Small exhibition with Köhler's estate; Photo: Maik Schuck
A Gift With Heart: The Estate of City Organist and Pedagogue, Johannes Ernst Köhler
Former city organist Hannelore Köhler presented the estate of her husband, Prof. Johannes Ernst Köhler, to The LISZT SCHOOL of Music Weimar. During his many years as city organist, Prof. Köhler was one of The LISZT SCHOOL’s most important 20th-century instructors. The Department of School Music and Church Music welcomed the estate donation with a ceremony on Tuesday, February 6, 2007 in the Concert Hall at the Monastery Building Am Palais.Students and colleagues as well as former students, friends and admirers of the great organist were invited to the event. Dean Rynkowski-Neuhof opened the evening, after which the estate was presented by archivist Dr. Irina Lucke-Kaminiarz and much music rang out. Among other things, students performed works by J. S. Bach and F. Liszt, and organ professors Rainer Böhme (Emeritus) and Michael Kapsner improvised on thematic material by Johannes Ernst Köhler.
Prof. Johannes Ernst Köhler (24. 6. 1910 Meran/Südtirol – 12. 9. 1990 Weimar) belonged to the most important teachers at The LISZT SCHOOL of Music Weimar during the 20th century. He received his education in Halle and Berlin from 1929 until 1933. In 1934 he became the city organist at St. Peter & Paul (the Herderkirche) and at the same time taught at the state-run School of Music (Staatlichen Hochschule für Musik) in Weimar where he remained connected until his retirement in 1975. As an organ instructor he had an effect on school education and continued the great Weimar organist tradition. Thanks to his engagement with music, the first Weimar Bach Days took place in March 1946 and also, beginning in 1950 and continuing until toady, the legendary Bach Hall Concerts, which were prevented by the government twelve years after their inception.
Apart from his duties, Johannes Ernst Köhler undertook numerous concert tours through Europe and the USA as an organ virtuoso and improviser. The discography of his radio and record productions is enormous. Together with his wife Hannelore, he concertised in Germany and abroad in order to raise funds for the restoration of the organ at the city church, St. Peter & Paul. It was for this reason that Hannelore Köhler was awarded the Weimar Prize in 2001, which she accepted in his name.
Further information can be found at The LISZT SCHOOL Archive: Tel. +49 3643 | 555 236.
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