Karl Koch (composer)

Karl Koch (born January 29, 1887 in Biberwier , Tyrol, † September 20,  1971 in Innsbruck ) was an Austrian composer, choir director and music teacher.

Life

Karl Koch received his first music lessons from his father Johann Koch, who was a school teacher, organist and choir director in Biberwier, and learned the organ, piano and violin by himself. From 1897 he attended the Vinzentinum grammar school  in Brixen , where he was also a member of the choir and orchestra. From 1905 to 1909 he studied theology at the Vincentinum and was ordained a priest in 1909. He then worked as a cooperator in Tux in the Zillertal. It was there that he composed his first compositions, including the Marienmesse (op. 2), which made him well-known beyond the region.

In Brixen, Koch came into contact with Ignaz Mitterer , who encouraged him. In 1912/1913 he was able to attend the church music school in Regensburg , where he first came into contact with works by Anton Bruckner , Max Reger , Hans Pfitzner , Hugo Wolf and Richard Strauss . After only one year, he passed the school leaving examination. After a short time in Bressanone, he became choir director at the parish church of Bolzano in 1915 , and from 1916 to 1919 he also taught music and singing at the secondary school. In 1920/21 he studied organ, conducting and composition with Joseph Marx and Max Springer at the Vienna Music Academy .

On November 1, 1924, Karl Koch was appointed by Provost Josef Weingartner  as choir regent at the parish church of St. Jakob in Innsbruck, which in 1964 was elevated to the status of cathedral of the newly created diocese of Innsbruck . During his term of office, which lasted until 1967, he led church music in Innsbruck to a new bloom and ensured an expansion of the repertoire, which, in addition to his preference for Anton Bruckner, primarily included contemporary church music by Tyrolean composers such as Josef Pembaur , Karl Senn , Josef Lechthaler , Joseph Messner , Josef Gasser , Vinzenz Goller , Ignaz Mitterer and his own works. In 1931, according to his planning, a new organ from Rieger Orgelbau was built  into the old case.

From 1924 to 1938 he taught organ and music theory at the Innsbruck Conservatory . With the school year 1938/39 he wanted to found a department for church music there after long planning. This was rejected by the anti-church Nazi regime; in addition, Gauleiter Franz Hofer Koch forbade any further activity as a teacher at the conservatory and even any private teaching activity. The big performances of church music were also a thorn in the side of those in power. For example, at Pentecost 1939, the musicians of the symphony orchestra were  temporarily forbidden from participating in the performance of Beethoven's C major mass . Koch made do with musicians who were not affected by the ban, such as retired professional musicians, musicians from the regimental band or good amateur musicians, which repeatedly earned him official summons. Even after the cathedral was badly damaged in an air raid in December 1944, he continued to organize services with the parochial choir.

From 1948 Koch taught again at the Innsbruck Conservatory. Since 1946 he has been a lecturer for music theory at the University of Innsbruck .

Karl Koch is considered one of the most important composers in Tyrol in the 20th century and a further developer of church music . He mainly created masses , offertories , sacred choral music and requies , but also secular pieces such as piano pieces, a symphony and a children's opera. Stylistically, he is considered a neo-romantic and impressionist , numerous of his works show the influence of Anton Bruckner.

Honors

• Professional title Professor , 1948
• Ring of Honor of the City of Innsbruck, 1968
• Professor-Karl-Koch-Weg in Biberwier

Works

• Missa in honorem Beatae Mariae Virginis for choir, organ and wind instruments, op. 2, 1910
• Festive mass in honor of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ , op. 7, 1916
• The Dolomitenwacht , choir (text by Anton Müller ), 1916
• In medio vitae , Mass, op.20, 1924/25
• From the Mountains , Symphony, op.53, 1942 (premiered in 1947)
• Sonatina for piano , op.56, 1942
• String quartet in A major , op. 60, 1947/48
• Requiem for vocal solos, choir, orchestra and organ , op. 85, 1955–58
• Frau Holle , Children's Opera, 1967

literature

• Alexander Rausch, Christian Fastl: Koch, Karl. 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 .
• Michael Mayr: The church music tradition at St. Jakob's Cathedral. In: Gotthard Egger (Ed.): The Cathedral of St. Jakob. Festschrift published on the occasion of the 350th anniversary of the establishment as an independent parish of St. Jakob and the completion of the renovation work on the cathedral on Sunday, October 24, 1993. Innsbruck 1993, pp. 80–88.
• Karl Koch (1887–1971) , Association of Tyrolean Composers: Nazi Era

Individual evidence

1. ↑ City of Innsbruck: Ring of Honor (PDF; 233 kB)