Thärichen, Werner

Werner Tharichen

Biography

Born: August 18, 1921

Died: April 24, 2008, Berlin

Country: Neuhardenberg, Germany

Studies: Hochschule für Musik, Berlin

Teachers: Franz Krüger

Orchestra: Germany - The Big List of timpanists - Berlin Philharmonic

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Werner Thärichen, legendary timpanist of the Berlin Philharmonic, studied composition and conducting at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin. He also learned the flute and piano and was a percussionist and timpanist with the orchestras of the Hamburg State Opera and the State Opera Unter den Linden in Berlin. Thärichen was known especially for his Concerto for Timpani and Orchestra, Op 34 (1954), which he performed as soloist or conducted at home and abroad. This concerto was the best known of his more than 70 works. It was written for his son Nicolai, to whom he also gave percussion lessons and who made a name for himself as a jazz pianist, composer and arranger. I edited the Allegro Moderato movement in order to be performed with my piano accompanist as a reduction of the original orchestral score. Some of the glissando passages I still consider to be to difficult to attempt in a live performance. That interpretation also agrees with a footnote in German at the beginning of the movement.

Works for Percussion

Der Pauker-Krieg (Batrachomyomachia), op.55 - Percussion Duo; Orchestra; Chorus
Konzert für Marimbaphon, Posaune und Orchestra, op.53 - Marimba; Orchestra
Konzert für Pauken und Orchestra, op.34 - Timpani; Orchestra
Konzert für Schlagzeug und Orchestra, op. 66 - Multiple Percussion; Orchestra
Musik auf Pauken - Timpani; Electronics
Musik für Percussions-Orchester - Percussion Ensemble (11)
Schlagzeug - Trio, op.52 - Percussion Trio