Fuge für Orgel nach Motiven des Chorals "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme"

Josef Schmid (1868-1945) was a German organist , choir director and composer.

Josef Schmid was born as the second of three siblings on August 30, 1868 in Munich. After attending the Ludwigsgymnasium , where he met his older classmate Richard Strauss , he studied composition with Josef Gabriel Rheinberger , theory with Ludwig Thuille and organ with Otto Hieber. At a young age, Schmid worked as a concert organist in the Kaim Hall, later known as the Tonhalle. In 1910, he married the harpist Pauline Beecke.

Schmid made a name for himself as a choir director in Munich where he led the Academic Choir and the men's choir "Liederhort".

For eleven years as organist in Heilig Geist Kirche, and from 1901, he worked for 43 years as cathedral organist in Munich (from 1918 "Royal Music Director"). Since he was poorly paid as a cathedral organist, he had to take on organ duties in Munich cemeteries . His work was ended by the destruction of the cathedral and the then eight-year-old Steinmeyer organ.

In the post-war chaos, Schmid's life ended a year later on 10 July 1945. He left behind a rich oeuvre that includes all musical genres and numbers around 400 works.

In the first half of the 20th century, Josef Schmid was one of the city's most influential musical personalities, particularly in church music. His legacy is now in the archives of the Munich Cathedral Music and the vast majority is in the music department of the Bavarian State Library. Dedications of his works to leading musical personalities such as Reger , Riemann, Straube in Leipzig, Guilmant in Paris and others testify to his involvement in cosmopolitan contemporary musical life.

"Fuge für Orgel nach Motiven des Chorals 'Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme'" is a fine, fine dating from 1906. This grand item, unknown to me, deserves a place in any organist's Advent repertoire!

The score is attached below, as well as a painting of Josef Schmid, and photos of the churches at which he served as organist.