Johann Friedrich Naue

Johann Friedrich Naue (born November 17, 1787 in Halle (Saale) , † May 19, 1858 in Halle) was a German composer , organist , choir director and editor of church chants and numerous works on music theory.

Life

Naue was the son of a wealthy needle manufacturer and his wife. He visited the Latina of the Francke Foundations in Halle (Saale) . During this time he gained his first singing experience in the Stadtsingechor Halle , one of the oldest boys' choirs in Germany, which still belongs to the Latina of the Francke Foundations. Afterwards, Naue received lessons from Carl Friedrich Zelter in addition to Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy in Berlin and thus came into contact with the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and Georg Friedrich Handel, and above all with his completely revolutionary institution, the Sing-Akademie zu Berlin .

After 1808 he returned to his hometown with great enthusiasm to continue his musical studies with Johann Friedrich Reichardt , in particular with Daniel Gottlob Türk , who like Zelter earned merit for the revival of the music of Georg Friedrich Handel. In Vienna he rounded off his training as a pupil of Ludwig van Beethoven , who even dedicated a three-part canon to a text by Friedrich Schiller ( Kurz is the pain , WoO 163) to him in 1823 . Naue developed into an organ and piano virtuoso who above all acquired a broad knowledge of works and a solid knowledge of music theory. Contemporary witnesses report that he devoured entire libraries in order to acquire the various compositional styles. He himself owned a very valuable one with numerous books and music, which he - at Zelter's mediation - sold in large parts to the Royal Library (now the Berlin State Library ) from 1824 . From 1815 Naue was a member of the Halle Masonic lodge to the three swords .

In 1816 Johann Friedrich Naue became director of the Stadtsingechore zu Halle and organist at the Marktkirche Our Dear Women as one of the successors of Samuel Scheidt and Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow (here he was able to assert himself against competitors such as Carl Loewe ). A year later, in 1817, he was appointed University Music Director (UMD) at the Friedrichs University, which was just merging that year, with the Wittenberg University founded in 1502 (today: Martin Luther University ), after his teacher Carl Friedrich Zelter invited him to do so Expert opinion prepared. The choice fell on him in particular because of his knowledge of music theory, which he had in addition to his practical knowledge and experience, and his church music activities. Because the university was initially unable to provide him with financial means, he had to provide a choir free of charge for the academic services in the Ulrichskirche and for choral rehearsals once or twice a week "when the church is open" and to waive his UMD salary. From 1820 Naue secured further income as a free dinner inspector at the university. It was in 1835 by the University of Jena to Dr. hc in music.

In 1829, Naue organized the first major music festival of the Thuringian-Saxon music association based on the example of the glamorous Elbe music festival , for which he used all of his inherited fortune and went into debt to further stimulate the maintenance of music in Halle. From the proceeds of the books he sold to the Old Library, he soon organized a second one in Erfurt . The tragic chain of circumstances ruined him economically and humanly for the rest of his life. He became bitter, sought consolation in alcohol. In 1833 he was deprived of the leadership of his singing academy. It only flourished after his death under the prominent song composer and choir director Robert Franz . Naue was also forced to give up the organist position at the Marktkirche Our Dear Women in 1835 because of disputes with his superiors and the Marienkantor Carl Gottlob Abela . His application for the position as cathedral organist failed because at the time he was considered too unreliable. One last time the deeply embittered Naue organized a music festival in Halle. No turn.

Johann Friedrich Naue went blind and eventually died in complete poverty.

meaning

Naue did a great job as a composer and editor of church hymns and was therefore one of the few German church musicians who tried to use reforms to help Protestant church music out of its crisis. His efforts to reform the liturgy in the 19th century brought him high esteem far beyond the city limits . By researching the historical basis of the Protestant liturgy, Naue sought to comply with the demand for church music studies. With his attempt at a musical agenda or altar chants for use in Protestant churches , which was first published in 1818 , he became one of the leading forces of the renewal movement in this field.

In addition, he founded his own singing academy based on the Berlin model, as one of the first in Germany in 1814, together with his former academic teacher Johann Gebhard Maaß , which from 1907 deliberately chose the name of its most important future director ( Robert-Franz-Singakademie ). Naue managed it himself until 1833.

After the deaths of Türk and Reichardt, Naue took over the leading position in the musical life of the city of Halle, which at the same time meant the replacement of the early romantic era with the romantic era of a younger generation. Naue is considered to be the “first fully valid representative of musical romanticism in Halle's musical life”.

Naue organized a lively concert business and regularly offered important works by Handel (e.g. Saul), Graun, Viennese classics and contemporaries such as Weber , Spohr , Marschner and other masters in subscription concerts . He was also able to win over various virtuosos and musicians for his solo concerts, among them Hummel (1821) and Paganini (1829). In 1825, Naue undertook historical music performances for the first time with the performance of arrangements of the Hallelujah choir in the style of various centuries . Naue was also always interested in an active musical life, which is why he also gave public singing lessons in the form of choir rehearsals in the Marktkirche.

Finally, at the insistence of the population, he planned to open a singing school. However, this plan failed because of the abundance of its tasks.

Works

Although Naue was highly valued by contemporaries as a composer and theorist, hardly any of his works are known today. In addition to the sacred works, Naue also wrote occasional secular works, primarily marches and commissioned festival music .

• Chants for the king's birthday party on August 3, 1814 (for the 1st concert of the Singakademie 1814)
• Festival music on August 3, 1814 for solos, 4-part. Mixed choir and orchestra (1814)
• Cantata (for the Singakademie) (1815)
• Recitative and Aria (1815)
• Liturgy for the memorial service in memory of those who remained in the fight for king and fatherland (1816)
• Musical experiments , songs, arias and choirs (1816)
• Arias and choirs for the Reformation celebration (for the Singakademie) (1817)
• Easter cantata Be a festive welcome to the beam of joy! (1820)
• Little songs and canzonets with accompaniment of the pianoforte (1822)
• Triumphal march for choir and harmony music (for the reception of the Prussian Crown Princess Elise by the magistrate on November 26, 1823) (1823)
• Triumphal march for choir and orchestra (on the 10th anniversary of the entry of the proclaimed armies in Paris) (1824)
• Army March Nos. 48 and 50 for choir and orchestra (slow march)
• Prussian Army March II, 66 for choir and orchestra (fast march)
• Festival music for the king's birthday party on August 2, 1824 (1824)
• Festive music for the organ consecration in the Ulrichskirche (with the chorale Adoration, Fame and Honor ) (1826)
• Ferdinand Cortez or the Conquest of Mexico , opera in 3 acts by Spontini (piano reduction) (1827)
• A cry of joy resounds from a thousand ends through town and country , festival march and folk song of the Prussians for large military orchestra and choir (for the king's birthday) (1828)
• General evangelical chorale book in melodies (1829, 2nd adaptation 1832)
• Te Deum , for solos, 4 parts. Mixed choir and orchestra (1832)
• Festive music for the inauguration of the new university building in Halle on October 31, 1834 (1834)
• The king rejoices in your strength , Psalm (1835)
• Cantata God bless, God preserve the Crown Prince (for the birthday of the Prussian Crown Prince) (1837)
• Celebratory song Sit deo gloria (Text: Niemeyer) (1837)
• Fresh up , for choir (for the music festival in Bitterfeld) (1840)
• What use is gold , for the choir (for the music festival in Bitterfeld) (1840)
• Lebehoch, Lebelong, Lebewohl , for 4-stg. Male Choir (1843) (published in the Male Choir Collection , collected by Friends of Music by JJ Sprüngli)
• Heil, Heil the beautiful day , Patriotic Song (1848)
• O Lamm Gottes (Agnus Dei) , E minor for 4 parts. Mixed choir
• Hymnus ambrosianus , for 4 parts Mixed choir
• Saul von Handel (piano reduction)

Collections

• Attempt at a musical agenda or altar chants for use in Protestant churches (1818)
• Church music of different times and peoples , 3 booklets (Ed.) (1821)
• Responsories or choirs to three liturgies with inserted sayings (Stuttgart, n.d.)
• Liturgical chants from the psalmody by Lucas Lossius (Wittenberg 1553) and from Luther's Order of Divine Service (Wittenberg 1526) (revised, Halle 1851)
• Liturgical choirs from old agendas and missales from the first period of the Reformation (Halle 1838)
• Collection of motets by masters such as Joh. Chr. Bach, Joh. Michael Bach and Carl Friedrich Zelter

Fonts

• On the most important duties of an organist by Daniel Gottlob Türk (revision) (Halle, 1838)
• Brief instructions on playing the basso continuo by Daniel Gottlob Türk (5th edition reissued) (1841)
• About the so-called quantitative-rhythmic chorale (Halle, 1849)

literature

• Robert Eitner:  Naue, Johann Friedrich . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 23, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1886, p. 298 f.
• Konstanze Musketa : Music history of the city of Halle: Guide through the exhibition of the Handel House . 1st edition. Handel House, Halle an der Saale 1998, ISBN 3-910019-13-7 , p. 53 f .
• Walter Serauky: Music history of the city of Halle . Second volume, second half volume From Wilhelm Friedemann Bach to Robert Franz . Max Niemeyer, Halle an der Saale 1942, p. 410-486 .

Documents

Letters from Johann Friedrich Naue are in the holdings of the Leipzig music publisher CF Peters in the Leipzig State Archives .

Individual evidence

1. ^ Walter Serauky: Music history of the city of Halle . Volume II, 2nd half volume, p. 410.