Günther Massenkeil (11 March 1926 – 17 December 2014) was a German musicologist, academic teacher, writer and concert singer (baritone).
He had studied classical philology and newspaper science and was active as a writer, especially in the field of the history of County of Nassau.
[2] Günther received piano lessons from his father then later at the music seminar Elisabeth Güntzel in his hometown, where he became an accomplished pianist, who would also accompany well-known singers such as the tenor Franz Fehringer.
In addition, he received organ lessons and, at age 14, was asked by the Wiesbaden church of St. Kilian to replace the organist who had been drafted for military service.
[1] In 1952, he achieved his doctorate in Mainz[1] with a thesis on Giacomo Carissimi (The oratorical art in the Latin histories and oratorios of G.
From 1975 to 2011, he was head of the section for musicology of the Görres Society, and editor of its Kirchenmusikalischen Jahrbuch (Year book of church music).
[5] He became known beyond academia for the eight-volume encyclopaedia Das Große Lexikon der Musik, based on Dictionnaire de la musique (1970–1976) by Marc Honegger, which he edited and supplemented.
In 1975 he perfected his singing skills by studying with Ellen Bosenius at the Musikhochschule Köln and gained international recognition as an oratorio and lieder singer, making numerous radio and disks recordings.
He supported an urgently needed restoration with many actions and personal commitment, and was awarded honorary citizenship of Soultz-les-Bains.
[1][6] Numerous other publications in magazines, collected editions and encyclopaedias, partly reprinted as Wort und Ton in christlicher Musik, Paderborn, 2008.