Horst Göbel (Piano, Harpsichord)

Born: 1924 - Berlin, Germany
Died: October 17, 2002 - Berlin, Germany

The German pianist and harpsichordist, Horst Göbel, studied at the Berlin Academy of Music with Hans-Erich Riebensahm, as well as in London.

Horst Göbel appeared as a soloist with the foremost orchestras (e.g. with the Berliner Philharmoniker, whose pianist and harpsichordist he has been for 25 years). Herbert von Karajan engaged him Since 1973 to take over the Chamber Music Section at the Orchester-Akademie of the Berliner Philharmoniker, where he directed the classes of chamber music and ensemble playing. He awas also and as a chamber music player and in 19732 founded the Göbel-Trio Berlin (see below)l.

Horst Göbel made innumerable recordings for all German broadcasting stations, for ORF (Austrian Radio), Radio France, RAI, SRG, Radio Hilversum and Radio Stockholm, the BBC, NHK Tokyo, etc. In his many CD recordings he also represented himself as editor of his own editions - e.g. Louis Ferdinand, Josef Rheinberger, “Musik zwischen den Kriegen“ (music between the wars) - and has been active as a CD producer from 1989. With the Philharmonischen Orchester Frankfurt (Oder) alone, he recorded 16 CD's with alternating conductors.

Horst Göbel was Chairman of the Board of the Gotthard-Schierse-Stiftung (Gotthard Schierse Foundation), which promotes young musicians and singers. Every summer, the foundation organizes several matinees in the Berlin Musical Instrument Museum. There Göbel himself had performed several times as a chamber musician.

Göbel-Trio Berlin

From 1972 to 2002 the members of the Göbel-Trio Berlin have been Hans Maile (violin), René Forest (violoncello), and Horst Göbel (piano). Seldom heard works have been played by the Trio in major concerts: E.W. Korngold; Louis Ferdinand, Prince of Prussia; Boris Blacher; Dag Wiren and others. Following four concert tours of the USA since 1979, the Göbel Trio Berlin toured the Far East in 1990 and 1992, and - sponsored by the German State Department and as a part of the cultural exchange program - China with performances in Peking, Nanking and Shanghai. CD productions include the trios by Josef Rheinberger, Louis Ferdinand, Robert Schumann, Bruch, Widor and others

Source: Liner notes to a concert on March 11, 1978, English translation by Aryeh Oron (March 2013); Liner notes to the album "Carl Czerny · Georges Onslow: Piano Trios" (Christophorus, 1998); NMZ Website (October 19, 2002), English translation by Aryeh Oron (June 2018)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (March 2013, June 2018); Peter Fulop, Mikrokosmos co. (Dates & Photo 01, June 2018)

Horst Göbel: Short Biography | Recordings of Instrumental & Vocal Works

Links to other Sites

Pianist und Schallplattenproduzent Horst Göbel gestorben (NMZ) [German]