| Biography | Paul Steinitz OBE (25 August 1909 21 April 1988) was a pioneer in the post-war interpretation of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. He founded the London Bach Society and Steinitz Bach Players in order to put his scholarship into practice, performing all Bachs cantatas in mainly London venues over the space of 29 years.
(Charles) Paul (Joseph) Steinitz was born in Chichester in 1909, the son of an Anglican clergyman. He was educated privately and later studied at the Royal Academy of Music, and with George Oldroyd. He was a skilled organist, obtaining his FRCO in 1930, only six months after taking his ARCO. In the 1930s, he served as Director of Music at St. Mary's Ashford, Kent where he developed his keen interest on Bach while studying for his Doctorate (University of London, 1940). Having founded the London Bach Society [1] in 1946, Dr. Steinitz was then appointed Director of Music and organist at the Priory Church of St. Bartholomew-the-Great in London (19491961)and became Senior, then Principal Lecturer at University of London Goldsmiths College (19451977), serving on the University of London Senate during his tenure. He was appointed Professor at the Royal Academy of Music (19451984), then Consultant Professor 1984-1988.
In 1946 Paul Steinitz founded the (South) London Bach Society with the aim of performing Bachs works in their original form, free from the romantic exaggerations which had been habitual from the Victorian era. From 1950 onwards Bach's works were performed in the German language, a controversial move at the time as the language was still an enemy tongue. In 1952 Paul Steinitz directed the first performance in Britain of Bachs St Matthew Passion in its complete and original German form. The presentation was a conscious attempt to 'get back to Bach in its original form' that has since been acknowledged as a key moment in the move towards performing Bach's music according to period style and to scale. The annual performances that followed became a highlight of the musical calendar, were broadcast regularly and which drew a Who's Who of solo artistry to the platform. Through these and his other influential Bach projects and performances, Dr Steinitz is widely acknowledged to be a pioneer in the field, a key figure in the British Bach revival of the 20th century.
The word "South" was dropped from the societys title in 1952 and later Steinitz embarked on the mammoth task of performing all 208 of Bachs extant cantatas to British audiences. This project was begun in November 1958 and completed in December 1987, just a few months before Steinitzs final illness. In 1968 he founded the Steinitz Bach Players, a group of professional players who shared Steinitzs ideals of authentic performance. The playing style complemented the singing style of the choir in the cantatas and passions and their performances of the St Matthew Passion and sometimes the St John Passion were eagerly awaited annual events, generally given in prominent London churches. Performances given beyond the capital brought the singers and players to leading British Festivals and there were frequent tours abroad: including USA, Israel, German Democratic Republic (1964 and 1983, including St. Thomas' Church Leipzig both times) and Bulgaria.
Steinitzs music making was not restricted to Bach and other Baroque composers. He was a champion of contemporary, mostly British, composers. Commissions and First Performances were established in the 1950s and 1960s and included works by Stravinsky (Canticum Sacrum, guest conducted by Robert Craft, in 1956), Bruno Maderna, Luigi Dallapiccola, Peter Maxwell Davies, John Tavener, Anthony Milner, Stanley Glasser (sung in Zulu), Christopher Brown, Geoffrey Burgon and his own pupil Nicholas Maw.
In conjunction with Joan Brocklebank, Paul Steinitz also started another choral and chamber orchestral society in 1955, the Dorset Bach Cantata Club. At the time of its foundation, Dr Steinitz was already contemplating the presentation of a more considered cycle of Bach's cantatas with his London Bach Society and directing DBCC weekends not only enabled him to create more time to study and perform the cantatas but also to extend knowledge of them to a wider circle. The Dorset Bach Cantata Club remains the only one of its type in the country and in 2005 celebrated its 50th anniversary. In 2009, Paul Steinitz' centenary year, the group dedicated its October meeting to its founder and first conductor.
Steinitzs scholarship and profound understanding of his subject did not prevent him from trusting his players and singers on matters of technique and interpretation. This mutual trust led to some memorable readings and glowing praise in the national press. "All of Bachs music is dance music except for the recitatives" he would tell his musicians.
His publications include the chapter on German church music in the 18th century 'The New Oxford History of Music, to many harmony textbooks for music students as well as books entitled Bachs Passions, Bach for Choirs, and Performing Bachs Vocal Music. There are also numerous letters and articles published by The Musical Times from the 1950s to 1980s and in various American Journals including that of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA).
Paul Steinitz was a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music and Royal College of Organists. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1985, the Bach ter-centenary year. However, he would wish Bach to have the last honour: a portrait of the great composer would often be leaning against the conductor's rostrum, and then held high to rapturous applause at the end of the concert.
Dr. Steinitz died on 21 April 1988 at home in his beloved 18th century cottage in Old Oxted village after a short illness. He was a devout Quaker who held a passionate belief that music could contribute to peace by bridging political divides. |