Alexander Adam (composer)

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Alexander Franz Adam (also Alexandre Adam; born November 24, 1853 in Bruchsal , † June 10, 1917 in Freiburg im Breisgau ) was a composer and choirmaster from Baden .

Life

1853–1883 ​​childhood and studies

Alexander Adam's parents came from Offenburg. His father Joseph Alexander (1825-1884), chief accountant, was a municipal intern in 1853 in Bruchsal, where Alexander was born. His mother was Anna Mathilde (1831–1909). He spent his childhood in Freiburg. From 1859 he attended elementary school , from 1860 in Karlsruhe , where the family had settled. In 1863 he went to the Lyceum in Karlsruhe, a humanistic grammar school, today's Bismarck grammar school in Karlsruhe . He left it in December 1867 during the lower secondary school, then passed the Abitur at another institute. From 1871 to 1876 he attended the Karlsruhe Polytechnic , where he studied engineering. From 1876 to 1879 he studied at the Conservatory of Music in Stuttgart. He then continued his studies at the Royal University of Music in Berlin until 1883. Here he was in Friedrich Kiel's composition class .

1883–1891 First professional positions in Würzburg, Karlsruhe and Constance

In 1883 he was Kapellmeister at the Stadttheater Würzburg. From 1883 to 1886 he was the club conductor of various choirs in Karlsruhe, including the choirmaster of the MGV Liederkranz Karlsruhe, the Cäcilienverein and the Instrumentalverein . In 1886 he went to Constance, where he met Zygmunt Noskowski , a Polish student from Kiel . Adam became music director of the Bodan Singers' Group in December of that year . From 1887 he was organist and choirmaster at St. Stephan . In the same year he married Eugenie Rosenfeldt (1861–1925). A big problem was the evangelical denomination of his wife and the marriage before the regional church of Baden. Another marriage before a Roman Catholic clergyman and a declaration by the spouses about the Catholic baptism and upbringing of the children were necessary so that Adam could keep his position. He was also hostile because of his music style used in church services. He was accused of disregarding the chanting rules of the church and of maintaining a style that was more suitable for a theater or a concert hall than a church, which contradicted the movement of Cecilianism .

1891–1917 time in Freiburg im Breisgau

So he gave up the job and went to Freiburg. Here he took over the position of conductor at the Musikverein in 1891 and in 1892 the management of the Freiburg men's choir. Here he had the opportunity to organize concerts according to the taste of the time, in which his wife often took part as a pianist. In addition to compositions by Joseph Haydn , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Franz Schubert , the repertoire also included works by Hugo Wolf , Max Reger and his own compositions. He performed the oratorio Jos Fritz for the first time in 1900 and again in 1903 and King Enzio's death in 1910 . In 1903 he reached the VII Bad with the Freiburg Men's Choir. National Singers Festival in Mannheim won first prize for the composition Totenvolk by Friedrich Hegar . In Friborg he worked after a change of denomination as cantor of the evangelical St. Paulus parish. In 1914 he resigned all musical offices for health reasons. After his son Alexander (1888–1915), a candidate for teaching, died in the war in 1915, Alexander Adam died on June 10, 1917 in Freiburg.

Works (selection)

The Freiburg men's choir has handwritten scores by Alexander Adam in its archive.

  • Jos Fritz (From the Peasant Wars) for solo voices, choir and orchestra Text: Maidy Koch. Stuttgart, Feuchtinger, 1908
  • König Enzios Tod for solo voices, choir and orchestra Text: Maidy Koch. Stuttgart, Feuchtinger, 1910
  • Suite in D minor for the Pianoforte op.2 Ebner, Stuttgart, 1888
  • Symphony in A major for large orchestra op.8
  • Lenz has come for voice with accompaniment of the pianoforte, op.15 Text: Julius Wolff , Baden-Baden, Sommermeyer, 1900
  • Piano Pieces op.17 No. 2 Defiant and faithful, Impromptu, published in Berlin by Fr. Luckhardt, 1891.
  • Homage to the genius of sound, for solos, male choir and orchestra, op.20
  • New Years Eve. Cantata for solos, choir and orchestra op.21
  • Trio for piano, violin and violoncello op.22
  • Vale senex Imperator (Barbarossa), for solo voice, male choir and orchestra op.25
  • In Jugendlenze. Symphonic poem in the form of an overture for large orchestra, op.28
  • Ouverture romantique, for large orchestra op.29
  • The Vogt on the millstone. Overture op.39
  • String quartet op.43
  • String quartet op.44
  • Concerto in A minor, for pianoforte with orchestral accompaniment, op.45
  • Mass op. 46. It was performed in 1888 as part of the church patronage of St. Stephan in Constance and was positively assessed by Josef Gabriel Rheinberger .
  • Dark star . Dramatic poetry Text: Maidy Kort:
  • Festive cantata for the 40th anniversary of the reign of Grand Duke Friedrich von Baden, for solos, choir and orchestra
  • Festmarsch, composed by the Association of Visual Artists in Berlin
  • Songs for one voice with accompaniment of the pianoforte
  • A hymn of praise based on the words of the Holy Scriptures, for solos, choir and orchestra
  • Die Nacht , Rhapsody for alto, mezzo-soprano, solo quartet and male choir with orchestral accompaniment
  • Organ fugue with cantus firmus Wachet for three trombones
  • Requiem, dedicated to the fallen
  • Sonata for pianoforte and violin
  • Twelve waltzes for the piano for four hands, Ebner, Stuttgart, 1878

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Alexander Adam. In: LEO-BW. Baden-Württemberg State Archive, accessed on September 30, 2017 .
  2. ^ A b Adam, Alexander (born November 24, 1853 in Bruchsal, died June 10, 1917 in Freiburg) - 1883-1886 choirmaster of the MGV Liederkranz Karlsruhe - German digital library. Retrieved September 30, 2017 .
  3. ↑ a b c d e Clemens Siebler: Adam, Alexander. In: Baden biographies. Retrieved October 18, 2017 .
  4. ↑ K2 / 29 Freiburg Men's Choir (1883-2000). (PDF) Freiburg Men's Choir, accessed on October 19, 2017 .
  5. ↑ Alexander Adam, Maidy Koch: Jos Fritz: (From the peasant wars) . Piano reduction with text edition. Feuchtinger, Stuttgart 1908 ( bsz-bw.de [accessed on October 18, 2017]).
  6. ↑ Alexander Adam, Maidy Koch: King Enzios Tod: for solo voices, choir and orchestra; Text book . Feuchtinger, Stuttgart 1910 ( bsz-bw.de [accessed on October 18, 2017]).
  7. ↑ Alexander Adam: Songs for a voice with accompaniment of the pianoforte . 3: The spring has come. Sommermeyer, Baden-Baden 1900 ( bsz-bw.de [accessed on October 18, 2017]).
  8. ^ Piano Pieces, Op. 17 (Adam, Alexandre) - IMSLP / Petrucci Music Library: Free Public Domain Sheet Music. Retrieved September 30, 2017 (English).
  9. ↑ Alexander Adam: Songs for a voice with accompaniment of the pianoforte . Sommermeyer, Baden-Baden ( bsz-bw.de [accessed on October 18, 2017]).
  10. ↑ Alexander Adam: 12 waltzes for the pianoforte for four hands. Retrieved October 18, 2017 .
personal data
SURNAME Adam, Alexander
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Adam, Alexandre; Alexander Franz Adam (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Baden composer and choir director
DATE OF BIRTH November 24, 1853
PLACE OF BIRTH Bruchsal
DATE OF DEATH June 10, 1917
Place of death Freiburg in Breisgau