Hermann Buchal

Hermann Buchal was born on 17 January 1884 in Paczkow (at that time part of the Kingdom of Prussia and called „Patschkau“, today located in Poland). He received his first musical education from his father, who was a teacher and could play violin, piano and organ. Hermann Buchal became choirboy at the local church at the age of 8. At the age of 15 he was the organist for the religious service at his Gymnasium. In 1906 Hermann Buchal began his studies at the Königliches Akademisches Institut für Kirchenmusik in Berlin under Arthur Egidi (music theory), Franz von Hennig (piano), Theodor Krause (voice), Hermann Schröder (violin) and Carl Thiel (Catholic sacred music). From 1907 Hermann Buchal also attended lessons in compositions from Friedrich Gernsheim at the Königliche Akademie der Künste.

Hermann Buchal finished his studies in 1910 and was appointed lecturer for piano, organ, music theory and composition at the Conservatory in Beuthen O.S. (today: Bytom, Poland). He remained there until 1921 when he followed the calling of the Silesian Conservatory in Wroclaw for a similar position. Together with the composers Gerhard Strecke, Arnold Mendelssohn, Richard Wetz and the writer Alfred Schattmann he founded the „Silesian Composers Guild“ in 1924. In the same year Hermann Buchal became the director of the Conservatory, a position he held until 1936. In that year the Nazi regime nationalised the conservatory and Hermann Buchal was downgraded to the assistant director as he was too faithful to the church for the regime.

After the end of World War II Hermann Buchal was evacuated from Wroclaw and finally settled in Görkwitz, near Jena (Germany). He became lecturer at the Friedrich-Schiller-Universität in Jena and was appointed professor there in 1950. Hermann Buchal retired from that position in 1952.

In his last years Hermann Buchal continued to compose and finally died on 30 August 1961 in Jena.

The Violin concerto op.69 by Hermann Buchal was composed between December 1940 and May 1941. The premiere took place in Katowice in 1942 during the "Oberschlesische Musikwoche" and was performed by Franz Schätzer (violin, concertmaster of the performing orchestra), the „Orchester der Gauhauptstadt Kattowitz“ under Otto Wartisch (conductor).

The original manuscript is archived at the "Thüringische Landesmusikarchiv".