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Paul Benner
1877 - 1953
Switzerland
Paul Benner (07/11/1877 - 29/03/1953), a Swiss composer (born in Neuchâtel), choir conductor and pupil at the conservatory at Frankfort. He was a pupil of Emile Lauber. He was a teacher at Neuchâtel.
Paul Benner was born on 7th November 1877 in Neuchâtel. His father, Karl Friedrich Benner, came from Oehringen, Bad Würtemberg, Germany; his mother, Anna Prysi, from Blumenstein, canton Berne, Switzerland. He was a pupil of Emil Lauber and studied during three years, from 1898 till 1901, with Knorr and Bellwidt at the Conservatory of Frankfort. In 1899 he got the Swiss nationality, was the leader of music life in Neuchâtel and acknowledged Swiss composer till his death in 1953. He was famous for his improvisations at the organ of Temple du Bas in Neuchâtel.
1901: director of the choir of Eglise Indépendante 1905: director of the Choir Mixte d'Yverdon 1911: organist of the Eglise Indépendante Neuchâteloise at the Temple du Bas (church and concert hall) and director of the Société Chorale de Neuchâtel 1923: teacher at the Conservatoire de Neuchâtel for composition, harmony, counterpoint and fuga Paul Benner composed several important choral works which were executed during his life time but were soon forgotten after his death on 29th March 1953 in Neuchâtel, three weeks before the concert of De la harpe aux cymbales, sung by Société Chorale de Neuchâtel, conducted by his successor, Wilhelm Arbenz from Bienne. Redemption (Mortuus pro nobis - Et resurrexit), 1910 Requiem (ed. Foetisch), 1911 Poèmes de la mer (ed. Foetisch), 1916 La Baptême du Bourdon, 1917 Extase et Caravane, 1920 Liber apertus est, 1923 Mass in D minor (ed. Foetisch), 1932 De la harpe aux cymbales, 1938 Te Deum, 1945
Requiem
This Requiem (Op.10) is for soli SATB, mixed choir, orchestra and organ (ad libitum), edited by Foetisch Frères SA, Lausanne. First performance: 1914 in Neuchâtel, dedicated to La Société Chorale de Neuchâtel. The Requiem was transribed for male choir and executed in 1947 by the Orpheon, Neuchâtel.
It contains: 01. Requiem & Kyrie (soli SATB and choir) 02. Dies irae & Liber scriptus (bass and choir) 03. Recordare & Lacrymosa (soli SATB and choir) 04. Hostias (choir) 05. Sanctus & Benedictus (alto and choir) 06. Agnus Dei & Lux aeterna (soli SATB and choir)
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