Heinrich Fidelis Müller

Heinrich Fidelis Müller

Heinrich Fidelis Müller (born April 23, 1837 in Fulda ; † August 30, 1905 there ) was a German priest and composer .

Life

Heinrich Fidelis Müller was born in Fulda in 1837. One of his uncle was the theologian Heinrich Komp . Shortly after his birth, the mother died and the father remarried. From this marriage nine other siblings emerged, for whom Heinrich showed himself to be responsible throughout his life. Attending ecclesiastical elementary schools and grammar schools determined the theological path early on. Here he received music and piano lessons from Michael Henkel and his son Georg Andreas.

The cathedral music in the Cecilian city of Fulda must have been in a desolate state and no longer had any of the baroque splendor of the prince-bishops . However, this stylistic device was no longer in demand due to its incomprehensibility and the great amount of work involved in performing it. Cantional movements of well-known hymns and small four-part ensembles were favored. This is exactly what the Fulda cathedral priest demanded from his cathedral music director in 1852, who then resigned and left the cathedral music to decay. Only the boys and students of the seminary tried as best they could to continue the musical tradition at the Episcopal Church. Among them, in a leading manner, Heinrich Müller.

After studying theology at the seminary in Fulda, Müller was ordained a priest in 1859. After a few years as a chaplain in the diocese of Fulda , he became pastor in Bockenheim near Frankfurt am Main. In 1873 he came to Kassel as a pastor and took over pastoral work in the local St. Elisabeth parish. In 1890 he moved to a pastor's position in Amöneburg near Marburg, and in 1894 as cathedral chapter in Fulda. Here he was appointed cathedral dean in 1902 . He died on August 30, 1905 after a stroke and was buried in Fulda in the “burial place of the canons” on the “Middle Municipal Cemetery”, where his grave can still be found today.

Musical philosophy

Heinrich Fidelis Müller soon felt the need to compose understandable, practicable works with lively, action-rich content. During a visit to the Oberammergau Passion Play , he made the decision to put the project into practice and designed living images for his composition , in which costumed actors remain motionless in a scene set by the composer. He found pleasure in this enrichment and made this practice his own as fundamental to his works. They did not fail to have an impact on the audience and made the increasingly lavishly equipped performances a popular experience. Müller's compositions are based on hymns appropriate to the topic, which an average choir can easily learn and perform. The parts for solos require a bit more commitment, but can easily be mastered by experienced choir singers.

Müller himself in his preface to the " Christmas Oratorio ":

"In those only performances of the Oberammergau Passion Play that I was lucky enough to attend in 1871, those scenes in which an action was shaped like living images, such as the scene of the washing of feet, seemed particularly moving during the Passion. which went on in a simply great way, while invisible voices praised the deep humility of the Lord in simple tones. So I could not get rid of the thought that it would have been far more moving and effective if, in the manner of medieval spiritual games, the simple, powerful and heartfelt church and spiritual songs would have been presented.

Out of these and similar thoughts, the plan arose to primarily compose a small Christmas play according to the above-mentioned principles. The impression that this kind of music has with the ever-living images of St. Action done on the audience was quite unexpected. The last performance was attended by artists and scholars, simple, simple people, servants and children, educated and uneducated; all appeared deeply moved and sunk into a pious consecration. "

Heinrich Fidelis Müller's works are experiencing a renaissance and revival today because of their practical performance and their visual language.

Works

• op. 1 New Trutznachtingall. Selection of folk, sacred and secular songs for two and three voices with a small choir school for Catholic schools and families by Heinrich Fidelis Müller and Benedict Widmann , 1868.
• op. 2 'Let's pray', Catholic prayer and edification book based on tried and tested mostly older church prayer books by HF Müller, Frankfurt a. M., Verlag Peter Kreuzer, 1868.
• op. 3 Little Psalter. Catholic chant book of mostly older hymns including the more common new ones with their original ways of singing, Frankfurt a. M., Verlag GJ Hamacher, 1869.
• op. 4 Thirty songs in folk tone (for male choir), 1872 [N 5].
• op. 5 Christmas Oratorio (for solos, mixed choir and orchestra or piano accompaniment with living pictures), 1879 [N 7].
• op. 6 The celebration of the foundation festival cath. Journeyman's Association (5 male choirs with text on living images), 1881 [N 8].
• op. 7 Dieheiligen Dreikönige (for solos, mixed choir and orchestra or piano accompaniment with living pictures), 1882 [N 9].
• op. 8 Catholic hymn and prayer book. Collection of the chants and devotions customary in the Catholic parish church of Cassel, Cassel, print by C. Richartz, 1876.
• op. 9 The most necessary prayers of a Catholic Christian. A small excerpt from the author's larger devotional book by HF Müller, Cassel, printed by C. Richartz, 1879.
• op. 10 Christmas party (for four-part male choir and solos with piano or harmonium accompaniment to the performance with living images), 1884 [N 10].
• op. 11 Four Pope Songs in Folk Tone, 1887 [N 11].
• op. 12 The holy Elisabeth (sacred festival in seven pictures for solos and mixed choir, for performance with living pictures), 1889 [N 12].
• op. 13 Catholic hymn and prayer book for the Diocese of Fulda. Published on behalf of the Most Reverend Mr. Joseph, Bishop of Fulda, Fulda, printed and published by the Fuldaer Aktiendruckerei, 1890.
• op. 14 Missa in honorem Sanctissimi Cordis Jesu (without Credo), (easy mass for four-part mixed choir), 1890 [N 14].
• op. 15 Three ecclesiastical songs in honor of St. Aloysius (for four-part mixed choir), 1891 [N 15].
• op. 16 The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ in seven pictures. (Based on the words of the Holy Scriptures for solos and mixed choir with piano accompaniment or harmonium), 1892 [N 16].
• op. 17 The Resurrection of the Lord (continuation of the Passion, op. 16) for solos and mixed choir with piano accompaniment, around 1894 [N 19].
• op. 18 Missa in honorem St. Elisabethae (for one part, also solo and choir, or four-part mixed choir with organ accompaniment) [N 17].
• op. 19 Missa in honorem St. Bonifatii Episcopi et Martyris (for four-part mixed choir) [N18].
• op. 20 Three songs to welcome the Reverend Bishop (for two-part children's choir and a male voice that is not obligatory) [N 20].
• op. 21 Heliand. A Christmas festival based on the old Saxon poetry of the same name. (for solos and mixed choir with piano or orchestral accompaniment to the performance with 6 living pictures), [N 21]
• op. 22 Easy Credo (for one-part choir, also solo and choir, with organ accompaniment), [N 22]
• op. 23 30 popular children's songs (to be sung in one and two voices with and without piano accompaniment),
• op. 24 Four songs in honor of St. Joseph (singing 1, 2 and 3 voices),
• op. 25 On the consecration of the world to the heart of Jesus (set of songs for 1-, 2-part or mixed choir) [N 23]
• op. 26 Little Lily Garden. To sing 45 sacred songs for the church year with one, two and more voices, 1901.
• op. 27 Missa in honorem St. Josephi. Very easy mass for 4 male voices (without Credo), 1902.
• op.28 Emanuel - New Spiritual Christmas Festival (for solos, mixed choir or children's choir also for soprano and alto alone for performance with living images), 1902.
• op.29 Three popular song marches for two voices, 1904.
• op. 30 Two German patriotic male choirs in Volkston (German Hymne - The German Rhine), (only available as a manuscript “German Hymne”), 1904.
• op. 31 Passion devotion on the seven last words of Jesus (especially as Good Friday devotion, to be performed with two or four voices), 1905.
• op. 32 Four pious folk chants (Our Father, Ave Maria, Heilig, Jesus-Maria-Josef; for 1- or 2-part children's choir with organ accompaniment, for single-part folk song or 4-part mixed choir), 1905.
• op. 33 Twelve ballads for mixed choir (not published, only survived by hand).

biography

• Paul Lang: Heinrich Fidelis Müller, priest and composer, life and work. Imhof, Petersberg 2005, ISBN 3-937251-82-0 .

Web links

• Literature by and about Heinrich Fidelis Müller in the catalog of the German National Library
• Works by and about Heinrich Fidelis Müller  in the German Digital Library
• Music archive Heinrich Fidelis-Müller