Joseph Ahrens
Encyclopedia
Joseph Ahrens was a German composer and organist
.
Ahrens received early training in organ and choral music, and studied at the Berlin Staatlich Akademie für Kirchen- und Schulmusik from 1925 to 1928 under Alfred Sittard, Max Seiffert
, and Wilhelm Middelschulte
. In 1928 he became a docent at the school. Between 1931 and 1940 Ahrens was the organist for the Berliner Philharmoniker, simultaneously serving as the organist for the Cathedral of St. Hedwig after 1934. From 1945 to 1957 he was organist at the Salvatorkirche in Berlin-Wilmersdorf. Taking a professorship in church music at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik in 1945, he remained there until 1969, serving as deputy director from 1954 to 1958.
Ahrens was a noted organ improviser. His compositions often combined elements of prior liturgical music styles (such as Gregorian chant
) with modern techniques like dodecaphony. A large portion of his output is written for the Catholic Church.
His daughter is the organist Sieglinde Ahrens
.
Other works
Organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...
.
Ahrens received early training in organ and choral music, and studied at the Berlin Staatlich Akademie für Kirchen- und Schulmusik from 1925 to 1928 under Alfred Sittard, Max Seiffert
Max Seiffert
Max Seiffert was a German musicologist and music arranger.-Biography:Seiffert was born in Beeskow an der Spree, Germany; and died in Schleswig, Germany. He was first educated at the Joachimsthal Gymnasium at Berlin, and then at the University of Berlin where he received a Ph.D. in 1891 for the...
, and Wilhelm Middelschulte
Wilhelm Middelschulte
Wilhelm Middelschulte was a German organist and composer who resided in America for most of his career.-Life:...
. In 1928 he became a docent at the school. Between 1931 and 1940 Ahrens was the organist for the Berliner Philharmoniker, simultaneously serving as the organist for the Cathedral of St. Hedwig after 1934. From 1945 to 1957 he was organist at the Salvatorkirche in Berlin-Wilmersdorf. Taking a professorship in church music at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik in 1945, he remained there until 1969, serving as deputy director from 1954 to 1958.
Ahrens was a noted organ improviser. His compositions often combined elements of prior liturgical music styles (such as Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic liturgical music within Western Christianity that accompanied the celebration of Mass and other ritual services...
) with modern techniques like dodecaphony. A large portion of his output is written for the Catholic Church.
His daughter is the organist Sieglinde Ahrens
Sieglinde Ahrens
Sieglinde Maria Ahrens is a German organist and composer. She is the daughter of Joseph Ahrens , a German composer and organist. Aherns studied music and composition under her father. After she completed her studies, she was an organist of Salvator-Kirche and professor of organ at Essen...
.
Works
Organ works:- Canzone in F (1930)
- Pange lingua, Hymnus (1935)
- Toccata eroica (1935)
- Partita "Christus ist erstanden" (1935)
- Fünf kleine Stücke (Five small pieces) (1936)
- Regina coeli (1937)
- Fantasie, Grave marcia funebre and Toccata in C minor (1939)
- Jesu, meine Freude, Partita (1942)
- Praeludium and Fugue in F minor (1942)
- Toccata and Fugue in E minor (1942)
- Concertino G Major (1943)
- Fantasie in B (1943)
- Orgelmesse (Organ Mass) (1945)
- Verleih uns Frieden gnädiglich, Partita (1947)
- Lobe den Herren, Partita (1947)
- Das Heilige Jahr (The Holy Year, Choral work for organ) 1948/50
- Cantiones Gregorianae pro organo I-III (1957)
- Verwandlungen I (1963), II (1964) und III (1965)
- Fünf Leisen (1969)
- Trilogia contrapunctica (1972,1975,1976)
- Canticum Organi I-III (1972,1975, 1976)
- Trilogia dodekaphonica (1978)
Other works
- Passion of St. Matthew (1950)
- Passion of St. John (1961)
- Sonata for viola and organ (or positive organPositive organA positive organ is a small, usually one-manual, pipe organ that is built to be more or less mobile. It was common in sacred and secular music between the 10th and the 18th centuries, in chapels and small churches, as a chamber organ and for the basso continuo in ensemble works...
) (1953) - various other choral works
Writings
- Formprinzipien des gregorianischen Chorals und mein Orgelstil, Heidelberg 1978
- Von den Modi zur Dodekaphonie, Heidelberg 1979