August Kubizek

August Gustav Kubizek was born on 3 August 1888 in Linz (Austria). He was raised in a poor family background, his father was an upholsterer. Nevertheless he learned the violin as a teenager (under Heinrich Dessauer) and later performed the viola in a local orchestra. Between 1904 and 1908 August Kubizek was the best friend to Adolf Hitler, a fact for which he is best remembered nowadays. Both were interested into classical music and had plans for a joint opera. August Kubizek's father wanted him to take over the parental upholstery but it was Adolf Hitler who convinced the father to allow August Kubizek to study music. So in 1908 August Kubizek enrolled at the music school of Karl Kaiser in Vienna and studied under Gustav Gutheil (Kapellmeister), Viktor Boschetti (music theory) and Max Jentsch (composition). Since 1909 he also attended courses at the Vienna university under Max Dietz (music history), Hermann Grädener (counterpoint) and Franz Pawlikowsky (voice training). During his studies August Kubizek also performed as a violist in the Wiener Tonkünstler-Orchester of Oscar Nedbal (which later became the Vienna Symphony Orchestra). He completed his studies in 1912.
After his studies August Kubizek worked as a kapellmeister at the city theatre in Maribor and Piestany. Since 1914 he was married to Anna Funke, herself a student of the music school of Karl Kaiser. His musical career was stopped abruptly with the outbreak of World War I. August Kubizek was drafted for military service and fought four years for his country. After the war he first worked as a musician and was a kapellmeister in a cinema in Vienna, but in 1920 August Kubizek became municipal clerk, later the head of the city administration of Eferding, a small town in Upper Austria. He still conducted some local orchestras and continued to compose, but his main profession wasn't music anymore.
In 1938 August Kubizek revived his friendship with Adolf Hitler and the two met twice at the Bayreuth festival. This relation resulted in an arrest at a detention center of the Allies after the end of World War II. He was released in April 1947 and returned to Eferding.
August Kubizek died on 23 October 1956 in Linz (Austria).


The work catalogue of the composer August Kubizek contains a Suite for orchestra, a Suite in the old style for string orchestra, the Austrian Soldier's Mass, a symphonic prelude "Heimkehr der Ostmark", a string sextet, and some songs.

August Kubizek Archive


In my possession is a small collection of autograph manuscripts fo works by August Kubizek. I obtained these manuscripts as a part of the estate of his son Augustin Kubizek. The following compositions are part of my collection:


1) Österreichische Soldatenmesse


The Österreichische Soldatenmesse was composed in 1934 and is scored for military orchestra. The premiere was given on 17 June 1934 in Eferding by the orchestra of the Alpenjäger-Regiment Nr.8 (Wels) under the direction of Hans Handl.

In my possession is the autograph full score of the this mass as well as autograph parts.


2) Heinz Rosenau Lieder


Apart from the individual songs listed under 3), August Kubizek also composed a song cycle on poems by Heinz Rosenau. One of the manuscripts is dated 1933, another one numbers the offered song as "Nr. 10". So it seems the complete cycle consists of at least 10 songs and was composed in 1933. I only have manuscripts of the following three songs:

  • Das Haus der Kindheit
  • Gebet im Frühling (text also by K. M. Eckmayr)
  • Abendlied


3) Songs


Part of the estate were a large number of songs for voice or choir and piano. I list them here together, but I assume that all these songs are individual compositions and do not build a circle in parts or total:


  • Rastlose Liebe (text by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe) (1936)
  • Harre aus! (text by Josef Viktor Stummer) (1937)
  • Frühlingsreigen (text by Josef Viktor Stummer) (1937) (incomplete)
  • Die beiden Bächlein (text by Josef Viktor Stummer) (1937)
  • Als mein Traum zerbrach (text by Franz Leitl) (1937)
  • Der Leiermann (text by Josef Viktor Stummer) (1937)
  • Aufblick (text by Richard Dehmel) (1938)
  • Nur du (text by Emil Rittershaus) (1938)
  • Ich liebe dich (text by Anna Nitschke) (1938)
  • Über dem Tale (text by Franz Leitl) (1938)
  • Verlobung (text by Emil Rittershaus) (1938)
  • Der Sehnsucht Ziel (text by Josef Viktor Stummer) (1940)
  • Götter in der Schenke (text by Georg Schwarz) (1945)
  • Geheimnis (text by Albert Sergel)
  • Zum Herbst (text by E. Ludwig Schellerer)
  • Die Rose (text by Ernst Gotthelf Brandt)
  • Tröstung (text by Edward Flip)


4) Chamber trios


August Kubizek composed two Trios for flute, clarinet and piano. The Trio No.1 was composed in 1941, the Trio No.2 in 1943. The second Trio was later expanded to a Small Suite in 6 movements.


5) Schließe mir die Augen beide


Part of my archive is also the song "Schließe mir die Augen beide..." for alto (or baritone), string orchestra (or string quintet) and flute. The text is by Theodor Storm and the work was composed in 1943


6) Chamber quartet


August Kubizek also composed a Quartet for flute, clarinet, cello (or bassoon) and piano. Unfortunately I own just the autograph parts for flute, clarinet and cello and the piano part is missing. I don't have information when the work was composed.


7) others


Part of my archive are also two incomplete manuscripts:

  • Ave Maria, for voice, solo violin and piano (only the violin part)
  • Wegscheider Lager - march (only the part of the piano direction)


8) E.R. Funke


Part of the estate is also a manuscript of a song titled "Lied der Puszta", scored for voice and guitar. The manuscript provides the composer name as "E. R. Funke" and the date "15. Sept. 1893, Wien". I could not find any information about the composer, but given the fact that August Kubizek married Anna Funke (1887-1976), it seems likely that E. R. Funke was the father/mother of his wife.