Friedrich Wilhelm Markull (February 17, 1816, Reichenbach – April 30, 1887, Gdańsk)

Friedrich Wilhelm Markull was a German organist, pianist, and composer. He was born in Reichenbach (now in Poland), which was then located within Prussian territory. He received his initial piano and organ instruction from his father, who served as Kapellmeister at St. Anne's Church in Elbląg. At the age of 10, he studied piano with Karl Kloss (1792–1853) and harmony with Christian Urban (1778–1860). Kloss, the former, was a musician who had studied with Daniel Gottlob Türk, known for his Klavierschule. After serving as an organist in Elbląg, Kloss became Kapellmeister in Danzig (now Gdańsk), a city in the Kingdom of Prussia located on the Baltic Sea. Urban, the latter, was also a musician residing in Danzig for the same position.

In 1833, Markull moved to Dessau, where he studied composition and organ with Court Kapellmeister Friedrich Schneider (1786–1858). In the spring of 1835, he returned to Danzig and earned a living as a piano teacher. The following year, he was appointed principal organist of St. Mary's Church in Danzig (at the time, the second-largest Lutheran church in the world) and president of the local Vocal Society. In 1845, he was also appointed vocal professor at the gymnasium in Danzig, and two years later, he was granted the title of "Royal Kapellmeister." In addition to his concert activities, he also worked as a critic for local magazines, contributing significantly to the flourishing musical life of Danzig for half a century.

Works

The works he published during his lifetime number 137 with opus numbers. In addition, his works without opus numbers include the operetta Walpurgis Night, arrangements (symphonies by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert), editions (Mozart's Lieder, collections of works by Schubert and Weber), and original organ compositions. The focus of his creative output was on vocal, piano, and organ works. His piano works include dance pieces such as Four Mazurkas, Op. 4, and Polonaise, Op. 67; character pieces reminiscent of Schumann, such as On a Journey – Nine Fantasies, Op. 45, and Forest Life – Tone Pictures, Op. 53; and medium-scale works like Descriptive Pieces Based on German Folk Songs, Opp. 46, 47, 54, Ballade, Op. 66, and Barcarolle, Op. 68.

References

• New Grove Online
• François-Joseph Fétis, « Markull (Frédéric-Guillaume) », Biographie universelle des musiciens et bibliographie générale de la musique, vol. 5, Paris, Firmin-Didot, 1878, p. 458.