Unser letztes Musikjahrhundert

"Nothing will be forgotten anymore," Hans-Klaus Jungheinrich states at the beginning of his book "Jahrhundert" (Century), attributing eidetic musical memory to the world and undertaking a highly individual attempt to narratively untangle the abundance of musical works, developments, and styles that have accumulated over a lavish century. An unbiased observer of art at the height of his powers and in tune with the times, he proves himself to be a "specialist in everything," fascinated by the Darmstadt avant-garde (to which he himself temporarily belongs), but still taking the liberty to admire Britten and Henze, Strauss and Puccini operas, and also views jazz and pop with respect and connoisseurship. His texts are interspersed with mostly surprising, always illuminating literary-philosophical-contemporary associations; his writing style is characterized by a virtuosity that comes from a wealth of knowledge and insight.

Hans-Klaus Jungheinrich (1938–2018) was born in Bad Schwalbach, grew up in Frankfurt am Main, and studied music (conducting, piano, composition) in Darmstadt and Salzburg. From 1960, he worked as a music journalist and radio author. From 1968 to 2003, he was arts editor and music critic at the Frankfurter Rundschau and a freelance author. He published a series of books, most recently one on Smetana.

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