Felix Woyrsch

Felix Woyrsch (8 October 1860, Troppau (now Opava in the Czech Republic) – 20 March 1944) was a German composer and choir director.

Woyrsch lived in Dresden and Hamburg while young, studying in the latter under Ernst August Heinrich Chevallier. He held posts as a conductor and organist in several German cities in the 1890s and 1900s. In 1917 he was elected to the Prussian Academy of Arts, and in 1936 he was given the Goethe Medal.^[1] He retired in 1937. His main influences included his friend Brahms as well as Bach, Palestrina, Lassus, and Heinrich Schütz.

His compositions include seven symphonies, five further works for orchestra, three operas, 100 songs, and a violin concerto.^[2]

Works

Operas

Der Pfarrer von Meudon (The Priest of Meudon), Op. 20 (1886)
Der Weiberkriege (Women at War), Op. 27 (1890)
Wikingerfahrt (Journey of the Vikings) (1896)

Orchestral

Study Symphony in B flat (1884)
Symphonic Prologue to Dante's Divina commedia, for large orchestra, Op. 40 (1891)
Skaldische Rhapsodie, Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 50 (1904)
Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 52 (1908)
3 Böcklin Phantasies (Die Toteninsel, Der Eremit, Im Spiel der Wellen), Op. 53 (1910)
Overture to Shakespeare's Hamlet, Op. 56
Symphony No. 2 in C major, Op. 60 (1914)
Symphony No. 3 in E-flat minor, Op. 70 (1921)
Symphony No. 4 in F major, Op. 71 (1921)
Symphony No. 5 in D major, Op. 75 (1927)
Theme and Variations, Op. 76
Symphony No. 6 in C major, Op. 77 (1933)

Chamber music

Albumblatt for Violin and Piano, Op. 22
String Quartet No. 1 in A minor, Op. 55 (1909)
Mors triumphans!, quartet on the sacred folk song Es ist ein Schnitter, der heißt Tod, for four trombones, Op. 58
String Quartet No. 2 in C minor, Op. 63 (1916)
String Quartet No. 3 in E flat, Op. 64 (1918)
Piano Trio in E minor, Op. 65 (1924)
Piano Quintet in C minor, Op. 66 (1927)
String Sextet in B flat, Op. 72 (1926)
String Quartet No. 4 in B flat, Op. 74 (1926)
String Quartet No. 5 in C minor, Op. 78 (1938–40)

Piano

3 Nocturnes, Op. 1
2 Waltzes, Op. 8
Waltz in E-flat for Piano Four Hands, Op. 13
Theme and Variations, Op. 17
4 Impromptus, op. 23
Improvisations for Piano, Op. 44
Metamorphosen, Op. 48

Organ

Festival Preludium on the Chorale Nun danket alle Gott, Op. 43
10 Chorale Chorale Preludes, Op. 59
Passacaglia on the Dies irae, Op. 62

Vocal and choral

4 Lieder for Voice and Piano and Violin (or Cello), Op. 2 (Heine)
3 Lieder for Baritone and Piano, Op. 3 (1884)
Schnitter Tod (Grim Reaper), old traditional German song, for male chorus, Op. 4
Serenade for Tenor, Op. 5
3 Persian Songs for Baritone and Piano, Op. 6
2 Songs for Mixed Choir, Op. 7
Wollt' er nur fragen (Jamie, Come Try Me), song for soprano and small orchestra, Op. 9 (Burns)
4 Songs for Mixed Chorus, Op. 10
2 Songs for Male Chorus, Op. 11
Edwardian ballad, Dein Schwert, wie ist's von Blut so rot; Old Scottish ballad (from Percy's Reliques of Ancient English Poetry, translated Herder), for baritone and orchestra, Op. 12
Spanisches Liederbuch for Voice and Piano, Op. 14
3 Lieder for Soprano and Piano, Op. 15
10 Rattenfängerlieder (Rat-Catcher Songs) for Baritone and Piano, Op. 16, 1886 (Wolff)
Die Geburt Jesu, Christmas cantata with words from the Bible, for soloists, choir and orchestra, Op. 18 (1885)
4 Lieder for Male Chorus, Op. 19
Wedding Motet 'Wo du hingehst, for mixed choir, Op. 21
3 Lieder for Male Chorus, Op. 24
4 Lieder for Mixed Choir, Op. 25
Lieder, Op. 26
4 Men's Choruses (Pfau, Uhland, Kastropp), Op. 28
Motet Sei getreu bis in den Tod, for mixed choir, Op. 29
3 Songs for Men's Voices, Op. 30
5 Lieder with piano, Op. 31
Deutscher Heerbann, cantata for soloists, male-voice choir and orchestra, Op. 32
Deutsche Volkslieder for mixed choir, Op. 33
6 Songs for Women's Chorus, Op. 34
2 Lieder for Voice and Piano, Op. 35
3 Songs for Male Chorus, Op. 36
2 Lieder for Men's Voices, Op. 37
3 Men's Choruses, Op. 38
Der Vandalen Auszug, ballad for men's voices and orchestra, Op. 39
4 Lieder for Men's Voices, Op. 41
Die Bernsteinhexe, ballade for mixed choir (or male-voice choir) and piano, Op. 42 (Dahn)
Passion Oratorio on words from the Bible, for soloists, choir, organ and orchestra, Op. 45 (1895)
3 Sacred Folk Songs for Mixed Choir, Op. 46
3 Lieder for Voice and Piano, Op. 47
Sapphic Ode to Aphrodite, for soprano, women's chorus and orchestra, Op. 49 (1901)
Totentanz, a mysterium for soloists, choir and orchestra, Op. 51 (1905)
Da lachte Schön-Sigrid, ballad for choir and orchestra, Op. 54
Ode an den Tod (Ode to Death), for male chorus and orchestra, Op. 57 (Hölderlin)
Da Jesus auf Erden ging, mysterium for soloists, choir, children's chorus, organ and orchestra, Op. 61 (1916)
10 Lieder und Gesänge for Voice and Piano, Op. 67 (Heine, Kerner)
Wie glänzt der helle Mond (Kerner), for male chorus a cappella, Op. 68
3 Eight-part Motets for Mixed Choir, Op. 69
Das deutsche Sanktus (Martin Luther) for Choir and Orchestra, Op. 73
Zum neuen Jahr (To the New Year) for Chorus and Orchestra, Op. 79

Web sources

↑ Helmut Wirth, "Felix Woyrsch". The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians online.
↑ Pfohl-Woyrsch-Society e.V.

External links

Free scores by Felix Woyrsch at the International Music Score Library Project