Page 119 - Weiss, Jernej, ur./ed. 2023. Glasbena društva v dolgem 19. stoletju: med ljubiteljsko in profesionalno kulturo ▪︎ Music societies in the long 19th century: Between amateur and professional culture. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 6
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ical associations and their place in the musical life of br atislava in the 19th century
sor appeared soon. The score archive and the overall aim of enhancing of
the musical performance in the church was taken over by the newly formed
Church Music Association at the Saint Martin’s Cathedral (Preßburger
Kirchenmusikverein zu Sankt Martin/Szent Mártonról címzett Pozsonyi
Egyházi Zeneegyesület) founded in 1833. This association with 290 found-
ing members played central role in the Bratislava music-cultural life both in
the 19th and the first half of the 20th centuries.5 A key factor for its existence
was that the aristocracy, clergy, and townspeople were joined in the associ-
ation. This symbiosis is proven by the personalities who were involved in its
founding: the main initiator, a local priest Joseph Prybila as chairman, the
municipal councillor Anton Namer as cashier, and Count Casimir Ester-
hazy as patron. A specific feature of the association was cultivation both of
sacred and secular music. Sacred music productions of the association had
liturgical character and the requirements of the church year and religious
holidays were naturally reflected in the sacred music repertoire. Thanks to
the successful first concerts, the number of secular music concert perfor-
mances had increased shortly afterwards. The decisive art and professional
guarantor of the level both of the sacred and secular music productions of
the association was the Kapellmeister. In the 19th century, three important
persons were holding this function: Josef Kumlik (1801–1869), Karl Mayr-
berger (1828–1881), and Josef Thiard-Laforest (1841–1897).6
Josef Kumlik, a former student of Heinrich Klein, served as the Kapell-
meister for more than 30 years (1833–1837; 1843–1869). He mostly tended to
the sacred music with the broad repertoire: masses, offers, graduals, and
other liturgical genres. He is considered the founder of performing this
type of music in the city and his successors made some additions to the
repertoire only. Masses written by the composers such as Joseph Haydn,
Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van
Beethoven were frequently performed. A unique Kumlik’s contribution is
relating to the cultivation of Beethoven’s secular as well as sacred music.
The Mass in C major was a permanent part of his repertoire, Missa solem
nis in D major was reserved for the St. Cecilia’s holiday and was performed
5 Jana Lengová, “Cirkevný hudobný spolok,” in Hudobné dejiny Bratislavy: od stre
doveku po rok 1918, ed. Jana Kalinayová-Bartová (Bratislava: Ars Musica, 2020): 262–
74.
6 Jana Lengová and Eva Szórádová, “Kapelníci Josef Kumlik, Karl Mayrberger, Josef
Thiard-Laforest,” in Hudobné dejiny Bratislavy: od stredoveku po rok 1918, ed. Jana
Kalinayová-Bartová (Bratislava: Ars Musica, 2020): 274–82.
117
sor appeared soon. The score archive and the overall aim of enhancing of
the musical performance in the church was taken over by the newly formed
Church Music Association at the Saint Martin’s Cathedral (Preßburger
Kirchenmusikverein zu Sankt Martin/Szent Mártonról címzett Pozsonyi
Egyházi Zeneegyesület) founded in 1833. This association with 290 found-
ing members played central role in the Bratislava music-cultural life both in
the 19th and the first half of the 20th centuries.5 A key factor for its existence
was that the aristocracy, clergy, and townspeople were joined in the associ-
ation. This symbiosis is proven by the personalities who were involved in its
founding: the main initiator, a local priest Joseph Prybila as chairman, the
municipal councillor Anton Namer as cashier, and Count Casimir Ester-
hazy as patron. A specific feature of the association was cultivation both of
sacred and secular music. Sacred music productions of the association had
liturgical character and the requirements of the church year and religious
holidays were naturally reflected in the sacred music repertoire. Thanks to
the successful first concerts, the number of secular music concert perfor-
mances had increased shortly afterwards. The decisive art and professional
guarantor of the level both of the sacred and secular music productions of
the association was the Kapellmeister. In the 19th century, three important
persons were holding this function: Josef Kumlik (1801–1869), Karl Mayr-
berger (1828–1881), and Josef Thiard-Laforest (1841–1897).6
Josef Kumlik, a former student of Heinrich Klein, served as the Kapell-
meister for more than 30 years (1833–1837; 1843–1869). He mostly tended to
the sacred music with the broad repertoire: masses, offers, graduals, and
other liturgical genres. He is considered the founder of performing this
type of music in the city and his successors made some additions to the
repertoire only. Masses written by the composers such as Joseph Haydn,
Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van
Beethoven were frequently performed. A unique Kumlik’s contribution is
relating to the cultivation of Beethoven’s secular as well as sacred music.
The Mass in C major was a permanent part of his repertoire, Missa solem
nis in D major was reserved for the St. Cecilia’s holiday and was performed
5 Jana Lengová, “Cirkevný hudobný spolok,” in Hudobné dejiny Bratislavy: od stre
doveku po rok 1918, ed. Jana Kalinayová-Bartová (Bratislava: Ars Musica, 2020): 262–
74.
6 Jana Lengová and Eva Szórádová, “Kapelníci Josef Kumlik, Karl Mayrberger, Josef
Thiard-Laforest,” in Hudobné dejiny Bratislavy: od stredoveku po rok 1918, ed. Jana
Kalinayová-Bartová (Bratislava: Ars Musica, 2020): 274–82.
117
