Alexius Molitor

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Alexius Molitor , born as John Adamus Müller (* 19th November 1730 in Hilders-Simmershausen , Rhoen , † 16th June 1773 in Mainz ) was a German Augustinian - Father and composer of church music in the transition from late Baroque to pre-classical period . He is considered the most important Augustinian musician in Mainz.

Life

Alexius Molitor was the eldest son of Johann Adam Müller and Susanna Fleck in the Rhön village of Simmershausen (today a district of Hilders); the couple had six children. At the age of 13 years (1743) Alexius came to the Johann-Philipp-von-Schönborn-Gymnasium in Münnerstadt , run by the Augustinians , where church music was very important at the time, and was a student of Georg Joachim Johann Hahn. He studied here until 1748 and in the same year began his novitiate in the Augustinian convent of Oberndorf am Neckar , where he took the religious name Alexius and finally Latinized his surname. From 1749 he studied for two years philosophy in Konstanz or in Freiburg . He then went to Mainz and studied theology and canonical studies at the University of Mainz .

Alexius' musical and acting talent soon became apparent. Even as a novice in Oberndorf he was referred to as a composer, later in Mainz as a composer and from 1761 also as a choirmaster at the Augustinian Church ( Rector Chori Musici Mainz ). Although he lived and worked exclusively in Mainz from 1752/1755 until his death (1773), his name was widely known and his compositions were widely distributed. His manuscripts can now be found in Fulda , Ebrach , Weyarn via Konstanz and Ottobeuren to Einsiedeln .

Works

Of the large number of his compositions, only 18 masses , two requiem , two oratorios , an offertory , an alma mater, a motet and a te deum have survived to this day. A requiem was performed years after his own death on the occasion of the death of Emperor Josef II (1790) in Frankfurt Cathedral .

literature

  • Heinz Gauly : The Johann brothers from Steinach. Sendner & Neubauer publishing house, Bad Neustadt (Saale) 2010, p. 18.
  • Adam Gottron : The composer P. Alexius Molitor, O. Er. S. Aug., a student at the University of Mainz. In: Yearbook of the association "Friends of the University of Mainz". Volume 9 (1959), pp. 48-52.
  • Wilhelm Huber: The Mainz Lexicon. Verlag Schmidt, Mainz 2002, ISBN 3-87439-600-2 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Adam Gottron: Mainz Music History from 1500 to 1800 , page 120, in: Contributions to the history of the city of Mainz , Volume 18, 1959 ( excerpt )
  2. ^ Walther Killy, Rudolf Vierhaus: Deutsche Biographische Enzyklopädie (DBE), Volume 7, Page 188, Verlag Saur, ISBN 3598231865 ( excerpt )
personal data
SURNAME Molitor, Alexius
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Müller, Johannes Adamus (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German Augustinian priest and composer of church music
DATE OF BIRTH November 19, 1730
PLACE OF BIRTH Hilders-Simmershausen , Rhoen
DATE OF DEATH June 16, 1773
Place of death Mainz