August Freyer

"The first principles of singing," "A Practical organ tutor," and "The prinicples of harmony" are pedagogical works written by this respected Polish organist and composer. He studied with Schneider, Lenz, Pohlenz, and Elsner. Freyer played the double bass at the theatre in Warsaw until he succeeded Einert as the organist at the Evangelical Church. After having the organ rebuilt and giving a number of concerts -- arranging some as well -- Freyer helped to make the church one of Warsaw's major musical centers. Performances were among his forte and he frequented Warsaw, Krakow and Paris lauded and appreciated by such eminent composers as Mendelssohn, Spohr, Hesse and Glonka. As teacher of the organ at the Warsaw Institute of Music Freyer educated many important Polish musicians such as Moniuszko. His compositions can be divided into pieces for the virtuoso, the pupil, and accompaniment. Characteristic of his compositions were homophonic and polyphonic balance and a qualitative implementation of the organ's stops. ~ Keith Johnson