Peter Siegele

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Peter Siegele (recording 2018)
Peter Siegele (photo 1977)

Peter Otto Christoph Siegele (born June 7, 1938 in Karlsruhe ) is a German church musician and concert organist . He became known in the 1970s and 1980s through recordings of organ works for the Sender Free Berlin , which he recorded alongside his work as a church musician in West Berlin. The main focus was on the "Organ Music with Explanations" concerts at the Berlin-Wedding Adult Education Center and the summer concerts in the three historic churches on the island of Föhr .

Life

Childhood and youth

Peter Siegele grew up with a two years younger sister in Grünwettersbach near Karlsruhe in a Protestant parish family. The childhood on the edge of the Black Forest gave rise to a deep closeness to nature.

The parents were the pastor Emil Eugen Karl Siegele (1904–1990) and his wife Magdalena (1908–1990). The parental home was musically influenced, the father played the piano. At the age of six, a radio broadcast of the overture to the opera Tannhäuser by Richard Wagner left a deep impression on Peter Siegele, and at around ten years of age, Johann Sebastian Bach joined in with the St. Matthew Passion . From this age Peter Siegele took piano lessons.

In 1950 the father was appointed pastor to the Luther parish in Karlsruhe. Two years later the war-damaged Luther Church received a new, large organ ( Eberhard Friedrich Walcker , Ludwigsburg) in the course of the reconstruction , which the now high school student could try out. Delighted by his enthusiasm, his parents enabled him to take lessons with the organist Robert Thomas from 1954 onwards. In doing so, he made rapid progress. Occasional representation in church services and - from 1958/59 - first concerts followed. During this time, the idea of ​​turning the organ into a profession developed.

education

In 1958 Siegele passed the Abitur at the humanistic Bismarck High School in Karlsruhe . He began - especially at the request of his parents - to study Protestant theology at the University of Heidelberg . After six semesters - the last two of which were in Hamburg , where he learned to fly for one summer - he realized that he was unsuitable for the pastor's profession.

In 1961 he began training as a church musician at the Church Music Institute in Heidelberg (today: University of Church Music ), which he completed in 1964 with the B examination . Up to this point in time he had already worked as a part-time church musician alongside his studies. For the second part of his training, he moved to Bremen for family reasons , where he enrolled at the Bremen Conservatory (now part of the University of the Arts ). Accompanied by an expanding concert activity, he completed his studies in 1966 with the A-exam .

Working life

The Beckerath organ in the Church of St. Paul, Berlin-Wedding (photo 1977)

From 1964 to 1985 Peter Siegele worked as a full-time church musician in various parishes. At the same time, he developed a reputation for himself as an outstanding concert organist with a broad repertoire that also includes modern music. A combination that repeatedly led to tension among pastors with a conservative understanding of ministry and music.

From 1964, Siegele held a full-time position (B position) for the first time in Bremen- Blumenthal ( Martin Luther Church ) - while still studying. After completing his training, he found his first job in 1966 in the Paulus parish in Bonn-Bad Godesberg (Friesdorf - today part of the Ev. Thomas parish). Here he also began to give regular concerts. However, it was again a B position, for an A position corresponding to his exam he successfully applied in 1969 to the St. Pauls parish in West Berlin (Berlin-Wedding district - today part of the parish on the Panke im Berlin-Mitte district). There he had an excellent Beckerath organ built in 1965 at his disposal.

In St. Paul, Siegele focused on organ playing in church services and church concerts. From 1972 to 1977 he also worked as district cantor in the church district Berlin-Wedding (today part of the church district Berlin North-East ).

In addition, between 1970 and 1990, a contact with Wolfgang Matkowitz (recording manager SFB, head of the Berlin Heinrich Schütz Circle; 1937-2012) resulted in a total of 19 radio recordings of numerous organ works for the SFB in various Berlin churches (10 solo recordings and 9 choir, ensemble and orchestral recordings). The series of events organ music with explanations in cooperation with the Wedding Adult Education Center became Siegele's trademark . Taken over in 1973, he continued to run it until 2003, initially in St. Paul, and later in the Kapernaum Church (Berlin-Wedding). During the adult education semester, around 16 concerts were held every 14 days, each dealing with a specific topic. After a general introduction, Siegele offered the audience, who gathered on the gallery by the organ, a detailed musical analysis of corresponding organ works, combined with personal comments. The conclusion was the reproduction of the complete works.

There were also a number of concerts in cooperation with Uwe Gronostay (1939–2008), who was known to him from his study days in Bremen, and a long-term collaboration with Peter Schwarz ( Kaiser-Friedrich-Gedächtniskirche ; 1936–2006).

Peter Siegele has been working as a freelance organist since 1985. In addition to his work in various parishes in and around Berlin, he was invited to concerts: Until the first half of the 2010s, Siegele gave 30 to 40 concerts a year, each with a changing program. Concert tours in the Federal Republic of Germany, Poland, Sweden and Denmark as well as participation in performances by the Berlin Philharmonic (1992–94) were added.

From 1975 to 2003 Siegele played summer concerts every year for 28 years in the three medieval churches on the island of Föhr ( St. Johannis / Nieblum ; St. Laurentii / Süderende ; St. Nicolai / Wyk-Boldixum ).

Trivia

Peter Siegele has been married since 1967 and has two sons. He lives with his wife Birgid, who is also an organist, in the north of Berlin.

Musical career

Peter Siegele's musical companions in childhood were - shaped by the preferences of his father - Richard Wagner and Johann Sebastian Bach .

His organ playing was of course under the influence of his first teacher, Robert Thomas, who also increased his enthusiasm for Bach. Thomas came from the "Leipzig School" ( Günther Ramin , Karl Straube , organ movement ). The focus was on the rediscovery of the baroque organ sound in terms of registration and articulation compared to the then prevailing style of interpretation , which was influenced by the late Romanticism .

Peter Siegele's teachers are among the leading organists in Germany. His first trainer was Wolfgang Dallmann (1924–2008) in Heidelberg. This particularly shaped Siegeles pedal game ( "Germani technique" ). Even after he switched to Heinz Markus Göttsche (1922–2010), Siegele Dallmann remained on friendly terms and repeatedly worked for him as a registrant.

In Bremen, Siegele was also influenced by two teachers: Hans Heintze (1911–2003) and the later regional church music director Erich Ehlers (1931–2014). Through the latter, Siegele got to know and appreciate a large Beckerath organ at the Church of St. Stephani . In addition, Siegele developed the legato- style organ playing that is characteristic of him at Ehlers .

Encouraged in particular by his Heidelberg teacher Göttsche, Siegele also opened up contemporary organ music during his training. While the Bach compositions remained a clear and widely valued focus of his repertoire , he always placed great emphasis on presenting the full range of organ literature. In addition to Bach, his programs focus on Samuel Scheidt (1587–1654), Dietrich Buxtehude (1637–1707), Nikolaus Bruhns (1665–1697), Vincent Lübeck (1654–1740), César Franck (1822–1890), Max Reger (1873–1916), Johann Nepomuk David (1895–1977), Marcel Dupré (1886–1971), Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992) and avant-garde composers such as Isang Yun (1917–1995) and Torsten Nilsson (1920– 1999).

  • Poster for a concert in Bydgoszcz (Poland, formerly Bromberg), December 22, 1989

  • Flyer for a dress rehearsal with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, October 1, 1992

Reviews

The reviews of Peter Siegele's concerts are pervaded by praise for his introductions to the respective works as well as by comments "that his organ playing is musically and technically well above average" (Föhr 1989). "Siegele seems to be one of those young organists who master technical problems as a matter of course, striving for a stylistic versatility and looking for an interpretive solution from the peculiarities of the respective work and the given external concert conditions" (Bremen 1976). His “special talent for modernity” (Bremen 1986) was also highlighted. His Bach interpretations received the greatest praise: “In the ... Toccata and Fugue in F major by Sebastian Bach, however, Peter Siegele overwhelms with the ability to give the powerful sound ... an unbelievable agility and lightness, which once again proved that music can Can cancel gravity. ”(Tübingen 1991). "Siegele ... succeeded in this series of concerts for the first time in a fully valid interpretation of a Bach work on this organ, which is extremely transparent." (Berlin 1986).

Recordings

Peter Siegele on the Schuke organ in the village church Glienicke / Nordbahn (photo 2017)

Sound carrier

  • Johann Sebastian Bach, César Franck: Partite diverse sopra Be greeted, Jesus benevolent (Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 768), Choral Jesus remains my joy (Johann Sebastian Bach, from BWV 147), seven pieces in D major - D minor. (César Franck, Org M 24 / Ausw.), Prélude, fugue et variation in B minor (César Franck, op. 18), Mars-Schallplatten / Köln: EMI-Electrola ASD (Distribution) 1984.
  • Gustav Mahler: Suite based on orchestral works by Bach. Düsseldorf: Pädagogischer Verlag Schwann-Bagel 1987. Republication in Munich: Koch International 1992.

Together with the Berliner Philharmoniker (as a »contributor«):

Radio recordings for the Sender Free Berlin (SFB)

Peter Siegele's recordings are broadcast at irregular intervals by Radio Kultur des Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (rbb). They are available from the broadcaster's (commercial) recording service.

Solo recordings

Ten solo recordings 1970–1990 on various Berlin church organs. Were recorded u. a .:

  • Johann Sebastian Bach : Prelude and Fugue in C major (BWV 531), D major (BWV 532), C minor (BWV 549), A minor (BWV 543), A minor (BWV 551), Doric Toccata and Fugue (BWV 538), Toccata and Fugue in F major (BWV 540);
  • Nikolaus Bruhns : Prelude and Fugue in E minor, large;
  • Dietrich Buxtehude : Prelude and Fugue in D major and F major;
  • Marcel Dupré : Variations sur un Noel;
  • Paul Hindemith : Sonata II;
  • Vincent Lübeck : Prelude and Fugue in F major and D minor;
  • Olivier Messiaen : from La Nativité de Seigneur: Dieu parmi nous, from Les Corps Glorieux: Combat de la Mort et de la Vie;
  • Max Reger : Toccata and Fugue in D minor / D major from Op. 59, Scherzo in D minor from Op. 65, Fantasy and Fugue in D minor, Op. 135B.

Choir, ensemble and orchestral recordings

Nine recordings 1971–1987 on the organ in the Haus des Rundfunks and on various Berlin church organs. Recorded works and a .:

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Web links

Wire sculptures by Peter Siegele (selection)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Harald Wolff: Peter Siegele - This morning on the radio, now on our organ. In: CP Wagener (ed.): Church music in our community. Self-published by the Evangelical Church Community Glienicke / Nordbahn, Glienicke / Nordbahn 2016, p. 5.
  2. ↑ Art. Luther Church . In: Stadtwiki Karlsruhe (accessed December 30, 2016)
  3. ↑ Harald Wolff, ibid., P. 6.
  4. ↑ Harald Wolff, ibid. P. 7f.
  5. ↑ Harald Wolff, ibid., P. 9f
  6. ^ Albrecht Dümling: With personal access. "Organ music with explanations" with Peter Siegele, in: Der Tagesspiegel, May 18, 1986
  7. ^ Art: Peter Schwarz - conductor, organist, professor, musicologist . In: DOCOR. Verlag für Musik und Video (accessed August 10, 2017)
  8. ↑ Harald Wolff, ibid., P. 12.
  9. ↑ Harald Wolff, ibid., P. 14
  10. ↑ Erich Ehlers died at 82 , in: Weser-Kurier v. April 13, 2014 (accessed January 12, 2017).
  11. ↑ a b c z. BRL: Elbow freedom demonstrated on the organ, in: Berliner Morgenpost, August 10, 1985; bro, excess length? Never mind! Peter Siegele at the new organ of the Johanneskirche, in: Südwest Presse - Schwäbisches Tagblatt, November 26, 1991
  12. ↑ Martin Bruchwitz: An organ concert with brilliant highlights, in: Inselbote, Föhr, July 28, 1989
  13. ↑ Manfred Züghart: Voll passed, in: Weser-Kurier, October 23, 1976
  14. ↑ Christian Rulis: Organ recital in St. Stephani, in: Bremer Nachrichten, 30 January 1968
  15. ↑ rbb media GmbH recording service
personal data
SURNAME Siegele, Peter
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Siegele, Peter Otto Christoph (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German organist
DATE OF BIRTH June 7, 1938
PLACE OF BIRTH Karlsruhe