Erna Woll
Encyclopedia
Erna Woll was a German
composer
, church musician and author.
. She studied music from 1936 to 1938 at the Evangelical Church
with Wolfgang Fortner
in Heidelberg
and studied composition from 1940 to 1944 with Joseph Haas
and Gustav Geierhaas at the Munich
Academy of Music. During this time she converted to Catholicism, and from 1946 to 1948 she studied Catholic
church music at the Cologne
Music Academy with Heinrich Lemacher, Theodor Bernhard Rehmann and Hermann Schroeder
.
From 1950 to 1962, Woll worked as an organist in Cologne Bayenthal and a music teacher and choral director at the Church Music Institute in Speyer
. From 1962-1969 she was a lecturer, and from 1969 to 1972 she was Honorary Professor at the College of Education at Augsburg
. In 1972 she retired from working due to a serious illness, but after recovering she continued to compose. Woll died 7 April 2005 in Augsburg.
Erna Woll was a member of professional organizations including the Werkgemeinschaft Musik, the Ecumenical Lyricists and Composers working group, and the AG Musik in der Evangelischen Jugend.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, church musician and author.
Biography
Erna Woll was born in St. Ingbert in the SaarSaarland
Saarland is one of the sixteen states of Germany. The capital is Saarbrücken. It has an area of 2570 km² and 1,045,000 inhabitants. In both area and population, it is the smallest state in Germany other than the city-states...
. She studied music from 1936 to 1938 at the Evangelical Church
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
with Wolfgang Fortner
Wolfgang Fortner
Wolfgang Fortner was a German composer, composition teacher and conductor.-Life:Fortner was born in Leipzig. From his parents - both singers - Fortner very early on had intense contact with music...
in Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
and studied composition from 1940 to 1944 with Joseph Haas
Joseph Haas
Joseph Haas was a German late romantic composer and music teacher.-Biography:He was born in Maihingen, near Nördlingen to teacher Alban Haas from his second marriage, being half-brother to the theologist and historian Alban Haas. At an early age he came into contact with music...
and Gustav Geierhaas at the Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
Academy of Music. During this time she converted to Catholicism, and from 1946 to 1948 she studied Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
church music at the Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
Music Academy with Heinrich Lemacher, Theodor Bernhard Rehmann and Hermann Schroeder
Hermann Schroeder
Hermann Schroeder was a German composer and a Catholic church musician.He spent the greatest part of his life’s work in the Rheinland...
.
From 1950 to 1962, Woll worked as an organist in Cologne Bayenthal and a music teacher and choral director at the Church Music Institute in Speyer
Speyer
Speyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities...
. From 1962-1969 she was a lecturer, and from 1969 to 1972 she was Honorary Professor at the College of Education at Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
. In 1972 she retired from working due to a serious illness, but after recovering she continued to compose. Woll died 7 April 2005 in Augsburg.
Erna Woll was a member of professional organizations including the Werkgemeinschaft Musik, the Ecumenical Lyricists and Composers working group, and the AG Musik in der Evangelischen Jugend.
Honors
- 1963 and 1967: Valentin-Becker-Prize of the City Brückenau
- 1972: first prize of the contest "New hymn Kiel"
- 1976: Awards of the German Federal Government and the singer generally Swabian Sängerbund
- 1993: papal honor Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice for services to the Catholic Church Music
- 1997: Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Works
Erna Woll composed over 200 works including solo songs, choruses, motets, cantatas and choral pieces. She was especially interested in the music genre of New Sacred Song. Selected works include:- Love songs for medium voice and piano, Schott (1944/55)
- Sweet lyre. Triptych for mixed chorus and tenor solo, Schott (1960/65)
- Choralis Missa for mixed or equal voices, congregation and organ. Schwann (1958/60)
- We believe. Ordinary for mixed or equal voices, congregation and organ, Fidula (1965)
- Spiritus domini. Proprium to Pentecost Sunday for choir and orchestra (1963)
- Seven lives I should like to have. Cycle for solo voice, mixed choir and instruments, Helbling (1966)
- Requiem for the living. for mixed choir and instruments on texts by *Marie Luise Kaschnitz Others Möseler (1975)
- Four motets. based on texts by Gertrude von le Fort (1975–76), South German music publisher
- Search - Hearing - praise. Orgeltriptychon, Strube, 1985
- Augsburg Organ Issue. Strube, 1987
- Sola gratia. Strube, 1988
- Invocations. Strube, 1988
- Christmas Gospel according to Luke. Strube, 1988
- Children ask for Maria. Strube, 1988
- Through the pain barrier V. 1989
- Women around Jesus. Strube, 1990
- Songs to God, othodoxen service for equal voices, 1990 dedicated to the Segiuschor Weingarten
- How to sing and say. Strube, 1991
- The well-beloved, the Niegeliebten. Strube, 1991
- Mirjam born. Five Meditations for Organ, Pro Organo, 1991
- Now the dark night is over. Strube, 1991
- ... and Mary. Strube, 1992
- Sound tracks on the organ. Boehm, 1992
- Meditate on flute and organ. Boehm, 1992
- Transient response. Mosaic for organ, Schott 1993
- Where are you, God. Strube, 1995
- Magic wishes. Furore, 1995
- The 80th Psalm. Strube, 1995
- Ave Maria tender. Strube, 1997
- It is the Lord of glory. Strube, 1997
- From sky high. Möseler 2002