Karl Ludwig Wilhelm Gerok (27 January 1906 – 28 June 1975) was a German organist, composer and organ teacher.
Career
Karl Ludwig Gerok was born in
Oberfischach, the grandson of , a Stuttgart prelate and preacher (''Oberhofprediger'') at the ''Schlosskirche'', the court church of the
Stuttgart palace, and the author of ''Palmblätter''. Karl Ludwig Gerok studied
organ
Organ may refer to:
Biology
* Organ (biology), a part of an organism
Musical instruments
* Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone
** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument
** Hammond ...
at the
Musikhochschule Stuttgart under organist
Arnold Strebel and then with
Karl Straube in
Leipzig.
From 1930, Gerok was cathedral organist in
Halberstadt.
He worked from 1946 as an organ teacher at the School of Church Music (''Kirchenmusikschule'') in
Esslingen am Neckar and later at the Musikhochschule Stuttgart where he taught ''Künstlerisches und liturgisches Orgelspiel'' (Concert and church organ playing). Among his students were composer
Edgar Rabsch (
de) (1928–1990) as well as
Helmuth Rilling.
He was the author of the standard work ''Lehrgang der Orgelimprovisation'' (Course of organ improvisation, 1976).
From 1948, Gerok was organist at and from 1958 to 1969 served as organist of the collegiate church
Stiftskirche, Stuttgart. During this time he was also a significant contributor and editor of the collection
Württembergisches Choralbuch, which includes 15 chorale preludes on hymns such as "
Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir", "
Herzliebster Jesu" and "
Gelobt sei Gott im höchsten Thron". Prelude on "Christ ist erstanden" (1933) and "O Traurigkeit, o Herzeleid" (1940) appeared in ''Neue Choralvorspiele zu den Liedern des Evangelischen Kirchengesangbuchs'' (New chorale preludes to songs of the Protestant hymnal) in Tübingen in 1976.
Gerok died in
Murrhardt
Murrhardt is a town in the Rems-Murr district, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located 12 km east of Backnang, and 18 km southwest of Schwäbisch Hall. The source of the Murr is situated in Murrhardt.
Local council (Gemeinder ...
where he is buried on the ''Walterichsfriedhof''.
Literature
* Volker Lutz: ''Erinnerungen an Karl Gerok.'' In: ''Württembergische Blätter für Kirchenmusik'', 2006, Nr. 1.
* ''Karl Ludwig Gerok, Organist an der Stiftskirche Stuttgart, Lebensstationen.'' In: Programmheft der Petruskirche zum 100. Geburtstag
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gerok, Karl
German organists
German male organists
1906 births
1975 deaths
20th-century German composers
State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart alumni
20th-century organists
20th-century German male musicians