Robert Pensch

Robert Pensch (born May 25, 1881 in Laa an der Thaya ; † May 29, 1940 in Vienna ) was an Austrian composer , choir director , music teacher and organist .

resume

Pensch began his musical career as a choirboy to St. Stephen . Later in 1900 he graduated from the teacher training college in Krems an der Donau , Lower Austria and moved to Vienna , where he worked as a teacher. From 1900 to 1902 he studied harmony and counterpoint with Robert Fuchs and organ with Joseph Vockner at the Conservatory of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna . From 1903 he worked as an organist in the Lichtental parish (Vienna IX). He also held functions as a choir director and teacher until 1930 and was a member of the board of the choir masters association in the Ostmärkischer Sängerbund. In 1935 he was appointed professor . Pensch was honorary choirmaster of MGV.e Döbling (Vienna XIX) and Lichtenthal as well as the singer association Liedestreue (Vienna XVI) and made a special contribution to the choir.

Today, however, he is mainly known for his brass music compositions and the “Frisch Auf!” March. In his hometown of Laa an der Thaya, a large regional music festival of the Kapellmeisterunion, the predecessor organization of the “Lower Austrian Brass Music Association”, took place in 1928. Robert Pensch composed this march that is still known and loved today. Pensch was also the first composer whose work was published by Kliment-Verlag.

In his hometown, the "Robert-Pensch-Gasse" was named after him.

Compositions

Masses , smaller church music , works for choir and male choir , songs , chamber music , piano music , waltzes and marches .

Works for wind orchestra

• Fresh on (1st rifle march) , march
• Weekend , march
• Over , funeral march

Works for male choir

• What we want!
• Morning celebration for male choir with tenor solo, orchestra and organ

bibliography

• Wolfgang Suppan, Armin Suppan : The New Lexicon of Brass Music, 4th Edition, Freiburg-Tiengen, Blasmusikverlag Schulz GmbH, 1994, ISBN 3-923058-07-1
• Paul E. Bierley, William H. Rehrig: The heritage encyclopedia of band music: composers and their music , Westerville, Ohio: Integrity Press, 1991, ISBN 0-918048-08-7
• Walter Deutsch: The great Lower Austrian brass music book - With plaque of honor from the Lower Austrian brass band , Vienna: Verlag Christian Brandstätter, 1982, 431 p.
• Paul Frank, Wilhelm Altmann : Kurzgefasstes Tonkünstler Lexikon: for musicians and friends of music , Regensburg: Gustave Bosse, 1936, 730 p.

Web links

• Sheet music by Robert Pensch in the catalog of the German National Library
• Entry in Austria. Music lexicon
• Composers website of the publisher
• History of the march "Frisch Auf!"