Berthold Damcke
Berthold Damcke (6 February 1812 – 15 February 1875) was a German composer, pianist, conductor, music educator, music critic and newspaper correspondent. Life Damcke was born in the so-called "French period" in Hannover. He first studied theology and later music in Frankfurt as a pupil of Aloys Schmitt who was appointed court organist and chamber musician of the Duke Adolph von Cambridge in Hanover in 1826 as well as Ferdinand Ries. In 1834, Damcke made an appearance in his hometown "[...] probably for a short time" as violist in the Kingdom of Hanover court orchestra, which at that time still existed in the and was located in the east wing of the Leineschloss. However, he continued to study the piano and organ, also composing his first choral works. Later, Damcke moved to Bad Kreuznach where he conducted the local Musikverein and the Liedertafel and wrote the Oratorio Deborah. In 1837, Damcke went to Potsdam, where he conducted the Philharmonische Gesellschaft Potsdam as well as the Gesangsverein für Opernmusik, with which he performed his Christmas Oratorio in 1840 and in the following year the Psalm 23 as well as an Ave Maria. Also still in 1841, Damcke took over the position