Gerbert mother

Gerbert Mother (1987)

Gerbert Mutter (born August 21, 1922 in St. Blasien ; † August 28, 1989 ) was a German composer , music teacher , conductor , pianist and organist .

CV and work

Gerbert mother was born in St. Blasien. He created his first composition at the age of twelve with a piano piece. He attended the St. Blasien college and, after secondary school, the Friedrich-Gymnasium Freiburg , where he graduated from high school. In 1941 he was called up for military service. After the Second World War he was taken prisoner by the Soviets. During this time he wrote a series of poems, fragments, entitled Der Wunderalltag eines Prisoners of War . They are extremely sensitive to the fragility of nature and rural idyll. This is all the more noticeable as they were created in difficult times.

From 1946 to 1950, Mutter studied composition with Helmut Degen and Gerhard Frommel and piano with Hans Brehme at the Trossingen University of Music . Gerhard Frommel was a master student of Hans Pfitzner .

After graduating as a music educator , mother became a teacher of piano and music theory at the Jesuit college in St. Blasien in 1952 . He then studied music theory at the Freiburg University of Music with Karl Ueter , a former student of Franz Schreker in Berlin . In addition to his work as a music teacher, he became a much sought-after, accomplished song accompanist and organist. The newly founded University of Education in Lörrach appointed mother to teach music theory and piano. In 1983 he became deputy director of the Hochrhein Südlicher Schwarzwald youth music school . In the same year he was awarded the Alemannenring by the Obermarkgräfler Sängerbund as the second composer after Franz Philipp for exceptional achievements in the field of choral composition . With his straightforward but also reserved, modest manner, mother always remained closely connected to his homeland, the southern Black Forest. Likewise, he loved the landscape around St. Blasien and Waldshut and the people there.

In the overall view of his almost 250 works, the large proportion of church music is striking: cantatas, hymns in various settings, motets, masses in Latin and German, his oratorio The Canticle of the Sun of St. Francis of Assisi for a large cast and a St. John Passion . There are also works for amateur cast as well as works that were written for the radio, as well as his oratorio or the Missa brevis 1961 for the Donaueschinger Musiktage . The target group of the lay cast applies above all to his secular choral music. The works for male choir occupy a large space here.

Mother discovered another genre of amateur music relatively late and since then has repeatedly dealt with compositions for wind orchestras and wind ensembles. At the suggestion of Rudolf Siebold, Chairman of the Bund Deutscher Blasmusikverbände , the composer quickly found pleasure in this genre. The renaissance of native brass music - propagated by Willy Schneider , Hermann Regner , Hellmut Haase-Altendorf and some Swiss and Austrian composers and further developed into contemporary brass music - finds its rhythmic conciseness, its expressive possibilities both in the solemn, festive sound as well as in the dancing cheer - Lively mother's interest and soon a prominent representative in him. This work has been crowned with a number of commissioned works and prizes, including the commissioned work by Südwestfunk Zum Neujahrstag for 4-6-part mixed choir and wind instruments. He was also represented as the only German composer at the international wind music days in Uster (Switzerland) with a highly regarded composition commission.

In his works for organ and piano and in his accompanying solo instruments, Mutter addresses above all professional musicians. His compositional mastery is reflected in these works. Moving to the limits of the free tonal space, they all have a strongly archaic tonal language inspired by Gregorian chant , with richly colored chord mixes and final effects. The impressive mastery of even the most difficult composition techniques is always at the service of a strong rhythm interspersed with syncopated elements. Mother's compositional role models were Paul Hindemith and Igor Fjodorowitsch Stravinsky in the instrumental sector . In the vocal area he was based on Carl Orff , whose style is primarily related to the great work of Grasshoffiana . But Harald Genzmer was also a guide for him. After the early years of experimentation, in which he also dealt with twelve-tone music, he paid tribute to a more moderate style with which he had the desired success with the music publishers.

Compositions (selection)

Music for wind band

• 1965 Wind trade
• 1966 Ringing Day - A festival call
• 1967 Festive prologue
• 1968 hymn of praise and cheerful rondino
• 1968 Music for a feast day , suite for brass music
• 1969 Solemn call for brass music
• 1971 Ballade No. 1 (the Dramatic) (compulsory work in the highest level at the 1972 Federal Music Festival )
• 1971 Wind meeting (1st prize in the 2nd stage at the 1972 Federal Music Festival )
• 1973 Tripartita (composed for the festive days for contemporary music 1968 , Uster , Switzerland )
• 1976 Ode , for brass music
• 1976 Sarabande
• 1977 Praise and thanks for brass music
• 1979 Ballad No. 2 (the lyric one)
• 1980 Concertino , for piano and brass music
• 1981 Hora festiva (Festive Hour)
• 1981 Preludio alla marcia
• 1987 Four ballad-like scoundrel songs , for male choir and brass music - based on texts by: Ludwig Thoma and Fritz Graßhoff (composed for the International Youth Band Meeting 1987 Karlsruhe )
• In Modo Corale
• Hunting songs kaleidoscope , about European hunting songs for brass music
• With all instruments - playing piece
• Now the hiking starts , for male choir and brass music

Masses, cantatas, oratorios and church music

• Missa brevis 1961 , for 6-part mixed choir a cappella - (composed for the Donaueschinger Musiktage 1961 )
• Ad te levavi , for mixed choir, organ and wind instruments
• On, Christians, in happy ways , for 4-6-part mixed choir a cappella
• Wind mass in C , for mixed choir and four brass instruments
• Choral partita “Der grimmig 'Tod mit seine Pfeil” (“Our Father in Heaven”) , for trumpet and organ
• That is a delicious thing, thank the gentlemen (uit Psalm 92) , for 3-part youth and female choir a cappella
• The child that Mary holds for a mixed choir
• The child lies there , for mixed choir and strings
• The Canticle of the Sun by Francis of Assisi , oratorio for soloists, mixed choir, orchestra and organ
• German festival singing mass , to hymns for mixed choir
• German mass after the ordinarium , for male choir and organ
• German “Pange lingua - Tantum ergo” , for mixed choir a cappella
• The Christmas Shepherd's Flute , cantata on Christmas carols for mixed choir, flute, strings and piano (or organ, or harpsichord)
• Three “Veni creator” , for 4-6 part mixed choir a cappella
• Three new Christmas carols based on old texts , for unison choir with medium voices and piano (the organ)
• Ecce sacerdos , for voices and organ (or wind instruments)
• Ecce sacerdos , for 6-part mixed choir and organ (or organ and orchestra)
• A house full of glory looks , cantata for mixed choir, strings and harpsichord (or organ)
• A house full of glory looks , for voices, mixed choirs and organ (or orchestra)
• A child is born to us for a mixed choir and organ
• Festive Tantum ergo , for mixed choir and wind instruments (or organ)
• Solemn mass , for mixed choir and organ (or 4 brass instruments)
• Song of the Archangels , for alto solo, male choir, brass instruments, timpani and organ
• Lord, send your son down to us , cantata song for mixed choir, string orchestra, oboe and basso continuo
• I saw the grave freed from death , for a mixed choir and organ
• German St. John Passion , for soloists and mixed choir
• Justus et palma florebit , motet for mixed choir, strings and organ (the harpsichord)
• Hymns brevier:
  • A. Christmas Festival Group (1960)
  • B. Passion, Easter, Ascension Day (1960)
  • C. Pentecost (1960)
  • D. Marian Festival (1960)
  • E. Chants of the Sacrament and Communion (1961)
  • F. Christ the King's Feast, Holy Feasts (1961)
  • G. German Festival Singing Mass based on hymns (1964)
• Come, the Savior of the Nations, you , song cantata for mixed choir, string orchestra, oboe and basso continuo
• Praise the Creator , for male choir and piano (or organ) or six brass instruments and timpani
• Missa communis , for voices, mixed choir and organ
• Missa "Dona nobis pacem" , for mixed choir and organ
• Missa parva , for mixed choir a cappella
• Missa stella maris , for mixed choir and organ (or orchestra)
• New liturgical mass for cantor, youth choir and organ
• Now we ask the Holy Spirit , song cantata for mixed choir and organ
• O Savior, tear open the heavens , cantata song for mixed choir, strings, oboe and organ
• O Jesus, you are all my life , for mixed choir a cappella
• Passion cantata, cantata for 4-6 part mixed choir, strings and oboe
• Pentecost motet , for mixed choir and organ
• Proprien from Pentecost , for mixed choir and organ
• See, the high priest , for mixed choir and organ
• Sing to the Lord God in praise for mixed choir
• Spiegel der Dreifaltigkeit , for mixed choir a cappella
• South German instrumental mass , for wind instruments
• Two song cantatas for Advent , for violin solo, mixed choir and organ (or strings)
• Two Marienlieder , for 4-6 part mixed choir a cappella
• Two “Pange lingua - Tantum ergo” , for mixed choir a cappella
• Four Christmas male choirs according to the old ways , for male choirs
• Four new nursery rhymes from the Bible
• Christmas Florilegium , for 3-part youth or female choir a cappella

Secular choral music

• 1977 Glockenspielereien , for unanimous youth choir
  1. The morning alarm
  2. the school bell
  3. the bell of parliament
  4. the bell on the house
• At the fountain , for women's choir
• The power of music , for male choir and brass
• The day circle, cycle for male choir and piano based on texts by German poets
• Through field and beech halls , five choirs based on Joseph von Eichendorff , for 4-6-part mixed choir
• Society song , for male choir
• Ergo bibamus , for male choir
• Grasshoffiana , for 4-6-part mixed choir, wood, brass and piano Text: Fritz Graßhoff
• Lob der Musik , two choirs based on poems by Joseph von Eichendorff , for male choir (or mixed choir)
• Singer ride , for male choir and four wind instruments
• Black Forest , for male choir
• Trum, trum, terumtrumtrum , Landsknechtlied for 4-part male choir
• By robbers and sailors , for a unanimous youth choir and male choir
• We love the storms the roaring waves , for youth and male choirs
• Where to sing , for male choir

Secular cantatas

• Funny musicians , little cantata for mixed choir and strings
• Vagantenkantata , cantata for bass baritone, male choir, brass and piano - text by German poets

Vocal music

• Minneliedersuite , for alto, strings, oboe and organ - text based on poems by Theodor Storm
• Five songs , for medium voice and piano - text based on poems by Gottfried Keller
• Five songs , for medium voice and piano - text based on poems by Matthias Claudius

Chamber music / small ensembles / solo instruments

• 1957 Partita on “Our Father in the Kingdom of Heaven” , for oboe and organ
• 1980 Suite 1980 , for four wind instruments
• Chaconne - In modo dorico , for trumpet and organ
• Concertino , for flute, violin, piano, snare drum and triangle
• Three dance aphorisms , for trombone and piano
• A frost fell on the spring night , Variations on a Song for Violin and Piano
• Happy music , for five wind instruments
• Sonata bukolika for electronium and piano (unpublished)
• Sonatina in G for violin and piano (unpublished)
• Eight compositions by famous composers , for wind quartet
• Variations on “It fell a frost” for violin and piano

Works for organ

• Concertino , for organ and string instruments
• Double fuga
• Five verses on "Veni creator spiritus"
• Introit, Offertorium end Communio
• Music for organ in three parts
• Passacaglia
• Five chorale fantasies
• Six pieces

Works for piano

• Toccata, Arioso and Fughetta (published as Arioso and Fughetta )
• 12 children's pieces for piano in three-part song forms (1945) (unpublished)
• The Chinese Nightingale , Suite after Hans Christian Andersen for piano four hands
• Three entertaining pieces for piano four hands
• Six Christmas carol verses

Early poems

Fragments from The Miraculous Everyday Life of a Prisoner of War (1945) (unpublished), from it:

WINTER

Horizon gray merges

with the ice at one;

Forest in sleep,

River in the ice

round the circle

pathless being,

that fulfills

the souls of men;

and no one drains - what deeply fills them,

only wind is a blowing herald.

Publications and media reports

• The composer Gerbert Mutter. In: Südkurier. December 14, 1961.
• Heinrich Münz: Gerbert mother, a Baden composer. Significant achievements, promising opportunities. In: Ekkhart 13, 1962, pp. 191-193.
• Heinrich Münz: The composer Gerbert mother. Growth and work in expanded sound areas. In: Ekkhart 1974, pp. 94-97.
• Erwin Mohr: The composer portrait Gerbert mother. In: Badische Sängerzeitung. No. 9/79.
• Composed the first pieces at the age of twelve. In: The Albbote "The Waldshut Narrator". Easter 1987, no.90.
• The composer Gerbert Mutter. In: The eight with a heart. No. 20/89.
• Magrit Matyscak: Gerbert mother or: the prophet in the fatherland. In: Heimat am Hoch-Rhein. 28, 2003, pp. 94-98.
• Many notes are still unplayed. In: Badische Zeitung. Nov 13, 2009 (online at: badische-zeitung.de )
• More than 130 sacred and secular works. In: Badische Zeitung. August 12, 2012. (online at: badische-zeitung.de )

Web links

• Website of the Gerbert Mutter Gesellschaft eV
• Works by Gerbert Mutter in the catalog of the German National Library
• Notes on: notenbuch.de
• Notes on: opacplus.bib-bvb.de
• Donaueschingen Music Days. on: europeana.eu
• Digital memorial . badish newspaper
• Young musicians are successful with Gerbert Mutters music . Badische Zeitung August 28, 2014

Individual evidence

1. ^ Hermann Egner , Gerhard Jung , Dieter Zeh: Gerbert mother. - Festschrift for his 65th birthday . Blasmusikverlag Schulz, Freiburg-Tiengen 1987, ISBN 3-923058-03-9 .