Friederike Helene Emma Fronmüller (8 September 1901 – 13 March 1992) was a German

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

church musician and composer, who published as Frieda Fronmüller.

Life and work

Born in

Lindau Lindau (german: Lindau (Bodensee), ''Lindau am Bodensee''; ; Low Alemannic German, Low Alemannic: ''Lindou'') is a major Town#Germany, town and Lindau (island), island on the eastern side of Lake Constance (''Bodensee'' in German) in Bavaria, Ge ...

, Fronmüller was a daughter of Paul Fronmüller, who in 1914 became pastor of

St. Michael Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...

in Fürth, Bavaria, and remained on the post until 1935. She received private music lessons, and the studied music in Leipzig and from 1925 to 1930 at the Nürnberg Conservatory, where she graduated with distinction. In 1923, during her studies, she became organist at the Fürth church, in 1932 also choral conductor. She held both posts until her retirement in 1964. In 1955, she was the first woman who was awarded the title

Kirchenmusikdirektor Kirchenmusikdirektor (KMD, director of church music) is a German title for professional church musicians (' who have responsibility for not only a parish but a larger region, in both Protestant and Catholic church music. The title is also sometimes ...

in. She was honoured in 1966 with the Schulmusikpreis of Fürth, and in 1971 with the

Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

. Fronmüller composed sacred

cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir. The meaning of ...

motet In Western classical music, a motet is mainly a vocal musical composition, of highly diverse form and style, from high medieval music to the present. The motet was one of the pre-eminent polyphonic forms of Renaissance music. According to Margar ...

s and songs, as well as

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numb ...

. Her

chorale cantata A chorale cantata is a church cantata based on a chorale—in this context a Lutheran chorale. It is principally from the Germany, German Baroque music, Baroque era. The organizing principle is the words and music of a Lutheran hymn. Usually a chora ...

s for choir and brass became popular and were performed often. Her melody to

Philipp Spitta Julius August Philipp Spitta (27 December 1841 – 13 April 1894) was a German music historian and musicologist best known for his 1873 biography of Johann Sebastian Bach. Life He was born in , near Hoya, and his father, also called Phil ...

's 1827 hymn " Freuet euch der schönen Erde" appears in the Protestant hymnal '' Evangelisches Gesangbuch'' as EG 510, as one of few melodies by a woman. Fronmüller died in

Nuremberg Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...

, aged 90.

References

External links

Fronmüller, Frieda
' {{DEFAULTSORT:Fronmuller, Frieda 20th-century classical composers Sacred music composers People from Fürth People from the Kingdom of Bavaria Recipients of the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 1901 births 1992 deaths Kirchenmusikdirektor