Fantasie über “Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott” (2011)

Andreas Willscher (b. 1955) — Fantasie über “Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott” (2011) for organ

German composer and organist Andreas Willscher (b. 1955) studied composition, theory, and organ in his native Hamburg. In 1971 he was appointed organist of the St. Francis Church in Hamburg and in 2000 at the church of St. Joseph-Wandsbek. In addition, he has been keyboardist for several jazz and rock ensembles. Willscher has received many awards and commissions for his compositions, which range widely in form: from symphonic music and oratorios to cabaret and rock scores. His organ works are very diverse, ranging from large-scale post-tonal pieces to some that blend elements of the traditional repertoire (especially French romantic music of the late 19th century) with contemporary jazz and pop influences. His 40 organ symphonies form the largest known body of work in that genre in the musical repertoire. In addition to his own composition and performing activities, Willscher has published a number of articles in journals and encyclopedias and has been very active in collecting and preserving lost and forgotten music from earlier eras. One of his most significant research projects was his “Lexikon sudetendeutscher Orgelmusik” (Lexicon of Sudeten/Bohemian-German Organ Music), published in 2020 after many years of research.