Leo Lehner

Leo Carl Maria Lehner (born July 20, 1900 in Vienna ; † April 22, 1981 in Kirchdorf an der Krems ) was an Austrian composer , choir director and music teacher .

Life

His parents were Rudolf and Antonia Lehner, née Auchmann. The father was the school director and choirmaster in Vienna- Ottakring , the mother the daughter of a factory owner.

He began his music lessons as a child: he was taught the piano at the age of four, the organ at the age of six and the violin at the age of seven . From the age of six to thirteen he was a member of the Vienna Boys' Choir under Hofkapellmeister Franz Schalk , who later became director of the Vienna State Opera . He received piano lessons from Alfred Grünfeld . According to his father's will, he was to become a teacher and from 1914 was a student at the boarding school of the Catholic teachers' college Marianum in Semperstrasse in Vienna- Währing .

He broke off this training in 1917, began an apprenticeship in a chemographic company and at the same time, without the knowledge of his parents, studied piano at the Vienna Music Academy . There the composers Franz Schmidt and Josef Lechthaler were among his teachers. He also worked as a piano accompanist for silent film productions. He was arrested while participating in a continuous piano competition because he was not yet of age. In 1921 he passed the journeyman's examination as a chemographer and the final examination at the academy.

After that Leo Lehner worked as a piano player, accompanist for performances by artists such as Hansi Niese , Richard Waldemar , Hansi Führer and Theodor Windbrechtinger (Turl Wiener), circus band master, musician in a variety theater and second choir director at the Vienna Burgtheater . During these years he founded the choral society for the employees of the Austria Email Works and led the choir of the Meinl Association. At the age of 23 he took over the leadership of the Alt- Ottakringer church choir after his father .

At the grammar school (at that time: Realschule) in Vienna- Neubau he taught from 1923 (without matriculation examination and without teaching examination) as a “secondary teacher in temporary employment” the optional subject “choral singing” and expanded the choir to become the largest student choir in Austria with over 250 voices. This choir was called "Singer Choir R VII" (R VII for secondary school of the VII. District) and gave concerts outside Vienna, on May 27 and 28, 1927 in Salzburg and Berchtesgaden , and in May 1929 in Šternberk (Sternberg), Bad Ullersdorf and Šumperk (Mährisch Schönberg) in what was then Czechoslovakia , in 1930 in Aussig , Dresden and Leipzig and in 1932 in Prague . In Salzburg, Isolde Ahlgrimm , a student at the time, contributed to the success of the concert with a piano sonata by Mozart . The student Albin Skoda recited poems at concerts. In 1930 he founded the “Jung Urania Choir” with members of this choir . This choir and with it the songs composed by Leo Lehner became known through radio broadcasts and concerts in Austria, Germany and Czechoslovakia. Elfriede Ott and Fritz Muliar were among the participants in these concerts .

In 1927 Leo Lehner taught for a few months in Leipzig on behalf of the Austrian Minister of Education.

In 1930 he made up his Matura and in 1932 he passed the teaching examination. He then taught at the Robert-Hamerling -Gymnasium in Vienna- Josefstadt . There he met Walter Maria Neuwirth, the lyricist of many of his songs.

In 1932 Leo Lehner became choirmaster and head of the Volksgesangsverein . In 1935 he was transferred to teacher training and worked at the teacher training institutes in Kundmanngasse and Hegelgasse .

In 1938 he was arrested and then drafted into the military for the weather service. His works were forbidden. From 1940 he directed the soldiers' choir at the Proßnitz Air Base . In 1943 he was released from military service due to illness and worked as a teacher in Mödling and Vienna. In November 1944 he was drafted into the Wehrmacht again and, after he had already been sentenced to death for having described himself as an Austrian - contradicting a superior - he was assigned to a punishment company and initially called in to clean up after bomb attacks. After a time in captivity , he became a music teacher at teacher training institutes in Vienna. In this function, founded the "Choir of Federal Teachers' Training Institutes" in November 1945. One of the successful concert programs of this choir consisted of folk songs in different languages ​​and was entitled “Voices of the Nations in Songs”. As an association, the choir was named "Jung-Wien" in 1946 . He led this choir for 32 years until 1978 and performed with it in public more than 2500 times.

Leo Lehner designed a series of events for the Wiener Festwochen from 1951 to 1977 with “Jung-Wien” . These included appearances in the Wiener Stadthalle on June 13, 1960 or in the Golden Hall of the Wiener Musikverein on May 29, 1963 together with the Wiener Symphoniker . This choir completed 37 trips abroad with Leo Lehner, including a three-week concert tour to the Soviet Union in 1964 .

In 1947 he was honored by the Republic of Austria with the title "Professor". Leo Lehner was awarded the Cross of Honor for Science and Art .

Leo Lehner worked as a teacher and examination commissioner at various teacher training institutions. He directed the internationally known choir " Wiener Schubertbund " and the "soldiers choir Vienna".

Leo Lehner composed for choir and orchestra, arranged over 500 folk songs, some of which were printed by music publishers, and other works, e.g. B. those of the Strauss family . He was in contact with Joseph Marx . Leo Lehner is quoted as saying “There are no unmusical people. There are only musically neglected people. "

One of his best-known works is the song “Gänseblümchen und Schmetterling” with a text by Walther Maria Neuwirth. His song "Rise up, you flag red-white-red!" Was among the candidates for the Austrian national anthem and was included in a widespread hymn book for Austrian school lessons.

Honor

Grave of Leo Lehner at the Vienna Central Cemetery

Leo Lehner is buried in an honorary grave of the City of Vienna at the Vienna Central Cemetery (group 32 C, number 53). In 1984 the Leo-Lehner-Gasse in Vienna- Donaustadt (22nd district) was named after him.

The Vienna Choir Forum awards the Leo Lehner plaque in memory of Leo Lehner . Prize winners were Elisabeth Ziegler for the 50-year choir directing the Gumpoldskirchner Spatzen , Florian Maierl for his Coro siamo choir and the Radio Wien choir (2019).

Works

The catalog of the music collection of the Austrian National Library lists over 170 scores for Leo Lehner . These are predominantly arrangements for choral singing with or without accompaniment. A list of works can be found in the autobiography "A Life According to Notes" on pages 115–124.

• Three wandering songs. No. 1 In rank and file! No. 2. Wonderful May! No. 3. Young Austria! Words: Walther Maria Neuwirth. For voice and piano. Vienna-Leipzig-Berlin. Publishing house Ludwig Doblinger 1936.
• Carnival in Vienna. Waltz for male or mixed choir with four-hand piano accompaniment. Words from Walther Maria Neuwirth. Vienna-Leipzig-Berlin. Publishing house Ludwig Doblinger. 1937.
• Rise up, you red-white-red flag! Words: Siegmund Guggenberger. For mixed choir, female choir or male choir. Vienna 1949, 1955, 1962. Doblinger publishing house. The melody of this song in the widespread school hymn book “Come, Sing with. Austrian song book ”was edited by its editor Anton Dawidowicz, who appears there as the author of the tune (melody).
• Daisies and butterfly. A dance song for three voices. Three-part female choir and piano. Words: Walther Maria Neuwirth. Vienna 1951. Doblinger publishing house.
• Songs for the young people. 16 new children's songs for kindergarten and school. Vienna-Wiesbaden. Robitschek publishing house 1952/1953.
• Schönbrunn, you my dream. Song from Vienna. For mixed choir and piano. Vienna 1955. Krenn publishing house.
• The dance. Male choir with piano accompaniment. Words: Walther M (aria) Neuwirth. Vienna-Wiesbaden 1955/1958. Robitschek publishing house.
• Kukuleczka. Old Polish folk song. Free translation by Erika Haunold. For mixed choir and piano arranged by Leo Lehner. Vienna 1971. Krenn Publishing House.
• Drunghe, drunghete! Neapolitan folk song. Arranged for mixed choir by Leo Lehner. Vienna 1971. Krenn Publishing House.
• Layeta. Spanish ( Catalan ) folk song. Arranged for mixed choir by Leo Lehner. Vienna 1980. Krenn Publishing 1980.
• On the sermon chair. For four-part a cappella choir, words: Ignaz Jörg. Vienna 1980. Krenn Publishing 1980.

literature

• Choir Association "Young Vienna": Program for the gala concert: Ten years of the choir association "Young Vienna". Large Musikvereinssaal, November 21, 1956. Conductor: Leo Lehner. With portrait and picture. Vienna 1956.
• In memory of Professor Leo Lehner. Vienna 1981. Published by the Lehnerrunde, Cafe Weidinger. Vienna, Lerchenfelder Gürtel 1.
• A life according to grades. Vienna 1980. Autobiography. ISBN 3-215-04351-3 .
• Petra Regen: "Let the people sing." A memory of the composer and choir director Leo Lehner. In: Wiener Zeitung. Friday, July 14, 2000. Supplement Extra. Dictionary.
• Petra Regen: Leo Lehner Festival 2000. Review and case study. Vienna 2001. Verlag der Wiener Sängerrunde. No ISBN.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ A Life According to Notes, page 15.
2. ↑ Curriculum vitae on the website of the “Jung-Wien” choir. A Life According to Notes, pages 16–20.
3. ^ ^{A b} Petra Regen: Wiener Zeitung, Extra. July 14, 2000.
4. ↑ A life according to notes, pages 41–42.
5. ↑ A Life According to Notes, p. 48.
6. ^ Anton Dawidowicz: Come on, sing along. Austrian songbook. Innsbruck 1962. Updated new edition (musical, chanson, Latin and popular songs) by Wolfgang Reinstadler. Innsbruck 1989. ISBN 3-900590-11-7 . (multiple ISBN)
7. ↑ Highest award for Radio Wien Chor . OTS notification dated February 27, 2019, accessed March 6, 2019.

Web links

• Former choir director of the Jung Wien choir association
• Works by and about Leo Lehner in the catalog of the German National Library