Paul Richter

Paul Richter (Brașov, 1875 – Cristian, near Brașov, 1950) was a Romanian composer, conductor and pianist of German descent, a central figure in the musical life of Brașov, a town in the region of Transylvania. His work belongs to the framework of late Romanticism and reflects the cultural heritage of the Transylvanian Saxon community, as well as the influence of folk traditions from the Carpathian region.

As a young man he received lessons in piano, organ and harmony. At his parents' wish he studied medicine in Graz and then philosophy in Leipzig, before entering the conservatory in that city, where he trained between 1897 and 1902 with Jadassohn, Nikisch and Reinicke. During those years he conducted the Weltliche Oratorien-Verein choir. On returning to Brașov he held numerous posts: he conducted the Kronstädter Männergesangverein (1902–1919), the municipal orchestra (1917–1935) and the orchestra of the Philharmonic Society, and he taught at the Astra Conservatory (1928–1935) and at the Musikverein in Sibiu. As a conductor he toured abroad and worked with musicians of the stature of Bartók, Enescu, Edwin Fischer, Huberman, Sauer and Strauss.

His works include five symphonies, a piano concerto, a cello concerto and another for organ, as well as the Serenada of 1910, which Strauss praised in particular. The Suita Carpatică and the Fantasies on Saxon folk melodies also stand out. His music shows a notable command of counterpoint and a restrained sensitivity. His legacy survives above all as a testimony to the musical life of Transylvania in the first half of the twentieth century; a study by H. P. Türk published in Bucharest in 1975 allows the information to be expanded.