Josef Anton Singer

Father Peter Singer OFM

Josef Anton Singer , religious name Peter Singer (born July 18, 1810 in Häselgehr ; † January 25, 1882 in Salzburg ) was an Austrian Franciscan (OFM) and musician .

Life

Memorial plaque for Fr. Peter Singer on the Franciscan Arch

Josef Anton Singer entered the Franciscan order on September 8, 1830 and received after St. Peter of Alcantara the religious name Peter. After his ordination he came to Innsbruck as organist at the court church . In 1840 Singer was appointed novice master in the Franciscan monastery in Salzburg . He also worked there in the management of the Tyrolean Franciscan Province , to which the monastery in Salzburg also belonged, and was the confessor of the Prince Archbishop. During this time he published a devotional book called the Spiritual Observation Clock .

However, Singer became known for his musical skills. In Salzburg he worked as an organist and choirmaster in the Franciscan Church. His compositions include over 100 masses and a large number of litanies , motets , hymns , responsories and songs of Mary. Father Peter Singer also built the “Pansymphonikon”, a mechanical harmonium piano with 2 manuals and 48 registers that imitates the sound of various orchestral instruments.

With his work Metaphysical Views in the Sound World , published in 1847, together with a new system of sound science that was brought about by it , he presented an extensive work on music theory. He was considered a great organ virtuoso and improviser, so that he was even referred to as " Liszt the organ". Many visitors to Salzburg came to his monastery cell to hear him play his pansymphonicon. Father Peter Singer died on January 25th, 1882 in Salzburg and was buried in the crypt of the Franciscan Church in Salzburg .

A plaque on the Franciscan arch commemorates Singer: “To the venerated priest OSF sound poet, music writer and inventor of the Pansymphonikon, Father Peter Singer, born on July 18, 1810 in Haeselgehr in Tyrol, died in Salzburg on January 25, 1882, who lived in this monastery through 42 years to the glory of the Church, who has worked for joy and blessing to mankind. In grateful memories of his contemporaries in 1883. "

literature

• Constantin von Wurzbach : Singer, Peter . In: Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich . 35th part. Kaiserlich-Königliche Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, Vienna 1877, pp. 7–9 ( digitized version ).
• Viktor Keldorfer : The minstrel of the lord - the Salzburg Franciscan monk Kiesel, Salzburg 1952
• W. Hoffmann:  Singer P. Petrus (Peter) from Alcantara (Josef Anton). In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 12, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 2001-2005, ISBN 3-7001-3580-7 , p. 299 f. (Direct links on p. 299 , p. 300 ).

Web links

Commons : Josef Anton Singer  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Entry on Josef Anton Singer in the Austria Forum  (in the AEIOU Austria Lexicon )
• Father Peter, the Liszt of the organ