Otto Scherzer (organist)

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Otto Scherzer (born March 24, 1821 in Ansbach , † February 23, 1886 in Stuttgart ) was a German organist , violinist , music teacher and composer .

life and work

Otto Scherzer was born in Ansbach in 1821 as the son of a city cantor. He lost his father at the age of six. Up to the age of 15 he went through high school in his hometown. In 1837 he completed a year and a half training as a violinist with the violin virtuoso Bernard Molique (1802–1869) in Stuttgart. In 1838 he was accepted as a violinist in the Stuttgart court orchestra under the direction of Lindpaintner. In 1843 he founded the Stuttgart Quartet Soirées with Eduard Keller , in which he played second violin. His acquaintance with Immanuel Faißt , from whom he received lessons in music theory and organ playing, became important for Scherzer .

In 1845 he was appointed organist and choir director at the Munich Protestant Church and as organ professor at the Munich Conservatory. Disputes between Scherzer and the Protestant church regiment in the winter of 1857/1858 led to his resignation as organist. Although he became director of the large instrumental ensemble at the Conservatory in 1859, Scherzer decided, on recommendations from Immanuel Faißt and Franz Lachner , to succeed Friedrich Silcher as university music director in Tübingen . Scherzer took up this position on May 1, 1860, and held it for 17 years. At the same time, as music director, he took over the management of the oratorio association, at times also the management of the academic song board, as well as the management of the musical exercises at the Württemberg theological seminars.

Due to his unstable health, Scherzer only composed a few organ and piano works as well as songs with piano accompaniment. Especially the organ compositions are characterized by a very high artistic level.

In July 1877 Scherzer had to give up his offices in Tübingen due to poor health. The philosophy faculty of the University of Tübingen appointed him an honorary doctorate in June 1877. He spent his retirement in Stuttgart and Bad Cannstatt . He died on February 23, 1886 of a carotid rupture . He was buried in the Prague cemetery in Stuttgart .

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Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c section after: Hermann Fischer: Scherzer, Otto. In: ADB.
personal data
SURNAME Scherzer, Otto
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Scherzer, Otto Erdmann
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German organist, violinist, music teacher and composer
DATE OF BIRTH March 24, 1821
PLACE OF BIRTH Ansbach
DATE OF DEATH February 23, 1886
Place of death Stuttgart