Immanuel Gotthold Reimann (1859-1932)

Heimat Adelaide Wiki Templates Individuals Immanuel Gotthold Reimann, born near Hahndorf in South Australia, was the founder of the Adelaide College of Music, the deputy Director of the Elder Conservatorium at the University of Adelaide, and the first President of the Music Teachers' Association of South Australia.

Immanuel Gotthold Reimann

Biography

Author: Rita Bognor (all text and images are copyright unless otherwise indicated)

Immanuel Gotthold Reimann was born at Rebensburg near Hahndorf, South Australia, to Karl Friedrich Eduard Reimann (1816–1879) and his wife Blondina Klotilda Leontina (née Schröder) (1819–1905) on 13 January 1859. His father and mother were born in Prussia (in Schmölln (Thuringia) and Bomst (now Babimost in Poland) respectively) and married before migrating to South Australia. The couple arrived on the ship 'Emmy' from Hamburg on 15 January 1850. Fellow passengers on this trip included the winemaker Josef Ernst Seppelt who founded Seppeltsfield and Seppelt Wines in the Barossa Valley.

Karl and Leontina Reimann settled near Hahndorf where they established a farm called Rebensburg.

Immanuel Reinmann attended the Hahndorf Academy where he received instruction in singing and piano from Traugott Wilhelm Böhm (1836–1917). At the age of 14 he went to Adelaide to become a school teacher, but being afflicted with a throat ailment he returned to Hahndorf and studied piano with Otto Stange. In 1875 Reimann was appointed music master at the Hahndorf Academy. A few years he later moved to Adelaide and began to work as a music teacher.

On 30 May 1879 Karl Reimann died at the age of 63. It was his dying wish that Immanuel should complete his musical education in Europe, so in the following year Reimann went to Germany. He studied at the Berlin Academy of Music (Neue Akademie der Tonkunst) conducted by Professor Dr. Theodore Kullak (1818–1882) who was pianist to the German Emperor and King of Prussia Wilhelm II. Reimann also studied at the Berlin Conservatory of Music conducted by Professor Franz Xaver Scharwenka (1850–1924) who was pianist to the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Josef I. Professor Kullak repeatedly offered Reimann a position as a music teacher at his Berlin Academy. After passing an examination in musical pedagogy under Hans Bischoll, Reimann studied musical theory with various professors, including Franz Xaver Scharwenka and Albert Becker. Reimann returned to South Australia in 1883 and opened the Adelaide College of Music in October of that year at 154-156 Wakefield Street. The College of Music Hall was situated nearby at 183 Wakefield Street.

On 20 December 1884 Reimann married Johanna Maria Lührs (1862–1945) at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Flinders Street. She had studied singing under him and taught at his College. The couple had five children: Leontine Meta (1884–1885), Carelen Edward (1887–), Valesca Leonore Olive (1888–1964), Hilda Marie (1892–1977) and Arnold Lührs (1898–1961).

In 1889 Cecil James Sharp (1859–1924) became a co-director of the College. Sharp had migrated to South Australia from England in 1882 and had become the assistant organist at the St. Peter's Anglican Cathedral soon after his arrival. He later became the conductor of the Adelaide Philharmonic. After his return to England in 1892, Sharp became famous for his research into English folk songs and he founded the English Folk Dance Society in 1911. Other musicians employed by Reimann included the violin teacher Hermann Heinicke (1863–1949) who founded Heinicke's Grand Orchestra, the cellist Hermann Kugelberg (c.1867–1950), and Otto Fischer and Guli Hack who taught singing. By 1896 the College had 250 students. When the Elder Conservatorium of Music was established in 1898 with a bequest from Sir Thomas Elder, Reimann incorporated his flourishing College of Music into the Conservatorium, bringing with him his teaching staff. Reimann was appointed Deputy Director and Teacher of Piano. On his appointment his students presented him with a hand coloured testimonial created by the botanical artist and illustrator Rosa Catherine Fiveash (1854–1938). For the first two years the Conservatorium was located at the College's premises in Wakefield Street.

In 1913 the Adelaide Daily Herald wrote: "Immanuel Gotthold Reimann is a name to be honoured by Adelaide music lovers, its possessor has been intimately connected with the development of the art in this city, and many accomplished local pianists and teachers owe much of their success to him". It went on to state that his father "had originally been trained for a musical career, but owing to parental objections he had to forego his intentions. Upon his arrival in South Australia he adopted farming as an occupation, but his artistic temperament resulted in a love for music being awakened in his son at an early age. The old man had been a member of the town pipers in the little German city of his birth, and as such had been taught to play the flute and clarinet. Later, however, he devoted his attention to the violin, and it afforded his son great pleasure to hear him play on the instrument after the toil of the day was over. He was also the fortunate possessor of a fine voice, and so when the night was cold, with the children would gather round the open hearth, and participate in the blessings of music in fashion". Reimann became honorary pianist and the director of the Adelaide String Quartet Club. He was a long-time member of the Australian Board of Musical Examinations and was its major editor of music. From 1891 until 1931 he was the organist and choirmaster at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church and used the Backmann organ which he imported from Germany in 1883. Reimann was regarded as an authority on the piano throughout Australia. Late in life he began preparing an edition of unpublished piano pieces by Mozart and just before his death he had arranged to revise the full list of Allan & Co's Imperial edition of publications.

In 1930 the Music Teachers' Association of South Australia (originally named the Musical Association of South Australia) was formed and Reimann was elected its first President. During the Association's first year four musical evenings were held and one of them was devoted to Reimann's compositions. In 1974 the Music Teachers' Association established a scholarship sponsored by the piano teacher Gwen Robinson, who was a student of Reimann. The name of the scholarship was later changed to Reimann-Robinson to honour her much loved music teacher.

One of Reimann's most famous students was Adelaide-born Maude Mary Puddy (1883–1974), who studied with him for several years. She was the first student to obtain the Diploma of Associate in Music in 1900 and after she was awarded a Bachelor of Music in 1905 she went to Europe to further her studies. There she became a pupil of Ferruccio Busoni and Theodor Leschetizky. She spent 14 years in Europe and become a renowned concert pianist. Puddy returned to Adelaide in 1920 and taught piano at the Elder Conservatorium until her retirement in 1949.

Reimann died at his residence at 12 William Street, Norwood, on 19 March 1932 at the age of 73 and was buried in the West Terrace Cemetery (Road 5 Path 25 Site 40W). His students and associates erected the memorial at his grave site. Johanna Maria Reimann died on 11 November 1945 at the age of 84 and was buried with her husband and their first daughter Leontine Meta who had died in 1885 at the age of 9 months.

Their second daughter Valesca Leonore Olive Reimann taught at Trinity College in Kandy, Sri Lanka, for 30 years. Trinity College was founded in 1872 by Anglican missionaries. It is still in operation and is considered a leading private school in Sri Lanka. She never married. Hilda Marie Reimann, who also remained single, became a violinist and played in the South Australian (now Adelaide) Symphony Orchestra. Arnold Lührs Reimann studied science and was awarded the degree of Doctor of Science from the University of Adelaide and Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Berlin. He became a lecturer in physics in the University College of Hull (University of London), and later a lecturer in physics in the University of Queensland. He was known as a physicist of high distinction and a fine cellist.

The Backmann pipe organ imported by Reimann for the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Flinders Street was built in Berlin in about 1878 and dedicated at a special service on 26 June 1889. In 1904-1905 it was enlarged and placed in the front left-hand corner of the church where the baptisimal font now stands. Then it was a two-manual and pedal organ with 963 pipes and 19 stops. In 1958 it was further enlarged and returned to the gallery above the back of the church. During this rebuild it was converted from mechanical to electro-pneumatic action with three manuals. In 2006 it was completely rebuilt, with a solid state switching and coupling system, 55 stops and 2,710 pipes.

Residences in the City

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Work in the City

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