The German chorale conductor and church musician, Erich Hübner, succeeded Hermann Meinhard Poppen as Director of the Bachchor Heidelberg. He had already repplaced Poppen during the latter’s illness and was elected by the Bachchor Heidelberg in 1956. The time under Hübner was characterized by an opening of the repertoire to contemporary works, including many first performances of modern composers music in Heidelberg. But even old masters that had not been previously in the repertoire of Bachchor Heidelberg, as Claudio Monteverdi, were listed. This required a lot of work with the choir that was still a very large choir of over 200 members. Hübner inspired many young singers who sang in the Bachchor Heidelberg. As President of the Verbandes Evangelischer Kirchenmusiker (Association of Lutheran Church Musicians) in Germany, he maintained the importance of Heidelberg as a city of music. To mark the 75th anniversary of the Bachverein (Bach Society) in 1960, he founded the Heidelberger Bachwoche, the 44th Deutsche Bachfest was held in Heidelberg in 1969. As the festive design of the 100th anniversary of the choir he planned the 6th Heidelberger Bachwoche, this anniversary but he could no longer experience . |