View source for Irmin Schmidt

{{short description|German keyboardist and composer (born 1937)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox musical artist 
| name               = 
| image              = Irmin Schmidt 2022.jpg
| landscape          = 
| alt                = 
| caption            = Schmidt in 2022
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1937|05|29|df=y}}
| birth_place        = [[Berlin]], Germany
| death_date         = <!-- {{death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|1937|05|29|df=y}} (death date 1st) -->
| death_place        = 
| occupation         = {{flatlist|
* Composer
*Keyboardist}}
| spouse             = {{Marriage|Hildegard Schmidt|1963}}
| website            = {{URL|irminschmidt.com}}
}}
'''Irmin Schmidt''' (born 29 May 1937)<ref name="LarkinGE">{{cite book|title=[[The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|page=2203}}</ref> is a German [[keyboardist]] and [[composer]], best known as a founding member of the band [[Can (band)|Can]] and composer of numerous [[film score]]s.

==Biography==
===Early life and composer career===
Irmin Schmidt was born on 29 May 1937 in [[Berlin]], Germany, to Kurt and Margot Schmidt. Schmidt's father was an architect and engineer, and both his parents played piano. His board school teacher in modern history has been "Schulungsleiter" (teacher of ideology) in the [[Reichsarbeitsdienst]] during the rule of the [[Third Reich]]. Schmidt wrote about it in his school newspaper, and the teacher was fired.{{sfn|Young|Schmidt|2018|page=37}}

Schmidt began his studies in music at the conservatorium in [[Dortmund]], and expanded his education in conducting at the [[Folkwang Hochschule]] in Essen, studying under [[Heinz Dressel]]. Additionally, he took a piano lessons from [[Detlef Kraus]] and studied [[Musical composition|composition]] under the Hungarian [[avant-garde]] composer [[György Ligeti]]. Schmidt started work mainly as a conductor and performed in concerts with the [[Bochum]] Symphony, the [[Vienna Symphony]], and the Dortmund Ensemble for New Music, which he founded in 1962. During this time, Schmidt conducted the West German premiere of [[John Cage]]'s "Atlas Eclipticalis" with Bochum Symphony Orchestra and performed Cage's piano piece "Winter Music".{{sfn|Young|Schmidt|2018|page=19}}

Schmidt attended the [[Mozarteum University of Salzburg|Mozarteum]] in [[Salzburg]], Austria to further develop his conducting skills under [[István Kertész (conductor)|István Kertész]]. In 1964-1965, Schmidt attended up for the Cologne Courses for New Music at the {{interlanguage link|Rheinische Musikschule|de}} in [[Cologne]], taught by [[Karlheinz Stockhausen]], [[Luciano Berio]], [[Henri Pousseur]], and [[Earle Brown]], the course which was also attended by his future band-mates, [[Holger Schüring]] and [[David C. Johnson]].<ref>{{cite book|author=[[Karlheinz Stockhausen]]|title=Texte zur Musik 3: 1963–1970|editor=[[Dieter Schnebel]]|pages=196–211|publisher=DuMont Dokumente (Cologne: M. DuMont Schauberg)|ISBN=978-3-7701-0493-2}}</ref>{{sfn|Young|Schmidt|2018|pages=23-24}} By 1966 Schmidt got a position as [[Kapellmeister]] at the [[Theater Aachen]], hired as [[docent]] for musical theatre and [[chanson]], and worked at the [[Schauspielschule Bochum]] (drama school) teaching vocal technique.{{sfn|Young|Schmidt|2018|page=28}}

In January 1966, Schmidt made his first-time travel to the United States, flying to [[New York City]] to compete in the "[[Dimitri Mitropoulos]] Conducting Competition". He got into the city's flourishing underground arts scene: watched [[Andy Warhol]]'s movies, and spent time with several young progenitors of [[avant-garde]] and [[minimalist music]], including [[La Monte Young]], [[Dick Higgins]], [[Steve Reich]], and [[Terry Riley]]. Schmidt played piano in a session with Riley.{{sfn|Young|Schmidt|2018|page=30}}

Schmidt's spouse Hildegard introduced him to Russian-American composer [[Serge Tcherepnin]], and Irmin played the [[saxophone]] part at the 1966 premiere of Tcherepnin's ''Morning After Piece''.{{sfn|Young|Schmidt|2018|page=66}}

In 1967, Irmin performed several [[Fluxus]]-style diagrammatic scores, and published them as ''Album für Mogli'', pet name for his spouse Hildegard. ''Album für Mogli'' has been organized as a set of thirteen-sheet manuscript, supposed to be stacked in any order by any number of musicians. The score's composition "Hexapussy" premiered in Frankfurt, played on metallic sound-sculptures created by the [[Baschet Brothers]]. Other titles included" "Oiml(g): Nightmares", "Gagaku", "Für Jackson MacLow", "Erinnerung", "Dieter's Lullaby", "Nada", "Prinzipien", and other. "Hexapussy" remained as an only survived recording, appearing on the soundtrack composed by Can for 1969 film [[Agilok & Blubbo]].{{sfn|Young|Schmidt|2018|pages=34—35}}

On a number of occasions, Irmin was asked to give talks or perform avant-garde music at gallery openings organized by {{interlanguage link|Albert Schulze-Vellinghausen|de}}. Schulze-Vellinghausen, in turn, acquainted Schmidt with interior designer and up-in-coming gallerist [[Hans Mayer]].{{sfn|Young|Schmidt|2018|pages=21—22}}

===Can and film scores===
In the autumn of 1967, Irmin wrote a letter to his friend composer, [[Holger Czukay]], inviting him to Cologne and suggesting they should form a band.{{sfn|Young|Schmidt|2018|pages=39}} In 1968, in the midst of the [[West German student movement]], Schmidt co-formed the Inner Space band (later known as [[Can (band)|Can]]) with [[Holger Czukay]], [[Michael Karoli]], [[Jaki Liebezeit]], and [[David C. Johnson]]. Schmidt took part in the band's recording sessions playing keyboard until the group's disbandment in 1979. He participated in the band's reunions in 1986, 1991, and 1999. He later commented on their relation to the political movement of 1968, saying the band weren't involved in the movement, "physically or even theoretically, but was a reflection of the ongoing tumult that rejected any overt political affiliations".{{sfn|Young|Schmidt|2018|pages=39}}

Early in 1968, Irmin received a commission to provide music for 1969 film [[Agilok & Blubbo]] at the recommendation of Hans Wewerka who the worked as the film's producer and previously published Irmin's ''Album für Mogli'' score. Around May, Irmin had made a loose sketch of the soundtrack, aided by David C. Johnson, and eventually decided to invite his new band on the project, which became the band's first released recording.{{sfn|Young|Schmidt|2018|page=54}} When searching for a base for the new group, Irmin had "put the word out among his art world friends", and German literary scholar [[Hans Mayer]] responded, redirecting him to the art collector and their joined acquaintance, {{ill|Christoph Vohwinkel|de}}. Vohwinkel recently leased a historic castle, [[Schloss Nörvenich]], on the outskirts of [[Cologne]] and planned to repurpose it as an artistic commune. He invited the band to stay at the castle rent-free for a year.{{sfn|Young|Schmidt|2018|pages=55—56}}

Schmidt has [[Film score|scored]] more than forty films and television programs, including ''[[Knife in the Head]]'' (1978) and ''[[Palermo Shooting]]'' (2008). He has recorded a few solo albums and written an opera, ''[[Gormenghast (opera)|Gormenghast]]'', based on [[Mervyn Peake]]'s ''[[Gormenghast Trilogy]]''. ''Gormenghast'' premiered at the [[Opernhaus Wuppertal]] in 1998. Excerpts from the work were released on Spoon Records in 1999.<ref name="Spoon">{{cite web|website=Spoon Records|url=http://www.spoonrecords.com/archive/gormenghast.html|title=Gormenghast - A fantasy opera by Irmin Schmidt|access-date=17 July 2013}}</ref>

As of 2008, Schmidt lived in [[Southern France]]. His interests outside music include cooking.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thequietus.com/articles/00813-irmin-schmidt-of-can-on-food-and- |title=Features &#124; Things I Have Learned &#124; Irmin Schmidt of Can on Food And Cooking (Plus A Recipe Tip) |publisher=The Quietus |date=2 December 2008}}</ref> In 2015, he received the [[Ordre des Arts et des Lettres]] (Chevalier).<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.rollingstone.de/news/meldungen/article692619/can-irmin-schmidt-erhaelt-ritterschlag.html|title=Can: Irmin Schmidt erhält Ritterschlag|author=Severin Mevissen|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] (Germany)|date=3 February 2015|lang=de}}</ref>

In 2018, Schmidt and British writer and editor [[Rob Young (writer, born 1968)|Rob Young]] published a book on Can entitled ''[[All Gates Open: The Story of Can]]''.{{sfn|Young|Schmidt|2018}}

Following the death of Can's second lead vocalist [[Damo Suzuki]] in February 2024, Schmidt is one of the last surviving members of the band's classic lineups, alongside original vocalist [[Malcolm Mooney]].

==Personal life==
Irmin Schmidt began a relationship with Hildegard Reittenberger after performing at the East German music festival in 1957. The couple got married six years later in 1963.{{sfn|Young|Schmidt|2018|pages=18-19}} They have a daughter, Sandra, born in April 1970.{{sfn|Young|Schmidt|2018|page=150}}<ref name="Podmore">{{cite book |editor1-last=Podmore |editor1-first=Jono |title=Jaki Liebezeit the life, theory and practice of a master drummer. |date=2020 |publisher=UNBOUND |isbn=9781783527823}}</ref> Sandra married [[Jono Podmore]] in 2001. The couple has a daughter Lara Podmore.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.spoonrecords.com/archive/irmin_kumo/masters_of_confusion.html|title=
Irmin Schmidt & Kumo article|website=spoonrecords.com}}</ref>

Hildegard became Can's manager in 1972, after they fired their previous manager, Abi Ofarim.{{sfn|Young|Schmidt|2018|page=150}} In 1979, she established record label, [[Spoon Records]], taking control of the copyright for the [[Can discography]].{{sfn|Young|Schmidt|2018|pages=287—289}}

==Discography==
===Solo===
* ''Filmmusik'' (1980)
* ''Filmmusik, Vol. 2'' (1981)
* ''Toy Planet'' (1981) with [[Bruno Spoerri]]
* ''Filmmusik, Vols. 3 & 4'' (1983)
* ''[[Rote Erde (TV series)|Rote Erde]]'' (1983) soundtrack
* ''Musk at Dusk'' (1987)
* ''Filmmusik Vol. 5'' (1989)
* ''Impossible Holidays'' (1991)
* ''Soundtracks 1978–1993'' (1994)
* ''Gormenghast'' (2000)
* ''Masters of Confusion'' (2001) with [[Kumo (musician)|Kumo]]
* ''Flies, Guys and Choirs'' (2008) DVD with Kumo
* ''Axolotl Eyes'' (2008) with Kumo
* ''[[Palermo Shooting]]'' (2008) soundtrack
* ''Filmmusik Anthology, Volume 4 & 5'' (2009)
* ''Villa Wunderbar'' (2013), 2-CD compilation, sleeve notes by [[Wim Wenders]]<ref>{{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0002584635|label=''Villa Wunderbar''}}</ref>
* ''Filmmusik Anthology Volume 6'' (2015)
* ''5 Klavierstücke'' (2018)
* ''Nocturne (Live at Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival)'' (2020)

===With Can===
{{main|Can discography}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book |last1=Young |first1=Rob |last2=Schmidt |first2=Irmin|title=[[All Gates Open: The Story of Can]] |year=2018 |publisher=[[Faber and Faber]] |location=London |isbn=978-0571311491}}

==Videography==
*''[[Romantic Warriors IV: Krautrock]]'' (2019)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{official website|http://www.irminschmidt.com/}}
*[http://www.spoonrecords.com/ The Official CAN / Spoon Records Website]
*{{IMDb name|0772994|Irmin Schmidt}}
*{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p20398}}
*{{discogs artist}}

{{Can (band)}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schmidt, Irmin}}
[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:German keyboardists]]
[[Category:German film score composers]]
[[Category:German male film score composers]]
[[Category:Mozarteum University Salzburg alumni]]
[[Category:Can (band) members]]
[[Category:Musicians from Berlin]]
[[Category:Pupils of Karlheinz Stockhausen]]
[[Category:Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres]]