The Hans Gál Society It is now 20 years since the death of Hans Gál at the age of 97 in Edinburgh, which had been his home since 1939. Recent years have seen an upsurge of interest in his work, and the time is clearly ripe for his musical and cultural legacy to reach a wider audience. The idea of forming a Hans Gál Society is to gather together friends old and new, and to consolidate the growing number of initiatives which have recently served to bring a widening awareness and appreciation of the sheer beauty and consummate artistry of Gál's music.

The Life of Hans Gál Born in 1890 near Vienna, Gál achieved early recognition as a composer with the award of the Austrian State Prize for Composition in 1915. During the period after the First World War, he rapidly established his preeminence as a composer, particularly following the success of his second opera, 'Die Heilige Ente' (The sacred Duck,), which was premiered in 1923 in Düsseldorf, under Georg Szell; it was subsequently performed in some 20 theatres, including Berlin, Prague and Breslau, and was still in the repertoire in 1933. As a result of Gál's iinternational successes, he was appointed Director of the Mainz Conservatoire in 1929, where he remained until 1933, when Hitler's accession to power resulted in his dismissal from office and the banning of all publication or performance of his work in Germany. He returned to Vienna, but, as a Jew, had to flee when the Nazis annexed Austria to the Third Reich in March 1938. He and his immediate family were able to escape to Britain, but it was not until after the Second World War, during which he suffered a period of internment as an 'enemy alien', that he finally obtained a permanent position as lecturer in the Department of music at the University of Edinburgh and acquired British nationality. As a 'continental Briton' he brought to his adoptive country a very direct personal link with the Austro-German tradition in which he remained so deeply rooted. He remained creatively active for most of his long life, and, in addition to his extensive output as a composer, which spans all the major genres, he was the author of books on Brahms, Schubert, Schumann, Wagner and Verdi. As a teacher, performer, scholar and founder member of the Edinburgh International Festival, he touched countless lives, and it is hoped that, through the work of the Hans Gál Society, his legacy will reach many more.

. The Objects of the Hans Gál Society To advance the education of the public regarding the life and work of the composer Hans Gál by focusing on his life and work; promoting performance, recording, publication and research of his music; disseminating to the public information about his music and writings; preserving his musical legacy for future generations; and encouraging the study and performance of his music among young people, amateur groups and non-professional musicians.

What the Hans Gál Society will do * Encourage performances of his works by festivals, orchestras, chamber groups and individuals * Encourage professional staging of his operas * Encourage recordings of his works * Facilitate the re-issue of Gál's music and books that are currently out of print * Enable the copying of manuscripts and handwritten material in order to create usable study and performance editions of Gál's work * Organise talks, seminars and conferences about Hans Gál and his work * Encourage new research and writing about Hans Gál * Organise launches, readings and translations of Gál's publications * Provide material for exhibitions connected with Hans Gál's life and work * Create, publish and distribute a Newsletter about Hans Gál and his cultural heritage * Create and maintain an informative website about Hans Gál www.hansgal.com * Document and catalogue the archive of letters, programmes, reviews, manuscripts and photographs * Preserve the material in safe formats and make it accessible to students and scholars * Establish relationships with relevant cultural organisations worldwide The Hans Gál Society will collaborate with: other organisations pursuing similar aims: The Austrian Cultural Forum London, Anglo Austrian Society, the JMI International Centre for Suppressed Music, the Jewish Museum Vienna, the Orpheus Trust, Vienna and others Enquiries to:

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Hans Gál Society
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The Hans Gál Society is now a registered charity no. 1116965

To view the Society's Constitution click here

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