Fritz Werner (15 December 1898 – 22 December 1977) was a German choral conductor, church music director, conductor, organist and composer. He founded the Heinrich-Schütz-Chor Heilbronn in 1947 and conducted it until 1973.
Career
Born in Berlin, Werner studied at the Berliner Akademie für Kirchen- und Schulmusik, the University in Berlin and at the
Preußische Akademie der Künste. His teachers were Wolfgang Reimann, Arthur Egidi,
Fritz Heitmann,
Richard Münnich
Richard Karl Emil Münnich (7 June 1877 – 4 July 1970) was a German musicologist and music pedagogue.
Life
Born in Berlin, Münnich studied musicology, Germanistic and philosophy at the Humboldt University of Berlin and gained his doctorate ...
, Carl Stumpf and Georg Schumann (composition, organ), Kurt Schubert (piano), Max Seiffert and Johannes Wolf (history of music), Richard Hagel (conducting).
In 1935 he became organist at the Bethlehem Church in
Potsdam-Babelsberg
Babelsberg () is the largest quarter (''Stadtteil'') of Potsdam, the capital city of the German state of Brandenburg. The affluent neighbourhood named after a small hill on the Havel river is famous for Babelsberg Palace and Park, part of the Pa ...
and a school teacher. In 1936 he became organist and cantor at
St. Nicholas' Church in
Potsdam
Potsdam () is the capital and, with around 183,000 inhabitants, largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of B ...
, promoted to
Kirchenmusikdirektor Kirchenmusikdirektor (KMD, director of church music) is a German title for professional church musicians (' who have responsibility for not only a parish but a larger region, in both Protestant and Catholic church music. The title is also sometimes ...
(director of church music) in 1938. In 1939 he became music director at
Radio Paris
Radio Paris was a French radio broadcasting company best known for its Axis propaganda broadcasts in Vichy France during World War II.
Radio Paris evolved from the first private radio station in France, called Radiola, founded by pioneering Frenc ...
. After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
he was organist and cantor at
St. Kilian's Church in Heilbronn from 1946 until 1964.
[Fritz Werner](_blank)
on bach-cantatas In 1966 he left his collection of music to the town of Heilbronn.
Heinrich-Schütz-Chor Heilbronn
Fritz Werner founded the Heinrich-Schütz-Chor Heilbronn in 1947 and conducted it until 1973. First they concentrated on the music of
Heinrich Schütz
Heinrich Schütz (; 6 November 1672) was a German early Baroque composer and organist, generally regarded as the most important German composer before Johann Sebastian Bach, as well as one of the most important composers of the 17th century. H ...
and made it known in Heilbronn and the region.
Later they recorded numerous works of
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wo ...
, his passions, oratorios, motets and especially more than 50 of his
cantatas
A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir.
The meaning of ...
.
Vocal soloists have included
Agnes Giebel,
Edith Selig
Édith Selig-Papée was a French classical soprano in concert, opera and Lied, known for singing music of Johann Sebastian Bach and French composers. She has been teaching at the École Normale de Musique de Paris.
Professional career
In 1958, ...
,
Claudia Hellmann,
Barbara Scherler,
Hertha Töpper
Hertha Töpper (; 19 April 1924 – 28 March 2020) was an Austrian contralto in opera and concert, and an academic voice teacher. A member of the Bavarian State Opera, she appeared in leading roles at major international opera houses and festiva ...
,
Theo Altmeyer,
Kurt Huber,
Helmut Krebs,
Jakob Stämpfli
Jakob Stämpfli (23 February 1820 – 15 May 1879) was a Swiss politician and member of the Swiss Federal Council (1854–1863).
He was elected to the Federal Council of Switzerland on 6 December 1854, and handed over office on 31 December 1863 ...
,
Barry McDaniel
Barry McDaniel (October 18, 1930 – June 18, 2018) was an American operatic baritone who spent his career almost exclusively in Germany, including 37 years at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. He appeared internationally at major opera houses and f ...
,
Bruce Abel
Bruce Abel (25 July 1936 – 10 March 2021) was an American bass singer.
Biography
Abel studied singing at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City under Hans Heinz, where he excelled in studies of French art songs and German lieder. He won ...
and
Franz Kelch, instrumental soloists
Maurice André
Maurice André (21 May 1933 – 25 February 2012) was a French trumpeter, active in the classical music field.
He was professor of trumpet at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris where he introduced the teaching of the pic ...
(trumpet),
Hermann Baumann (horn),
Marie-Claire Alain
Marie-Claire Geneviève Alain-Gommier (10 August 1926 – 26 February 2013) was a French organist, scholar and teacher best known for her prolific recording career, with 260 recordings, making her the most-recorded classical organist in the worl ...
(organ) and György Terebesi (violin). Orchestras for the recordings have included the
Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra, the
Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn and the
Südwestfunk Orchester. Werner's Bach recordings were compared to those of his contemporary
Karl Richter. A reviewer wrote about his cantata recordings: "... this wise, discerning and humane Bach conductor has much to teach us, even (perhaps especially) in an age when we are so used to performances of Bach in period style and by small or smallish forces. But the other thing that listening to all these performances has reinforced for me is how endlessly inventive, how eloquent and how moving is the music of Bach. I suspect that Fritz Werner would regard that as the best possible testament to his work." The same reviewer stated about a recording of the ''
St Matthew Passion
The ''St Matthew Passion'' (german: Matthäus-Passion, links=-no), BWV 244, is a '' Passion'', a sacred oratorio written by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1727 for solo voices, double choir and double orchestra, with libretto by Picander. It sets ...
'' with
Helmut Krebs as the
Evangelist: "Werner's pacing of the whole work and his vision of it is compelling. The drama moves inexorably forward and the entire story is most movingly related."
In 1998 the choir celebrated his 100th birthday with a performance of his motets ''Die Botschaft'' on
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts o ...
words for mixed choir
a cappella with soprano, baritone and oboe soloists in the Nikolaikirche Heilbronn, conducted by Michael Böttcher.
[Heinrich-Schütz-Chor Heilbronn Konzertchronik](_blank)
concert chronology
Composer
His compositions of more than 50 opus-numbers have included the
cantata ''Trauermusik'' (1935), ''Apfelkantate'' (1939), ''Symphonie in d'' (1954), ''Suite Concertante'' (1969), ''Psalmen-Triptychon'' (1972), a collection of motets ''Die Botschaft'' (1973), and concertos for trumpet, horn, piano and violin.
His cantata ''Jesus Christus herrscht als König'' for choir, brass and timpani was published as well as a piano concerto, ''Konzertante Musik für Flöte, Oboe und Horn'', ''Symphonische Musik für Streichorchester'' (music for string orchestra), and the cantata ''Von der Eitelkeit der Welt'' (Of the vanity of the world). In 1964 he wrote as his op. 44 an
oratorio
An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is mus ...
for Pentecost ''Veni, sancte spiritus'' (Come, Holy Spirit) on the sequence ''
Veni sancte spiritus''. The ''Oratorium nach Worten der Heiligen Schrift'' (oratorio after
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts o ...
words) for mixed choir, two solo voices and orchestra was first performed on 16 May 1971.
It was published by the
Carus-Verlag
Carus-Verlag is a German music publisher founded in 1972 and based in Stuttgart.
Carus was founded by choral conductor Günter Graulich and his wife Waltraud with an emphasis on choral repertoire. The catalogue currently includes more than 26,0 ...
under the title ''Veni Sancte Spiritus''. The music for string orchestra was premiered by the Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn on 31 January 1968. His ''Suite Concertante'' for high trumpet, string orchestra and percussion op. 48 was recorded right after its premiere on 23 September 1971 with Maurice André and the same chamber orchestra. His ''Trumpet and Organ Duo'' op. 53 was recorded several times, for example with Michael Feldner and Petra Morath-Pusinelli or with Malte Burba and Johannes von Erdmann.
Fritz Werner contributed to a revitalisation of church music in Germany in the 20th century, as also
Rudolf Mauersberger,
Günther Ramin and
Johann Nepomuk David
Johann Nepomuk David (30 November 1895 – 22 December 1977) was an Austrian composer.
Life and career
David was born in Eferding. He was a choirboy in the monastery of Sankt Florian and studied at an episcopal teacher training college in Linz, ...
.
Awards
*1973
Bundesverdienstkreuz I. Klasse
*1974 Chevalier de l’
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order
Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to:
* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
* Heterarchy, a system ...
References
Sources
* Christhard Schrenk: ''Ein Künstlerleben im 20. Jahrhundert – Fritz Werner (1898–1977).'' In: ''Heilbronner Köpfe II.'' Stadtarchiv Heilbronn, Heilbronn 1999, (''Kleine Schriftenreihe des Archivs der Stadt Heilbronn.'' Band 45), p. 191–200 (in German)
External links
*
*
Heinrich-Schütz-Chor-HeilbronnEntries for Bach recordings of Fritz Werneron
WorldCat
WorldCat is a union catalog that itemizes the collections of tens of thousands of institutions (mostly libraries), in many countries, that are current or past members of the OCLC global cooperative. It is operated by OCLC, Inc. Many of the O ...
Entries for musical scores of Fritz Werneron
WorldCat
WorldCat is a union catalog that itemizes the collections of tens of thousands of institutions (mostly libraries), in many countries, that are current or past members of the OCLC global cooperative. It is operated by OCLC, Inc. Many of the O ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Werner, Fritz
German choral conductors
German male conductors (music)
Mendelssohn Prize winners
Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
1898 births
1977 deaths
Kirchenmusikdirektor
Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Württemberg
Prussian Academy of Arts alumni
20th-century German conductors (music)
20th-century German composers
20th-century German male musicians