Mauersberger, Rudolf

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Mauersberger, Rudolf

Mauersberger, Rudolf , German organist, choral conductor, teacher, and composer; b. Mauersberg, Erzgebirge, Jan. 29, 1889; d. Dresden, Feb. 22, 1971. He studied piano, organ, and composition at the Leipzig Cons. (1912–14; 1918–19), winning the Nikisch Prize for composition in 1914. He served as organist and choirmaster in Aachen (1919–25), then was in charge of church music in Thuringia (1925–30) and directing the choir at Eisenach’s Georgenkirche. In 1930 he became choirmaster of the Kreuzkirche in Dresden, and directed its famous boy’s choir, taking it on numerous tours in Europe and abroad. He composed a number of choral works, including the Dresdner Requiem (1948), written in memory of those who lost their lives during the barbarous bombing of the beautiful porcelaneous city just a few weeks before the end of World War II.

Bibliography

M. Grun, R. M.: Studien zu Leben und Werk (Regensburg, 1986); M. Herrmann, R. M. (1889–1971): Werkverzeichnis (RMWV) (Dresden, 1991).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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