Josef Lechthaler

Josef Lechthaler (born December 31, 1891 in Rattenberg (Tyrol) , † August 21, 1948 in Vienna ) was an Austrian music teacher, church musician, composer and music journalist.

Life

Lechthaler studied philology at the University of Innsbruck from 1910 to 1912 after completing his school and musical training in Reutte and at the Benedictine high school in Merano (with Magnus Ortwein ) . He came to Vienna in 1912, studied musicology with Guido Adler at the University of Vienna until 1914 , and at the same time music at the church music department of the State Academy for Music and Performing Arts .

After the First World War, Lechthaler obtained his doctorate in 1919 with the thesis "The Church Music Works of Alexander Utendal " (1530–1581; Innsbruck). phil. and passed the state exams in singing, organ and piano.

He then worked as a music teacher at the Federal Education Center for Girls in Vienna-Landstrasse until 1924 , then became a theory teacher for counterpoint, composition, church organ playing and literature at the Department of Church Music at the Vienna State Academy, of which he became head of department in 1932.

Thanks to his initiative, it was transformed into a department for church and school music in 1933. By introducing school music to the (pedagogical) university, he made a significant contribution to the development of music education in Austria.

After the annexation of Austria in 1938, he was relieved of his functions for political reasons and worked at the Music School of the City of Vienna , later at the Academy for Music , known as the Vienna Reich University of Music .

In 1945 he was returned to his previous position as department head for church music at the Vienna Academy for Music and Performing Arts.

After establishing separate institutes for church and school music, Lechthaler was head of the department for music education until his death in 1948.

He also held positions as chairman of the state examination commission for private music teachers, consultant for music education in the Federal Ministry of Education, chairman of the Association of Catholic Church Music Academics, conductor and director of the Vienna Court Music Band (1934-1938) and others.

Honors

A street in Vienna-Liesing was named after him in 1957; it was previously called Grillparzergasse .

Works (selection)

About 120 compositions, including:

• Sacred choral works:
  • Missa Patronus Ecclesiae , 1922
  • Stabat mater , 1926
  • Missa Gaudens gaudebo , 1930
  • Missa Rosa mystica , 1948
• Songs, choral works, organ, piano and chamber music.

• Austrian school music. Songs for life, song and music book for the youth
• Music education magazine and founder of the "Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Musikzieher Österreichs", 4 volumes

literature

• Ernst Knoflach: The church music works by J. Lechthalers . Dissertation, Innsbruck 1963
• Ernst Tittel: Josef Lechthaler . Vienna 1966
• Alexander Rausch : Lechthaler, Josef. In: Oesterreichisches Musiklexikon . Online edition, Vienna 2002 ff., ISBN 3-7001-3077-5 ; Print edition: Volume 3, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 2004, ISBN 3-7001-3045-7 .
• Hans Jancik:  Lechthaler, Josef. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 14, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1985, ISBN 3-428-00195-8 , p. 34 f. ( Digitized version ).
• Lechthaler, Josef . In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 . 2nd revised edition (online only).

Web links

• Entry on Josef Lechthaler in the Austria Forum  (biography)
• Catalog of works in the International Music Score Library Project