| 1898 | July 6: HE born in Leipzig, third child of the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Eisler (1873-1926) and Marie Ida Eisler (née Fischer, 1875-1929). | |
| 1901 | The Eisler family move to Vienna. | |
| 1909 | First attempt at composition. | |
| 1916-1918 | takes part in WWI in a Hungarian regiment. | |
| 1917 | earliest extant fragment: »Dumpfe Trommel und berauschtes Gong«. | |
| 1918 | Die Mausefalle; Von der Armut und vom Tode. | |
| 1919 | enrolls at the New Vienna Conservatory under Karl Weigl;
Autumn: starts private tutoring with Arnold Schönberg in Mödling near Vienna (until 1923). |
|
| 1920 | Conductor of the choir "Strahklang" of the workers at the Siemens-Schckert
Works;
marries Charlotte Demant; Proofreader for Universal Edition (Vienna); accompanies Schönberg on a trip to Holland (returns March 1921). |
|
| 1921 | teaches at the "Verein für volkstümliche Musikerziehung;"
Conductor of the workers' chorus "Karl Liebknecht". |
|
| 1922 | takes lessons from Anton Webern. | Six Songs for voice and piano op.2. |
| 1923 | First performance of op.1 in Prague (April 10). | Sonata for piano op.1.; Composition of Piano Pieces op. 3; Divertimento for wind quintet op. 4 |
| 1924 | Palmström op. 5; Sonata No. 2 for piano op. 6; Duo for violin and cello op. 7. | |
| 1925 | April: awarded the Artist Prize of Vienna;
First performance of op. 2 at the Chamber Festival in Donaueschingen (July); First performance of op. 7 at the Music Festival of International Society for New Music (IGNM) in Venice (September 4); September: moves to Berlin (teaches at the Klindworth-Schwarwenka Conservoatory). |
Piano Pieces op. 8; Three Male Choruses op. 10. |
| 1926 | Application for membership of the KPD;
March: Quarrel with Schönberg; September- November: trip to Vienna and Paris. |
Tagebuch des Hanns Eisler op. 9; Zeitungsausschnitte for voice and piano op. 11. |
| 1927 | becomes music critic for Die Rote Fahne (first article appears
on March 22);
First performance of op. 9 and Opus III at the German Chamber Music Festival in Baden-Baden (July); November: starts collaboration with the Agitprop group "Das Rote Sprachrohr;" First performance of op. 11 in Berlin (November);. |
Work on the opera Moritz Meyer oder 150 Mark (lib. David Weber)
op. 18 (fragment); film Opus III (dir. Walter Ruttman);
theatre music for Heimweh (dir. Leonard Steckel). |
| 1928 | April 10: Birth of son Georg;
Friendship with Erwin Piscator and Bertolt Brecht; Premiere of Kalkutta, 4. Mai (June 12); Lectures at the Marxist School for Workers (MASCH). |
"Wir sind das Rote Sprachrohr"; theatre music for Kalkutta, 4. Mai (by Lion Feuchtwanger) including the song "Ballade vom Soldaten" (text by Brecht); Four Pieces for Mixed Chorus op. 13; Two Pieces for male chorus op. 14; "Auf den Straßen zu singen" op. 15. |
| 1929 | First performance of opp. 13 and 14 (January);
Great success of Musik für Arbeiter at IGNM concert in Berlin (June); First performance of op. 16 in Baden-Baden (July); Friendship with Ernst Busch; Premiere of Der Kaufmann von Berlin at the Piscatorbühne (September 6); Work on Werner Finck's cabaret Die Katakombe; Songs first recorded (November). |
"Komintern"; Two Male Choruses op. 17; radio cantata Tempo der Zeit op. 16; Musik für Arbeiter; music for Der Kaufmann von Berlin (by Walter Mehring); "Ballade zum § 218" (Six Ballads op. 18); Two Pieces for male chorus op. 19; "Stempellied"; "Ballade von den Baumwollpflückern" (Four Ballads for Bariton and orchestra op. 22); "Der rote Wedding"; "Lied der Bergarbeiter." |
| 1930 | May: Open letter with Brecht in protest of the banning of Die Maßnahme
by the Berlin New Music Festival;
November: first trip to the USSR; Premiere of Die Maßnahme in Berlin (December 13). |
Die Maßnahme op. 20; Two Pieces for mixed chorus op. 21; "Ballade von der Krüppelgarde" and "Ballade vom Nigger Jim" (op. 18); Suite No. 1 for orchestra op. 23 (from Opus III). |
| 1931 | June- July: trip to Moscow;
August: the shooting of Kuhle Wampe starts; October: Leader of the workers' study group "On Dialektischen Materialism and Music"; First showing of Niemandsland (December 9). |
Film Niemandsland (dir. Viktor Trivas); Suite No. 2 for orchestra op. 24 (from Niemandsland);"Bankenlied"; Die Mutter (by Brecht); film Kuhle Wampe (dir. Ernst Ottwalt, Slatan Dudov and Brecht) including "Solidaritätslied"; Collaboration on revue Wir sind ja sooo zufrieden; "Das Lied vom SA-Mann" (op. 41); Seven Ballads from the Lehrstück Die Mutter op. 25. |
| 1932 | First public performance of Die Mutter (January 17) in Berlin;
May: trip to the USSR for work on Die Jugend hat das Wort; First showing of Kuhle Wampe after protest against censorship in Berlin (May 30); September-October: trip to Moscow; chosen as committee member for the International Music Bureau (IMB) |
Music for Kamrad Kasper; Pesn o Gerojach (Die Jugend hat das Wort; dir Joris Ivens) Suite No. 3 for orchestra op. 26 (from Kuhle Wampe); Kleine Sinfonie op. 29; Suite No. 4 for orchestra op. 30 (from Die Jugend hat das Wort); Piano Pieces for Children op. 31; Seven Piano Pieces op. 32; "O Fallada, da du hangest"; Four Lullabies for Proletarian Mothers op. 33. |
| 1933 | January- March: Concerts in Vienna (among them: "Das Lide vom Kampf,"
cond. by Anton Webern);
Beginning of exile; April: recording with Busch in Holland. |
Film Dans les Rues (dir. Trivas); film Nieuwe Gronden (Neue Erde; dir. Ivens); "Das Lied vom Anstreicher Hitler" (op. 41); film Le grand Jeu (dir. Jacques Feyder); "Ballade vom Baum und den Ästen" (op. 41); "Das Lied vom Klassenfeind" (op. 41); Suite No. 5 for orchestra op. 34 (from Dans les Rues); Suite No. 6 for orchestra op. 40 (from Le grand Jeu). |
| 1934 | February-March: With Brecht in Svendborg, Denmark;
April: Lieder Gedichte Chöre published in Paris (including Four Ballads op. 41); July-August: travel to Svendborg. September-December: in London (Brecht joins in October). |
"Die Ballade von der Billigung der Welt"; music for Die Rundköpfe und die Spitzköpfe (by Brecht) op. 45; Sonatine op. 44; Präludium und Fuge über B-A-C-H for string trio op. 46; radio story Kalifornische Ballade (by Ottwalt) op. 47; "Das Saarlied"; "Keiner oder Alle"; "Einheitsfrontlied"; film Abdul Hamid (dir. Karl Grune). |
| 1935 | February-May: concert and lecture tour in the US;
First performance of op. 29 in London cond. by Ernest Ansermet (April 12); June: Organizer of the first Workers' Music and Song Olympiad in Strasbourg which includes the performance of "Einheitsfrontlied" with Busch; July: in Moscow; elected president of the IMB; in hospital; August: in Svendborg; dispute over the music for Die Horatier und die Kuriatier with Brecht; September: attends the XIII. Festival of IGNM in Prague; October: in New York; teaches courses "Musical Composition" and "The Crisis of Modern Music" at the New School of Social Research; attends rehearsals for Die Mutter by the Theatre Union with Brecht (opens November 19). |
"Die Moorsoldaten"; Deutsche Symphonie op. 50 (finished 1958); "Hammer und Sichel"; "Resolution"; Sonata for flute, oboe und harp op. 49; Lenin-Requiem (finished 1937) ; |
| 1936 | April: returns in London; XIV. IGNM-Festival in Barcelona;
Premiere of Rundköpfe and Spitzköpfe in Copenhagen (November 4); November: concert and lecture in Amsterdam. |
Gegen den Krieg op. 51; film I Pagliacci (dir. Grune); |
| 1937 | January: in Paris and then in Madrid to join the XI. International
Brigade;
February-Summer: in Svendborg; October: collaborates with Ernst Bloch in the Expressionism legacy debate; December: marries Louise (née von Gosztonyi). |
Two Elegies; Two Sonette for alto, clarinette and bassclarinette; Five Songs for Children, "Bettellied"; Die Gottseibeiuns-Kantate; "Ulm 1592"; Die Weißbrot-Kantate; Die römische Kantate; Man lebt vom einen Tage zu dem andern; Kriegskantate; Nein; Die den Mund aufhatten; Kantate auf den Tod eines Genossen; Die Zuchthuas-Kantate; Goliath (opera project); Sonata for violin and piano ("Reisensonate") |
| 1938 | January: moves to New York; teaches at the New School of Social Research. | Kantate zu Herrn Meiers erstem Geburtstag; String Quartet; film The 400 Million (dir. Ivens; Five Orchestral Pieces, Theme with Variations, and Scherzo with solo violin derived from this project). |
| 1939 | April: deported by the US States Department and arrives in Mexico;
May: teaches at the National Conservatory in Mexico City; September: returns in the US. |
puppet film Pete Roleum and His Cousins (dir. Joseph Losey); "Elegies 1939"; "Spruch 1939"; Nonett No. 1. |
| 1940 | February: Stipendium from the Rockefeller Foundation for the film music
project;
July: The US immigration authorities issues a warrant of arrest against HE; October: hearings on the extension of his visa. |
Stage play Medicine Show (by Oscar Saul and H. R. Hays); documentary film A Child Went Forth (dir. Losey); Suite for septet No. 1 op. 92a and Suite for string orchestra and winds op. 92b (from A Child Went Forth); documentary film White Flood (dir. Osgood Field); Kammer Symphonie op. 69 (from White Flood); film The Forgotten Village (dir. Herbert Kline). |
| 1941 | moves in Woodbury, Connecticut. | Notett No. 2 (from The Forgotten Village); Variations for piano; Woodbury-Liederbüchlein; documentary film Regen (dir. Ivens; Vierzehn Arten den Regen zu bechreiben op. 70 for the film music project); |
| 1942 | April: moves to Hollywood; teaches at the University of Southern California;
October: film music porject finished. |
Hollywooder Liederbuch (continues into 1943); film Hangmen Also Die (dir. Fritz Lang) including "Das Lidice-Lied". |
| 1943 | moves to Pacific Palisades. | Anakreontische Fragmente; Die Gesichte der Simone Machard (by Lion Feuchtwanger and Brecht; finsishes in 1955); Hölderlin-Fragmente; Sonata No. 3 for piano; Schweyk im zweiten Weltkrieg (by Brecht; finishes in 1959). |
| 1944 | March: nominated for the Academy
Awards for Hangmen Also Die;
September: Composing for the Films co-authored with Theodor W. Adorno finished. |
Film None But the Lonely Heart (dir. Clifford Odets). |
| 1945 | June: in New York for a production of Furcht und Elend des dritten Reiches. | Furcht und Elend des dritten Reiches (by Brecht); film Deadline at Dawn (dir. Harold Clurman). |
| 1946 | 3 Fugues for piano; Glückliche Fahrt; film The Woman on the Beach (dir. Jean Renoir). | |
| 1947 | May 11: Hearing of the House Un-American Activities Subcommittee in
Hollywood;
Premiere of Galileo at the Coronet Theatre in Beverly Hills (July 31); Autumn: Composing for the Films published by Oxford University Press in New York; September 24-26: Hearing of the House Un-American Activities Committee in Washington; October: Hanns Eisler Defence Committee formed; December: Solidarity concert for HE in Los Angeles; petition to the US Attorney General. |
Film So Well Remembered (dir. Edward Dmytryk); The Circus (dir. Charles Chaplin); Septett No. 2 (from The Circus); Galileo (by Brecht). |
| 1948 | February 28: Farewell concert held in New York;
March 26: Flies to London; then to Prague and Vienna; May: attends the Second International Congress of Composers and Music Critics in Prague; August: Vienna: attends World Congress for Peace in Wroclaw; October: in Berlin. |
Film Krizova Trojka (dir. Vaclav Gajer, Circle Three); Höllenangst (by Johan Nepomuk Nestroy); Overture zu einem Lustpiel (from Höllenangst). |
| 1949 | June: moves to Berlin;
July: Committee for the founding of the Akademie der Künste (AdK); October: attending the celebration of the 200th birthday of Goethe in Warsaw; Nationalhymne first performed at the birthhouse of Chopin. |
"Lied der Werktätigen"; "Lied über den Frieden"; Rhapsody for large orchestra; film Unser täglich Brot (dir. Slatan Dudov); Berliner Suite (fragment, from Unser täglich Brot); film Der Rat der Götter (dir. Kurt Maetzig); Nationalhymne der DDR. |
| 1950 | March: member of the Akademie der Künste;
May: becomes Professor of Composition at the Staatlichen Konservatorium Berlin; First performance of Neue deutsche Volkslieder (May 22); October: holds master classes at the Akademie der Künste; awarded Nationalpreis I. Klasse; November: in Leipzig on the occasion of the 200th anniverary of J. S. Bach's death. |
Neue deutsche Volkslieder; Mitte des Jahrhunderts; Kinderliederbuch (fragment). |
| 1951 | Begins work on Johann Faustus. | Das Vorbild. |
| 1952 | Publication of the libretto to Johann Faustus. | film Frauenschicksale (dir. Dudov). |
| 1953 | Premiere of Eulenspiegel in Vienna (April 1);
May: Faustus Discussion of the "Mittwoch-Gesellschaft" of the AdK; premiere of Katzgraben by the Berliner Ensemble (May 23); July: temporarily moves to Vienna; Premiere of Volpone in Vienna (September 2); October: letter to the Central Committee of the SED regarding the Faustus Discussion; Premiere of Lysistrata in Vienna (November 27). |
Katzgraben (by Erwin Strittmatter); Eulenspiegel oder Schabernack über Schabernack (by Nestroy); film Fidelio (dir. Walter Felsenstein; script by Felsenstein and HE); Volpone (by Ben Jonson); Lysistrata (Aristophanes); film Schicksal am Lenkrad (dir. Aldo Vergano). |
| 1954 | February: return to Berlin;
Lieder und Kantaten Volume 1 published in Leipzig; Premiere of Hamlet (dir. Wolfgang Heinz) in Vienna (September 9); December: lecture "Schönberg und sein Werk" at the AdK. |
"Von der Freundlichkeit der Welt"; Sieben Lieder über die Liebe; film Gaspoarone (script HE and Karl Paryla, operreta after Karl Millöcker); Hamlet (by Shakespeare); Winterschlacht (by Johannes R. Becher). |
| 1955 | Premiere of Theatreg'schichten in Berlin (March 2);
March 15: divorce with Louise Eisler; August-mid-October: in Vienna. |
Theatreg'schichten (by Nestroy); Improvisation for piano; "Im Blumengarten"; "Die hatbare Graugans"; film Herr Puntila und sein Knecht Matti (dir Alberto Cavalcanti); film Bel Ami (dir. Louis Daquin); documentary film Nuit et Brouillard (dir. Alain Resmais). |
| 1956 | Awarded "Jean Vigo Prize" for the music to Nuit et Brouillard;
April: attends "Jazz- ja oder nein" Forum. December: Eisler-Concert at the AdK. |
Die erste Reiterarmee (by Wsewolod Wischnewski); Neue Lieder 1955-1956 (dinished in 1956); Der Held der westlichen Welt (by J. M. Synge, The Playboy of the Western World); Die Tage der Kommune (by Brecht); "Zu Brechts Tod" (Bilder aus der Kriegsfibel). |
| 1957 | Premiere of Schweyk im zweiten Weltkrieg in Warsaw (January
17);
Premiere of Die Gesichte der Simone Machard in Frankfurt am Main (March 8); June: HE conducts at the concert in celebration of the 75th birthday of Igor Stravinsky at the AdK. |
Film Die Hexen von Salem (dir. Raymond Rouleau, Les Sorciéres de Salem); Die Teppichweber von Kujan-Bulak; Legende von der Entstehung des Buches Taoteking auf dem Weg des Laotse in die Emigration; Bilder aus der Kriegfibel; Sturm (by Vladimir N. Bill-Belozerkovski), "Sputnik". |
| 1958 | January: beginning of conversations with Nathan Notowicz;
April: beginning of conversations with Hans Bunge; June 26: marries Stephanie Zucker-Schilling; October: Nationalpreis I. Klasse; First performance of Lenin-Requiem (November 22). |
film Geschwader Fledermaus (dir. Erich Engel); Schwitzbad (by Vladimir Majakovski, The Bathhouse). |
| 1959 | First performance of Deutsche Symphonie in Berlin (April 24). | "Der Graben"; "Das alte Vertiko"; Neun Lieder nach K. Tucholsky; film Trübe Wasser (dir. Louis Daquin). |
| 1960 | February: first heart attack. | "Die Nachfolgerin". |
| 1961 | Documentary film Aktion J. (dir. Walter Heynowksi). | |
| 1962 | Performance of Wilhelm Tell (dir. Wolfgang Langhoff) in Berlin
(March 10);
May: elected president of the Music Advisory Committee of the DDR; September 6: HE dies in Berlin; September 12: memorial service at the Deutsche Staatsoper and buried at the Dorotheenstädtischer Friedhof. |
Wilhelm Tell (by Friedrich Schiller); television film Esther (dir. Robert Trösch); Ernste Gesänge. |
| 1963 | July: Hanns-Eisler-Archiv established at the AdK;
First performance of Ernste Gesänge in Dresden (September 6). |
|
| 1964 | Hochschule für Musik Berlin renamed Hochschule für Musik Hanns-Eisler. | |
| 1968 | Gesammelte Werke starts to appear. |
RETURN/ZURÜCK
Ensemble/hechronik.html 18 April 1998