Max Drischner

Max Drischner (born January 31, 1891 in Prieborn , Strehlen district , province of Silesia , † April 25, 1971 in Goslar ) was a German composer , cantor , organist and harpsichordist .

life and work

After graduating from high school in Züllichau , he began studying theology in Leipzig and Breslau in 1910 , but broke off after seven semesters to study organ, piano and harpsichord at the Berlin University of Music . In the main subject, Wanda Landowska was his particularly formative teacher.

From 1916 until the end of the war he was a volunteer nurse in France. There he lost a phalanx of his left hand.

After the war, he self-didactically acquired extensive knowledge of Vorbach's music, gave his first harpsichord concerts in Breslau (1920) and in Brieg (1923), was instructed in organ playing and choral conducting by Paul Hielscher in Brieg, and in 1923 founded a youth choir, which later joined the choir was united by St. Nikolai in Brzeg. In 1924 he was appointed cantor and organist of St. Nikolai in Brieg.

During his tenure in Brieger, he composed most of his organ and vocal works, led his choir to widely acclaimed successes, took part in choir and church music meetings, had the famous Michael Engler organ restored from 1926 to 1928 in line with the organ movement and left In 1927 he went to Norway at least six times to study Norwegian folk tones, which became fundamental to many of his compositions. His work in Brieg was honored in 1942 when he was appointed church music director.

In 1928 he married Käthe Petran, and in 1929 his daughter Katharina was born. The marriage ended in divorce after ten years.

When Brieg was declared a fortress in January 1945, he fled to Prieborn. There he took over the organist services in the Protestant Church and in the Catholic Church in the neighboring village of Siebenhufen . In autumn 1946 he was expelled from Silesia with his mother and sister Margarethe . After brief stints in resettled quarters in Magdeburg and Eimersleben , Max Drischner was cantor and organist at the Augustinian Church in Erfurt for two months .

From 1947 to 1955 Drischner lived in Herrenberg (Württemberg). Max Drischner was organist and cantor of the collegiate church here for only a few months : after a five-month stay in the Tübingen University Clinic, he was confirmed in May 1948 that he could no longer exercise his office due to his ailments.

In 1955 Drischner moved to Goslar ; there Max Drischner was awarded the city's culture prize in 1956. In the nearby church of the Grauhof monastery he took over organ tours, organ concerts and "organ celebrations" at "Brieger Meetings"; Here he also made numerous sound recordings for a vinyl record and for tape round letters to friends and relatives.

Albert Schweitzer played an important role in Max Drischner's life. He had already read his book on Johann Sebastian Bach as a schoolboy and wrote it to him in 1910; Schweitzer replied immediately; thus began a lifelong correspondence. Both met four times in person. Drischner reported on the meeting in The friendship between the jungle doctor and a Silesian cantor .

Drischner was buried in the Lautenthal cemetery in the Harz Mountains .

reception

Fritz Feldmann wrote about Drischner's compositions in MGG 1973: “In parallel to Drischner's simple reproductive activity carried by the spirit of the youth movement, never emphasizing the virtuosos, his compositions are, in his own opinion, 'recorded improvisations' that are entirely in the The service of the cult should be understandable for every member of the community and want to avoid modern ways without falling into the epigonal style copy of a certain model. They are characterized by an always tonal, song-like melody, even with recitative texts, which is particularly indebted to the Silesian and also the Nordic folklore. "

Hanne-Lore Reetz, the composer's niece, and Matthias Müller , to whom parts of the composer's estate were allocated, have collected and kept memories of and documents by Max Drischner .

Works (selection)

The selection begins with the compositions of Edition Schultheiss , i. i. the series of works by Max Drischner, which the Tübingen publishing house Schultheiss gradually printed from 1947 onwards. The texts on the title pages are usually in several parts: the individual title (e.g. sun hymn or praise the gentlemen ) is followed by the compositional genre (e.g. Passacaglia or chorale fantasy), and this is usually followed by detailed instructions for performance . These three parts are always reproduced here in full. The year numbers were added to the written record or the print - in round or square brackets.

• The Christmas story according to Luke 2 - Brieger Christmas Night 1944 with songs from the County of Glatz For choir / one or four voices / individual part and organ / instead of organ harmonium, piano or harpsichord. (1944)
• The Easter story according to the Gospels For choir / one or four voices / individual part and organ / instead of organ harmonium, piano or harpsichord (1945)
• Brieger singing and performance book 40 songs for the whole church year from "A New Song" "The bright tone" for a singing voice / violin and organ or unanimous choir / violin choir and organ. Instead of violin, other melody instruments such as flute / oboe / trumpet / recorder. Instead of organ: harmonium / piano or harpsichord [1935]
• Brieger singing and performance book second part , folk songs for open singing, school and house music for one voice, violin and piano or single-part choir, violin choir, etc. Piano (harpsichord, small organ or harmonium) Instead of violin, other melody instruments such as flute, oboe, trumpet, recorder. Instead of piano also three violins u. Cello (lute, guitar) [1935]
• The Lord is my Shepherd (Psalm 23) for soprano, alto, 1 male voice ad.lib. and organ (harmonium) or piano (1943)
• Lord God, you are our refuge (Psalm 90) for 2 voices (2-part choir) and organ (harmonium) or piano and organ (1943)
• Tübingen Psalms for a singing voice, violin and organ (or choir, melody instrument and keyboard instrument) (1948): From the depths I call out to you, Lord (Psalm 130) - Lord, you explore me and know me (Psalm 139) - I lie and sleep completely with peace (Psalm 4, verse 7,9 and Psalm 74, verse 16)
• Motets: Song sheets with: Mountains should give way (1924) - Blessed are the dead (1944) - We are waiting for the Savior (1949)
• Four chants for four-part choir; Liedblatt [1959] with: Halleluja (1923) - Hear the church bells call - Give peace, Lord, give peace - So I wish you a good night
• Two Christmas carols from County Glatz for four mixed voices and Das Glatzer Dreikönigslied for three equal voices (1950–1951); Song sheet with: From his eternal firm throne - Praise be to God, praise to his son - Three kings from the Orient came
• Songs at the turn of the year based on texts by Arno Pötzsch for four-part choir; Song sheet with: Now the hour strikes (1950) - The year goes by (1951) - One comes, the other goes (1951) - You God, you are life (1951)

• Choral preludes for village organists for organ (harmonium) or piano (German, Norwegian) (1954) (dedicated to Eivind Berggrav)
• Choral preludes for organ (with pedal) (1954) (dedicated to Helene Schweitzer)
• Prelude and Fugue in A minor for organ (1923) (dedicated to Albert Schweitzer)
• Praise the Gentlemen Choral Fantasy for Piano (Harpsichord) or Organ (Harmonium) (1918)
• From heaven high, there I come from Choral Fantasy for Organ (1917 and 1923)
• Wake up, the voice calls us Choral Fantasy for Organ (1923)
• How beautifully the morning star shines chorale fantasy for organ (1929)
• Nordische Kanzonen for organ or for piano four hands 2 volumes (1940) (dedicated to Margarete Drischner)
• Nordic Toccata and Fugue in G minor (1936) (dedicated to Ingolv Nilssen)
• Nordic Fantasy in A minor for organ (1956) (dedicated to Arild Sandvold)
• Norwegian Variations Six rows of variations on old Norwegian folk tones for piano (harpsichord, clavichord) or organ (with 2 manuals and pedal or small organ without pedal) or string quartet (string orchestra, with other instruments at will) (1939)
• Norwegian Folk Tones Suites 40 old Norwegian folk tones in the form of six suites for piano (harpsichord, clavichord) or organ (with or without pedal) or string quartet (string orchestra, with other instruments at will) (1939) (dedicated to Eivind Berggrav)
• Passacaglia in C minor for organ (1923) (dedicated to Helmut Thörner)
• Sun Hymn Passacaglia in E major for organ or for piano four hands (1924)
• Chaconne in F minor for organ or piano (1948) (My Silesian compatriots who were expelled from their homeland)
• Two chorale partitas about Jesus' joy and joy and command you your ways for organ with or without pedal, small organ, piano, harpsichord or clavichord (1945) (dedicated to Wanda Landowska)
• Glatzer Variations for piano (harpsichord) or organ (harmonium), variations on songs from the County of Glatz: Schönster Herr Jesu (1934) - O run her shepherds (1942) - Praise be to God, praise to his son (1942)
• Variations on the Marienlied, Wunderschönige Magnificent, for organ with or without pedal, small organ, piano, harpsichord or clavichord (1949) (dedicated to the Franciscans in Grauhof)
• Partitas over two Christmas carols Es ist ein Ros' sprung and In dulci jubilo for organ, harmonium or piano (1950)
• Edited by Max Drischner: Antonio de Cabezón: 4 tientos for organ, with or without pedal, small organ, harmonium or piano, harpsichord, clavichord or string quartet (string orchestra, also with other instruments) or all kinds of instruments, including plucked instruments (1953) (Albert Dedicated to Schweitzer)

In 1995 the Munich music publisher Thomi-Berg took over this collection; to this day it is called Edition Schultheiss ; however, the second volume of the Brieger singing and performance book was removed.

Other publishers also printed Drischner's compositions before and after the war; for example

• Spielmannslieder , lute accompaniment for texts by Paul Steinmüller [ Greiner & Pfeiffer, Stuttgart 1923]
• Variations on Germany, Deutschland über alles for organ [ Littmann, Breslau 1933]
• Toccata in A major (1916), in the collection "Sunday by Sunday" by [ Hinrichsen, London 1965]
• Parts of the singing and performance book I, in the collection "Make a joyful noise" by [ Concordia Publishing House Saint Louis, Missouri, USA ]
• Prelude in D minor (1916), in a collection of [ Fentone Music Ltd. Corby Northants 1993]

Only manuscripts or copies of manuscripts have survived of Max Drischner's other works .

Hanne-Lore Reetz owns documents of this type from:

• Praise the Lord, my soul (Psalm 104) for soloists, choir and organ (1946)
• The Creation Story (1948)
• Mass a cappella (started 1950)
• The Lord is my Shepherd (Psalm 23) for four-part female choir a cappella
• How do you grieve, my soul (Psalm 43) for two- to four-part choir and organ (1946)
• Is God for us for two- to four-part choir and organ
• Blessed are the dead for two equal voices and organ (1944)
• The 7 words on the cross for 2-part choir: soprano / tenor and alto / bass
• We consider this day (1947) and Come, Holy Spirit, Herre Gott (1947), 2 chorales for 1 voice and a figured accompanying voice

• Choral preludes for organ (without pedal): Mercy has befallen me (1945) - Now let us God, the Lord (1945) - O come, you spirit of truth (1946) - Christ was in death bonds (1947) - Lord Jesus Christ, turn to us (1947) - Seek whoever wants to, a different goal (1947) - Lord God, we all praise you (1947) - Alone to you, Lord Jesus Christ (1947) - O little town of Bethlehem (1955 )
• Trio in B minor for organ
• Fugues for organ: C minor (1918), D minor (1923)
• Preludes with fugues for organ: G minor (1931), A major (1933), A minor (Norwegian) (1935)
• Prelude (Toccata), Fugue and Chaconne in G major for organ (1943)
• Schönest Herr Jesu Variations for Organ (1919)
• How shall I receive you chorale with 8 variations for organ (1943)
• Wilhelmus of Nassauen (1934)
• Germany, holy word organ hymn (1940)

• Largo for lute (1924)
• Variations for lute over O head full of blood and wounds (1931)
• Four variations each for 3 violins on the Norwegian Christmas carols O store konge, Davids sönn (1933) and Hovr er dat godt å laude (1933)
• Violin choir in D major with organ or piano in unison
• Memento mori Norwegian chant for 3 violins (1937)
• It's a Ros sprung chorale and 2 variations for 3 violins (1948)

Friedrich Kudell and Peter Zerbaum name further manuscripts in their directories:

• Don't be afraid (text by St. Therese of Avila) for two- to four-part choir and organ (1946)
• Who wants to separate us from God's love for choir and organ ?

Matthias Müller recently claimed manuscripts from

• Holy Fatherland Organ Hymn (1940?) And
• The Art of Fugue by JS Bach , arrangement by Max Drischner for the Engler organ for four hands (around 1935)

to own. Earlier he had claimed in www.max-drischner.de that he knew “a whole series of unpublished works” and confirmed this in MGG 2001, in the last sentence of his article about Max Drischner. He had also reported in 2002 in “Orgel International” about Hesford's find in the organ of Niederschwedeldorf and repeated this in the “2013 Yearbook of Culture and History of the County of Glatz”. Unfortunately he refused any further information.

Bryan Hesford's directory contains other compositions by Max Drischner, some of which were lost in the post-war years.

literature

• Bryan Hesford: The Life and Work of Max Drischner . 2 volumes. England 1974.
• Friedrich Kudell: Max Drischner. Life and work depicted according to contemporary documents and memories. Vlotho 1987.
• Matthias Müller: Like a good sermon - The Brieger Cantor Max Drischner. In: Orgel International, 2002. Page 294f.
• Bogdan Andrzej Tabisz: Dzialalnosc Organmistrzowska Rodziny Englerow. Lublin 2014. Dissertation on the Engler family of organ builders. There is a German translation of the parts of the text that concern Drischner and the Brieger organ in the family archive.

Web links

• Works by and about Max Drischner in the catalog of the German National Library
• Max Drischner family archive
• Website about Max Drischner
• Drischners Musikverlag Thomi-Berg (Edition Schultheiss)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g} Vita of Max Drischner, accessed on April 21, 2016