During my time as a cantor in Freiburg and later in Würzburg, my works for the human voice focussed on the composition of a large number of liturgical motets, chorales and hymns, whereby - not least - the personal contacts with the cathedral conductors Franz Stemmer (Freiburg i.Br.), Franz Fleckenstein and Siegfried Koesler (Würzburg) must be mentioned, who repeatedly commissioned me to write music for their choirs and also to design new chants for the liturgy.

Bertold Hummel 1998

Biography

Siegfried Koesler, born in 1937, studied musicology, art history, archaeology, history and choral conducting in Aix-en-Provence, Freiburg and Tübingen.

He then directed the boys' choir in Rottweil (Black Forest) for ten years. He has been the cathedral choirmaster in Würzburg since January 1971. His move coincided with the beginning of the five-year synod of the German dioceses in Würzburg. Here he conducts the cathedral choir (ladies and gentlemen), which has existed since the beginning of the 19th century, the cathedral boys' choir, whose choir was founded nine years earlier by his predecessor Fleckenstein, the girls' choir (Mädchenkantorei) and the cathedral orchestra. The girls' choir was founded and built up by Koesler in 1971. During this time, he has trained several hundred singers and supervised them in the choirs. The main task of the choirs is the musical organisation of the festive services and the Sunday conventual services in the cathedral as well as two or three oratorio performances in St. Kilian's Cathedral every year. This is followed by further performances outside the cathedral, as well as recordings on disc, CD, radio and television. The Bruckner Festival, which recurs every three years, was founded by Siegfried Koesler together with Bertold Hummel and Erwin Hörn in 1993 and has been an integral part of concertante church music in Würzburg ever since. Koesler is a professor at the University of Music in Würzburg for Gregorian chant (until 2001), liturgy, liturgical singing and church music history. From 1984 to 1992, he was President of the International Choir Association Pueri Cantores, whose movement he has supported and helped to shape since 1961, first with the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, then as Secretary, Vice-President and President of the German association. The highlight of this earlier activity was the 1970 International Choir Meeting in Würzburg with over 5000 singers from 14 countries. He was a member of the jury at the choral competitions in Athens, Nantes and Arezzo. He has been associated with the Loreto Choral Festival since 1962 and has been a member of the artistic direction since 1979.

Koesler was awarded the Cultural Prize of the City of Würzburg in 1986, the European Prize "Cesare d'oro" (Padua) in 1993, the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1997 and the Vatican Order of St Gregory in 1998.

Publications by Siegried Koesler (selection):

"Aufbau, Erziehung und Gottesdienstlicher Einsatz eines Jugendchores", in: Kirchenmusik - eine geistig-geistliche Disziplin. Guest lectures at the Catholic Church Music Department of the State University of Music Stuttgart 5, Stuttgart 1980.

"Die kirchliche Musik an der bischöflichen Cathedrale zu Würzburg / Eine Stellungnahme von 1882", in: Glaube und Gemeinschaft (FS P.-W. Scheele), edited by K. HILLENBRAND - H. NIEDERSCHLAG, Würzburg 2000.

"Kirchenmusikalische Aspekte der Kathedralliturgie", in: Brückenschlag (FS W. Bretschneider), ed. by ST. KLÖCKNER - M. KREUELS - G. MASSENKEIL, Regensburg 2001.

"Johannes Georg Meuerer (1871-1955) - Ein Spät-Cäcilianer", in: Organista et homo doctus (FS R. Walter), edited by A. REICHLING, Sankt Augustin 2008.

"Der Dirigent Karl Muck (1859-1940)", in: Mainfränkisches Jahrbuch für Geschichte und Kunst 61/2009, Würzburg 2009.

"Die Würzburger Dommusik in den ersten zwei Dritteln des 20. Jahrhunderts", in: Kirchenmusik in der Diözese Würzburg - Studien und Quellen vom 16. bis ins 20. Jahrhundert (Quellen und Forschungen des Bistums und des Hochstifts Würzburg 64), ed. by D. KIRSCH - U. KONRAD, Würzburg 2010.

Works by Bertold Hummel, which were premiered under the direction of Siegfried Koesler:

op. 57b DANKHYMNUS (We give you thanks)
Premiered by the Würzburg Cathedral Boys' Choir on 22 June 1975

op. 90 DER SCHREIN DER MÄRTYRER
Premiered by the Würzburg Cathedral Choir, Cathedral Boys' Choir, Girls' Choir,
soloists, three organists, percussion ensemble, cathedral orchestra on
14.07.1989 (Kilian's jubilee)

op. 97d VENI CREATOR SPIRITUS
première by the Würzburg Cathedral Boys' Choir on 07.06.1992

op. 97e1 WELCOME TO MARY
première by the Würzburg Cathedral Choir on 16 May 1994

op. 97e2 AVE MARIA
première by the Würzburg Cathedral Choir on 20 May 2001

op. 98b MISSA LAUDATE PUERI
Premiere of the first version by the cathedral choir boys of Lyon and Würzburg
(Favouritchor) and the approximately 4,900 Pueri Cantores at their
International Choral Meeting in Salzburg Cathedral on 14 July 1996
Premiere of the second version by the Würzburg Cathedral Choir, Cathedral Boys' Choir
and wind instruments in Würzburg Cathedral on 08.07.2002
Premiere of the Kyrie of the second version on 14.08.2002 (Requiem for Bertold
Hummel)

op.103h CHRISTUS HERI
Premiere by the Würzburg Cathedral Choir with organ on 22/06/2000

Works without opus number:

LORD OUR GOD
Premiere by the Würzburg Cathedral Boys' Choir on 16 July 1972

HONOUR BE TO GOD (German Gloria)
Premiere by the Würzburg Cathedral Choir on 23/07/1972

PRAISE THE LORD MY SOUL (Thanksgiving)
Premiere by the Würzburg Cathedral Boys' Choir on 26/07/1981

HALLELUJAH WITH VERSES (GL 811)
Premiered by the Würzburg Cathedral Choir on 30.01.1983 (1st verse), 06.11.1983
(2nd verse) and on 30.09.1984 (3rd verse)

NOT BY BREAD ALONE
première by the Würzburg Cathedral Choir on 20 February 1983 (1st Sunday of Lent)

PRAISE THE LORD
première by the Würzburg Cathedral Boys' Choir on 18.11.1984

LORD HOW NUMEROUS ARE YOUR WORKS
première by the Würzburg Cathedral Choir on 24.11.1985

AUF LASST UNS JUBELN (Coda to GL 525)
Premiered by the Würzburg Cathedral Boys' Choir on 27 October 1991

WERDET WACH ERHEBET EUCH (Coda to GL 117,2)
Premiere by the Würzburg Cathedral Boys' Choir on 29 November 1992 (1st Advent)

HALLELUJA (Coda for equal voices to GL 530,7; 530,8 or 531,2)
première by the girls' choir of Würzburg Cathedral on 07.05.1995

WE GREET YOU O CHILD JESUS
première by the Würzburg Cathedral Choir on 26.12.1999

I WILL PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS
Premiere by the Würzburg Cathedral Choir on 08.07.2002 (Kiliansfest)

Under Siegfried Koesler, the choirs of Würzburg Cathedral also regularly sang psalm compositions from the New Book of Psalms published by Christophorus-Verlag (before 1970), song movements for equal voices from the collections of Bonifacius-Verlag (1976 ff) or more extensive works such as the Missa brevis op.5 for choir and winds (first performed on 24 November 1985), the Missa Cantabo Domino op.16 for mixed choir (first performed on 28 March 1971), the Missa brevis op.18c for equal voices and organ (first performed on 2 November 1975), the Würzburg Dommesse op.31b (Kiliansfest 1971), "Stille Nacht" (Christmas concert 1980) or "O du fröhliche" (Christmas concert 1991), for which the premiere was in other hands.

Compilation: Siegfried Koesler, November 2004

 

Siegfried Koesler
Bertold Hummel as cellist of the Würzburg Cathedral Orchestra

The most important and most frequent involvement of Bertold Hummel and his wife Inken (violin) with the Würzburg Cathedral Orchestra was in the cathedral's church services. Even when Fleckenstein was cathedral conductor (from 1966) and until the last year of his life (2002), he and his wife were present at almost all church services when the orchestra was required, which was particularly the case at Easter, Whitsun, Mozartfest and Christmas, but also on other occasions. This resulted in a repertoire of over 30 masses, ten by Mozart and eight by Haydn alone, but also four masses by Schubert, Beethoven's Mass in C major, Bruckner's Mass in D minor, Liszt's Hungarian Coronation Mass, Gounod's Cecilia Mass and Dvorak's Mass in D major.

The one or two cathedral concerts per year were another field of activity for Bertold Hummel and his wife, which the composer had to fulfil with exceptions from 1971 until around his 70th birthday (1995). His solo participation in the evangelist recitatives in Bach's Christmas Oratorio, St John Passion and St Matthew Passion and Haydn's Creation should be mentioned here in particular. In addition to these concerts, there were also festive events, orchestral concerts, radio and disc recordings.

Bertold and Inken Hummel have travelled abroad 16 times with the choirs of the Cathedral Music, once to Switzerland, twice to France and 13 times to Italy, including seven times to the Loreto Choir Festival near Ancona. Three times they have travelled with the cathedral choir without orchestra as guests, in 1995 to Israel, in 1998 to Rome and in 2000 to Ireland. The concert tours with orchestra are listed individually here (concert venues in bold, soloists always included):
April 1974: Loreto with the Domsingknaben (Vivaldi: Magnificat, Pergolesi: Stabat mater, Mozart: Lauretanische Litanei KV 195).
April 1977: Verona, Loreto, Venice with the Cathedral Boys' Choir (Haydn: Salve regina, Mozart: Requiem), Macerata with the Cathedral Orchestra (works by Pachelbel, Marcello, Telemann and Mozart). Honorary member of the "Gnocchi Order" Verona.
April 1980: Lecco, Loreto, Vicenza with the Cathedral Boys' Choir (Handel: Messiah). Temporary power failure and continued music-making by candlelight at the concert in Loreto.
April 1981: Erba, Lecco with the Cathedral Boys' Choir (Monteverdi: Psalms, Mozart: Requiem).
April 1982: Lecco, Loreto, Darfo Boario Terme with the Cathedral Boys' Choir (Mozart: Coronation Mass, Te Deum, Lauretanische Litanei KV 109 and others).
October 1982: Ebersmünster in Alsace with the cathedral choir (Haydn: Nicolaimesse, Theresienmesse, Te Deum).
November 1982: Einsiedeln in Switzerland with the cathedral choir (Haydn: Creation), benefit concert for the restoration of the basilica.
June 1984: Lecco, Erba, Venice with the girls' choir (Michael Haydn: Vespers, Pasquale Anfossi: Il Sedicia).
April 1985: Lecco, Loreto, Malo near Vicenza with the Cathedral Choir and parts of the Cathedral Boys' Choir and the Girls' Choir (Verdi: Requiem). Welcoming Pope John Paul II to the meeting of the Italian Bishops' Conference. Bishops' Conference.
May 1986: Caen, Amiens with the cathedral choir (Haydn: Harmoniemesse, organ concerto, Te Deum).
May 1987: Lecco, Mariano near Milan with the cathedral choir (Handel: Israel in Egypt).
April 1990: Udine, Loreto, Darfo Boario Terme with the Cathedral Boys' Choir (Handel: Messiah).
September 1990: Bergamo, Vicenza with the Cathedral Boys' Choir (Vivaldi: Magnificat, Platti: Mass in A major and Requiem, Hasse: Te Deum).
January 1993: Lecco, Clusone with the Cathedral Boys' Choir (Bach: Christmas Oratorio 4-6).
April 1993: Lecco, Loreto, Udine with the cathedral choir (Beethoven: Mass in C major, Bruckner: Te Deum).
April 1996: Udine with the Cathedral Boys' Choir (Zelenka: Lauretanische Litanei and three psalms, Platti: Mass in A major and Stabat mater (fragment), Hasse Te Deum).

(Compilation November 2010)

Bertold Hummel
The special programme of Würzburg Cathedral music 1971-2002

From his meritorious predecessor Monsignor Franz Fleckenstein, cathedral conductor Siegfried Koesler, who was appointed on 1 January 1971, took over the motto: "Praise God, that is our office". He made the multiple biblical demand "Sing to the Lord a new song" (PS. 33,3; 40,4; 96,1; 98,1; 144,9; 149,1; Is. 42,10; Rev. 5,9; 14,3) and the instructions of the Second Vatican Council on the liturgy the starting point and supporting foundation of his work. The 150th psalm, the keystone of the entire collection of psalms, signals that the "meaning of the world is fulfilled in praise of God": "Let everything that breathes praise the Lord". This call has been heard and taken seriously by the creative forces of the West throughout the centuries right up to the present day. This is symbolised by countless masterpieces of all kinds - from Gregorian chant to the first flowering of polyphony to Palestrina, Schütz, Bach, Handel, from Viennese Classicism to Romanticism to the masters of the 20th century. Under the direction of Siegfried Koesler, the Würzburg Cathedral Choir, the Boys' Choir and the Girls' Choir, founded in 1971, cultivated the standard repertoire of larger church choirs in an exemplary manner - for example, 11 masses by W.A. Mozart (1756-1791) alone, including the Great Mass in C minor, the Requiem and other works (litanies etc.) were performed repeatedly. The oeuvre of Anton Bruckner (1824-1896), all of whose important church music works have long been in the repertoire in Würzburg, receives special attention at the Würzburg Bruckner Festival, which has been held every three years since 1993 and whose artistic and organisational direction is in the hands of Siegfried Koesler, among others. Oratorio and liturgical compositions by Franz Liszt (1811-1886), Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) and Josef Rheinberger (1838-1901) have also found their way into the cathedral music programmes time and again. The great works of the 20th century such as Edward Elgar's "The Apostles", Franz Schmidt's "The Book with Seven Seals", Zoltän Kodäly's "Te Deum", Arthur Honegger's "King David", Benjamin Britten's "War Requiem" and Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Requiem" have also found a remarkable home in Würzburg Cathedral. The programme also includes many smaller works from the 20th century by J. N. David, J. Alain, J. van Nuffel, 0. Dunkelberg and P. Eben.

What is special about Siegfried Koesler's programme in Würzburg Cathedral is the inclusion of composers from the past and present who are associated with Würzburg or himself. First a look into the past: as early as the first recording in 1975, the composers Heinrich Pfendtner (Würzburg court organist until 1630) and Philipp Friedrich Buchner (Würzburg court conductor until 1669) were joined by Valentin Rathgeber (1682-1750), who came from the Rhön and later trained as a Benedictine monk in Würzburg. Five masses and other works by him are in the repertoire of the cathedral choirs, works that are performed time and again, including the great "Apostles' Mass", which was broadcast on Bavarian radio in 1988, or the "Martyrs' Mass", which was sung for the first time in modern times at the Rathgeber Symposium in 2000 in Obereisbach, where Rathgeber was born.
A few years later than Rathgeber lived Giovanni Benedetto Platti (1897-1763), who is the subject of Siegfried Koesler's study. Platti probably came to Würzburg from Venice in 1722 as part of the recruitment of Italian musicians, where he remained as a member of the court chapel. The music in Würzburg has been burnt, but some works can be found in Wiesentheid, from which Siegfried Koesler had a mass and the Requiem copied and performed, both works also several times in Italy.

The composers of the Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert periods mentioned below are known to us and have become easily accessible thanks to the consolidation of the music collections from the parishes in the Würzburg diocesan archives in recent years:

Siegfried Koesler has added a mass by the Heidenfeld choirmaster Josef Krafft (1750-1812) to his repertoire, as well as a large mass and a "Christmas hymn" by Franz Xaver Sterkel (born in Würzburg in 1750, later court music director of Mainz, a celebrity as a piano virtuoso and acquainted with Mozart and Beethoven, died in Würzburg in 1817); a "Peace Mass" by Stephan Hammel (1756-1830, born in Gissigheim near Tauberbischofsheim, Benedictine monk of St. Stephan in Würzburg, esteemed as an organist and singer by the prince-bishop, then parish priest in Veitshöchheim); a "Missa solemnis" by Friedrich Witt (1770-1836, Würzburg's last court conductor, famous for nine symphonies printed in Frankfurt, one of which was known until the 20th century as the "Jena Symphony"). Finally, there is a festive mass and a "Salve regina" by Georg Friedrich Keller (1806-1849, born in Würzburg-Unterdürrbach, Holkapellmeister in St. Petersburg and then cathedral organist in Würzburg). They are joined by the probably best-known Würzburg-born composer Georg Joseph "Abbe" Vogler (1749-1814, Court Kapellmeister in Munich, Stockholm and finally in Darmstadt, a great stimulus of his time, especially in the field of harmony and organ building, teacher of C.M. von Weber), whose eight-part "Kilianslied" has long appeared in the cathedral music programme and whose "Hosianna", still popular in Sweden today, is sung here in a translation. Siegfried Koesler had the above-mentioned masses, which were all composed for choir, soloists and orchestra, written using the Cathedral Music computer programme and performed them several times in church services.

About the present: Siegfried Koesler brought works by two composers from his earlier time in Rottweil to Würzburg, which were written for him and his singers: Psalms, song movements and the motet "Gott spricht zu Moses" by Corbinian Gindele (1901-1986, Benedictine monk, pupil of Hindemith, long-time organist at Beuron Archabbey) and by Karl Michael Komma (b. 1913, professor at the Stuttgart University of Music) the "Pfingstsequenz", a "Deutsches Ordinarium" and the half-hour "Matthäuspassion", which the boys' choir sang in the liturgy and in concerts on the Palm Sundays of the Matthäusjahre (every three years).

Other composers outside of Würzburg wrote for Siegfried Koesler or were inspired by him to compose:
Virgilio Mortari (1902-1993, latterly professor at the Academy of Music in Rome), whose "Missa pro pace" was heard in Würzburg, after which he wrote "Marientrauer", a 15-minute piece for soloists, choir of equal voices and orchestra for the girls' choir, which was performed several times. Augustinus Franz Kropfreiter (born 1936, organist at the Bruckner organ in St Florian/Upper Austria) is represented in Würzburg by the "Missa choralis", the Missa "Pueri Cantores", the "Grazer Messe" (the latter two co-inspired by Siegfried Koesler) and the Missa "O crux ave", which was premiered by the Domsingknaben in 2000.

Wolfram Menschick (born 1937, cathedral conductor in Eichstätt) wrote a Missa "Pueri Cantores" for the International Choral Meeting in Rome in 1987 at the request of Siegfried Koesler, for many years one of the conductors of the large choir meetings of this association as Vice President and President of the worldwide Pueri Cantores Association since 1970. It has been in the repertoire of cathedral music ever since, as have Menschick's "Missa parochialis" and "Missa de angelis", his Vespers and various motets. Also worthy of mention is Kees Bornewasser (organist in the Netherlands), who wrote the Missa "Laudate pueri" for the International Choral Meeting of the Pueri Cantores in Maastricht in 1990, which has been used in cathedral music ever since. Finally, Peter Planyavsky (born 1947, cathedral organist in Vienna) should be mentioned. He was one of the composers of the "Missa nova", which was premiered by the Cathedral Boys' Choir on the occasion of the international choir meeting in Salzburg in 1996. He is known to the girls' choir for his "Salve regina". Polyphonic continuations ("codas") to the introductory psalms and Hallelujah, psalm and Magnificat settings as well as song movements can always be found in the cathedral music programme.

In addition, compositions by the Würzburg cathedral organist Paul Damjakob (born 1939) are used, as well as works by Siegfried Koesler's former colleagues: Karl-Ludwig Hecht (born 1945, director of the church music school and the boys' choir in Berlin); Franz-Josef Stoiber (born 1959, cathedral organist in Regensburg); Wolfgang Schneider (born 1968, church musician in Munich/Haidhausen), Andreas Unterguggenberger (born 1969, collegiate cantor in Aschaffenburg); Hans Schnieders (born 1970, organ professor at Aachen University) and Johannes Maria Strauss (born 1972, church musician in Meerbusch near Düsseldorf).

The following authors in particular composed codas, song movements, motets, masses and large-scale works for the choirs of the cathedral, which were repeatedly used in the liturgical and concert programmes of cathedral music: Firstly Otmar Faulstich (b. 1938, 1964-1983 at Würzburg Cathedral, since then lecturer in composition at the Regensburg University of Church Music), who wrote his Latin Ordinary for the 1970 choir meeting in Würzburg; then Andreas Boitz (b. 1964, from 1989-1993 at Würzburg Cathedral and since then regional cantor in Darmstadt), who composed "Puer natus in Jerusalem" for the Pueri Cantores meeting in Rome in 1993 and "Christus vincit" for the meeting in Mainz in 2001, as well as the Missa "Regina caeli" and the polychoral setting "Veni creator". Finally, mention should be made of the many years of collaboration with the writer of these lines, Bertold Hummel (born in 1925, Professor of Composition and President of the Würzburg Academy of Music, father of six sons, all of whom sang with the cathedral choirboys, and together with his wife a long-standing member of the cathedral orchestra). This collaboration culminated in the almost two-hour oratorio "Der Schrein der Märtyrer" for soloists, choirs, three organs, percussion ensemble and large orchestra (première in 1989, since then performed again in 1992 and 2000). This work, as well as three masses and motets and organ music, are documented on CD; his "Ave Maria" is dedicated to Siegfried Koesler.

From this - albeit incomplete - overview of the special programme of Würzburg Cathedral music, it is easy and gratifying to see that Siegfried Koesler has lived up to the motto of his predecessor Franz Fleckenstein and his own objectives to a high degree with tireless diligence and enthusiasm. I would like to express my personal thanks for over 30 years of friendly, artistic co-operation and wish him many happy, healthy and imaginative years to come. In conclusion, I would like to quote Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who, as is generally known, has a very special connection to Musica Sacra. He writes: "The art that the Church has produced is the only real apology it has to make for its history, apart from the saints that have grown within it." The Church must remain discerning, it must wage the battle for "spiritualisation", without which it becomes a "first circle of hell". That is why the question of what is "suitable" must always also be the question of what is "worthy" and the challenge to seek this "worthiness".

Prof Bertold Hummel worked as a composer in Würzburg, he was president of the Würzburg University of Music and taught there as a professor of composition. The author died while this volume was being printed on 9 August 2002.

(from: Dommusik Würzburg - Eine Festgabe zu Ehren von Professor Siegried Koesler, Domkapellmeister zu Würzburg 1971-2002, edited by Hans-Georg Ziebertz, Theobald Stangl and Johannes Windmeißer for the Dommusikverein Würzburg, ISBN 3-00-010031-8)