View source for Josef Venantius von Wöss

{{Short description|Austrian composer, church musician, bandmaster, music teacher}}
{{Infobox person
| name          = Josef Venantius von Wöss
| image   	    = Josef Venantius von Wöss (1863–1943) © Max Fenichel (1885–1942) OeNB 12992452.png
| image_upright = 0.9
| caption       = Wöss in the 1930s
| birth_date    = {{birth date|1863|06|13|df=y}}
| birth_place   = [[Kotor|Cattaro]], [[Kingdom of Dalmatia]]
| death_date    = {{death date and age|1943|10|10|1863|06|13|df=y}}
| death_place   = Vienna
| other names   = Josef Venantius von Wöß
| education     =
| occupation    = {{ubl | Composer | Academic teacher }}
| organizations =
| awards        =
| parents       =
}}
'''Josef Venantius von Wöss''' (13 June 1863 – 22 October 1943) was a Viennese church musician, composer, teacher of harmony and music publishing lector. He is known for piano transcriptions of large-scale works by [[Gustav Mahler]] for [[Universal Edition]].
== Life and career ==
Wöss was born in [[Kotor|Cattaro]], [[Kingdom of Dalmatia]] (now [[Montenegro]]),<ref name="Boisits" /> the son of an Austrian army captain (''[[Hauptmann]]'').<ref name="Cologne" /> The family moved to Vienna in 1866, where he received his first piano instruction from his mother and his uncle, Richard Löffler. He studied music from 1880 at the [[Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien#Geschichte|Konservatorium der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde]] with [[Franz Krenn]]. From 1882, he worked as choral conductor of several men's choruses. He was a music teacher at the Militär-Oberrealschule in [[Hranice na Moravě|Mährisch Weißkirchen]] from 1886 to 1889. He then worked in Vienna as ''Korrektor'' for the Notenstecherei Waldheim-Eberle, a music publisher, until 1907. He also taught harmony at the Kirchenmusik-Vereinsschule of the [[Votivkirche Wien|Votivkirche]] in 1892 and 1893.
Wöss worked for [[Universal Edition]] in Vienna from 1908 to 1931, where he focused on [[Reduction (music)|piano reductions]] and arrangements.<ref name="Boisits" /> These included Mahler's symphonies with vocal parts (3, 4 and 8), ''[[Das klagende Lied]]''<ref name="McClatchie" /> and ''[[Das Lied von der Erde]]''.<ref name="UE" /> For the latter, he also wrote a thematic analysis, including complete referencing of the texts.<ref name="Filler" /> He also worked on publications of works by [[Anton Bruckner]] and [[Richard Wagner]].<ref name="Boisits" /> He was church musician at the {{ill|Kalvarienbergkirche, Vienna|de|Kalvarienbergkirche (Wien)|lt=Kalvarienbergkirche}} and the {{ill|Redemptoristenkirche, Hernals|de|Redemptoristenkirche (Hernals)|lt=Redemptoristenkirche}} in [[Hernals]], and as music teacher. In the 1899/1900 season, he conducted a concert of the [[Wiener Singakademie]]. He was also reporter for the trade journal ''Musica divina'', and a member of the society [[Denkmäler der Tonkunst in Österreich]]. He was awarded the title professor in 1926.<ref name="Boisits" />
[[File:Josef Venantius von Wöss Hernalser Friedhof.jpg|thumb|Grave in the Hernalser Friedhof]]
[[File:Josef Wöss Detail.jpg|thumb|Detail of the gravestone]]
Wöss died in Vienna at age 80, and was buried in the Hernalser Friedhof where he was granted a grave of honour.<ref name="Boisits" />
== Work ==
Wöss composed mainly sacred music and chamber music.<ref name="Boisits" /><ref name="arved" /> His sacred music followed the ideas of the [[Cecilian Movement]].<ref name="Boisits" /><ref name="Cologne" />
Choral sacred compositions by Wöss include:<ref name="Cologne" />
=== Masses ===
* ''Missa in coena Domini'', [[Opus number|Op]]. 3g, in [[F major]] for mixed choir [[a cappella]]
* ''Missa in Honorem Beatae Mariae Virginis'', Op. 32a No. 2, in [[C minor]]
* ''Messe zu Ehren der Hl. Cäcilia'', Op. 32a No. 3, for mixed choirand organ, in E minor
* ''Missa in adorationem Ss. Trinitatis'', Op. 45, for soloists, mixed choir, wind instruments and timpani (or organ)
* ''Missa in honorem Ss. Innocentium'', Op. 62, in [[E major]], for mixed choir and organ
=== Other major works ===
* Te Deum in [[C major]], Op. 3a <!--,  für gemischten Chor, Orgel, 2 Trompeten, 2 Hörner, 3 Posaunen und Pauken (Bläser ad lib.)-->
* ''Requiem breve'' in [[G major]], Op. 3f, for mixed choir and organ<!--    Sieben Gradualien und die Pfingst-Sequenz op. 7 für gemischten Chor, teilweise a cappella, teilweise mit Begleitung der Orgel
Zwölf Offertorien op. 14 für gemischten Chor a cappella-->
* Te Deum in [[E minor]], Op. 57, for mixed choir, organ and orchestra (or only organ)
=== Hymn melodies ===
Two of his [[hymn]] melodies, both to texts by [[Guido Maria Dreves]], are contained in the German Catholic hymnal ''[[Gotteslob]]'': "[[Gelobt seist du, Herr Jesu Christ]]" (GL 375) and "[[Ein Danklied sei dem Herrn]]" (GL 382).<ref name="Cologne" />
=== Mahler transcriptions ===
Wöss published many piano arrangements for Universal Editions, including:<ref name="McClatchie" />
* ''[[Das klagende Lied]]'': vocal score with piano reduction
* [[Symphony No. 3 (Mahler)|Symphony No. 3]]: arrangement for piano duet
* [[Symphony No. 4 (Mahler)|Symphony No. 4]]: arrangement for piano duet
* [[Symphony No. 8 (Mahler)|Symphony No. 8]]: piano arrangement/s
* ''[[Das Lied von der Erde]]'': vocal score with piano reduction (1912)
* [[Symphony No. 9 (Mahler)|Symphony No. 9]]: arrangement for piano duet (1912)
== References ==
{{reflist
| refs =
<ref name="Boisits">{{cite encyclopedia
| last = Boisits
| first = Barbara
| url = https://www.biographien.ac.at/oebl_16/310.pdf
| title = Wöss (Wöß), Josef Venantius (von)
| encyclopedia = [[Österreichisches Biographisches Lexikon 1815–1950]]
| publisher = Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften
| location = Vienna
| date = 2019
| language = de
| access-date = 30 March 2022
}}</ref>
<ref name="Filler">{{cite book
| last = Filler
| first = Susan Melanie
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=tURqifAqXgMC&pg=PA323
| title = Gustav and Alma Mahler: A Research and Information Guide
| publisher = [[Routledge]]
| location = Oxford
| date = 2008
| isbn = 978-0-41-594388-8
}}</ref>
<ref name="McClatchie">{{cite book
| last = Mahler
| first = Gustav
| editor-last = McClatchie
| editor-first = Stephen
| title = The Mahler Family Letters
| publisher = Oxford University Press
| location = Oxford
| date = 2006
| isbn = 978-0-19-534267-3
| oclc = 276335884
}}</ref>
<ref name="arved">{{cite book
| url = https://arved.priv.at/woess/werkeverzeichnis.html
| title = Verzeichnis der Werke von Josef Venantius von Wöss
| website = arved.priv.at
| access-date = 30 March 2022
}}</ref>
<ref name="Cologne">{{cite web
| title = Komponistenportrait Josef Venantius von Wöss
| website = [[Diocese of Cologne]]
| url = https://gemeinden.erzbistum-koeln.de/stifts-chor-bonn/service/komponisten/Woess.html
| language = de
| access-date = 30 March 2022
}}</ref>
<ref name="UE">{{cite book
| url = https://www.universaledition.com/gustav-mahler-448/works/das-lied-von-der-erde-1817
| title = Gustav Mahler: The Song of the Earth
| publisher = [[Universal Edition]]
| access-date = 4 April 2022
}}</ref>
}}
==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{IMSLP|id=Wöss, Josef Venantius|cname=Wöss, Josef Venantius}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Woss, Josef V. Von}}
[[Category:1863 births]]
[[Category:1943 deaths]]
[[Category:Austrian male composers]]