|
Born: August 8, 1914 - Vienna, Austria
Died: December 20, 1986 - Vienna, Austria |
|
The Austrian conductor, Gottfried Walter Preinfalk, studied violin and viola as a child; first studied electrical engineering and mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Vienna (TU Wien), then history and German philology; from 1936 to 1938 Musicology at the University of Vienna; next to it in 1937-1938 at the Hochschuule für Musikerziehung und Kirchenmusik in Berlin, in the summer semester 1938 at the Staatsakadenie in Vienna (violin with Ernst Morawec).
In 1934 Gottfried Preinfalk became a member of the SA and NSDAP; 1936 in the HJ; 1938 head of the branch school for people and youth for the HJ; 1938-1942 inspector of the Volks- und Jugendmusikschulen der Stadt Wien; 1940 directror of the Wiener Kammerorchester. Guest performances as conductor also took him to various functions in broadcasting (including the director of the Rundfunkspielschar with tours and troop support).
After World War II, Gottfried Preinfalk worked as an assistant in Styrian region, teaching violin, and working for the Ennstaler Musikvereinigung and founding several choirs. In 1949 he returned to Vienna. After the intervention of Kurt Wöss, he played viola in Niederösterreichischen Tonkünstlerorchester Bratsche (Tonkünstler-Orchester) (1949-1953). He founded and directed the Niederösterreichischen Tonkünstlerchor (1949-1955). In 1956 he built the Wiener Rundfunkchor (since 1967 ORF-Chor) and directed it up to 1983 (successor Erwin G. Ortner); in 1974-1981 he had also a chamber ensemble consisting of members of this choir (with 16 singers). With both choirs he devoted himself especially to performances of the most difficult works of the a cappella literature (works by G. Ligeti and K. Penderecki, among others). From 1960 onwards he also operated a film production company, which he continued to supervise after his retirement in 1983. His younger brother Walter Preinfalk (1918-1942) was a youth radio director in the Reichssender Wien. |
