Three Chorale Preludes Set One

August Reinhard,
Born: November 27, 1831 - Ballenstedt, Germany
Died: November 27, 1912 - Ballenstedt, Germany
The German composer and author of a Harmoniumschule, August Reinhard, got his early cultural influences at the court of the Duke of Anhalt-Bernburg at Schloss Ballenstedt.

In 1850 August Reinhard received an employment at the Institute of Professor Dr. Carl Brinckmeier in Ballenstedt. In 1854 he was appointed by the Prince of Wittgenstein as a private teacher for his son. Finally he returned in 1868 returned to Ballenstedt. In 1888 he had to give up the occupation of teacher for health reasons, and dedicated himself from now on to the music, especially he supported the Harmonium. In 1901 he was appointed the professor h.c.

On his study trips with the Prince von Wittgenstein, August Reinhard visited the "Akustische Kabinett" of Kaufmann & Sohn in Dresden. There he played for the first time on a Druckwind harmonium, of which he became an expert. Reinhard did not see in the Druckwind harmonium cheap organ, but a keyboard instrument, which was able to produce expressive orchestral music. He gave special attention to the technical training of the harmonium playing, which he regarded as substantially different from the piano or organ playing. In 1877 the Berlin's publishing house Carl Simon published Reinhard's Harmoniumschule Op. 16, which sold over 40,000 copies up to Reinhard's death. Reinhard appeared publicly in harmonium concerts. One of his pupils was Paula Simon-Herlitz, the later daughter-in-law of his publisher. With the decline of the interest in the harmonium during the 20th Century, August Reinhard was almost forgotten. More recently there is some interest in the work of Reinhard.

These may be from the set 24 Choralvorspiele für Orgel oder Harmonium zum gottesdienstlichen Gebrauch Op. 51