the birth of the Text and the melody of “silent night, Holy night” is a wondrous story of Christmas. This simple song is catchy, the verses have been translated into more than 300 languages and dialects.
The most famous Christmas song from the German-speaking countries has its origin in a drab post-war period in Austria. As the boatmen on the river Salzach had only a scarce Livelihood, the bakers had to stretch the bread with sawdust, and the babies in a row then died. Under these unfortunate circumstances, the Salzburg priest Joseph Mohr and the upper Austrian-born teacher, Franz Xaver Gruber, the song for Christmas 1818 in the Church of St. Nikola in Oberndorf bei Salzburg for the first Time have listed. From the Zillertal, from there entered through the Tyrolean singers families Rainer and Strasser soon his trip to Europe and the whole world. Thanks to its worldwide distribution, it was declared in 2011 even the national intangible Unesco heritage site.
Mohr’s godfather was the last executioner of Salzburg
The fascination about the song stops in Salzburg, especially now in a jubilee year. In the stone alley in the middle of the old town, the birthplace of Joseph Mohr. The fifth child of a knitter, and a soldier was born in 1792, and there the light of the world. His godfather was the last executioner of Salzburg, which is handed down. Mohr, pastor of the auxiliary was in the upper village, was the people devoted to and very helpful. Out of inner necessity, out of a longing for peace and security, he wrote the consolation rich, simple words to the Christmas song first as a poem. He knew the Hardship, political unrest and natural disasters of his time.
Max Gurtner, Director of the Museum in Arnsdorf, tells the story of the life of Franz Xaver Gruber, 1787-born organist and teacher, he decided to move to Arnsdorf, in a striking ochre-coloured house right in front of the sanctuary. His teacher’s Desk has a place of honor in the school, the oldest in Austria. In his apartment the with Mohr befriended Gruber wrote the music to the poem. Easy you should be, wish Mohr. A melody for two voices, chorus and simple guitar accompaniment. To the heart, a message of peace.
The living stations of the two song Creator Franz Xaver Gruber and Joseph Mohr are extensively celebrated by the regional tourism. More and more memorials there are, especially now at the 200-year anniversary. Many places in the area that are closely connected with the history of the song, memorabilia of the two artists to Show and explain the contemporary world.
A melody for two voices: The composition of Atlasbet Franz Xaver Gruber. Image:
The parish – and pilgrimage Museum of mariapfarr is one of the most interesting memorials. There is a place in honor of Joseph Mohr, silent night fountain and the Museum in the rectory. Bernhard Rohrmoser, who has written a book about Mohr, emphasizes the strong emotions and the force that make up the song. In the Mohr-Stube of the Museum a giant Christmas crib, with 100 characters from the 18th century. Century, beautifully restored. And a part of the Gothic altarpiece of the parish Church shows the child Jesus as “the Holden boys with curly hair”. Again and again it pulls Rohrmoser in the parish Church. He asks, why Mohr has written the Text with these words. “He is probably in a dark winter’s night in the Church to Meditate gone,” says the pastor. “And him, the blonde fuzzy head must be electrified in the dark and inspired.”
Like Joseph Mohr’s grave in Wagrain is visited by tourists. Especially on the day of his death, when a concert and the silent night song. Mohr, who led a restless life, was suffering from a congenital lung disease and died on January 4. December, 1848, at the age of only 56 years.
The grave of Franz Xaver Gruber is located in Hallein. The small town was the most important place for Gruber’s musical. Here he was able to achieve. He has brought it to prosperity, as his former apartment furniture, heavy wood furniture with dusky pink velvet upholstery, own drawings and an expensive piano. In time for the anniversary was dedicated to a spacious new Museum. The actor Heiko Thiel leads as a disguised Gruber deliberate step through the Museum.
Japanese storm the chapel, not only on Christmas eve
art and Commerce are kept barely apart. This is shown especially in the upper village, the center of silent-night-boom, where everything is taken to extremes. The silent night company is making every endeavour in good faith to research, history and care of the authenticity. But today, we named everything after the Silent night: the district, the chapel, the square, the Museum, the guided tours in all languages. Not only on Christmas eve, the Japanese storm the small chapel. Even otherwise, long lines and unpleasant Drängeleien take place.
No, Keep it, if Tobias Regner, rock singer and former winner of “Deutschland sucht den Superstar”, which sings the Christmas song for guitar, in a simple Arrangement of the original version. Tears of emotion flow. Some wonder if all the hoo-hah, caught you by yourself soon when you sing along – you can escape the power of the song.
Six stanzas composed by Joseph Mohr. Almost never all sung, it is usually only the second and the sixth. The are all know.
The trip was Created with the support of Austria advertising (Sunday newspaper)
: 10.11.2018, 20:23 PM
