Level: 3.5/6
Sergei W. Rachmaninov
1. Intermezzo aus der Oper "Aleko"
2. Prélude op. 23 Nr. 3
3. Polka de W.R.
4. Polka italienne
5. Prélude op. 23/1
Frank Manuel Schimmel (born 1962 in Münster)—pianist, horn player, and composer—studied music in Dortmund and Detmold. Although engaged as a horn player only on a "part-time" basis, he performed with various symphony orchestras and ensembles for decades; his international tours took him to destinations both within and outside of Europe.
Possessing broad musical interests from an early age, he made his first attempts at composition at the age of 12—efforts initially limited to "his" instrument: the piano. Two years later, acting on the advice of his parents—both of whom were musicians—he began taking lessons in harmony and ear training with Heinz Irsen in Siegburg. This experience sparked an enthusiasm for music theory that remains undiminished to this day. At the same time, he began taking his first lessons on the French horn with Gustav Kedves, who was then the Principal Horn of the Beethovenhalle Orchestra in Bonn.
Schimmel regards his piano studies with Prof. Werner Seiss in Dortmund as the most significant phase of his artistic education. Werner Seiss is both a pianist and a conductor; consequently, the instruction Schimmel received from him extended far beyond mere piano technique, encompassing every conceivable aspect of artistic interpretation and practice.
As a composer of works spanning a wide variety of genres—from chamber music to symphonic and vocal compositions—he has garnered acclaim at numerous performance venues. Notable examples include the Chamber Music Hall of the Beethoven House in Bonn, the Dortmund Opera House, and various radio broadcasts, including those on the SWR.
Frank Manuel Schimmel currently resides in Senden, North Rhine-Westphalia, where he works primarily as a piano pedagogue; in his leisure time, he pursues interests in reading, the visual arts, the natural sciences, and photography.
