Karl Julius Marx (12 November 1897 – 8 May 1985) was a German composer and music teacher.

Life Karl Marx was born in Munich, the son of Josef Marx and his wife Emilie, née Eheberg."Marx, Karl Julius" (1954). In: Kürschners Deutscher Musiker-Kalender. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter & Co. After early violin and piano lessons, Marx first studied natural sciences at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München in 1916. His encounter with Carl Orff, with whom he took private composition lessons after World War I, was decisive in determining his choice to turn to music professionally. From 1920 to 1922, Marx studied composition with Anton Beer-Walbrunn and conducting with and Siegmund von Hausegger at the Akademie der Tonkunst in Munich. From 1924 to 1935, Marx was solo repetiteur in Felix von Kraus's singing class. From 1935 to 1939, he led his own interpretation class for lieder and oratorio singers at the Akademie der Tonkunst in Munich, where he also taught harmony and form theory from 1929 to 1939. From 1928 to 1939, he conducted the choir of the Munich Bachverein (until 1931 together with Edwin Fischer and until 1933 with Carl Orff). During this time, his first settings of texts by Rainer Maria Rilke were composed, and Marx had his first great success with Rilke's motet Werkleute sind wir, Op. 6 at the Tonkünstlerfest 1928 in Schwerin and at the festival of the International Society for Contemporary Music 1929 in Geneva. Subsequently, his works were performed by leading interpreters, including the Piano Concerto, Op. 9 by Edwin Fischer under Eugen Jochum, the Viola Concerto, Op. 10 in Berlin under Hermann Scherchen, and the Passacaglia, Op. 19 by the Berliner Philharmoniker under Wilhelm Furtwängler.

In 1932, Marx was awarded the music prize of the city of Munich. After 1933, he was exposed to defamation by the Nazi press and his name gradually disappeared from concert programs. Since he did not belong to the Nazi Party, he had no further professional future to expect at the Academy of Music. He accepted a call to the newly founded Hochschule für Musikerziehung (music education) in Graz, where he taught theory of form and composition from 1940 to 1945.

The compositional focus increasingly shifted to choir and lay music, including the Rilke cantata to words from the Stundenbuch, Op. 43, 1942. One of Marx's most famous songs is Jeden Morgen geht die Sonne auf to the words of .

The assertions made by Michael Hans Kater in his controversial book The Twisted MuseMichael Hans Kater (1997). The Twisted Muse. Musicians and Their Music in the Third Reich. New York: Oxford University Press. German version (2000). Die mißbrauchte Muse. Musiker im Dritten Reich. Piper, München. about Marx's alleged Nazi past are disputed by others.Fred K. Prieberg: Handbuch Deutsche Musiker 1933–1945. PDF on CD-ROM, Kiel 2004 (2nd Edition, Kiel 2009), Foreword p. 12 ff., Article "Marx, Karl Julius", p. 4780 ff., especially p. 4787.

From 1946 to 1966, Marx taught harmony, counterpoint and composition at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Stuttgart and from 1955 as head of the department for school music. The cantata Und endet doch alles mit Frieden to words from the novel Hyperion by Friedrich Hölderlin for soloists, choir and orchestra, Op. 52, was premiered in 1953. Marx was appointed to the German Music Council in 1954 (honorary council in 1977). In 1963, he was guest of honour of the German Academy Villa Massimo in Rome for three months. In 1966, he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit 1st Class. Marx died in 1985 in Stuttgart at the age of 87.

Works (selection) Works for orchestra

Passacaglia, Op.19 (1932) Festliches Vorspiel (Festive Prelude), Op. 34/1 (1936/39) 15 Variations on a German folk song "Was wolln wir auf den Abend tun", Op. 34/2 (1938) Music for string orchestra after alpine folk songs (1940) Partita for string orchestra on "Es ist ein Ros entsprungen" (1953) Festliches Vorspiel (Festive Prelude) (1956) Concerto for String Orchestra (1964), (new version of Passacaglia, Op. 19) Fantasia sinfonica, Op. 67 (1967), (new version 1969) Fantasia semiseria, Op. 75 (1977) Reflections for string orchestra on the motet "Lord, you search me" according to Psalm 139, Op. 77a (1980)

Concertante

Concerto for two violins and orchestra in A minor, Op. 5 (1926) Concerto for piano and orchestra in E minor, Op. 9 (1929; new version 1980) Concerto for viola and orchestra in C minor, Op. 10 (1929) Concerto for violin and orchestra in C major, Op. 24 (1935) Concerto for flute and string orchestra in E-flat major, Op. 32 (1937) Fantasia concertante for violin, cello and orchestra, Op. 68 (1972)

Music for wind instruments

Divertimento for 16 wind instruments, Op. 21 (1934) Tower music for three trumpets and three trombones; timpani ad lib. Op. 37/1 (1938) Wind music in four movements for three trumpets and three trombones (1975)

Chamber music Duos

Sonatina in G for violin and piano, Op. 48/2 (1948) Sonatina in C for flute and piano, Op. 48/3 (1949) Sonatina in D for soprano recorder and piano, Op. 48/4 (1949) Sonatina in G for alto recorder and piano (or harpsichord with viola da gamba ad lib.), Op. 48/6 (1951) Music in three movements for violin and piano, Op. 53/1 (1953) Sonata for violoncello and piano, Op. 62/1 (1965) Six miniatures for oboe d'amore and harpsichord, Op. 62/2 (1974) Elegy for viola da gamba and harpsichord, Op. 62/4 (1976) New version for bass clarinet and piano, Op. 62/4a (1981) Duo Domestico for violin and viola, Op. 81/2 (1982)

Trios

Trio for flute, violoncello and piano, Op. 61 (1962) Variations on a Sound, Scherzo and Kanzone for Piano, Violin and Violoncello, Op. 73 (1978) Trio for Piano, Violin and Violoncello on Songs from the South Seas, Op. 78 (1980; new version of Op. 69)

Quartets

String Quartet in G minor, Op. 7 (1927) Music in two movements for recorder quartet or other instruments, Op. 53/2 (1954) Twelve Variations on "Nun laube, Lindlein, laube" for recorder quartet or other instruments, Op. 53/3 (1954) Six variations on "Es taget vor dem Walde" for four guitars (1957) Music for recorder quartet after German folk songs (1963) Partita on "Ein feste Burg" for string quartet or string orchestra (1967) Quartettino for soprano recorder (or transverse flute), oboe, viola da gamba (or violoncello) and harpsichord, Op. 62/3 (1975) Capriccio for string quartet, Op. 86/1 Tango nostalgico for string quartet, Op. 86/2

Quintet to Septet

Eighteen Variations on an Old English Folk Song for Two Recorders in F, Oboe, Violin, Viola and Violoncello, Op. 30 (1937) Divertimento in F major for flute, violin, viola, violoncello and piano, Op. 21a (1943) Chamber music for seven instruments (flute, oboe, viola da gamba, harpsichord, violin, viola, cello), Op. 56 (1955) Quintet for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon on songs from the South Seas, Op. 69 (1973)

Solo instruments

Three Etudes for Alto Recorder (1958) Fantasy for violin alone (1966) Partita on "Was Gott tut" for flute solo (1979)

Piano music

Piano music after folk songs, Op. 40 (1940) Sonatina in A for piano, Op. 48/1 (1948) Sonatina in E for piano four hands, Op. 48/5 (1951) Piano music after folk songs, second episode, Op. 59 (1960)

Organ music

Variations for organ, Op. 20 (1933) Toccata for organ, Op. 31 (1937)

Playing music for amateurs

Ein kleines Flötenbuch (A small flute book) for singing and playing for two recorders, violin, voice ad lib., Op. 27a (1937) Kleine musikalische Reise (Little musical journey) in songs and dances for flutes and violins or other instruments, voices ad lib., Op. 27b (1938) Kleine Weihnachtsmusik (Little Christmas music) for three recorders or other instruments, Op. 27c (1938) Small Suite after Dances from Leopold Mozart's Sheet Music for Wolfgang for Recorder Quartet, String Quartet or other Instruments (1938) Music for string quartet or orchestra with wind instruments ad lib. (1941) Klavierbüchlein für Peter (Piano booklet for Peter) (1948) Flötenbüchlein für Klaus, 16 short pieces for soprano recorder and piano (1950) Second Suite after piano pieces from Leopold Mozart's Notenbuch für Wolfgang for recorder quartet, string quartet or other instruments (1961) Balletische Partita (Ballet partita) after piano pieces from the "Musical Flower Booklet" by Joh. Casp. Ferd. Fischer for recorder quartet, string quartet or other instruments (1971)

Vocal music Mixed choir With orchestra

Rilke cantata to words from the "Stundenbuch" for soprano, baritone, mixed choir and orchestra, Op. 43 (1942) Und endet doch alles mit Frieden (And yet everything ends with peace), cantata to words from the "Hyperion" by Friedrich Hölderlin for solos, choir and orchestra, Op. 52 (1952) Raube das Licht aus dem Rachen der Schlange, Cantata to words of Hans Carossa for baritone, choir and orchestra, Op. 57 (1957) Schweige unseres Alltags Plage (Silence of our Everyday Plage), Cantata to words by Albrecht Goes for Choir, Single Voices and Orchestra (1960)

With string or chamber orchestra or single instruments

Die heiligen drei Könige (The Three Magi) (Rainer Maria Rilke) for soprano, mixed choir and instruments, Op. 28 (1936) Maienkantate über ein altes Tanzlied aus dem Rheinlande for mixed choir and instruments (1937) Kantate zum Erntefest (Cantata for the harvest festival) to words of Heinz Grunow for precentor, choir and instruments, Op. 38 (1918) Von Opfer, Werk und Ernte (Of sacrifice, work and harvest), cantata after poems by Hermann Claudius for choir, singers and instruments, Op. 36 (1938) Auftrag und Besinnung (Commission and Contemplation), cantata for school dismissal after various poets for mixed choir and small orchestra (1961) Von den Jahreszeiten der Liebe (From the Seasons of Love) to Verses by Mascha Kaléko for Choir and Seven Instruments, Op. 60 (1961) Als Jesus von seiner Mutter ging (When Jesus left his mother), Passion cantata about an old melody from Buchenland for soprano, baritone, mixed choir and instruments (1961) Versöhnender, cantata about a fragment from the preliminary stages of the "Friedensfeier" by Friedrich Hölderlin for mixed choir and string orchestra, Op. 70/2 Wunder über Wunder, Three poems by Joseph von Eichendorff for mixed voices and piano, Op. 79 (1971/81)

Choir a capella

Three mixed choirs after poems by Rainer Maria Rilke, Op. 1 (1924) Four madrigals for mixed choir, Op. 3 (1926) Three Songs for mixed choir after Christian Morgenstern, Op. 4 (1925) Werkleute sind wir (workers we are), motet for eight-part mixed choir a capella after words from the "Stundenbuch" by Rainer Maria Rilke, Op. 6 (1927) Three Songs for mixed choir after Rainer Maria Rilke, Op. 11 (1929) Mensch, was du liebst (human, what you love), motet for two choirs a capella after Angelus Silesius, Op. 12 (1930) Songs after old texts for mixed voices after different poets, Op. 13 (1930) Leben begehren ist der Welt Trost allein (To desire life is to comfort the world only), Op. 15/1 Um diese Welt ist's also getan (For this world it's done, then,), Op. 15/2 (1930/32) two motets for four-part mixed choir after old poems and book Hiob Four songs after texts by Klabund, Op. 16 (1931) Three choral songs after words of Matthias Claudius, Op. 18b (1933) Spruch "Blumen reicht die Natur" (Flowers are the gift of nature) after J. W. von Goethe for four mixed voices (1935) Chorliederbuch after poems of Hermann Claudius for mixed choir, Op. 39 (1939) Novembertag (November day) after words of Christian Morgenstern for mixed choir (1940) Three choirs after poems by Fritz Diettrich for four-part mixed choir, Op. 46 (1944) Three songs after poems by Rainer Maria Rilke for mixed choir, Op. 47 (1946) Gott, schweige doch nicht also (God, don't be silent), motet for mixed voices after words from the 83rd Psalm, Op. 51/1 (1950)