Marianus Koenigsperger

Marianus Königsperger OSB (actually Johann Erhard Königsberger; * December 2, 1708 in Roding ( Upper Palatinate ); † October 9, 1769 in the monasteryChecking near Regensburg ) was a German composer , organist and Catholic clergyman.

Live and act

Marianus Königsperger's father was the bassoonist and flute maker Andreas Königsperger (1671–1752); Marianus' older brother Johann Wolfgang and a nephew were also active as makers of woodwind instruments and turners . Marianus entered the Benedictine Abbey ofprüfunging as a choirboy and received his scientific and musical training here; his musical talent proved so great that he dropped theology studies in favor of music. After joining the Benedictine order (religious vows on March 25, 1734) he became organist and choirmaster in this abbey in the same year and remained a frater of the Benedictines throughout his life . When he entered the order he had given up his maiden name Johann Erhard and taken the name Marianus. Thorough training in organ playing and his first works for church and school theater led him from 1733 and increasingly from 1748 to the Lotter publishing house in Augsburg . Its owner allegedly later announced "that he owed the basis of his prosperity only to Königsperger" ( Abbot Rupert Kornmann in a publication by FJ Lipowsky 1811). The 32 mostly extensive music volumes published by Königsperger led to a considerable merit of the composer, which then benefited the promotion of science and music in the monastery. In this way, he was not only able to finance the construction of a new choir organ, but also improve the main organ of the monastery and buy books for the abbey and school supplies for his confreres.

meaning

The musical and cultural significance of Königsperger's figural church music extended far beyond Eastern Bavaria and extended to the entire area of Central and Eastern Europe. In this regard, the Abbot Rupert Kornmann (1757–1817) from Testingingen said: “It is undisputed that Königsperger's compositions have become the vehicle for the dissemination of church music down to the smallest of villages”. Königsperger himself advocated the principle that “a church stylus is the one who touches the mind inwardly through the ears, moves them to devotion, and incites them to the eye of prayer” (from the preface to op. 23, 1764). From the knowledge of the various preferences of his listeners, the composer drew the justification for the diversity of his church music by creating plenty of contrasts and merely avoiding "overly free, dance-like compositions". In this way, his oeuvre ranges from small, rural compositions to large, solemn masses in a polyphonic - homophonic mixed style, in the organ works from chromatically enriched preambles and carefully crafted organ fugues to church sonatas and (epistle) symphonies, including the Liturgically free solo aria through to the fugitive and figurative choral movement, which served as the bearer of the liturgical word. The composer's popularity was not only widespread, but also lasted for a long time: the last printed music catalog of the Lotter publishing house from 1820 performed his Missa pastoritia , at a time when the church music of his contemporaries had long ceased to be printed.

Königsperger was at a critical distance from the then traditional music, such as B. by Johann Melchior Gletle (1626–1683), Johann Kaspar Kerll (1627–1693), Giovanni Battista Bassani (1647–1716), Kaspar Schollenberger (1653–1735), Benedikt Anton Aufschnaiter (1665–1742) and Christoph Stoltzenberg ( 1690–1764) and criticized “some written masses […] which were dry and uncomfortable” (from the foreword to op. 25, 1767), but had a more positive relationship to the “dominant music taste from the French-speaking region, which with his delightful affects flatter today's hearing ”. He gave the works of the Upper Swabian Premonstratensian Isfrid Kayser (1712–1771) and the Bohemian composers Franz Xaver Brixi (1732–1771) and Jan Zach (1713–1773) the highest recognition . He himself can be counted among the outstanding masters in the line of southern German monastery composers.

Works

Vocal music (usually with publisher, place and year of publication)
- 33 Cantilenae sacrae for voice, 2 violins and organ op.1, Lotter, Augsburg 1733
- 10 Missae solemnes and 2 Missae pastoritiae as well as 1 Veni Sancte Spiritus op. 1, Lang, Regensburg 1740
- 8 Offertories op. 2, Lang, Regensburg 1741
- 6 Miserere and 2 Stabat mater op.3, Klaffschenkel, Augsburg 1743
- 6 Missae op.4 , Lotter, Augsburg 1743
- 4 Vespers and 4 Marian antiphons op.5, Klaffschenkel, Augsburg 1743
- 6 missae rurales and 2 requiem for 2 voices and basso continuo , further hustlers and instruments ad libitum op.6, Klaffschenkel, Augsburg 1744
- 6 solenne litanies op.7, Klaffschenkel, Augsburg 1744
- 17 Offertories op.8, Lotter, Augsburg 1744
- 6 Missae solemniores and 1 Te Deum op.10, Klaffschenkel , Augsburg 1747

Stage works (with first performance location and year)

Bellisarius, the world honor darkened by the Neyd , Amberg 1736
Libertas in Captivitate , Amberg 1736
Inconstantia Humani Favoris , Amberg 1736
Lumen Fidei , Amberg 1736
Low estimate of the Marian congregation, punished with an unfortunate death , Amberg 1736
Virtus in pueris adulta , Amberg May 1736
Maria, a safe refuge instead of sinners , Amberg 1737
Sanctus Laurentius Justinianus , Amberg 1737
Mater Sanctae Spei , Amberg 1737
Fabula Saturnalitia , Amberg 1737
Codrus Atheniensium Rex amoris victima , Amberg 1737
Mira Amoris Metamorphosis , Amberg 1737
Rodericus De Spina ex Rosa , Amberg 1737
Alphonsus suimet victor. This is Alphonsi's glorious victory over himself , Dillingen, September 4th 1737
Gloriosa filii in Parentem pietas , Amberg 1738
Filialis amor Deiparae , Ingolstadt May 18, 1738
Mater gratiae , Ingolstadt January 11, 1739
S. Rainerius noxii pudoris victor , Ingolstadt May 10, 1739
Death according to the life of an evil Sodalis , 1739
Mater gratiae , Munich November 10, 1743
Alphonsus Magnus Se ipso major , without year
S. Rainerius sacrilegi pudoris victor , Munich 1745
Abraham slaughtered himself twice , without a year
Priflinga in anniversaria solennitate , 1761
Salomon rex sapientia a Deo collata , 1763

Instrumental music

12 Sonates concertantes for violino principali, 2 violins, viola and double basso continuo op.9, Klaffschenkel, Augsburg 1745
10 symphonies for strings and obbligato organ, 2 trumpets and timpani ad libitum op.16, 1751
6 concerts and 2 pastorels for organ and obbligato strings, 2 trumpets or horns ad libitum op.18, 1754
Praeambulum cum fuga primi, secundi, tertii, quarti toni for organ, 1755
Praeambulum cum fuga sexti, septimi, octavi toni for organ, 1756
Praeambulum cum fuga primi (-octavi) toni , 1756
Finger dispute or clavier exercise through a preambulum and fugues, so mixed with sharp, hard and soft tones , 1760
The well-instructed piano student , 1755, 2nd edition 1761, 3rd edition 1772.

Literature (selection)

Rupert Kornmann, in: FJ Lipowsky, Baierisches Musik-Lexikon, Munich 1811, pages 152–155
F. Zwickler: Frater Marianus Königsperger OSB (1708–1769). A contribution to 18th century church music in southern Germany , Mainz 1964
H. Rheinfurth: Lotter music publisher in Augsburg (approx. 1719–1845) , Tutzing 1977
R. Münster: The maintenance of music in the Benedictine Abbey in the 18th century , in: Music in Bavaria No. 56, 1998, pages 41-53
MA Radice: The Nature of the Style Galant: Evidence from the Repertoire , in: Musical Quarterly No. 83, 1999, No. 4, pages 607-647
Hermann Ullrich: Comments on the type of Missa ruralis since Valentin Rathgeber , in: Congress report Oberelsbach 2001, edited by U. Konrad, dissertation Würzburg 2005

Web links

Works by and about Marianus Königsperger in the catalog of the German National Library
Sheet music and audio files by Marianus Königsperger in the International Music Score Library Project
Marianus Königsperger in the Bavarian Musicians' Lexicon Online (BMLO)
List of stage works by Königsberger, Marianus OSB based on MGG at Operone

swell

^ Hermann Ullrich: Königsperger, Marianus OSB. In: Ludwig Finscher (Hrsg.): The music in past and present . Second edition, personal section, volume 10 (Kemp - Lert). Bärenreiter / Metzler, Kassel et al. 2003, ISBN 3-7618-1120-9 , Sp. 498-499
^ The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians , edited by Stanley Sadie, 2nd Edition, Volume 13, McMillan Publishers, London 2001, ISBN 0-333-60800-3

personal data
SURNAME	Königsperger, Marianus
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Königsberger, Johann Erhard (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German Benedictine composer and organist
DATE OF BIRTH	December 2, 1708
PLACE OF BIRTH	Roding
DATE OF DEATH	October 9, 1769
Place of death	Checking Monastery , Regensburg

[1] Hermann Ullrich: Königsperger, Marianus OSB. In: Ludwig Finscher (Hrsg.): The music in past and present . Second edition, personal section, volume 10 (Kemp - Lert). Bärenreiter / Metzler, Kassel et al. 2003, ISBN 3-7618-1120-9 , Sp. 498-499

[2] The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians , edited by Stanley Sadie, 2nd Edition, Volume 13, McMillan Publishers, London 2001, ISBN 0-333-60800-3