The Augustinian Hermit Fr. Alexius Molitor was born as Johann Adam Mueller in Simmershausen/Rhoen on November 19th, 1730 to Johann Adam Georg Mueller and his wife Susanne, born Fleck. In the years 1743 to 1748 he studied at the Augustinian school in Muennerstadt and was there temporarily notary of the student congregation. In 1748 Molitor became novice at the Augustinian convent of Oberndorf, where he took over his monastic name Alexius and definitely changed his name into Latin.  Already during his noviciate he was labelled as a composer. On October 24th, 1749 he professed to the Augustinian monastery Muennerstadt. After his profession he studied philosophy either in Constance or in  Freiburg/B. Afterwards he moved to the convent of Mainz in 1752 at the latest where he studied theology at the university. On December 22nd, 1753 Molitor was ordained. In the Augustinian monastery of Mainz he was confessor and preacher as well. Since the year 1761 he was „Director chori musici“ in Mainz. Fr. Alexius died peacefully on June 16th, 1773 in Mainz on hot tempered fever. Molitor was considered „Musices Compositor famosissimus“ among his contemporaries. The broad distribution of his works not only in Augustinian convents but also in libraries of other orders or princes underlines the high esteem towards this composer.

Catalogue of Works:
manuscript:
18 Masses, 2 Requiems, 2 Oratories, 1 Offertory, 1 Alma Mater, 1 Motet, 1 Te Deum

Last Updated: 26 February 2022

The Augustinian Hermit Fr. Alexius Johann was born in Steinach on November 1st, 1753 as Johannes Nikolaus Johann from the couple Michael and Anna Johann. In the years 1769 till 1773 he studied at the Augustinian school in Muenerstadt and was temporarily organist, consultor and prefect of the student congregation. On August 14th, 1774 he professed to the Augustinian monastery of Muennerstadt and took over the monastic name Alexius. At first he studied philosophy in Muennerstadt. Afterwards he moved to Freiburg/B., where he studied theology in the timespan 1775 till 1778 . Supposedly he also studied music in Freiburg where he worked as organist and composer. Already during his study years in Muennerstadt and Freiburg/B. he was appointed organist. On  September 21st, 1777 he was ordained. In 1783 at the latest he moved to Mainz, where he worked as confessor, preacher and professor of the second, and later also of the third class. In the school year 1792 to 1793 he was teacher at the monastic school of Muennerstadt. After the secularization Johann was private reverend in Mainz till 1809 and afterwards parish priest in Heidenheim till 1821. Finally he was cathedral vicar at Mainz, where he died on July 26th, 1826.

Catalogue of Works:
manuscript/missing:
Masses, Vespers, Operas, 1 School theater, 1 Requiem

Last Updated: 31 December 2018

Georg Joachim Joseph Hahn was born and baptized in Muennerstadt on July 24th, 1712. After attending the Augustinian school in the years 1725 to 1730 he was most probably scrivener at the Juliusspital in Wuerzburg till he came back to Muennerstadt. In his home town he was Chori Rectore at the parish church St. Magdalene, rector of the Latin school, as well as jurat or senator at  the local city council. The main focus of his compositional work was sacred vocal music. Furthermore he made his mark as a theorist of the general bass. Hahn died in Muennerstadt on January 21st, 1772. The necrology underlines that he presided 36 years long with best experience and inexhaustibly as rector over the Latin school and over the chori musici. Among his students are apart from the famous monastic composer P. Alexius Molitor from Simmershausen P. Cajetan Bonfig, P. Alexius Johann, P. Johannes Evangelista Ortloff und P. Coelestin Wuest.

Catalogue of Works:
165 Sacred Arias, 22 Antiphons, 16 Versets, 14 Masses, 10 Preambels, 3 Vespers, 2 Sonatas

Last Updated: 31 December 2018

Fr. Felix Gass was born in Neustadt/Saale on August 8th, 1715 as first child of the couple Johannes and Susanna Margaretha Gass, born Hundertpfundt, and baptized under the name Georg Anton.  His father Johannes Gass was a clerk of the bishopric office in Neustadt.

After attending classes at the Augustinian school Gass professed to the Augustinian monastery of Muennerstadt on November 6th, 1733. In the following year he moved to the Augustinian convent of Uttenweiler where he studied moral theology. Probably after his studies he returned back to his home monastery of Muennerstadt. Therefrom Br. Felix was sent  to Freiburg/B. in June 1737. On March 28th, 1739 Gass was ordained.

In the year 1740, Gass was confessor and organist in the Augustinian convent of St. Maurice in Fribourg/CH. In the year 1743 at the latest, Gass moved again to Freiburg/B. In Freiburg/B, Gass had the duties of a confessor and organist.

Gass died on February 20th, 1752 at the age of only 36 on a pulmonary catarrh that led to suffocation. All extant sources characterize him as an excellent organist and a much celebrated composer. Furthermore, he was a deeply religious and spiritual man. The prior of Muennerstadt writes about him:

„His musical abilities in playing the organ have been fully-trained and he was known as an excellent organist. Unfortunately, he was snatched in prosperous manhood from the music choir on earth and associated to the music choir in heaven as a sacred singer evermore."

At the time of the publication of his only preserved work Gass was organist in Freiburg/B. The regrettably undated work was most probably written after his return from Fribourg/CH, thus between 1743 and 1745. This work with piano arias for the keyboard bears the Baroque title „David ludens ad arcam Dei“ (= „David plays in front of the Ark of the covenant“) and was printed in Augsburg by the Protestant publisher Johann Christian Leopold the Elder (1699–1755) [RISM G 469]. This collection totally attached to the piano setting contains 30 Arias for the keyboard. The carefreeness with which Gass used song and dance pieces for a  liturgical setting, testifies to late Baroque sensibility and extraversion. On account of easy playablilty he spares alto and tenor voices. Besides this printed work the necrology testifies further compositions: 12 Masses, 12 Offertories and 24 Concertos. These manuscripts have been lost so far. Furthermore Gass published a short manual to choral singing in 1746. 

The Augustinian Hermit Fr. Felix Gass from the Rhoen area has left an interesting heritage that should be rediscovered by music enthusiasts and musicologists in the future.

Catalogue of Works
30 Piano Pieces
manuscript/missing:
12 Masses, 12 Offertories and 24 Concertos

Last Updated: 31 December 2018

Fr. Cajetan Bonfig was born in Unsleben on September 28th, 1730 as Johannes Petrus Bonfig to the couple Petrus und Elisabeth Bonfig. In the years 1743 to 1748 he studied at the Augustinian school of Muennerstadt and was temporarily consultor and prefect of the student congregation. On October 24th, 1749 he professed to the Augustinian monastery of Muennerstadt and took over the monastic name Cajetan. Afterwards he moved as a novice to Oberndorf where he was already an organist. SInce the year 1752 at the latest Fr. Cajetan studied theology in Mainz. On December 22nd, 1753 he was ordained. In the Augustinian convent of Mainz he had the duties of confessor, preacher, alms collector and procurator. Bonfig died in Mainz on January 26th, 1797.

Catalogue of Works:
manuscript:
Arias, Minuets, Fugati

Last Updated: 26 February 2022