Grümmer, Paul (EN)

Grümmer Paul, *26 February 1879 Gera, †30 October 1965 Zug (Switzerland), German cellist. He studied under J. Klengel in Leipzig and under H. Becker in Frankfurt am Main. He undertook numerous concert tours across European countries, performing as both a soloist and chamber musician, including appearances with the string quartet of J. Kubelík and the quartet of A. Busch (1913–1930). At the same time, he was associated with the orchestra of the Vienna State Opera and was also active as a teacher, initially in Vienna (1907–1913), then in Cologne (1926–1933), Berlin (1933–1940), and again in Vienna (1940–1946). After World War II, he settled in Switzerland. From 1951 he conducted master classes in Zermatt and Zurich. In 1961 he initiated a series of concerts in Brestenberg dedicated to string performance practice.

Grümmer is regarded as one of the most outstanding German cellists. His repertoire included especially works from the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as contemporary compositions. He became renowned as an interpreter of the music of J. S. Bach and as a performer of works written for the viola da gamba. He contributed to bringing this instrument back to concert stages, which was closely connected with the revival of the viola da gamba repertoire.

Literature: P. Grümmer Begegnungen aus dem Leben eines Violoncellisten, Munich 1963 (autobiography).