A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Wüllner, Franz
WÜLLNER, Franz, born Jan. 28, 1832, at Munster, son of a distinguished philologist, director of the Gymnasium at Düsseldorf. Franz attended the Gymnasium of Münster till 1848, and passed the final examination; studying the piano and composition with Carl Arnold up to 1846, and afterwards with Schindler. In 1848 Wüllner followed Schindler to Frankfort, and continued his studies with him and F. Kessler till 1852. The winter of 1852–3 he passed in Brussels, frequently playing in public, and enjoying the society of Fétis, Kufferath, and other musicians. As a pianist he confined himself almost entirely to Beethoven's concertos and sonatas, especially the later ones. He then made a concert-tour through Bonn, Cologne, Bremen, Münster, etc., and spent some little time in Hanover and Leipzig. In March 1854 he arrived in Munich, and on Jan. 1, 1856, became PF. Professor at the Conservatorium there. In 1858 he became music-director of the town of Aix-la-Chapelle, being elected unanimously out of fifty-four candidates. Here he conducted the subscription concerts, and the vocal and orchestral unions. He turned his attention mainly to the orchestra and chorus, and introduced for the first time many of the great works to the concert-hall of Aix. In 1861 he received the title of Musikdirector to the King of Prussia, and in 1864 was joint-conductor with Rietz of the 41st Lower Rhine Festival.
In the autumn of 1864 Wüllner returned to Munich as court-Capellmeister to the King. His duty was to conduct the services at the court-church, and while there he reorganised the choir, and added to the répertoire many fine church-works, especially of the early Italian school. He also organised concerts for the choir, the programmes of which included old Italian, old German, and modern music, sacred and secular. In the autumn of 1867 he took the organisation and direction of the vocal classes in the king's new School of Music, and on Bülow's resignation the whole production department came into his hands, with the title of 'Inspector of the School of Music,' and in 1875 of 'Professor Royal.' During this time he wrote his admirable 'Choral Exercises for the Munich School of Music,' an English edition of which, by A. Spengel, is now published (London: Forsyth).
When Wüllner succeeded Bülow at the Court Theatre in 1869, he found himself plunged into personal difficulties of all kinds connected with the production of Wagner's 'Rheingold'; but his tact and ability surmounted all, and the result was an unqualified success. The Rheingold was followed by the 'Walküre,' one of the most brilliant achievements of the Munich stage in modern times, and in 1870 Wüllner was appointed court-Capellmeister in chief. He also succeeded Bülow as conductor of the concerts of the Academy of Music, and carried them on alone till Levi was associated with him in 1872. In 1877 he left Munich,[1] in order to succeed Rietz at Dresden as Capellmeister of the court-theatre, and artist-director of the Conservatorium, and here he remained until called to fill the place of Hiller at Cologne, April 1, 1885.
Wüllner's works include:—'Heinrich der Finkler, cantata for voice and orchestra—first prize at the competition of the Aix-la-Chapelle Liedertafel in 1864; PF. pieces for 2 and 4 hands, and chamber-music; several books of Lieder for single voice; important choral compositions, with and without orchestra, such as masses, motets, Lieder for mixed chorus, a Miserere for double choir, op. 26; Psalm cxxv. for chorus and orchestra, op. 40, etc.; a new arrangement of Weber's 'Oberon,' the additional recitatives being compiled from materials in the opera (the libretto by F. Grandaur of Munich). In this form 'Oberon' has been put on the stage at several of the great German theatres.—His editions of six of Haydn's Symphonies (RieterBiedermann) must not be overlooked. [App. p.817 "Add among his works, a Stabat Mater for chorus."]- ↑ The University conferred on him the honorary degree of Doctor.