Christ ist erstanden

Small and rather nice choral prelude by this for me rather unknown composer.

Theophil Forchhammer (1847-1923) received his first piano lessons from his father and conductor Heinrich Szadrowsky. From 1866 he studied organ, piano and musical composition with Immanuel Faißt, Sigmund Lebert and Wilhelm Speidel at the Stuttgart Conservatory. On Faißts recommendation he became organist in Thalwil near Zurich in 1867. In 1869 he became organist in Olten, in 1871 at St. Marien in Wismar. He also studied counterpoint with Friedrich Kiel in Berlin.

In 1878 Forchhammer came to Quedlinburg. Here he became organist at St. Benedikt and music teacher at the daughter school in 1879. He also worked as a conductor of several concert clubs and choirs. During the 18th Tonkünstler assembly of the General German Music Association he performed in 1881 on the Schnitger organ of the Johanniskirche in Magdeburg. In 1886 he succeeded August Gottfried Ritter as organist at the Magdeburg Cathedral.

From 1887 he taught music at the pedagogy of the Monastery of Our Lady Magdeburg. In 1888 he became Royal Music Director, and in 1905 he received the title of a professor. He taught at Max Sannemann's Conservatory and gave organ courses with Rudolph Palme from 1901. He ordered Ernst Röver to build the new cathedral organ, which was inaugurated in 1906.

Forchhammer was an important concert organist and organ improviser. He composed around 1800 chorale preludes, which are only partially published, as well as choral arrangements, fantasies and sonatas for the organ, piano works a piano trio, the oratorio "Queen Luise" and the setting of the 130th psalm for soli, choir and orchestra as well as piano arrangements for the symphonic Seals by Franz Liszt. With Bernhard Kothe (1821–1897), he published a guide to organ literature in 1890.