For its 175th anniversary the Luxembourg Cathedral choir and Luxembourg Music Publishers took the joint initiative to publish a series of important compositions by its successive conductors. Pol Albrecht, Pierre Aloysius Barthel, Jean – Pierre Beicht, Jean – Pierre Schmit and Nicolas Schuh were important figures of the Luxembourgish cultural life of the time, but unfortunately they were not, or very little published. The only one not to be represented in this series is Laurent Menager, whose works are already published in another edition. The publication of different works by Heinrich Oberhoffer (1824-1885) will start this initiative. Among them his Mass in F major, Regina coeli and Weihegesang, in the original 2 TTBB / SATB transcription, and TTBB / SATB transcription and organ versions.

Oberhoffer was born as the son of a teacher, sexton and organist in the Trierer district Pfalzel. He probably learned the basics of organ playing from his father and then continued on an autodidactic basis. After attending the teacher training college in Brühl, Oberhoffer worked as a teacher in Schweich and Trier, where he also worked part-time as an organist at the Gervasiuskirche. In 1856 he was appointed as a music teacher at the Normal School (the school teacher training college) in Luxembourg, in addition to this office he provided the organ service at the Redemptorist Church. On 1 August 1866 he succeeded the late organist Troes at the cathedral of Luxembourg. In the years 1862 to 1873 he edited an important journal for Catholic church music “Cecilia” and created the first Luxembourg diocesan diary in 1867. One year later, he took luxembourg nationality.

As a music composer, writer and editor, he was well known beyond the borders of West Germany and Luxembourg; the hymns he wrote remained alive in Luxembourg and much of Germany well into the second half of the 20th century.

Already in 1864 Oberhoffer was admitted to the papal Accademia di Santa Cecilia in the section of composers under the member number 4484. His works such as his setting of the Te Deum were received with approval even by Franz Liszt; for his rank as organist speaks, for example, the invitation of Oberhoffer to the inauguration concert of the Merklin organ of the Basilica of St. Epvre in Nancy, as well as Anton Bruckner, Charles Renaud de Vilbac (Paris) and Théophile Stern (Strasbourg).

Every month, another of the above mentioned conductors will be published.

More information on https://musicpublishers.lu