Samuel Kummer | |
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 Kummer at the organ console of theFrauenkiche, 2009 | |
| Born | (1968-02-28)28 February 1968 Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany |
| Died | 23 April 2024(2024-04-23) (aged 56) Dresden, Saxony, Germany |
| Education | State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart |
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| Website | www |
Samuel Kummer (28 February 1968 – 23 April 2024) was a Germanorganist, from 2005 to 2022 at theFrauenkirche in Dresden. When he took the position at the restored church, destroyed by bombing in World War II, with a newKern organ, he programmed a first recital with music byBach,Brahms,Reger,Louis Vierne and his own. In concerts and in church services, he was particularly known for hisimprovisations. He played concerts internationally and made award-winning recordings. He taught at the Hochschule für Kirchenmusik Dresden from 2007.
Kummer was born inStuttgart[1] on 28 February 1968.[2] He studiedchurch music at theState University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart, organ withChristoph Bossert [de],Werner Jacob andLudger Lohmann, and specificallyorgan improvisation [de] withWillibald Bezler [de],Hans Martin Corrinth [de] andWolfgang Seifen.[1][3] He tookmaster classes withMarie-Claire Alain,Hans Fagius,Lorenzo Ghielmi,Olivier Latry andJean-Claude Zehnder.[3] He passed hisA exam [de] in 1997 with a distinction in improvisation.[1][3]
Kummer performed in concert from 1988, in Europe, the Americas and Japan.[3][4] He played in concert series including the European Organ Festival inMaastricht, where in 1996 he won the first prize in theConcours L'Europe et L'Orgue, and the International Bach Festival in Warsaw.[1] He gave concerts at theCologne Cathedral,[4]Riga Cathedral, theTabernacle in Salt Lake City,[1]Saint Petersburg Philharmonia, andSuntory Hall in Tokyo.[4] He played several times at theGuatemala Cathedral, where he supported the restoration of the 1937Walcker organ[1] in 1999.[3]
In 1998 Kummer was appointed aLutheran district church musician (Bezirkskantor [de]) inKirchheim unter Teck.[1][5] During his tenure he conducted severaloratorios, includingFrank Martin'sIn terra pax. He instituted a concert series,Orgelmusik zur Marktzeit (Organ music at market time),[1][3] and played the complete organ works ofJohann Sebastian Bach.[3]
On 11 May 2016, the centenary ofMax Reger's death, he played Reger'sVariationen und Fuge über ein Originalthema, Op. 73, at theKonzerthaus Dortmund, broadcast live byWDR.[6]
In 2005, Kummer was appointed the organist at theFrauenkirche in Dresden, when the church was reopened after the completion of its restoration fromdestruction in World War II.[1][7] The restoration included a newKern organ, an instrument for all musical styles, instead of the church's BaroqueSilbermann organ. For his inaugural recital, Kummer chose music by Bach,Brahms,Reger,Louis Vierne and his own composition.[8] He shaped the profile of music there in many regular services, according to the church adding "depth and spirituality" by his playing, especially in improvisation.[2] He co-founded a concert series,Dresdner Orgelzyklus (Dresden Organ Cycle), which includes performances on the organs of three churches in Dresden, theKreuzkirche, theHofkirche, and the Frauenkirche.[1] In addition he performed as organ soloist at the Frauenkirche in orchestral works including theOrgan Symphony by Saint-Saëns with theStaatskapelle Dresden andJoseph Jongen'sSymphonie Concertante with theChemnitz Philharmonic[3] in 2007.[1]
From 2007, Kummer was also adozent for organ repertoire, liturgical performance and improvisation at theHochschule für Kirchenmusik Dresden [de].[9]
Kummer was dismissed from the Frauenkirche in 2022 with stated reasons of unreliability and unpunctuality.[7][10] Music journalist Claus Fischer of theMDR commented at the time that Kummer was perhaps more an artist than an organiser, and thus not ideally suited to the position.[4]
Kummer was married to Irena Renata Budrytė-Kummer.[2] He died on 23 April 2024, at the age of 56. According to his family, he collapsed atDresden Main Station on his way to teaching inWürzburg,[4][7] where he had been appointed to a summer position at theHochschule für Musik.[11]
Kummer recorded a CD with organ music by Bach andDuruflé forCarus in 2005, the first CD recorded at the Frauenkirche,[3] to critical acclaim.[1] In 2007, he recorded Louis Vierne'sOrgan Symphonies Nos. 3 and 5,[8] beginning a complete recording of the composer's organ works following the new edition by Carus. It was awarded aDiapason d'Or.[3]
In 2020 he recorded Bach'sThe Art of Fugue at the organ ofSt. Wenzel [de] inNaumburg, built byZacharias Hildebrandt; the instrument was approved in 1748 by Bach and Silbermann and is the largest extant organ that Bach is known to have played.[12] A reviewer wrote:
Kummer takes great care, as the music progresses and the registrations become more imposing, to maintain clarity at all times in the contrapuntal lines. Never did I hear definition lost at any time throughout. He revels in the textures of the denser fugues, such as Contrapunctus 11 a 4, emphasizing the more subtle lines. Registration choices show ingenuity and resourcefulness. In short, Kummer displays a great maturity of vision.[12]
The recording was awarded thePreis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik.[13]
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