Franz Xaver Gruber (composer)

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Portrait of Gruber (painted by Sebastian Stief , Hallein 1846) Silent Night Museum Hallein
Franz Xaver Gruber Memorial House in Hochburg-Ach
Gruber's school in Arnsdorf near Lamprechtshausen (2003)
Gruber's grave in Hallein in front of his house (2006), Franz Xaver Gruber Platz Hallein
Gruber organ from 1963

Conrad Franz Xaver Gruber (born November 25, 1787 in Unterweitzberg in Hochburg-Ach , † June 7, 1863 in Hallein ) was an Austrian composer . In 1818 he wrote the melody for the world's most famous Christmas carol, Silent Night, Holy Night , which Joseph Mohr had composed in 1816.

life and work

Conrad Franz Xaver Gruber was born in Steinpoldsölde, Unterweitzberg No. 9. As the son of a linen weaver , he was originally supposed to learn the weaving trade from his father. His school teacher, Andreas Peterlechner , recognized Conrad Franz Xaver’s musical talent and convinced his father to enable him to train as a teacher, which was intensely musical at the time. As early as 1805, Conrad Franz Xaver had started a musical training with the parish organist Georg Hartdobler in nearby Burghausen , the following year he completed his teacher training in Ried im Innkreis and passed the required exams there and in Salzburg in 1806. After that he had to work as a school clerk for a year, as prescribed at the time. He spent this time with his sponsor and teacher Andreas Peterlechner in Hochburg-Ach, then, on November 12, 1807, he became a teacher in Arnsdorf . In order to be able to move into the sacristan's apartment of the pilgrimage church Maria im Mösl in Arnsdorf, Conrad Franz Xaver married Elisabeth Fischinger , a widow of two who lived there and with whom he had two children, she herself had brought two children into the marriage. In order to improve his financial situation and in the hope of receiving a teaching post in Oberndorf later , he took over from Arnsdorf from 1816–1829 the cantor and organist service in the Schifferkirche St. Nikola zu Oberndorf. Franz Xaver Gruber was able to carry out the often combined activities of teacher , organist and sacristan .

The Arnsdorf school is the oldest school in Austria that is still in use and currently has two classes. The house, which was originally a sacristan's house right next to the church, is now a museum.

Gruber became known for his setting of a Christmas poem by the assistant priest Joseph Mohr , which is known worldwide today , Silent Night, Holy Night , which he performed on December 24, 1818 in the church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorf, where he was temporarily active as an organist , at the Christmas mass performed for the first time, with Joseph Mohr playing the guitar. He later arranged the song for organ as well. FX Gruber and Joseph Mohr created other hymns.

After his first wife died in 1825, Gruber married Maria Breitfuß from Arnsdorf in 1826 , who was his student during the years of the Congress of Vienna , when the eastern and southern Salzburg territories finally fell to Austria. Gruber had ten children with her. Only four of his twelve biological children grew up: Franz Xaver (born November 27, 1826 in Lamprechtshausen; † April 18, 1871 in Hallein), Elisabeth (born November 1, 1832 in Berndorf; † March 31, 1902 in Hallein), Amalie (born June 9, 1834 in Berndorf; † May 2, 1871 in Hallein) and Felix (born May 18, 1840 and † January 11, 1884 in Hallein). The sons Franz Xaver and Felix, like their father, were musically diverse, whereby Franz Xaver founded the Halleiner Liedertafel in 1849, which still exists today .

In 1829 Gruber became a teacher in nearby Berndorf , and in 1833 city parish choir regent in the city of Hallein . After the death of his second wife, Gruber married Katharina Rieser, widowed Wimmer, in 1842. In 1863 Gruber died in Hallein, respected and relatively wealthy.

His grave is next to the Hallein parish church, the only one in the old cemetery that was abandoned in 1882.

reception

  • Gruber's life and work is presented in his teacher and home in Arnsdorf in the completely renovated and redesigned Silent Night Museum in Arnsdorf.
  • The Burghauser Franz-Xaver-Gruber-Schule was named in his honor (secondary or now middle school).
  • Since 2012 there has been a Franz-Xaver-Gruber-Weg in Hochburg-Ach, which is funded by the state of Upper Austria , the Braunau district , the neighboring German town of Burghausen and the municipality of Hochburg-Ach and indicates that this is the composer of the world-famous peace and Christmas carol Silent Night was born. The artist Hubert Flörl created a series of sculptures for the path.
  • In October 2018, a memorial created by the Kuchler sculptor Peter Schwaighofer in honor of Franz Xaver Gruber was unveiled in Berndorf .

literature

Web links

Commons : Franz Xaver Gruber  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Baptismal register 04 (4) - 101/04 | Stronghold oh | Linz, rk. Diocese (Upper Austria) | Austria | Matricula Online. Retrieved October 25, 2017 .
  2. Death book - STBVII | Hallein | Salzburg, rk. Diocese | Austria | Matricula Online. Retrieved October 25, 2017 .
  3. The timetable in the Salzburg teachers' seminar z. B. provided five hours of piano and organ lessons per week by a vicar choir. Compare: Berta Christine Pfeffer: The social position of the Salzburg teaching staff in Vormärz , Austria , dissertation Salzburg 1971, p. 42.
  4. His friend Josef Felser, a school teacher in Altenmarkt, who often sat and sang with Mohr, bought the instrument and it ended up at the Täublwirt in Kuchl. Mohr's guitar hung there for many years and was bequeathed to the city of Hallein along with other memorabilia by Gruber's grandson, Prof. Felix Gruber (born June 28, 1882 in Hallein; † April 21, 1940 in Hadersdorf?). It can now be viewed in the Silent Night Museum in Hallein. Cf. Otto Eberhard, The History of a Guitar, in: Der Männerchor, Nachrichtenblatt - Monthly, No. 1, 3rd year, Salzburg, January 20, 1927.
  5. Max Gehmacher: Silent night, holy night! The Christmas carol - how it came about and how it really is . Path, Salzburg 1968, p. 18th f .
  6. A life for music in Hallein www.stillenacht.com, accessed on June 7, 2018
  7. Silent Night Museum Arnsdorf, accessed on April 17, 2011
  8. ^ Gruberwerg, initiated by the Franz Xaver Gruber community . Archive link ( memento from January 9, 2016 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on August 10, 2015.
  9. Monument in honor of Franz Xaver Gruber unveiled: Berndorf community honors composers of the Silent Night song . Salzburg state correspondence of October 5, 2018, accessed on October 6, 2018.