Klaus Wallrath

Klaus Wallrath

Klaus Wallrath (born May 13, 1959 in Korschenbroich ) is a German church musician and composer . Since 1987 he has worked as cantor and choirmaster at the St. Margareta Basilica in Düsseldorf-Gerresheim .

biography

Klaus Wallrath received piano and organ lessons from Korschenbroich's cantor Franzjosef Franzen (1927–1997) for many years as a schoolboy and teenager . After graduating from the monastery. Hum. School Mönchengladbach studied spermaceti 1977-1982 Catholic Church Music , among others with Heinz Odenthal ( choral conducting ) and Hans Kast ( conducting ) at the Robert Schumann Conservatory Dusseldorf . He completed his studies with the cantor examination. After studying the piano with Leonore Auerswald, Wallrath obtained the concert exam in piano in 1985.

During his studies he was also active in chamber music . Since 1986 he has been a member of the Gesualdo Ensemble . Wallrath has been a church musician at the St. Margareta Basilica since 1987, and since 1995 he has also been musically responsible as a pastoral church musician for the merged parish of St. Margareta (with seven churches). During his activity in Gerresheim a lively musical life developed in the liturgy and in the parish. He is involved in numerous projects at the level of the City Deanery and Archdiocese of Cologne .

During his time at St. Margareta, Wallrath built up several choirs and ensembles. In addition to the basilica choir, there is now a choir school for children and young people with over 150 young singers and the St. Margareta Chamber Choir. On his initiative, numerous concert series, such as the Gerresheimer Organ Days , as well as oratorio performances and collegiate hall concerts, have been and are being carried out. Musically, the areas of Gregorian chant , classical masterpieces, contemporary music, jazz, and children's musicals are covered.

As a pianist, he was and is a member of various chamber music ensembles (“Ensemble quatuor”, “Ensemble cinquepiù”). From 2008 to 2014 he taught choir conducting at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen.

In 2014, the General Cäcilienverband für Deutschland (ACV) awarded him the title of Music Director ACV , which had only been awarded twice in Germany to date, for his successful church music work, his special pedagogical and didactic skills and his successful work as a composer . In the laudation it was emphasized that "Wallrath is an enthusiastic musician who knows how to inspire others and through music has an essential part in the proclamation of the faith".

Wallrath composed numerous sacred vocal works. On September 20, 2014, his motet “Nos sumus testes” was commissioned by Cologne Cathedral Music at the introduction of Rainer Maria Cardinal Woelki as Archbishop of Cologne in Cologne Cathedral . The work for four choirs, wind instruments and organ sets the motto of the Archbishop of Cologne to music.

Works

measure up

• Friedrich-Spee-Messe (2011) for soprano and baritone solo, children's choir, mixed choir and large orchestra (ensemble version for 11 instrumentalists) (as part of the cantor's composition scholarship from the city of Düsseldorf)
• Franziskusmesse “Encountering God in Another” (2013) for children's choir, mixed choir, 2 trp., 2 pos., Piano (b, dr); (Text: Raymund Weber) (on behalf of regional cantor Bernhard Nick for the choirs of the district deans of Gummersbach and Altenkirchen)
• Missa festiva (2015) for soprano solo, mixed choir, 10 wind instruments, timpani and organ (also as an organ version), commissioned by Thomas Godhoff and the Westallgäu choir, world premiere on July 10, 2016 in the parish church of St. Peter and Paul in Lindenberg in the Allgäu
• Missa in F (2017) for mixed choir and organ (wind instruments and timpani ad lib.) (On behalf of DCV Speyer)
• Festive Mass (2018) for mixed choir and organ (also: version with large orchestra), on behalf of the parish of St. Cyriakus, Schwäbisch Gmünd
• Missa "Da pacem" (2018) for mixed or equal part choir and orchestra (also as an organ version) (on behalf of Dommusik Münster for the closing service of the 101st German Catholic Day 2018 in Münster)

Motets / cantatas

• Tunc autem (2010), motet for 4- to 7-part mixed choir a cappella (Text: 1Kor 13, 12-13, Latin) (commissioned by the Figuralchor Cologne)
• Neustifter Te Deum (2010), motet for 4- to 8-part mixed choir a cappella (lat.) (Commissioned by the Gesualdo Ensemble)
• Beatitudes (2013), Canticum for 3-part. Children's choir, 4- to 8-part. mixed choir and organ with congregation kv (Text: Mt 5, 3-10; German, Latin, Greek); Concert version for 4- to 8-part. mixed choir and organ (German, Latin, Greek) (on behalf of Aachen Cathedral Music for the Kaiser Karl Festival Week in January 2014)
• Lord, you have explored me (Ps 139) (2014), motet for 4- to 6-part. Women's choir a cappella (German) (commissioned by the girls' choir at Cologne Cathedral for the 25th anniversary of its existence)
• Nos sumus testes (2014), motet for four choirs, wind ensemble, timpani and organ (texts: from the Bible, Latin / German) - version for 4-part. mixed choir and organ from Verlag Dr. Josef Butz, Bonn (on behalf of Cologne Cathedral Music for the introduction of Rainer Maria Cardinal Woelki as Archbishop of Cologne)
• A rose bush blooms for a thousand years (2015), cantata for the 1200th anniversary of the thousand-year rose of Hildesheim, for 4-part. mixed choir, speaker, string quartet and percussion (text: Ronald Klein) (commissioned by the Hildesheim boys' choir)
• Freedom of opinion (2015) for 4-part. mixed choir and piano (organ) (Text: Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948) (commissioned and within the framework of a composition project of the chamber choir "Cantamo", Cologne; conductor: Vincent Heitzer)
• Laus Creationis (Ps 19) (2017) for 3-4 hours. Women's choir and piano (commissioned by the chamber choir "Vox humana", Düsseldorf, conductor: Pamela König)
• Laus Concordiae (Ps 133) (2017) for 8stg. A cappella choir
• Seek peace! (2017) for 3-4 hours. Women's choir and piano (organ) (commissioned by the girls' chamber choir St. Remigius, Borken, conductor: Thomas König)
• Duo Hymni (Gloria and Sanctus) (2018) for 8stg. Choir, wind instruments and organ (on behalf of Aachen Cathedral Music for the 40th anniversary of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Aachen Cathedral )

Song motets (excerpt)

• Von guten Mächten (2008), song motet for mixed choir, community and organ
• A big city arises (2008), song motet for mixed choir, community and wind instruments (or organ)
• O Savior, tear open the heavens (2009), song motet for mixed choir, congregation and organ
• God loves this world (2014), song motet for mixed (or equal voices) choir, organ and wind ensemble
• When the bread that we share (2016), song motet for mixed choir, congregation and organ (for the closing service of the 100th German Catholic Congress in Leipzig)
• Take, oh God, the gifts we bring (2016), song motets for mixed choir, congregation and organ
• Many rays break out of one light (2016), song motets for mixed (or equal voices) choir, organ and wind ensemble (for the Pueri Cantores Association)
• Lord, you are my life (2018), song motet for mixed (or equal voices) choir, organ and wind ensemble (for the Pueri Cantores Association)

Compositions for children's / youth choir (equal voices)

• Grant us peace (2012) for 2 equal voices and organ
• Three psalm canons (2011/2013) for 2-3 equal voices and piano (organ)
• Wir an Babel's Stranger Shores (2017) for 3 equal voices and piano (organ)

Children's musicals

• Between Linsengericht and Himmelsleiter (2013), children's musical for children's choir, trp, as, pos, p, b, dr (text: Ronald Klein; music: Max and Klaus Wallrath)
• Bartimaeus goes on a light (2014), short musical for children's choir, fl (from left, clar), ob (from left, sax), p (text: Ronald Klein)
• No place in the wonder pond? - Bethesda becomes a place of grace (2015), short musical for children's choir, fl (from left, clar), ob (from left, sax), p (text: Ronald Klein) (on behalf of the parish of St. Severin, Cologne )
• Elias - Jahwe ist mein Gott (2016), children's musical for children's choir, trp, as, pos, p, b, dr (text: Ronald Klein; music: Max and Klaus Wallrath)

Collaboration (composition, arrangement and instrumentation) in the children's musicals of the Düsseldorf Cantor Convention team

• On the way to a new country (1997/2003)
• I wanna wake the dawn (1998)
• As Numerous as the Stars in the Sky (1999)
• Let's go after the clouds (2000)
• Never Say Never to Nineveh (2002)
• King Solomon and the Lilies in the Field (2006)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Website of the Stiftschor Bonn, composer portrait, music director ACV Klaus Wallrath, accessed on June 17, 2015.
2. ^ Website of the basilica choir: The Choir Director, accessed on June 16, 2015.
3. ↑ Catholic parish of St. Margareta: To the higher honor of God, accessed on June 17, 2015. ( Memento of the original from June 19, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
4. ↑ Website of the General Cäcilienverband für Deutschland, accessed on June 17, 2015. ( Memento of the original from June 18, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
5. ↑ Cardinal Woelki has moved in. Kölnische Rundschau from September 16, 2014: