{{Short description|German organist and composer}} [[image:Alexander Winterberger (1834 – 1914).jpg|thumb|Alexander Winterberger, by Sergey Lvovich Levitsky]]

'''Alexander Winterberger''' (14 August 1834{{spaced ndash}}23 September 1914)<ref>IMSLP</ref> was a German organist and composer. He is mostly remembered for his association with Franz Liszt, in particular his close involvement with the two great organ fantasies Liszt wrote for the Merseburg Cathedral organ, the ''Fantasy and Fugue on the chorale "Ad nos ad salutarem undam"'' and the ''Fantasy and Fugue on the Theme B-A-C-H''.

==Biography== Alexander Winterberger was born in 1834 in Weimar<ref>Mason, ''The Art of Music'', p.288; [https://archive.org/download/musicsack-profiles-20240122/profiles.tar/100041664.html MusicSack]</ref>. He studied at Weimar with the Weimar Municipal Organist Johann Gottlob Töpfer (1791-1870).<ref name=ben>[https://books.google.com/books?id=_jZs6zP6R6gC&pg=PA193 Ben Arnold, The Liszt Companion]</ref><ref name=klind>[https://books.google.com/books?id=Vqhx_UtPwacC&pg=PA61 Franz Liszt and Agnes Street-Klindworth]</ref>

Although he also studied under Franz Liszt until 1853,<ref name=ben/> he was in the 'outer circle' of students, that is, not among those with whom Liszt spent most time and was on most intimate personal terms.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=beP86q3iO6MC&pg=PA249 Alan Walker, Franz Liszt: The final years 1861-1886]</ref> He displayed a mastery of novel registrations, which in some cases Liszt and he worked out together.<ref name=klind/> Winterberger had been a classmate of Julius Reubke in Berlin, and he was instrumental in Reubke deciding to come to Weimar to study with Liszt.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.arsisaudio.com/cd128N.html |title=arsisaudio |access-date=2011-04-13 |archive-date=2019-05-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523035528/http://www.arsisaudio.com/cd128N.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1855 Liszt inspected the construction of the new organ at Merseburg Cathedral, and resolved to write (some sources say he was commissioned by Winterberger) a grand piece for the official opening: his ''Fantasy and Fugue on the Theme B-A-C-H''. The date was set for 26 September 1855, but by 22 September the Fantasy was still not ready. Instead, he decided to have Winterberger premiere the revised version of the ''Fantasy and Fugue on the chorale "Ad nos ad salutarem undam"'' (it had been published in 1852, but Liszt revised it more than once, most recently in 1855).<ref name=afont>{{Cite web |url=http://www.afontibus.no/article05.php |title=afontibus |access-date=2011-04-13 |archive-date=2016-03-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306021238/http://www.afontibus.no/article05.php |url-status=dead }}</ref> They rehearsed the work together a few days before the official opening.<ref name=busch>{{Cite web |url=http://www.iks.hs-merseburg.de/~buchanan/orgel/liszte.htm |title=Hermann J. Busch, Franz Liszt and the Merseburg Cathedral Organ |access-date=2011-04-13 |archive-date=2012-01-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126042204/http://www.iks.hs-merseburg.de/~buchanan/orgel/liszte.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The ''B-A-C-H Fantasy and Fugue'', dedicated to Winterberger,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.brilliantclassics.com/release.aspx?id=FM02096351 |title=Brilliant Classics |access-date=2011-04-13 |archive-date=2018-10-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181031005307/https://www.brilliantclassics.com/release.aspx?id=FM02096351 |url-status=dead }}</ref> finally had its premiere on 13 May 1856, again at Merseburg Cathedral.<ref name=afont/> On the same occasion Winterberger also played Liszt's arrangement of the Church Festive Overture on the chorale "Ein feste Burg" ("A Mighty Fortress") by Otto Nicolai.<ref name=busch/>

Winterberger toured the Netherlands in 1856, receiving much praise for his performances of the two Liszt fantasies and fugues.<ref name=ben/>

On 31 August 1856 he played the organ part in the premiere of Liszt's ''Missa solennis zur Einweihung der Basilika in Gran'' (Gran Mass), at the inauguration of Esztergom Basilica, conducted by the composer, in the presence of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria and his Viennese court.<ref>[http://esztergomorgan.synthasite.com/ esztergomorgan]</ref>

Winterberger arranged for the organ Liszt's 1859 Prelude on Bach's Cantata ''Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen'', originally written for piano.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.naxosdirect.com/title/8.555079 |title=Naxos |access-date=2011-04-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120823092251/http://www.naxosdirect.com/title/8.555079 |archive-date=2012-08-23 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1886-87 he compiled and published 12 volumes of technical exercises composed by Liszt.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=cGJE_wIW0A4C&dq=alexander+winterberger&pg=PA268 Alan Walker, Michael Saffle, James Andrew Deaville, New light on Liszt and his music]</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=A4OVdTt3UMsC&dq=alexander+winterberger&pg=PA6 Introduction by Julio Esteban, Liszt -- Technical Exercises (Complete)]</ref> Winterberger edited the piano sonatas by Beethoven, with preface and annotations, Edition "Musikwoche", printed Leipzig, Bibliographische Anstalt Adolph Schumann.

He lived at various times in Vienna, St Petersburg and Leipzig;<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=urMejmHVZycC&dq=alexander+winterberger&pg=PA536 Waldo S Pratt, The History of Music: A Handbook and Guide for Students]</ref> his pupils in Vienna included Samuel de Lange jr.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.northwestrecords.com/Reviews/Organum%20Domunicum%20WIM%20Kl%20edit%20Ted%20Diehl.pdf |title=Northwest Records |access-date=2011-04-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322164946/http://www.northwestrecords.com/Reviews/Organum%20Domunicum%20WIM%20Kl%20edit%20Ted%20Diehl.pdf |archive-date=2012-03-22 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Alexander Winterberger's photographic portrait by Sergey Lvovich Levitsky is housed at the State P. I. Tchaikovsky Memorial Museum at Klin, Russia.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.heritage-images.com/Preview/PreviewPage.aspx?id=2485392&pricing=true&licenseType=RM |title=Heritage Images |access-date=2011-04-13 |archive-date=2011-10-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005004119/http://www.heritage-images.com/Preview/PreviewPage.aspx?id=2485392&pricing=true&licenseType=RM |url-status=dead }}</ref> He died in 1914, aged 80.

==Works== Winterberger's own compositions include: * ''Lieder für Singstimme und Klavier (oder Orgel, oder Harmonium)'', Op. 58 (texts by Julius Sturm) * ''Dreissig Lieder und Gesänge'', Op. 91<ref>[http://www.lieder.net/lieder/get_text.html?TextId=50227 The Lied, Art Song, and Choral Texts Page]</ref> * Neun leichte Sonatinen für Pianoforte, Op. 104 * ''Fünf Geistliche Gesänge für Singstimme und Klavier (oder Orgel, oder Harmonium)'', Op. 119 (texts by Johann Friedrich Räder)<ref>[http://www.load.cd/sheetmusic/20425_alexander_winterberger/ load.cd]</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

==External links== *{{IMSLP|id=Winterberger, Alexander}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Winterberger, Alexander}} Category:1834 births Category:1914 deaths Category:19th-century German musicians Category:19th-century German male musicians Category:German composers Category:German male composers Category:German classical organists Category:German male classical organists