Rudolf Wagner (musician, 1884)

Rudolf Wagner (born February 22, 1884 in Bruck an der Mur , † May 20, 1959 in Graz ) was an Austrian violinist and music teacher.

Life

Youth and student days

Rudolf Wagner lost his father at the age of eleven. His mother had to pay for a living in the hospitality industry. Rudolf Wagner gave tutoring, helped out with a watchmaker and with a shoemaker to supplement the family income. The master shoemaker in Fehring recognized his musical talent and by building a violin for him from the wooden slabs of a cigar box, he became the first promoter of his talent.

Rudolf Wagner came to Graz , skipped the first class of the Elisabethbürgerschule, won a free place at the Conservatory of the Styrian Music Association with the violin concerto in G minor by Max Bruch and came to the then most famous violin teacher Karl Krehahn , who immediately had the special talent of the meanwhile 15-year-olds recognized.

Rudolf Wagner then graduated from the kk teacher training institute in Graz, Hasnerplatz with very good success and on July 1, 1903, he obtained the certificate of maturity. The other stages of his professional life:

In 1905 Rudolf Wagner successfully passed the teaching qualification test for elementary schools.

In 1905/06 he completed the year of voluntary service with the Graz Landwehr Infantry Regiment, No. 3, and after having passed the officer's examination with distinction on January 1, 1907, he was appointed lieutenant in the reserve.

The war years 1914 to 1918

In 1911 he passed the special examination for violin with distinction and in 1914 with distinction the qualification to teach for community schools (Hauptschulen) in the subjects of German language, geography and history.

During the First World War Rudolf Wagner did field service as a member of the Rifle Regiment No. 3 and was promoted to First Lieutenant of the Reserve on November 1, 1914 and to Captain of the Reserve on November 1, 1917.

Back to school

With effect from October 1, 1918, Rudolf Wagner was appointed the definitive main teacher (with the title of professor) at the Graz Hasnerplatz Teachers' Training College with service provision for the practice schools. He was a member of the teaching qualification examination commission for elementary and community schools and was entrusted with the management of the mentioned commission for several years. Rudolf Wagner gave lectures on questions of pedagogy and methodology in the classroom, on questions of the curriculum, on methods of differential psychology on Pestalozzi , on the questioning procedure in class and on old German literature in Austria. At the end of 1932 Rudolf Wagner was awarded the title of government councilor.

Further musical career

As already mentioned, Rudolf Wagner attended the Conservatory of the Steiermärkischen Musikverein from 1898 to 1903, studied violin and piano, as well as the theoretical subjects with Krehan, Leopold Suchsland and director Erich Wolf Degner .

Monika Kornberger comments: “In 1900 he played for the first time in a public performance at the school. Until 1912 Rudolf Wagner took lessons from Karl Krehan, he also took part in the orchestra, but Rudolf Wagner was also increasingly used as a soloist, for example on February 24, 1911, he played the solo violin part in Mendelssohn's Concerto for Violin and Orchestra . "

From 1920 to 1938 Rudolf Wagner was 1st violinist in the Urania Quartet founded by Suchsland in 1919 . With its numerous performances, the quartet earned great applause from the audience and the press thanks to the extensive cultivation of chamber music.

The superordinate umbrella organization was the Volksbildungshaus Grazer Urania , whose intention was to offer events at “affordable” prices in order to differentiate themselves from the so-called “elite events”, which could only be attended by a small part of the population.

Monika Kornberger: “ Wagner was a sought-after violinist at numerous concerts in Graz and in many other places in Styria, as first violinist in the Urania Chamber Quartet, the Urania Trio and the Graz Trio. In addition, Rudolf Wagner was also used for several radio broadcasts, a fact that testifies to Rudolf Wagner's class as a violinist and so it is not surprising that Rudolf List made him one of the most active and well-known personalities of the Styrian in the interwar period Chamber music care counted. "

Rudolf Wagner was a member of the music education association , the Styrian Tonkünstlerbundes , the Austrian music teachers and the ring of performing musicians in Austria .

The second World War

In 1938 the Urania Quartet was to be incorporated into the National Socialist organization Kraft durch Freude . But that did not correspond to the intentions of the quartet members, it was dissolved.

In 1938 Rudolf Wagner was assigned to the teacher training institute and appointed prov. Director. In 1942 he was entrusted with setting up the LIBA (female teacher training institute) in Graz.

Because of the numerous bomb attacks, many schools were evacuated (" Kinderlandverschickung "). In 1944 LIBA was relocated to Mariazell , Rudolf Wagner was entrusted with the entire organization as director. Teachers and students had to be accommodated in different hotels and restaurants, the lessons were given there. In the last year of the war the school was moved to Millstatt in Carinthia.

In the course of the National Socialist Act , Rudolf Wagner was relieved of his service in 1945. With a decision of July 28, 1947, his rehabilitation took place.

The second republic

In 1948 Rudolf Wagner was retired. Until his death in 1959 he was a member of the Graz Opera Orchestra and continued to work tirelessly in music education.

Reg. Rat Professor Rudolf Wagner was married to Isabella (née Döpper) and had two daughters: Gertrude Wagner and Berta Runge. Both followed their father's example and were not only active as secondary school teachers, but also as music educators.

literature

• Christian Fastl: Wagner, Rudolf. In: Oesterreichisches Musiklexikon . Online edition, Vienna 2002 ff., ISBN 3-7001-3077-5 ; Print edition: Volume 5, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 2006, ISBN 3-7001-3067-8 .
• Monika Kornberger: The Urania String Quartet (1919–1938) . Musicology Proseminar III: Research papers, summer semester 1992. University of Music and Performing Arts .
• School and concert report from the Styrian Music Association in Graz
• Rudolf List: Art and Artists in Styria. A reference work . Ried, 1967-1982.
• Wolfgang Suppan (Ed.): Steirisches Musiklexikon , contributions to Styrian music research , Graz 1962–1966.
• Festschrift to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Federal Teacher Training Institute in Graz, 1869–1949 . Graz 1950.
• Annual reports of the Federal Teacher Training Institute in Graz
• Franz Monschein: Festschrift to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Austrian elementary school and the federal teacher training institute in Graz .
• Berta Runge and Gertrude Wagner: Rudolf Wagner's curriculum vitae . Graz 1990.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Franz Monschein: Festschrift to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Austrian elementary school and the federal teacher training institute in Graz
2. ↑ Festschrift to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Federal Teachers' Training Institute in Graz, 1869–1949 . Graz 1950
3. ↑ ^{a b} Monika Kornberger: The Urania Quartet , musicological proseminar III: Research presentations
4. ^ School and concert report for the school year 1900–1901
5. ^ School and concert report for the school year 1902–1903
6. ^ Volksblatt, Morgenblatt, October 16, 1920
7. ^ Rudolf List: Art and Artists, Vol. 3
8. ↑ Obersteirische Volkszeitung, February 27, 1954
9. ^ Annual report of the Federal Teacher Training Institute in Graz