Johannes Schäfer (organist)

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Johannes Schäfer (born January 20, 1928 in Weißenfels , † June 30, 1996 in Erfurt ) was a German organist . He was best known for his concerts and his work as an organ teacher.

Life

Johannes Hermann Ottomar Schäfer attended the Musisches Gymnasium in Frankfurt (Main) as a boarding school student from 1939 to 1945 under the direction of Kurt Thomas . He received piano lessons and learned the flute as a secondary instrument. As a member of the choir, he took part in numerous concert tours through Germany. At the time, Schäfer regretted very much that you couldn't take organ lessons at the Musisches Gymnasium because the organ had always been his favorite instrument. In April 1945 the Musisches Gymnasium was closed.

Schäfer then walked home with a schoolmate. In July 1945 he arrived at his family in Altenweddingen. At this time he took his first organ lessons from the cathedral organist Gerhard Bremsteller in Magdeburg. From October 1945 he attended the municipal high school for boys in Schönebeck, where he passed his Abitur in September 1946.

From 1947 to 1950 he studied "Mendelssohn Academy" church music at the State University of Music Leipzig and passed the A-examination on August 12, 1950 with an overall grade of I. His teachers included Günther Ramin (organ), Robert Köbler (piano) and Johannes Weyrauch (theory).

From 1950 to 1993 he worked as a cantor and organist at the Predigerkirche Erfurt . Schäfer initiated the rebuilding of the organ, which was completed in 1977. Together with the organ builders from the Schuke company in Potsdam, he created an ideal instrument. “It's part of me,” says Schäfer. "In contrast to many others, all composers can be played on his organ with an acceptable compromise," said Schäfer during an interview with the Erfurt city gazette .

In 1972, Schäfer initiated regular organ concert series in the Predigerkirche. The concerts were given not only by himself, but also by other well-known organists from home and abroad. It was important to him to include contemporary works by Johannes Weyrauch, Petr Eben , György Ligeti , Johann Nepomuk David , Hugo Distler and Sigfrid Karg-Elert in the programs as well as romantic ones.

Since 1956, Schäfer has been a lecturer in organ playing at the Evangelical Church Music School in Halle. From 1978 he also had a teaching position for organ lessons at the "Franz Liszt" Music Academy in Weimar and from 1982 at the "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" Music Academy in Leipzig. His most important organ students were among others Rolf Henry Kunz , Matthias Jacob, Emil Handke, Almuth Reuther, Michael-Christfried Winkler , Wolfgang Kupke and Matthias Drei 30.

Schäfer has worked as an interpreter in organ concerts at home and abroad, including at the Gewandhaus Leipzig, the Schauspielhaus Berlin, the Semper Opera House in Dresden, the Thomaskirche Leipzig, in the Federal Republic of Germany and in Poland. In addition to numerous radio recordings, he also made two records. The C minor Passacaglia (BWV 582) was recorded by Johann Sebastian Bach on the organ of the Predigerkirche Erfurt for GDR television (broadcast December 26, 1983).

Among his particularly revered composers were Johann Sebastian Bach, Max Reger and Johann Nepomuk David . Schäfer was a member of the International Johann Nepomuk David Society. He not only played all of David's organ works, but also presented them in lectures.

Johannes Schäfer was married and the father of five children.

title

  • Church music director
  • Extraordinary professor

Compositions

In: Easy chorale preludes to the Evangelical Church Hymnal. Evangelical Publishing House, Berlin (East) 1976.

  • 243 Adam's fall completely corrupted (prelude, intonation, organ chorale).
  • 247 I love you dearly, sir (intonation, organ chorale).
  • 339 The bright sun is shining now (Prelude I, intonation).
  • 390 Wake up, wake up, you German country (prelude, intonation, organ chorale).

Discography

  • Bach, organ works 19, chorale arrangements in Kirnberger's collection BWV 690-713. Johannes Schäfer at the Silbermann organ of the Petrikirche in Freiberg. VEB Deutsche Schallplatten Berlin (GDR) 1971.
  • The Schuke organ of the Predigerkirche in Erfurt. Johannes Schäfer plays works by Reger, Pachelbel and David. VEB Deutsche Schallplatten Berlin (GDR) 1981.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Second German television, broadcast class reunion in honor of Paul Kuhn; Aired May 22, 1993
  2. ↑ Reifezeugnis - Examination A - of the State University for Music Leipzig; August 12, 1950
  3. ↑ Johannes Schäfer enjoys being an organist: The queen of the realm of instruments has cast a spell over him since 1934. In: Erfurt city gazette. 14./15. September 1991.
  4. ^ Homepage of the International Johann Nepomuk David Society
  5. ↑ Certificate of the Evangelical Church Administration of the Church Province of Saxony for the award of the title "Church Music Director"; Magdeburg, July 9, 1973
  6. ^ Certificate from the Minister for Science and Research of the State of Saxony-Anhalt for the award of the title "Extraordinary Professor"; Magdeburg, March 30, 1994
personal data
SURNAME Schäfer, Johannes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German organist
DATE OF BIRTH January 20, 1928
PLACE OF BIRTH Weissenfels
DATE OF DEATH June 30, 1996
Place of death Erfurt