Philipp Julius Wolfrum (17 December 1854 – 8 May 1919) was a German conductor, musicologist, composer, organist and academic teacher. He was influential to university education in church music in

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...

, and in 1907 became the town's

Generalmusikdirektor A music director, musical director or director of music is a person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert ...

Career

Born in

Schwarzenbach am Wald Schwarzenbach am Wald is a town in the district of Hof, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated 21 km west of Hof, and 23 km northeast of Kulmbach Kulmbach () is the capital of the district of Kulmbach in Bavaria in Germany. The town, o ...

, Philipp Wolfrum was the son of Johann Heinrich Wolfrum, a teacher and church musician (''Kantor''). He first also worked as a teacher. On a scholarship, he studied from 1876 at the ''Königliche Musikschule in München'' organ and composition with

Joseph Rheinberger Josef Gabriel Rheinberger (17 March 1839 – 25 November 1901) was an organist and composer from Liechtenstein, residing in Bavaria for most of his life. As court conductor in Munich, he was responsible for the music in the royal chapel. He is ...

, piano with

Karl Bärmann Carl Baermann (24 October 1810 – 23 May 1885) was a clarinetist and composer from Munich, Germany. Life and career He was the son of noted clarinet virtuoso Heinrich Baermann and . As a child he was taught the clarinet and the basset horn by hi ...

, and choral singing and conducting with

Franz Wüllner Franz Wüllner (28 January 1832 – 7 September 1902) was a German composer and conductor. He led the premieres of Wagner's ''Das Rheingold'' and ''Die Walküre'', but was much criticized by Wagner himself, who greatly preferred the more celebrate ...

. From 1878 he was conductor, soloist and composer in

Bamberg Bamberg (, , ; East Franconian German, East Franconian: ''Bambärch'') is a town in Upper Franconia district in Bavaria, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main (river), Main. Bamberg had 79,000 inhabitants in ...

. In 1884 he was appointed an assistant teacher for music at the theology seminary of

Heidelberg University Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg (; ), is a public research university in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Founded in 1386 on instruction of Pope Urban VI, Heidelberg is Germany's oldest unive ...

. There, he installed formal education in church music, and initiated public musical events in the town. In 1885 he founded the choirs ''Akademischer Gesangverein'' and ''Bach-Verein'' (now: ). In 1888 he was appointed

Außerordentlicher Professor Academic ranks in Germany are the titles, relative importance and power of professors, researchers, and administrative personnel held in academia. Overview Appointment grades * (Pay grade: ''W3'' or ''W2'') * (''W3'') * (''W2'') * (''W2'', ...

. In 1890 he published ''Die Entstehung und erste Entwicklung des deutschen evangelischen Kirchenliedes in musikalischer Beziehung'' (The origins and initial development of the German Protestant hymn). In 1894 he was awarded the title of , and in 1907 became

. Wolfrum was a friend of

Max Reger Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger (19 March 187311 May 1916) was a German composer, pianist, organist, conductor, and academic teacher. He worked as a concert pianist, a musical director at the Paulinerkirche, Leipzig, Leipzig University Chu ...

, who dedicated his choral work ''

Der Einsiedler ' (''The Hermit'') Op. 144a, is a composition for baritone soloist, five-part choir and orchestra by Max Reger, written in 1915. The German text is a poem by Joseph von Eichendorff, beginning "" (Come, consolation of the world, you quiet night) ...

'', op. 144a, to Wolfrum and his choir: "dem hochverehrlichen 'Bach-Verein Heidelberg' und seinem ausgezeichneten Dirigenten Herrn Geheimrat, Generalmusikdirektor, Professor Dr. Philipp Wolfrum" (to the praise-worthy 'Bach-Verein Heidelberg' and its excellent conductor,

Geheimrat was the title of the highest advising officials at the imperial, royal, or princely courts of the Holy Roman Empire, who jointly formed the ''Geheimer Rat'' reporting to the ruler. The term remained in use during subsequent monarchic reigns in Ge ...

Professor Dr. Philipp Wolfrum). Wolfrum conducted the premiere of this work and of the Hebbel Requiem, op. 144b, in a memorial concert for Reger in Heideberg on 16 July 1916, shortly after the composer's death. Wolfrum worked for the revival of the works of

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...

and

Franz Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic music, Romantic period. With a diverse List of compositions by Franz Liszt, body of work spanning more than six ...

. He published in 1910 a

monography A monograph is generally a long-form work on one (usually scholarly) subject, or one aspect of a subject, typically created by a single author or artist (or, sometimes, by two or more authors). Traditionally it is in written form and published as ...

in two volumes ''Johann Sebastian Bach'' and was instrumental in the publishing of Liszt's complete works, publishing four volumes himself. Wolfrum died in

Samedan Samedan (, locally ) is a town and municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Maloja Region in the Switzerland, Swiss Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Grisons. It is served by Samedan railway station on the Rhaetian Railway network and ...

. An international competition for organists of the

Hochschule für Kirchenmusik Heidelberg The Hochschule für Kirchenmusik Heidelberg is a university of church music in Heidelberg and one of the most renowned ones in Germany. Its predecessor, Evangelisches Kirchenmusikalisches Institut Heidelberg (KI, Protestant church music institu ...

was established in his name.

Selected works

* ''Drei Sonaten für Orgel'', Op. 1, Op. 10, Op. 14 * Trio in B minor for piano, violin and viola, Op. 24 * ''Choralvorspiele'' Op. 25 and Op. 27 * ''Drei Tondichtungen'', Op. 30 * Orgel-Requiem ''Klage und Trost'' * ''Weihnachtsmysterium'' Op. 31

References

External links

*
Philipp Wolfrum
Hochschule für Kirchenmusik Heidelberg

Klassika
Nachlass von Philipp Wolfrum (1854–1919)

Bayerische Staatsbibliothek The Bavarian State Library (, abbreviated BSB, called ''Bibliotheca Regia Monacensis'' before 1919) in Munich is the central "State libraries of Germany, Landesbibliothek", i. e. the state library of the Free State of Bavaria, the biggest u ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wolfrum, Philipp German classical composers German male classical composers German conductors (music) German male conductors (music) German classical organists Academic staff of Heidelberg University 1854 births 1919 deaths German male classical organists