Pro Musica

Pro Musica: Organ für neue Musik was published during the years 1932 and 1933 with the intent to produce ten issues each year. Publication ceased after the fourth issue of 1933. The journal was published jointly in Copenhagen and Leipzig by Wilhelm Hansen Verlag, and in Wolfenbüttel and Berlin by Georg Kallmeyer Verlag. Each issue contains approximately twenty pages and includes an introduction to the composers who contributed to the present issue, the score for each composition, an occasional editorial note, and a few pages of advertisements. The editors of Pro Musica include Ernst-Lothar von Knorr, Fritz Jöde, and Herman Reichenbach, all three of whom pursued careers as composers, performers, and educators prior to the rise of the Third Reich in Germany. In 1933, Ernst-Lothar von Knorr and Fritz Jöde continued their careers under Nazi rule, while Herman Reichenbach eventually emigrated to the United States after being forced from Europe due to his Jewish heritage.

A journal of exclusively musical works, Pro Musica offers a look into early twentieth-century compositional practice and styles. The journal also functioned as a means for the publishers to offer new music to a wider audience. The periodical contains only music by contemporary composers and includes pieces for choir, jazz orchestra, solo instruments, mixed ensembles, and open instrumentation. Among the eighty-five compositions are works by Paul Hindemith, Frank Martin, Carl Orff, and E. Francesco Malipiero. An effort is made to provide various compositions for amateur and professional musicians who wish to study modern music and the problems and challenges that come with such an endeavor. The publishers and editors note in the journal’s prospectus that they are “strongly of the opinion that both amateurs and professional musicians should in their musical activities concern themselves seriously with the problems of present day music.” The prospectus also mentions that “composers of all nationalities will be invited to contribute” in order to encourage cultural interchange between different countries. Explanatory notes, titles, and information about each composition are given in German, English, and French.

This index is based on the copy of Pro Musica provided by the Sibley Music Library of The Eastman School of Music.