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Gottfried Huppertz

1887 - 1937

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The film composer Gottfried Huppertz was only involved in few movies comparatively still he takes an important position among the German film composers. The main reason is his participation in some of Fritz Lang's most popular silent movies.

After a study in music in Cologna he began his professional life as a singer and stage actor in his hometown. When he went to Berlin in 1920 he got an engagement as an operatta singer. For the theater he also wrote first own compositions and with it he made important experiences for his later career in the film business.

His job history to a film composer started with some small appearances as an actor. In the movies "Vier um die Frau" (21) he played the minor role of a head waiter and in "Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler" (22) the role of a hotel director. Both movies were directed by Fritz Lang and they became close friends. Finally Fritz Lang gave him the task to wrote the score for his next movie.

So Gottfried Huppertz got down to work to score Fritz Lang's monumental movie "Die Nibelungen" (24). The movie was shown in two parts and inspired the audience back then. The movie is regarded today as one of the most important German silent movies.

From now on Gottfried Huppertz wrote the music for movies time and again n the next years, so for "Zur Chronik von Grieshuus" (25) with Arthur Kraussneck and Lil Dagover.

His third film composition was again for a movie of Fritz Lang. It should become the ultimate height for both artists - for Huppertz already back then, for Fritz Lang many years later. With "Metropolis" director Fritz Lang created a science-fiction classic which receives hugh response especially today. At the world premier then the critics were reluctant, it seemed Fritz Lang was too far ahead of the times - and Gottfried Huppertz composed that composition for which he already got great praise at that time and for which he is still known today. Huppertz also impersonated also his third small role in front of the camera as a violin player. By the way his last role in a movie he playes in "Spione" (28), again as a violin player.
Because of the great attention the composition attracted there was even a disc publication in 1927 with Huppertz's film music for Metropolis - probably one of the first if not even the first soundtrack at all recorded on a disc in film history.

Afterwards followe a longer interruption and Huppertz used the time to compose own compositions beyond the film business before he worked again for movies from 1933.
To his othe film compositions belong "Der Judas von Tirol" (33), "Elisabeth und der Narr" (34), "Hanneles Himmelfahrt" (34), "Der grüne Domino" (35) and the Karl-May filming "Durch die Wüste" (36). None of these movies were able to reach the earlier successes.

Beside it Gottfried Huppertz also wrote many songs - his first song was "Rankende Rosen" (1905) for the later Fritz-Lang actor Rudolf Klein Rogge - and he was also active as a conductor.

 
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