Irenäus Wolfgang Totzke

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Irenäus Wolfgang Totzke OSB (born August 8, 1932 in Danzig as Wolfgang Totzke; † May 14, 2013 in Niederaltaich ) was a music and liturgical scholar , composer , theologian ; Monk and Archimandrite of the Benedictine Abbey of Niederaltaich Monastery .

Life

Growing up in Danzig-Langfuhr , he and his family had to flee Danzig in 1945 at the age of 13; they were accepted in Denmark for two years . After school and high school in Heidenheim / Württemberg , he went to the Pontifical Collegium Russicum in Rome in 1952 . There he studied at the Gregorian University and the Oriental University and then philosophy , theology , Byzantine studies , musicology and languages in Würzburg and Munich . In 1957 he entered Niederaltaich Abbey and became a founding member of the newly established Byzantine Group, the later Byzantine Dean. Ordained a priest in Rome in 1960, after years as head of liturgy (Taxiarch) and as choir director as well as intensive ecumenical work, he then became head of the Eastern Church Department of the Abbey's Ecumenical Institute. Due to his great services to the music and liturgical studies of the Eastern Church, he received the honorary title of Archimandrite from the Romanian Patriarch Justinian I in 1976 and in 1988 for the same reason from a Western point of view again from a cardinal specially sent from Rome. Archimandrite Irenäus was a member of the Bavarian Benedictine Academy and a member of the commission for the publication of Old Slavonic music documents as well as the recipient of the Danzig Culture Prize.

Scientific and compositional work

His special focus was on the theology and spirituality of the Orthodox Church. He became the most important and most important connoisseur of Orthodox church music and liturgical science in East and West. As a student of Thrasyboulos Georgiades and Ivan von Gardner, he is a composer in the tradition series of the Moscow School from Kastalskij, Kompanesjskij, Grechaninov, Rachmaninov to Gardner. Originally composing in the Slavic language, he gradually switched to the German language in 1960 and created an important center for German Orthodox church music in Niederaltaich with his extensive translations from Church Slavonic and Greek.

In addition to numerous publications of scientific texts in many specialist journals and books, as well as compositions in scores and records, he was also a speaker and guest lecturer a. a. active in Leningrad, Moscow, Minsk, Smolensk, Sofia and Bucharest as well as in theological faculties such as Linz and Graz.

In occidental music, he was particularly interested in the Viennese classical and romantic periods. He was considered a great connoisseur of Haydn.

In the not always easy church-political dialogue between East and West, both before and after the fall of the Wall, he was an important mediator and explainer.

In addition, Irenäus Totzke impressed with special charisma. His epochal multifaceted talent, his universal education and his phenomenal knowledge were looking for his equal. These extraordinary talents were not limited to musical skills. As a linguistic genius he was just as legendary (he spoke over a dozen languages) as he was brilliant as a gifted speaker, preacher and speaker. He showed himself to be just as well versed in literature, art history, iconography and theology as he was in politics and history, including genealogy.

As a universal scholar, he was therefore active in many other fields far beyond his own specialty and accompanied, commented and criticized scientific and other publications in image, radio and press that extended into his broad educational spectrum in demand and, unasked, as communicative and controversial.

As he got older, he increasingly turned to his native city of Danzig. In numerous essays and at many events he gave a lecture on their history and culture as well as on well-known and forgotten artists of this West Prussian cultural area, and here, too, he intervened in existing cultural-political discussions.

Publications (selection)

  • The music of the non-Chalcedonian churches, in: Handbuch der Ostkirchenkunde, Düsseldorf 1971
  • Birth in the cave. Christmas in the tradition of the Eastern Church , Herder Verlag, Freiburg 1989
  • We sing to you. Selection of academic texts on the music of the Eastern Church , EOS-Verlag, St. Ottilien 1992
  • Nikolaus - His life in pictures and legends , Friedrich Bahn Verlag, Neukirchen-Vluyn 1996
  • Music of the Eastern Church, in: Musica Sacra 5, Regensburg 1982
  • Russian church music outside Russia, in: Jahrbuch Kirche im Osten 27, Göttingen 1984
  • The tradition of Byzantine music in the Orthodox North, in: Acta Byzantina Fennica 1, Helsinki 1985
  • The early renewal efforts in Russian church music of the XIX. Century and a thousand years between the Volga and the Rhine , in: Una Sancta 42, magazine for ecumenical encounter, Meitingen 1987
  • The repercussions of the XVII. Western polyphony introduced into Russian church music in the 19th century, in: A thousand years of Christianity in Russia, Göttingen 1988
  • Venice - Kiev: a forgotten musical connecting line, in: Voice of Orthodoxy 12, 1988
  • Evropejskoje značenie partesnogo penija, in: Acts of the 3rd International Scientific Conference of the Russian Orthodox Church on the occasion of the Millennium, 1989
  • The importance of the Patriarch Nikon for church music, in: Patriarch Jeremias II., Oikonomia 27 series, Erlangen 1991
  • The altar song in the Russian Orthodox Church, in: Kirche im Osten 34, Göttingen 1991
  • Sacred and profane in church music, in: Churches in the Context of Different Cultures, Göttingen 1991
  • Radio Radonež / Moscow: Interview by Prof. Dr. Evgenij Vereščagin with Archimandrite Irenäus Totzke, in: Neues Europa, Moscow 1993
  • The ancient Byzantine and modern European heritage in Orthodox church music, in: Una Sancta 42, Journal for Ecumenical Encounter, Meitingen 1995
  • Return of the Saints , Irenäus Totzke, Stephan Haering, Gerhard Voss, Willibrord Godel and others a., EOS-Verlag St. Ottilien, 1999
  • Melos and Logos in the Orthodox Liturgy, in: Meditation, Journal for Christian Spirituality and Lifestyle, 1–2002
  • Fascination Russia: Russian church music on the western market, in: Praxishandbuch Chorleitung 2/2003
  • The Vigil of Rachmaninov, in: Praxishandbuch Chorleitung 4/2003
  • Missa Mystica, Spirituality and Art in Russia, Norbert Kuchinke, Irenäus Totzke, Nikolai Berdjajew, Kreuz Verlag Stuttgart, 2003
  • Christoph Bernhard (1627 / 28–1692). A Schütz student from Gdansk, in: West Prussia Yearbook, Volume 58, 2008
  • Heinz Freudenthal - a conductor from Danzig, in: Unser Danzig, 1–1995
  • Continuity of Gdansk Music. The concert organist Jan Janca from Danzig, in: Unser Danzig, 9–2003
  • Johann Gottlieb Goldberg (1727–1756). A Bach student from Danzig, in: Our Danzig, 8–2004
  • A Mameluk from Danzig, in: Unser Danzig, 1–2005
  • Helene Harlas. A Munich court singer from Danzig, in: Unser Danzig, 2–2005
  • History of the national or national broadcaster Danzig, in: Unser Danzig, 1 / 2–2006
  • In the series "Door to the East" EOS-Verlag, St. Ottilien:
    • Resurrection and Outpouring of the Spirit , Volume 1, 2012
    • Living from a Common Root , Volume 2, 2013
    • Eastern Church Spirituality , Volume 3, 2013
    • Music of the Eastern Church , Volume 4, 2014
    • Faith and Knowledge , Volume 5, 2015
  • In the series of publications by the Association for the Promotion of the Byzantine Church of Niederaltaich Abbey:
    • Through whom and how do I learn about God's work and word?
    • Hymnos Akathistos
    • Fear and religion
    • Dealing with the saints
    • Divine service and hourly prayer
    • The last things according to Orthodox teaching
    • Trina Laus. The triad of denominations in the Musica Sacra
    • Experienced closeness to God - the icon as a sacrament
    • The mystical character of Russian Orthodox church music
    • Form and content of the Byzantine liturgy
  • Co-editor of the Byzantine missal in German "Liturgikon"

Compositions

  • Countless compositions and arrangements of liturgical choral movements
  • Music editions of the Chrysostmus liturgy in German
  • Wandert ein Strom A song cycle based on poems by Hans Georg Siegler, 1995
  • Seven songs based on poems by Ricarda Huch , 1997
  • Aspects in A or Little Gradus ad Parnassum for piano
  • Agnes Miegel song cycle, 2002

CDs (selection) with works and conducted by Irenäus Totzke

  • Byzantine Easter liturgy , Chorodia of Niederaltaich Abbey and Schola Cantorum St. Godehard Hanover, 1977
  • Liturgy of the pre-consecrated gifts - Byzantine Gregorian liturgy of Lent , Chorodia of Niederaltaich Abbey and Schola Cantorum St. Godehard Hannover, 1979
  • The divine liturgy of our Father under St. John Chrysostom , Schola Cantorum St. Godehard Hannover and Chorodia of Niederaltaich Abbey, 1994
  • The mystery of the coronation - engagement and wedding in the Byzantine rite , monk choir of Niederaltaich Abbey
  • Birth in the cave - chants and accompanying texts for the Orthodox Christmas festival , monks' choir of Niederaltaich Abbey

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Irenäus Totzke .: Birth in the cave: Christmas in the tradition of the Eastern Church . Herder Taschenbuch, 1989, ISBN 978-3-451-08662-5 .
  2. ^ Irenäus Totzke .: We sing to you: Contributions to the music of the Eastern Church. EOS-Verl, 1992, ISBN 978-3-88096-155-5 .
  3. ^ Jacobs, Paul, 1959–: Nikolaus: his life in pictures and legends . F. Bahn Verlag, 1996, ISBN 978-3-7615-4944-5 .
  4. ↑ Return of the Saints: Analyzes and Perspectives . Eos-Verlag, 1999, ISBN 978-3-88096-769-4 .
  5. ↑ Irenäus Totzke 1932–: Door to the East, Vol. 1. Resurrection and outpouring of the spirit . EOS, 2012, ISBN 978-3-8306-7562-4 .
  6. ^ Irenäus Totzke, 1932–2013 .: Life from a common root . Eos-Verl, 2013, ISBN 978-3-8306-7599-0 .
  7. ^ Irenäus Totzke, 1932–2013 .: Eastern Church Spirituality . EOS, 2013, ISBN 978-3-8306-7615-7 .
  8. ^ Irenäus Totzke: Music of the Eastern Church . EOS Verlag, 2014, ISBN 978-3-8306-7683-6 .
  9. ^ EOS Verlag Erzabtei St. Ottilien: Faith and Knowledge . EOS Verlag, 2015, ISBN 978-3-8306-7721-5 .
personal data
SURNAME Totzke, Irenäus Wolfgang
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Totzke, Wolfgang
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Music and liturgical scholar, composer, theologian, monk and archimandrite of the Benedictine Abbey of Niederaltaich
DATE OF BIRTH August 8, 1932
PLACE OF BIRTH Danzig
DATE OF DEATH May 14, 2013
Place of death Niederaltaich