an introduction to musicology.
According to biographical accounts, Kickton moved to Switzerland in 1927. In the late 1920s and 1930s she lived in Locarno-Monti together with her female partner. During this time Erika Kickton worked as a writer, composer and journalist. Some of her poems were set to music by other composers, such as the "Two Songs after Poems by Erika Kickton for voice and piano op. 59" by Arno Liebau.
Erika Kickton also composed music herself, particularly vocal music. Her "Three Songs after Poems by Hermann Löns" were published in 1937. Another surviving composition is the choral work "Zum neuen Jahr" for SATB choir. Nevertheless, writing, journalism and musicology appear to have formed the principal focus of her professional activity.
By 1942 Kickton was again living in Potsdam-Neubabelsberg. According to a later Claims Resolution Tribunal record concerning her, she was imprisoned for two weeks during the Nazi period after refusing to give the Hitler salute. Beyond this incident, little detailed information about her activities during the years of National Socialism has so far come to light.
In 1947 Erika Kickton obtained the degree of Dr. phil. with a dissertation entitled "Das Problem der Konsonanz". Her subsequent work shows an increasing connection between musicology, philosophy and psychology. A contribution by Kickton entitled "Die Beziehungen der Tonkunst zur Philosophie (Logik, Ethik und Metaphysik)" was included in the proceedings of the Fourth Congress of the International Musicological Society, held in Basel in 1949.
In 1958 she published two further books: "Musikwissenschaft im Umriss" with Max Hesse and "Charakterkunde. Neue Wege zur Menschenkenntnis, die Kultur der Zukunft" with Bernard & Graefe. The latter work reflects her growing interest in psychology and the study of human character. Around this year Erika Kickton moved to Wiesbaden and in 1963 she held a teaching appointment in psychology at the University of Frankfurt am Main. 
Erika Kickton died on 28 September 1967 in Wiesbaden (Germany).

In my possession are two autograph manuscripts of compositions by Erika Kickton. The first is the song "Still!" for voice and piano on a text by Johanna Ambrosius (1854-1939), the second is also a song for voice and piano and titled "Ich und Du" on words by Friedrich Hebbel (1813-1863). The scores can be downloaded below:

In addition to these autograph manuscripts I also own a copy of the "Drei Lieder nach Gedichten von Hermann Löns" for soprano and piano. The cycle was published by the "Verlag Musikalische Fundgrube" (volume 2, issue 7) and consists of the songs I. Das bittersüße Lied; II. Irrkraut and III. Der Eine allein.

The Kickton autographs were part of a small collection of manuscripts and documents when I bought them. This collection included also a few other items of which I don't know how (and if) they are connected to Erika Kickton. For completeness I list these items here as well:

• two autograph scores of piano compositions by Kurt Lange. Check my subpage of him here to get biographical information and details about the manuscripts.
• two letters of reference by Robert Spörry for a soprano called Elli Seibel. Robert Spörry (*1878) was a Swiss baritone who also worked as a singing teacher in Berlin (Motzstraße 83). The two letters are dated 21.09.1942 and 23.03.1943 and both confirm that Elli Seibel took singing lessons with Robert Spörry for more than a year and that he is sure that Ms. Seibel has all talents to become an outstanding soprano.
• a certificate by Hans Georg Gehse that he is the weekly répétiteur for Elli Seibel, nee Rosenau since 1 August 1942 and that he recommends vocal studies for Ms. Seibel. The letter dates from 29.08.1942. It is little known about Hans Georg Gehse, but he signed the letter with the title "airforce bandmaster" and there are a few published compositions by him during the Nazi time. In 1942 he lived in Bismarckallee 13 in Berlin.
• an autograph music manuscript of a "Vokalise, for mezzo-soprano and piano" by a composer named Heinrich Haas. The composition dates from 24.12.1947 and is dedicated to Elli Seibel. As the title suggests there is no text included, the song should be sung on a vowel of the singers choice. Additionally there is also the autograph mezzo-soprano part. And there is a third autograph music manuscript for a "Adagio-Allegro" which dates from 2 May 1943.