Franz Xaver Witt

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Franz Xaver Witt

Franz Xaver Witt (born February 9, 1834 in Walderbach , † December 2, 1888 in Landshut ) was a German church musician .

Life

Witt was born as the eldest son of the teacher Johann Baptist Witt in Walderbach. After graduating from high school, Witt studied theology and philosophy at the Lyceum Regensburg . In 1856 he was ordained a priest, and in 1859 appointed to teach choral singing , homiletics and catechetics at the clerical seminary in Regensburg.

With the work The State of Catholic Church Music , published in 1865 , he turned against the multiple church music abuses of his time and was founded by publishing the "Fliegende Blätter für Kirchenmusik" (from January 1, 1866), the " Musica Sacra " ( which still exists today on January 1, 1868) and his programmatic speech at the Catholic Assembly in Innsbruck on the spokesman for the reform movement that was mainly forming in and around Regensburg.

This movement was organized in an association for Catholic church music founded by Witt on September 1, 1868 in Bamberg , the Caecilienverein , which Witt chaired as General Praeses for 20 years with a short interruption .

In Walderbach a street, an elementary school and the town hall are named after him.

Works (selection)

  • The state of Catholic church music initially in Old Bavaria , Regensburg 1865
  • Selected essays on church music , ed. v. KG Fellerer, Cologne 1934

literature

  • Wilhelm Bäumker :  Franz Xaver Witt . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 43, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1898, pp. 573-577.
  • K. Weinmann: History of Catholic Church Music . Munich.
  • A. Scharnagl: Innovator of church music in the 19th century . In: Contributions to the history of the diocese of Regensburg . 23/24, 1989.
  • Chr. Lickleder: Choral and figured church music in the view of Franz Xaver Witt based on the flying leaves and the Musica sacra . Regensburg 1988.
  • S. Gmeinwieser: Church music . In: Handbook of Bayer. KG III . St. Ottilien 1992.
  • R. Dittrich et al .: Franz Xaver Witt 1834–1888. Reformer of Catholic church music in the 19th century . Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 2009.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Witt, Franz Xaver
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German church musician
DATE OF BIRTH February 9, 1834
PLACE OF BIRTH Walderbach
DATE OF DEATH December 2, 1888
Place of death Landshut