Cross organist

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As cross organists are organists of the Cross Church in Dresden called.

The office of the Kreuz organist is one of the most traditional of its kind. The news about the organists at the former Nikolai and today's Kreuzkirche in Dresden go back to the year 1370 and thus belong to the oldest records of organists.

The former Nikolaikirche was renamed the Kreuzkirche in the Middle Ages because of the part of the cross of Christ that was kept and venerated in it. Two musicians, cantor and organist, worked at the church as early as the Middle Ages . This tradition has been preserved to this day. Most of the Kreuz organists remained in office until their death (marked with *).

Many cross organists, but also cross cantors, were also known as organ composers. B. Gottfried August Homilius , Gustav Adolf Merkel , Herbert Collum or Michael-Christfried Winkler . Others, however, were famous for their art of improvisation, such as Alfred Sittard , who also contributed significantly to the early dissemination of Max Reger's organ works . Merkel was probably also the first “ecumenical” organist: in addition to his position as Kreuz organist, he was later also appointed organist at the Catholic Court Church.

Organ concerts and musical Vespers in the Kreuzkirche in Dresden, especially those with the Dresden Kreuzchor , have a centuries-old tradition.

List of cross organists

  • Organ playing is mentioned in 1370, but no names are given
  • 1491 mentioned organist Nikolaus
  • 1498 mentioned organist Johanßen
  • 1513 named organist Balthasar
  • 1600 to 1618 Matthaeus Schreiber (first mentioned in 1600) *
  • 1618 to 1650 Elias Liessberger *
  • 1650 to 1695 Alexander Heringk *
  • 1696 to 1725 Emanuel Behnisch senior *
  • 1726 to 1742 Emanuel Behnisch junior *
  • 1742 to 1769 Christian Heinrich Gräbner *
  • 1769 to 1789 Friedlieb Johann Zillig *
  • 1789 to 1801 August Friedrich Wilhelm Günther *
  • 1801 to 1822 Johann Gottfried Lommatzsch *
  • 1822 to 1836 Johann Christlieb Leberecht Ochs *
  • 1837 to 1859 Christian Gottlob Höpner *
  • 1859 to 1885 Gustav Adolf Merkel (from 1864 also court organist) *
  • 1864 to 1885 Christian Robert Pfretzschner *
  • 1885 to 1903 Emil Robert Höpner *
  • 1903 to 1912 Alfred Sittard (then went to the Michaeliskirche Hamburg)
  • 1912 to 1935 Bernhard Pfannstiehl (retired)
  • 1935 to 1982 Herbert Collum *
  • 1982 to 2001 Michael-Christfried Winkler (went into early retirement)
  • 2002 to 2004 Martin Schmeding (went to the Freiburg University of Music)
  • since 2004 Holger Gehring

literature

Web links

Commons : Cross Organists  - Collection of images, videos and audio files