Friedrich Silcher and his wife Luise Enslin
Portrait (1820/1825) by Christoph Friedrich Dörr
Silcher was a preeminent composer, poet, editor, music teacher, director, and preserver of German folk song and traditional choral music.
Philipp Friedrich Silcher was born on June 27, 1789, in a schoolhouse in the wine area of Schnait im Remstal, a son of the teacher Karl Johann Silcher. As a teenager in 1803 he began a three-year apprenticeship as "Schulknecht" to Ferdinand Auberlen in Fellbach, who was well known as a good musician and valued arranger of men's choral music. In 1806 he became a teaching assistant (Lehrgehilfe) in Schorndorf, where he also was a tutor in the house of the Kreishauptmann Freiherr von Berlichingen (not to be confused with the infamous Götz von Berlichingen).
In 1809 Silcher moved to Ludwigsburg and took a position at the Ludwigsburger Mädchenschule (School for Girls). At that time Ludwigsburg was a temporary Fürstenresidenz, where the composers Carl Maria von Weber and Konradin Kreutzer also had been staying. Both of them advised Silcher to devote his life to music. Shortly after Kreutzer moved to Stuttgart, Silcher followed him and became a music teacher. During his two years in Stuttgart Silcher lived with the pianobuilder Schiedmayer. At this time Silcher devoted himself primarily to the music of Mozart. In 1817 Silcher became Musikdirektor at the Universität Tübingen.
In 1822 he married Luise Enslin, the daughter of a Tübingen merchant. She bore him two daughters and a son. In 1829 Silcher founded the Tübinger Akademische Liedertafel, which he conducted for 30 years.
Silcher's musical legacy is great. Many of his melodies, settings, and texts are intimately familiar to Washington Sängerbund members. Among these are Ännchen von Tharau, Am Brunnen vor dem Tore (setting based on a melody by Franz Schubert), Hab' oft im Kreise der Lieben (Frisch gesungen), Ich weiß nicht, was soll es bedeuten (Die Lorelei, the poem by Heinrich Heine), In einem kühlen Grunde (the poem by Joseph von Eichendorff), Jetzt gang i ans Brünnele, Muß i' denn zum Städtele hinaus, Rosestock, Holderblüt, So nimm denn meine Hände , Wenn alle Brünnlein fliessen, and many others.
During his lifetime Silcher was already recognized for his contributions. In 1852 the Universität Tübingen honored him with the title "Dr. phil." On June 8, 1867, Silcher was made an Ehrenmitglied of the Schwäbischer Sängerbund.
On August 26, 1860, Silcher died. On his grave at the Tübingen cemetery is a poem by Johannes Bobrowski:
Silchers GrabZur Seite, vor der Mauer die Ruhebank,
im Blätterschatten, über dem Grabe Kreuz
und Bäumchen: in der langen Stille,
die nach den Liedern der Freundschaft anhobund aussang Zeit und Namen. Es ist ein Rest
von toten Stimmen, Hände, wie in den Schoß
gesunken, ungeöffnet. Keine
Frage gehört mehr, erwidert keine
On September 22, 1912, the Schwäbischer Sängerbund dedicated the Silchermuseum in Schnait. Schnait, together with the tradition-rich towns of Beutelbach, Endersbach, Großheppach, und Strümpfelbach, forms a part of the city of Weinstadt im Remstal, one of Baden-Württemberg's largest wine growing areas, located a short distance from Stuttgart. The Silcher Museum, Silcher's birth house, is today a memorial and museum dedicated to the life and work of the Swabian musician. A Heimatmuseum is attached to the collection. In the Museum may be seen the Ehrenhalle für tote Sänger, the Sängerfahnensammlung, the Sängerbundraum and Archives with collections of handwritten material and first editions. Located in Weinstadt-Schnait, Silcherstraße 49, the Silcher Museum is a repository for materials from Silcher's life, exhibits of the Deutscher Sängerbund and the Schwäbischer Sängerbund, choral music, and Trachten (folk costume).
The coveted Friedrich-Silcher-Preis was dedicated in 1993 "zur Erinnerung an den Komponisten, Chorleiter und Musikpädagogen Philipp Friedrich Silcher." With a monetary value of DM 15,000 it was to be awarded every three years. The prize was awarded in 1995 for the first time by the Kulturamt of the city of Weinstadt, for the "Förderung der Chormusik, Pflege des Volksliedgutes; Auszeichnung von Einzelpersonen, Gruppen (Chören) und Institutionen für hervorragende Leistungen auf dem Gebiet der Interpretation, Komposition und Musikpädagogik im Sinne des Lebenswerks Friedrich Silchers."
This brief biography (at http://www.oocities.org/Vienna/Strasse/1945/WSB/silcher.html), compiled by Carol Traxler (caroltraxler@mail.com) from several internet sources, appeared in the May 1998 issue of Quarter Notes, the newsletter of the Washington Saengerbund edited by Walter Mueller.
Washington Area Cultural Events | Washington Area Cultural Organizations
The advertising banner below is provided by GeoCities, host of Carol's web sites.