Siegfried Fietz (; born 25 May 1946) is a German singer-songwriter, composer, music producer and sculptor. He is known for songs of the genre
Neues Geistliches Lied
''Neues Geistliches Lied'' (, ''new spiritual song''), abbreviated NGL, is a music genre of songs in German intended for church usage, and based on contemporary lyrics and with music by contemporary composers.
History
The idea to reach youn ...
, particularly his setting of
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (; 4 February 1906 – 9 April 1945) was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian and anti- Nazi dissident who was a key founding member of the Confessing Church. His writings on Christianity's role in the secular world h ...
's poem "
Von guten Mächten
"Von guten Mächten" (By good forces) is a Christian poem which Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in 1944 when he was imprisoned in the basement prison of the Reich Security Main Office because of his resistance to the Nazis. It is his last theological tex ...
".
Career
Born in
Berleburg
Bad Berleburg (, earlier also Berleburg) is a town, in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is one of Germany's largest towns by land area. It is located approximately northeast of Siegen and northwest of ...
, Fietz grew up in
Hilchenbach
Hilchenbach () is a town in the Siegen-Wittgenstein '' Kreis'' (district) of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Geography Location
Hilchenbach is about northeast of Siegen. The town borders in the south on Netphen, in the west on Kreuztal, in the ...
. He began to play on his father's violin at age five, and learned to play the guitar a little later. He began voice training at age 15, and piano lessons at age 17. A year later, he took an exam as a church musician and
organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists. In addition, an organist may accompany congregational ...
.
He studied composition with .
He gave his first concerts with his friend Klaus Panthel, as the ''Fietz Team'', at the festival ''Offene Abende Siegen'' (Open evenings
tSiegen
Siegen () is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia.
It is located in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in the Arnsberg region. The university town (nearly 20,000 students in the 2018–2019 winter semeste ...
) which attracted up to 10,000 visitors. Fietz wrote new songs in German for these occasions, inviting the audience to sing along. He wrote a setting of the poem "
Von guten Mächten
"Von guten Mächten" (By good forces) is a Christian poem which Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in 1944 when he was imprisoned in the basement prison of the Reich Security Main Office because of his resistance to the Nazis. It is his last theological tex ...
" that
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (; 4 February 1906 – 9 April 1945) was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian and anti- Nazi dissident who was a key founding member of the Confessing Church. His writings on Christianity's role in the secular world h ...
wrote in prison in 1944.
The song has become part of the German Protestant and Catholic hymnals.
Fietz had written the melodies for 3000 songs by the age of 65.
Fietz moderated a series for the broadcaster
Hessischer Rundfunk
Hessischer Rundfunk (HR; "Hesse Broadcasting") is the German state of Hesse's public broadcasting corporation. Headquartered in Frankfurt, it is a member of the national consortium of German public broadcasting corporations, ARD.
Studios
Do ...
, ''Lieder zwischen Himmel und Erde'' (Songs between Heaven and Earth), with up to 150,000 listeners.
Fietz founded a music edition, the , together with his wife Barbara.
They have published around 250 productions with him as a performer, and others, to a total of 320 recordings. He has collaborated with
Ivan Rebroff
Ivan Rebroff (31 July 193127 February 2008) was a German-born vocalist, allegedly of Russian ancestry, who rose to prominence for his distinct and extensive vocal range of four and a half octaves, ranging from the soprano to bass registers.
...
,
Clemens Bittlinger,
Dieter Falk
Dieter Falk (born 5 December 1959 in Klafeld-Geisweid, now Siegen) is a German music producer, keyboardist, Christian composer, and arranger.
Discography
* 1985: ''One Time''
* 1985: ''Instrumental Journey''
* 1987: ''Today''
* 1989: ''Dieter ...
,
Eberhard Weber
Eberhard Weber (born 22 January 1940, in Stuttgart, Germany) is a German double bassist and composer. As a bass player, he is known for his highly distinctive tone and phrasing. Weber's compositions blend chamber jazz, European classical music, ...
,
Petula Clark
Petula Sally Olwen Clark, CBE (born 15 November 1932) is an English singer, actress, and composer. She has one of the longest serving careers of a British singer, spanning more than seven decades.
Clark's professional career began during th ...
,
Uwe Kröger
Uwe Kröger (; born 4 December 1964 in Hamm, West Germany) is a musical star in the German-speaking countries of the world. Besides starring on stage, Kröger has taken part in galas and concerts, as well as making television and film appearances ...
,
Eva Lind,
Bill Ramsey,
Edwin Hawkins
Edwin Reuben Hawkins (August 19, 1943 – January 15, 2018) was an American gospel musician, pianist, choir master, composer, and arranger. He was one of the originators of the urban contemporary gospel sound. He (as leader of the Edwin Hawki ...
,
Olivia Molina and
Coretta Scott King
Coretta Scott King ( Scott; April 27, 1927 – January 30, 2006) was an American author, activist, and civil rights leader who was married to Martin Luther King Jr. from 1953 until his death. As an advocate for African-American equality, she ...
. He developed a ''Weltraumsinfonie'' (Space Symphony) with the astronaut
James Irwin
James Benson Irwin (March 17, 1930 – August 8, 1991) was an American astronaut, aeronautical engineer, test pilot, and a United States Air Force Aviator, pilot. He served as Apollo Lunar Module pilot for Apollo 15, the fourth human lunar ...
.
His
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 ...
''Franziskus – Ein Heiliger und ein Papst'' premiered in 2016 at the 100th
Katholikentag
''Katholikentag'' () is a festival-like gathering in German-speaking countries organized by laity of the Catholic Church. ''Katholikentag'' festivals occur approximately every 2–4 years in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.
''Katholikentag' ...
in Leipzig.
Since 1995, Fietz has also worked as an artist, creating abstract paintings and wooden sculptures. His first exposition was in 2009. He opened a sculpture park in
Greifenstein-Allendorf in 2015.
idea.de, Meldung vom 27. Juli 2015.
Literature
* Jan Vering: ''Siegfried Fietz – Von guten Mächten und bewegten Zeiten.'' Biographie, Gerth, Asslar 2011, .
* Siegfried Fietz: ''Aufbruch wagen.'' Kunst Broschüre, Abakus Musik, Greifenstein 2012, .
* Siegfried Fietz: ''Skulpturen Bilder.'' Kunst Broschüre, Abakus Musik, Greifenstein 2011.
References
External links
*
*
Abakus Musik
*
Siegfried Fietz
list of songs, liederdatenbank.de
*
Kunst und Skulpturen von Siegfried Fietz
skulpturenpark.info
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fietz, Siegfried
German composers
German male singer-songwriters
German singer-songwriters
German record producers
1946 births
Living people