Clemens Engels

Clemens Engels was born in Mettmann (Germany) in 1858. He was born blind or lost his eyesight at an early age and so attended a school for visually impaired, the "Rheinische Provinzial-Blindenanstalt" in Düren. After school Clemens Engels went on to study music at the conservatory in Cologne and returned as a music teacher to his former school in Düren in 1882. Clemens Engels worked at this school until his retirement around 1920. Among his students were the composer Hubert Pfeiffer and Alexander Reuss, who later became a publisher of Braille music scores. Clemens Engels died around 1935 in Düren.

Clemens Engels was also a prolific composer and created more than 100 compositions. Only a few were published, among them

• "3 Lieder aus der Mappe eines Blinden" and "Polka-Mazurka" by Carl Rühle in Leipzig,
• "4 vaterländische Lieder op.15" by Johann Andre in Offenbach,
• "Albumblatt" as a musical supplement for the journal "Fürs Haus",
• "Soldatenbrief" by E.Fischer,
• "Erinnerung an Chopin" and "Tanzkränzchen" by A. Sauerwald in Cologne,
• "5 volkstümliche Lieder" by Wilhelm Solinus Musikalienhandlung in Düren,
• "Jubiläums-Marsch" by his own school publishing company.

In my possession is the complete musical estate of Clemens Engels which I would like to present here. Below one can find an ordered list of his compositions and a few scores for free download.



Erinnerung an Frederic Chopin

The "Erinnerung an Frederic Chopin op.4" is a waltz for pianoforte and was composed in 1894. The work is dedicated to the wife of Eberhard Hösch. Eberhard Hösch and also his wife were important manufacturers and patrons in Düren.

Thema mit Variationen

The "Thema mit Variationen" is a composition for violin and piano. It is unknown when it was composed.

Lockung

The work "Lockung for four-part men's choir" op.7 was composed around 1895. It received at least one performance, that was in March 1900 in Vienna. The occasion was a concert dedicated purely to works by visually impaired composers. Performed composers were such better known names like Josef Labor, Attila Horvath or Rudolf Braun. Among 200 compositions the song "Lockung" by Clemens Engels was also chosen for the concert.

Die lustigen Wandermusikanten

As a music teacher Clemens Engels also composed music for students. This collection of 6 small pieces for piano is "easy to play" and dedicated to "old and young". It was composed around 1900. The title "The gay traveling musicians" points to the lighthearted and cheerful titles and themes: 1. Die Musikanten vor dem Schützenzug (Marsch); 2. Zum Tänzlein unter der Dorflinde (Mazurka); 3. Des lustigen Trompeters Solo (Polka); 4. Beim Ausflug auf buntbekränztem Leiterwagen (Walzer); Vor dem Circus, auf dem Jahrmarkt (Galopp); and 6. Im Schlosshofe (die Musikanten spielen ihre schönsten Weisen.

Festmarsch

The "Festmarsch für große Militärmusik" (Celebration march for large military band) is dedicated to German Emperor Wilhelm II and was most likely composed in 1888 when he was crowned emperor. The composition also exists in a piano reduction, but is here presented in its original instrumentation.

Compositions by Clemens Engels

Orchestral works:

• Quadrille for military band „Melodien-Strauss“ op.3
• Festmarsch (Kaiser-Parade-Marsch), for large military band
• Rheinfahrt, for orchestra
• Ave Maria, for solo, choir and orchestra (unfinished)
• Hermann-Marsch, for wind orchestra
• Frühlings-Chor mit Orchesterbegleitung (unfinished)

Chamber music:

• Die lustigen Wandermusikanten, for piano op.11
• Maiglöckchen, for piano op.90
• 4 Stücke, for piano
• Albumblatt, for piano op.10 (printed as musical supplement No.53 for the journal „Fürs Haus“ No. 630)
• Erinnerungen an Frederic Chopin, for piano op.4
• Toccata und Fuge, for piano
• Dreistimmige Fuge, for piano
• Walzer, for piano
• Rheinfahrt, for piano op.5 (unfinished)
• Ein Traum, for piano
• Frühlingswehen, for piano
• Festmarsch für die Jugend, for piano 4 hands
• Bilder aus dem Zigeunerleben, for piano 4 hands
• Die Widerspenstige, for piano
• Der Zauberer, for piano
• Zigeunertanz, for piano op.83
• Mazurka, for 2 zithers „Gruß vom Rhein“
• Finnländischer Reitereimarsch, for 2 zithers
• Paraphrase über „Letzte Rose“, for piano and harmonium (unfinished)
• Vor- und Zwischenspiele zu den 22 Einheitsliedern, for organ and harmonium
• Fuge, for organ
• Dreistimmige Fuge, for organ (1882)
• Ballade for cello and piano
• Thema mit Variationen, for violin and piano
• Nocturno for violin and piano „Gebet am Abend“
• Nocturno for violin and piano „Abendröthe“
• Variationen for violin and piano (unfinished)

vocal music:

• Frühlingslied (text by Maria Fürth)
• Wie ist doch die Erde so schön!
• Drei geistliche Lieder, for mixed choir op.68
• Gruß ans Prager Jesulein, for mixed choir (text by Peregrina)
• Drei Lieder, for four-part men's choir op.7 (No.1: Lied; No.2: So sei mit Gott gegrüßet; No.3: Lockung)
• Jagdlied, for four-part men's choir
• Der Wunderwein, for four-part men's choir (text by Josef Schregel)
• Studentenfahrt, for voice and piano (text by Josef Schregel)
• Der kluge Bursch, for voice and piano (text by Josef Schregel)
• Sturmlied 1914, for voice op.15 No.1 (1915) (text by Rudolf Herzog)
• Frühlingslied, for voice and piano
• Jugenderinnerung, for voice and piano
• Der frohe Wandersmann, for voice and piano
• Frühlingsmorgen, for voice and piano
• Sonntags am Meer, for men's choir (text by F.A. Muth)
• Wiederkehr, for voice and piano (text by Callenberg)
• Maiglöckchen, for voice and piano
• Das Volkslied, for four-part men's choir (text by Josef Schregel)
• Infanterielied, for 2 voices and piano (text by Josef Schregel)
• Ulanenlied, for voice and piano (1918)
• Puer natus est nobis (Weihnachtslied), for 2 voices and piano
• Muttergotteslied, for men's choir (1919) (No.1: Tantum ergo; No.2 Gottgeweihte; No.3: Dich aller Jungfrau'n krone)
• Behüt dich Gott, for men's choir op.40 (text by Carl Gerock)
• Andante religioso, for choir
• Feldgrau, for choir (text by Artur Rohbein)
• In Flandern, for choir (text by Aug. Gräf)
• Gesang der Deutschen, for choir op.15 No.4 (1914) (text by Gottfried Stommel)
• Der Reiter in Brabant, for choir (text by Heinrich Ruggel)
• General Emmich, for voice and piano (text by Josef von Hauff)
• Die Geschichte von Lüttich, for voice and piano op.15 No.3 (1914) (text found in „Tägl. Rundschau“)
• Hindenburg, for choir
• Soldatenlied, for choir (text by Erich Sommer)
• Warum bin ich Student am Rhein?, for voice and piano (text by Josef Schregel)
• Rheintreue, for voice and piano or choir alone (text by Josef Schregel)
• Wildröslein, for voice and piano or choir alone (text by Franz Peter Kürten)
• Rheinsehnsucht, for men's choir (1919) (text by Franz Peter Kürten)
• Der Goldschmied von Köln, for men's choir op.41 (text by Franz Peter Kürten)
• Der lose Kuckuck, for mixed choir (text by Franz Peter Kürten)
• Der Kindergesell, for voice and piano (text by Franz Peter Kürten)
• Der Nagelstock, for voice and piano (text byn Franz Peter Kürten)
• Le Buisson, for choir (text by Franz Peter Kürten)
• Unaussprechliche Liebe, for voice and piano (1929) (text by Franz Peter Kürten)
• Der Bindergesell, for voice and piano (text by Franz Peter Kürten)
• Musikantenlied, for men's choir
• Christus meine Zuversicht, for choir
• Lasset uns lieben das Kindlein von Bethlehem, for choir (text by Peregrina)
• Herbstlied, for choir (text by Geibel)
• Ach, die schöne Zeit ist hin, for choir
• Abschied vom Walde, for choir
• Der stille Grund, for choir (text by Eichendorff)
• Rückerinnerung, for choir (text by Wülfing)
• Abendfrieden, for choir op.40 (text by A. Harms)
• Reiterlied, for choir
• Strom und Leben, for voice and piano
• Altes Christnachtlied, for mixed choir (1925)