Bertold Hummel met the organist and cantor Dieter Weiss at the start of their time studying together in Freiburg in 1947. Dieter Weiss encouraged him to compose a number of organ and choral works and also arranged for their world premieres. These included the well-known ‘Alleluja’ for organ, Op. 44, to which he is the dedicatee. The two musicians remained on friendly terms until the end of Hummel’s life.

Works premiered by Dieter Weiss

• Sacred Concerto for Baritone and Organ
• Introduction, Arioso and Fugue for Organ, Op. 4
• To the King of Eternity, cantata for choir and 7 instruments, Op. 17
• Adagio for Organ, Op. 21
• Fantasy for Organ, Op. 25
• Alleluia for Organ, Op. 44

Biography
Dieter Weiss (born 18 November 1922 in Essen; died 5 August 2009 in Bayreuth) was a German organist, church musician, conductor and lecturer.

Weiss studied the organ at the University of Music in Freiburg under Walter Kraft and with Jeanne Demessieux in Paris. He also studied conducting under Konrad Lechner and Hermann Scherchen.

From 1952 to 1959, he was organist and cantor at St Johannis in Hamburg-Altona, and from 1959 to 1971, organist at St Marien in Flensburg and director of the Flensburg Bach Choir.

From 1965, Dieter Weiss was a lecturer in organ performance at what was then the Schleswig-Holstein Music Academy and North German Organ School in Lübeck, now the Lübeck University of Music.

From 1971 to 1986, Weiss was Regional Church Music Director of the Evangelical Lutheran Regional Church in Oldenburg and organist at St Lamberti in Oldenburg, where he was responsible for the specification of the Führer organ installed there in 1972; and founded the Lambertichor in 1971 and the Demantius Chor Oldenburg in 1973.

In 1997, Dieter Weiss wrote the following account of the composer:

Bertold Hummel was born on 27 November 1025 in Hüfingen near Donaueschingen. In addition to his work as a primary school teacher, his father was an organist and director of the church choir in Hüfingen. From an early age, the boy received music lessons, sang soprano in the church choir and soon developed a natural affinity for the organ and Gregorian chant. This love of, and experience with, Gregorian chant, Hummel later said, had a decisive influence on his compositional work: just as the chorale can be explained as the additive summation of building blocks, so one recognises in Hummel’s works mosaic pieces that are subject to constant metamorphosis.
Hummel’s love of the organ is also easily explained by his years in Hüfingen. His first organ composition is *Introduction, Arioso and Fugue*, Op. 4, which, in its three distinct movements, immediately reveals a style of writing very much in keeping with the organ. Over the years, the series of organ compositions has grown to 16; apart from a few pieces intended for liturgical use, most works are written in a demanding, virtuosic style that consistently suggests distinctive registration possibilities. These works for solo organ are effectively complemented by compositions featuring additional instruments, of which at least the Biblical Scenes for Oboe and Organ, Op. 45, and above all the Metamorphoses on B-A-C-H for Wind Instruments and Organ, Op. 40, deserve special mention.

I first met Hummel at the start of our time studying together at the Freiburg University of Music (1947), where he worked with Harald Genzmer for seven years and also studied cello in Atis Teichmanis’s masterclass. Thus, from the very beginning, the foundations were laid for his versatility, which had a decisive influence on his musical thinking. He became involved as a cellist in various chamber music circles and soon premiered his first string quartet, Op. 3. The first work he composed that brought us together was the cantata ‘So kehre nun, meine Seele, zu deiner Ruh’ for bass and organ, which we premiered on Remembrance Sunday 1951 at the Melanchthon Church in Haslach.

Our time as students in Freiburg at the conservatoire – which had been re-established in 1946 under the directorship of the flautist Gustav Scheck – was a unique period of new beginnings, particularly as Baden lay within the French occupation zone. It was the first time we had seen paintings by Braque, Léger and Picasso. Rouault’s complete ‘Miserere’ cycle was also exhibited. On various occasions, organ music by Olivier Messiaen (whom Hummel would later describe as one of the “beacons of European musical history”) was performed in the cathedral; his “Quatuor pour la fin de temps” was played by four professors in the stairwell of the Wenzinger-Haus on Münsterplatz (the college’s main building) and left a deep and moving impression. The musical atmosphere at the college was significantly shaped by Walter Kraft, Konrad Lechner, Fritz Neumeyer, Edith Picht-Axendfeld and Carl Seemann. In addition, the Kunstverein offered Emil Nolde’s magnificent floral watercolours for 450 new German marks at a sales exhibition. These and similar experiences created an exciting and stimulating atmosphere that greatly enhanced the intensity of his studies.
After completing his studies, Hummel undertook various concert tours with a small ensemble, including a tour of Africa. This journey came to a wonderful conclusion with his marriage to the violinist Inken Steffen, who, with superior expertise and great empathy, knew how to support her husband’s career from then on. Six highly musical sons became the pride of the family.

From 1956 onwards, Bertold Hummel served as cantor at St Konrad’s Church in Freiburg, whilst also working as a freelancer for Südwestfunk. His constant contact with his choir inspired him to compose numerous choral works; he soon learnt to keep the difficulties for choral parts grounded in reality whilst still writing a harmonious composition. During this period, a *Missa brevis* (Op. 5a) was premiered by the Freiburg Cathedral Choir at the Donaueschingen Music Festival (1952). In addition to further masses, the Freiburg cantor (who was also skilled at playing the organ during services) wrote numerous monophonic liturgical pieces and motets, as well as several very diverse, significant cantatas, among which ‘Dem König der Ewigkeit’ Op. 17 (with a small wind ensemble) is particularly close to my heart. This vocal strand then reaches its climax with the oratorio ‘Der Schrein der Märtyrer’ Op. 90 in honour of Saint Kilian, which had its unique world premiere at Würzburg Cathedral with several choirs, soloists, orchestras and three organs (1989) – an instrumentation that is hard to surpass. Yet Hummel’s great respect for amateur music-making leads him time and again to return to pieces that are easier to perform, as was most recently the case for the Boys’ Choir Festival in Salzburg (1996).

Even today, Bertold Hummel remains a dedicated chamber musician, and it is evident that half of his works are written for chamber ensembles: still the ultimate test for any composer. A further quarter of his body of work is devoted to church music. The Second String Quartet, Op. 46, is particularly characterised by its great intensity. In his chamber music for wind instruments, most instruments are represented, including in solo pieces: an incredible wealth unfolds in these sections of his catalogue. Naturally, the strings are not neglected; the Songs based on letters by Vincent van Gogh for solo baritone and string quartet, Op. 84, represent a welcome expansion of the instrumentation – a combination that remains rare even after Schoenberg. The composer also has a particular affinity for percussion, for which there is a whole series of highly colourful solo pieces. His greatest success in this field to date has been the Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra, Op. 70, which was premiered in 1985 and has since become an international hit. Hummel’s rhythmic and sonorous talent truly triumphs here.

Of his four stage works , the chamber opera *The Emperor’s New Clothes*, Op. 10, in particular has caused quite a stir. His 15 symphonic orchestral works undoubtedly form a major focus of Hummel’s oeuvre. The composer’s rich sense of colour is expressed here in an overwhelming art of orchestration, which time and again holds surprises in store. For that reason alone, all these pieces make for a thrilling listen. Particularly outstanding are the Second Symphony “Reverenza”, Op. 30 (composed in 1966) and “Visions”, Op. 73 (composed in 1979/80). In ‘Reverenza’, the composer’s fully chromatic approach also leads to the deliberate use of twelve-tone fields and polytonal textures, interwoven with lyrical counterpoint. The technique of constant metamorphosis reaches an overwhelming climax in the final movement with the development of the ‘Te Deum’ theme, which fits in as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The shorter “Visions” are based on the Book of Revelation and link the human suffering of our time to it. Enchanting, ethereal sounds interweave with the brass-dominated passages; the piece ends – very quietly – with the vision of the heavenly Jerusalem. In neither work are there any uncontrolled emotions; the clarity of the structures always remains the defining feature, and whilst melodic traces of Hindemith can occasionally be found, there are none of Genzmer.

In 1963, Hummel was appointed as a teacher of composition at what was then the State Conservatoire in Würzburg. In his passionate teaching, he acknowledges that he is no avant-gardist; rather, he feels connected to and committed to the community; for him, the triangle of composer–performer–listener forms the essential foundation of musical life. In his teaching, he respects the personality of his students and seeks to ‘meet them on their own terms’, convincing them through his very sound judgement. Consequently, Hummels’ numerous pupils each display quite distinct musical profiles – much to the delight of their teacher, whose stylistic approach is not narrowly confined but is always open to significant inspiration. This also explains his many homages to Bruckner, Berg, Messiaen and others, whose styles he is able to blend convincingly. He led his masterclass in composition until 1988; during this time, the Würzburg Institute rose to the status of a university of music through his activities and initiatives, and Hummel was elected its president in 1979, a position he still holds today as honorary president. Also up until 1988, through the concerts organised by his Würzburg Studios for New Music, he provided significant and highly acclaimed impetus for the development of contemporary music.

Bertold Hummel has received numerous honours: in 1956 he was awarded a scholarship by the Federation of German Industries; in 1960 he received the City of Düsseldorf’s Composition Prize; in 1988 the City of Würzburg’s Culture Prize; and in 1996 the Friedrich Baur Prize for Music; In 1982, he became a member of the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts.

The clarity of his musical thinking is reflected in his precise, vivid musical notation; it is immediately ‘intuitive’ to play and offers many points of inspiration. Even after the publication of works that had been premiered, I have always much preferred to continue playing such pieces from the autograph. One feels that the composer wrote these scores with a great sense of responsibility. The confidence of this musical notation is also compelling: here writes a master of our time who, in his wide-ranging oeuvre, demonstrates great spiritual depth, a strong spiritual connection and triumphant musicality.

Dieter Weiss (1997)