Friedrich Silcher
Philipp Friedrich Silcher, was a German composer, mainly known for his lieder, and an important folksong collector.Life
Silcher was meant to be a school teacher, but dedicated himself entirely to music in the seminary in Ludwigsburg after he met Carl Maria von Weber. He was taught composition and piano by Conradin Kreutzer and Johann Nepomuk Hummel. In 1817 he was named musical director at the University of Tübingen. He is regarded as one of the most important protagonists of choir singing. He arranged many German and international folk songs that even today remain standard repertoire of many choirs in Germany and became an integral part of German daily life. In 1829 Silcher founded the "Akademische Liedertafel" in Tübingen and directed it until his death.
He was married to Luise Rosine Ensslin. They had two daughters and one son.
A wine varietal was named after him, the :de:Silcher |Silcher. The asteroid 10055 Silcher also bears the composer's name.Works
Amongst his best-known songs are:
- "Ich hatt' einen Kameraden"
- "Alle Jahre wieder"
- ":de:Am Brunnen vor dem Tore|Am Brunnen vor dem Tore"
- "Die Lorelei"
- Abschied, which "inspired" the English-language "Wooden Heart" made famous by Elvis Presley when he was stationed in Germany during his military service.
