Name Johann Krall | ||
 | ||
Johann Baptist Krall (1803—4 May 1883) was an Austrian composer, conductor, music editor/arranger, and member of the board of directors of the Wiener Singverein of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde.
Contents
- Early life
- Concerts at the Piarist church
- Re interment of Beethoven and Schubert
- Works
- Arrangements
- Scores owned by Krall
- Family
- References
Early life
He was a pupil of the organist and composer de:Joseph Preindl (1756-1823), who succeeded Johann Albrechtsberger as Domkapellmeister at St Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna in 1809; Krall was also a pupil of Preindl's successor Ignaz von Seyfried. An Offertory of Krall's was sung in Vienna in 1825.Johann Krall may be the same Krall who was a dedicatee of the two Concertant Duos for two Violins, Op. 9, by Louis Spohr.
Krall was a torchbearer (Fackelträger) aged c.23 in Beethoven's funeral procession on 29 March 1826, in which his teacher von Seyfried held one of the cords attached to the pall covering Beethoven's coffin.
Concerts at the Piarist church
In early 1845, Krall was the chorus director of the Music Society of the Piarist Church, Vienna ('Piaristenkirche Musikverein'). The church (finished 1758) dedicated to Maria Treu (Faithful Maria) has a long-standing musical tradition because of its excellent acoustics: the Piarists, the oldest Catholic educational order, had commissioned Haydn's Missa in tempore belli, first performed there in 1796. A church musical society ('Musikverein') was first established there in 1828 by Baron Joseph von Blumenthal, who was also the Chordirektor. The high cost of the productions (copying of parts etc.) led to its disbanding in 1834.
A second society founded in 1844 had 200 subscribing members. Krall, as Chordirektor, began with brisk activity and conducted a number of performances. Haydn's Theresienmesse was performed on 1 January 1845, as well as Tantum ergo of Herr Winter, Vias Tuas Domine from de:Joseph Preindl, Krall's teacher, and the Gradual and the duet for tenor and bass Domine exaudi (Psalm 101/102) by Diabelli. The production was certified a "brilliant performance", the soprano solo in the Graduale perceived as "very nice", only an Offertorium of Diabelli inserted into the Haydn Mass was perceived as "inappropriate". On Easter Sunday, 27 April 1848, the Mass in F minor by Bernhard Molique was given. Also sung were an Alleluja by Albrechtsberger and Alma Dei by Hummel.
On 19 January 1845 the service was sung to Mozart's Mass in C with Misericordias Domini, K.222 by Mozart as the Offertorium, and on 26 January 1845, Preindl's C major Mass, Op. 7. On 2 February 1845 Haydn's G major Mass (St. Nicholas) (Hob.XXII:6) was performed along with Krall's own Tantum ergo and Offertorium for bass voice and solo violin. The first performance of Schubert's Mass in G major took place on 9 February 1845, with Schubert's brother Ferdinand at the organ.
On 30 November 1845, the Mass in G Major by Krall was performed under his leadership. A review of the performance called it a melodically very rich, truly ecclesiastical work. The four-part solo Et incarnatus was very wittily conceived, the Benedictus had interesting harmonic effects, the Agnus Dei offered surprising modulations; only the Osanna was not so successful and not adapted to the Church's attitude. Krall's own Tantum ergo and Asperges me by Ferdinand Kloß rounded off the Mass.
Beethoven's Mass in C major, Op. 86, and the Laudate from his oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives was given on 21 November 1847.
Re-interment of Beethoven and Schubert
Krall became a member of the board of directors of the Wiener Singverein in 1858. In 1863, at the instigation of Krall and Joseph Hellmesberger, Sr., the board of directors of the Gesellschaft der Musik decided to exhume the graves of Schubert and Beethoven in order to prevent further decomposition and at the same time to establish their resting places in a “worthy manner”. On Friday morning, 23 October 1863, the remains of both composers were reburied in newly constructed vaults in the Währing Cemetery.
In February 1867 Krall received the Musikverein's gold service cross from the Duke of Coburg (of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry). Krall was made an Honorary Member of the Vienna Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in 1880.
He died in Vienna.
Works
Arrangements
Krall made a number of arrangements for solo piano of works by Schumann; they were all published in 1868 and 1869.