Friedrich Mergner (Composer)

Born: October 19, 1818 - Regensburg, Germany
Died: January 7, 1891 - Heilsbronn, Germany

Adam Christoph Friedrich Mergner was a German Protestant pastor and composer. He received irregular piano lessons from his father, the organist in the Neupfarrkirche in Regensburg. From 1828, he attended the Alumneum in Regensburg. He played the piano, organ, violin and had a beautiful voice. From 1838 to 1842 he studied theology at the University of Erlangen.

In 1843 Friedrich Mergner was appointed a teacher at the Handlungsinstitut in Friedrichsdorf. The following year he was ordained and six years later he became the Pastor of Ditterswind. In 1869 he became Pastor and Dean (Dekan) in Muggendorf (1870), then parish priest in Erlangen, and last (1874) minister in Heilsbronn. He died there at the age of 73.

Friedrich Mergner tried during his life to a reform the Protestant church singing and left more than 1,500 compositions and edited numerous sacred songs.

Works

Choralbuch: zunächst zu dem Gesangbuche der Evangelisch-Lutherischen Kirche in Bayern. (Erlangen: Deichert, 1883)
Paul Gerhardts geistliche Lieder in neuen Weisen von Friedrich Mergner. (Leipzig: Deichert, 1907)
Die heilige Passionswochen: Partitur. (Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1900)

Source: German Wikipedia Website, English translation by Aryeh Oron (March 2008)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (March 2008)

Use of Chorale Melodies in his works

Title

Chorale Melody

Year

Ich steh an deiner Krippen hier, for baritone & piano

Ich steh an deiner Krippen hier

Links to other Sites

Friedrich Mergner (Wikipedia) [German]

Bibliography

Günther Lipp: Pfarrer und Komponist : zur Erinnerung an Adam Christoph Friedrich Mergner. - in: Heimatkalender für Franken und Thüringen 2002. - S. 106-107
Julie Mergner: Friedrich Mergner: Ein Lebensbild. (Leipzig : Deichert, 1910)
Peter Ludwig: Adam Christoph Friedrich Mergner - Ein vergessener Komponist. (Zulassungsarbeit Hochschule für Musik München, München, 1988)