Joseph Messner

Joseph Messner (27 February 1893 – 23 February 1969) was an Austrian musician, composer and priest.
Life.
Joseph Messner, brother of the social ethicist , was born in Schwaz/Tyrol as the son of a miner (in the ) and a tobacco worker. He received music lessons in singing, violin, piano and organ at an early age. At the age of twelve he moved to Salzburg in 1905 and from then on received his musical education at the Kapellhaus, 20, then at the "Mozarteum". After graduating from the he studied theology and was ordained a priest in 1916. Later he trained in Munich under Friedrich Klose (composition) and continued studying the organ with Josef Gabriel Rheinberger's student Josef Becht.
In the 1920s, Messner enjoyed great success as a composer, especially in Germany. "Joseph Messner Organ Festivals" were held in several cities, and in Duisburg the "Joseph Messner Days" were held in 1924, when his Sinfonietta for piano was premiered. Archbishop appointed him as second cathedral organist at the Salzburg Cathedral in 1922, but appointed and paid him as a cooperator of Pfarrwerfen. In 1926, he finally became in Salzburg - a position he held until his death.
In the 1930s, Messner smoothed out his otherwise revolutionary tonal language by replacing his "dissonant counterpoint" with the "melodious sounds of the tonic triad". He apparently made this change under the impression of "Greater German cultural ideals". In fact, unlike his brother Johannes Messner, Joseph Messner supported the Anschluss to the German Reich.
In 1934, he took part in the film "", which tells a Christmas story around the song "Silent Night".
After the war, Messner tried to build on his earlier successes, but he failed. In his career, he felt ignored or thwarted on several occasions, for example in 1946 when he was appointed rector of the Mozarteum Academy of Music and at his cathedral concerts, which were removed from the official festival programme in 1968.
On 20 August 1968, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Salzburg.
Messner died unexpectedly in 1969 in his family home in St. Jakob am Thurn at the age of 75, where he had lived for several decades with the singer Evi Klemens.
Œuvre and stylistics.
Messner left behind an extensive body of work, including the "Salzburger Festspielfanfare", the long version of which was used as an acoustic signet on all radio broadcasts of the Salzburg Festival until 1980; the "Bombenmesse", commemorating the destruction of Salzburg Cathedral in 1944, the composer pretending to have witnessed it himself on the cathedral organ; numerous wind fanfares. In addition, he composed three symphonies (in C minor, F major and A major), several instrumental and orchestral works (including the Salzburg Suite, which describes as a programme various sights in Salzburg), four operas (including one about the person of Esther), numerous Lieder and a large number of sacred works (masses, proprium music, motets, sacred songs, etc.). As an organ virtuoso, he was internationally recognised, although - similar to Bruckner - he composed only a few organ works, but impressed with his improvisational artistry in his organ concerts. Today, only a few recordings of Messner's improvisations have survived (Archive of the Research Institute for Salzburg Music History at the Department of Music and Dance Studies at the University of Salzburg).
Work.
Lieder.
Numerous solo Lieder with piano or organ accompaniment
Works for wind instruments.
Small" festival fanfare, op. 36/b (1933)
Festival Fanfare, op. 55/1 (1936), for the Salzburg Festival
Orchestral work.
2nd Hellbrunner Wasserspiele- Johann Ernst Eberlin "Choral für die Wasserorgel" (1770)
4th Untersberger Zwerge - Lied "Mei Hoamat, mei Salzburg"