Johann Baptist Singenberger
Encyclopedia
Johann Baptist Singenberger (John Singenberger) (25 May 1848-29 May 1924) was a Swiss composer, music teacher, editor and publisher. His works comprised a large part of the repertory of the Catholic Church's music. He was reckoned to have taught over 1,000 musicians in his lifetime. Singenberger founded the American St. Cecilia Society (American Cecilian Society) in 1873, an organization seeking to revive the Catholic masses and motet
s of Palestrina
. Singenberger was also a professor of music at the Catholic Normal School in St. Francis, Wisconsin
.
Pope Leo XIII knighted Singenberger, conferring upon him the order of St. Gregory the Great.
He continued his education at a Jesuit boarding school, Stella Matutina, at Feldkirch
in Voralberg. Here he studied piano, organ and composition under Winnebald Briem and was also influenced by Augustine Line, a noted musician.
He then studied under Carl Greith, who specialized in voice training, at the University of Innsbruck. In 1872 he went to Regensburg to study under Fr. F. Witt. While he was at Regensburg, the celebrated firm of Pustet
decided to publish Singenberger's first collection of hymns. With its publication began a lifelong friendship between Singenberger and members of the publishing family.
Singenberger went to the United States in April 1873. He maintained the seat of President for the American Caecilia Society for over 30 years. He was an editor and publisher of a monthly church music periodical for over 50 years. In the words of one of his students, "There has been no other man in America, equally prominent in all phases of church music, equally recognized outside the country, and of equal length of service."
Motet
In classical music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions.-Etymology:The name comes either from the Latin movere, or a Latinized version of Old French mot, "word" or "verbal utterance." The Medieval Latin for "motet" is motectum, and the Italian...
s of Palestrina
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina was an Italian Renaissance composer of sacred music and the best-known 16th-century representative of the Roman School of musical composition...
. Singenberger was also a professor of music at the Catholic Normal School in St. Francis, Wisconsin
St. Francis, Wisconsin
St. Francis is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2000 census, its population was 8,662. It is the smallest incorporated city in Milwaukee County.-Geography:St. Francis is located at ....
.
Pope Leo XIII knighted Singenberger, conferring upon him the order of St. Gregory the Great.
Life
Singenberger was born on May 25, 1848 in the province of St. Gall in Switzerland. He attended St. George Seminary in St. Gall where he befriended Sebastian Gebhard Messmer, who later became Archbishop of Milwaukee. They both graduated from St. Gall in 1861.He continued his education at a Jesuit boarding school, Stella Matutina, at Feldkirch
Feldkirch, Vorarlberg
- Schools :* Bundesgymnasium und Bundesrealgymnasium Feldkirch * Bundeshandelsakademie und Bundeshandelsschule Feldkirch* Bundesoberstufenrealgymnasium und Bundesrealgymnasium Schillerstrasse...
in Voralberg. Here he studied piano, organ and composition under Winnebald Briem and was also influenced by Augustine Line, a noted musician.
He then studied under Carl Greith, who specialized in voice training, at the University of Innsbruck. In 1872 he went to Regensburg to study under Fr. F. Witt. While he was at Regensburg, the celebrated firm of Pustet
Pustet
-History:The original home of the Pustets was the Republic of Venice, where the name Bustetto is common. Probably in the seventeenth century, the founder of the Ratisbon line emigrated to South Germany, where one of his descendants, Anton Pustet, lived as a poor bookbinder in the Lower Bavarian...
decided to publish Singenberger's first collection of hymns. With its publication began a lifelong friendship between Singenberger and members of the publishing family.
Singenberger went to the United States in April 1873. He maintained the seat of President for the American Caecilia Society for over 30 years. He was an editor and publisher of a monthly church music periodical for over 50 years. In the words of one of his students, "There has been no other man in America, equally prominent in all phases of church music, equally recognized outside the country, and of equal length of service."