JOSEPH

See also:

• GABRIEL (Heb. SKns, man of God)

GABRIEL

See also:

• JOSEPH GABRIEL RHEINBERGER (1839-19or)

RHEINBERGER (1839-19or)  , German composer, was born at Vaduz, Liechtenstein, on the 17th of March 1839 . His musical abilities were manifested so early that he was appointed organist of the parish church when he was but seven years old . A three-part Mass composed by him was. performed in the following year . He was taught at first by Philipp Schmutzer, choir director at Feldkirch; he entered the Munich Conservatorium in 1851, and remained there till 1854 as a pupil of Professor E . Leonhard for piano, Professor Herzog for organ and J . J . Maier for counterpoint . After leaving the school he had private lessons from Franz Lachner, and was appointed a professor in the conservatorium in succession to Leonhard in 1859 . In 186o he became professor of composition; and was appointed organist of the Michelskirche, a post he held till 1866 . In 1877 he succeeded Wullner as Hofkapellmeister, and from that time his attention was largely devoted to sacred music . His compositions include works of importance in every form, from the operas Die sieben Raben (Munich, 1869) and Turmers Tochterlein (Munich, 1873) and the oratorio Christoforus, op . 120, to the well-known quartet for piano and strings in E flat, op .

38, the nonet for

wind and strings, op . 139, and the seventeen organ sonatas, which form notable additions to the literature of the instrument . He died in November 1901 .