Reinhard, August 11/27/1831 - 11/27/1912

August Reinhard (1831-1912) was a German composer and author of a harmonium method. His cultural surroundings were formed by the court of the Duke of Anhalt-Bernburg in Castle Ballenstedt in Saxony, where he was born. Concerts and opera performances at the castle theater as well as contacts with orchestra musicians influenced his musical development.



At first he took up the profession of teacher, and in 1854 the Prince of Wittgenstein summoned him to tutor his son. In 1888 he gave up teaching for health reasons and dedicated himself to music, in particular to the harmonium. On his study tours with the Prince of Wittgenstein he had visited the "Akustisches Kabinett" (acoustic cabinet) of F. Kaufmann & Sohn in Dresden. There he played a Druckwindharmonium (air pressure harmonium) for the first time, which changed his life.



He saw in this instrument not a cheap organ surrogate, but a keyboard instrument capable of performing expressive orchestral music. He was particularly interested in the development of harmonium playing technique, which he saw as significantly different from piano or organ technique. The "Harmoniumpapst" ("Harmonium Pope") later distanced himself from the later widespread vacuum harmonium (Saugwindharmonium).



Reinhard gave public harmonium concerts and also taught. One of his students was Paula Simon-Herlitz, who later became his publisher's daughter-in-law.



Unfortunately, his music fell almost into oblivion during the decline of the harmonium in the 20th century. In recent times a certain interest in his work has been reawakened.