Ulrike Wegele

A portrait of the renowned organist and textbook author

How did music influence your childhood and how did you get into playing the organ?

There was always a piano in my parents' house and I was allowed to take lessons at the age of five. I discovered my love for the organ at the age of six. In my hometown of Weingarten, the largest equestrian procession in Europe takes place every year on the Friday after Ascension Day. In the morning at six o'clock on this so-called 'Blood Friday' a festive mass is held in the basilica. I was not quite six years old when my grandfather took me there for the first time.

When the Mass celebration opened with an organ prelude and I heard Joseph Gabler's famous organ for the first time, I immediately fell in love with this instrument and - much to my grandfather's chagrin - spent the rest of the Mass celebration with my back to the altar and my eyes fixed on this unique prospect. I had to wait two years until my legs were long enough to just reach the pedal keys with the tips of my feet. My mother constructed a kind of harness for me that prevented me from slipping off the organ bench.

The centuries-old tradition of the largest equestrian procession in Europe in Weingarten. (Joseph Bayer - 1865)

How did your career aspirations come about?

At the age of twelve, my career aspiration was already clear: I wanted to become an organist. At that age I also taught my first students on the recorder. At fifteen I had my first organ students. It quickly became clear to me that teaching was my true passion.

You knew exactly what you wanted at a young age. That made your entrance exams unintentionally exciting....

My organ teacher during high school recommended that I apply to Ludger Lohmann at the conservatory of music in Stuttgart, but didn't tell me that it was customary to audition once for the teacher of my choice before taking the entrance exam. Nor did I know that an improvisation and an aural training test were required. At that time, there were 62 applicants for only two available places. In the aural test, I had a hit rate of maybe 10%, since I had never done a two-part note dictation before. At the audition, I was presented with two songs - due to my lack of knowledge - which I sang from sight.

You still passed!

I was very angry with myself and thought that I would definitely not get in. When a fortnight later I received a letter from the Conservatoire saying that I would have to retake the aural test after one semester, but that otherwise I would be given full marks and be assigned to Professor Lohmann, I could hardly believe my luck.

How did you become a professor yourself?

Although I studied church music and concert performance - because of the broad range of education - it was clear to me early on that I did not want to work as a church musician. My desire to teach had not diminished. Out of pure interest, I applied for a teaching post at the Musikhochschule in Graz while I was still studying at the University of Music in Vienna. Against all expectations, I got the job and am still there today in a different capacity.

What do you wish someone had told you before about your profession?

My job is exactly what I thought it would be. Teaching is a lot of fun, through concertizing you get to know not only special organs and people, but of course also interesting cities. I still enjoy giving master classes, lectures, and continuing education events very much, because there are always new encounters and impressions.

If you could collaborate with any particular musician/composer, who would you choose?

If it were possible, I would love to spend some time apprenticing with Johann Sebastian Bach. I have done a lot of research on Johann Sebastian Bach's teaching methods and have written a paper on the subject. Some things can be clearly proven, some things can be guessed, but much remains pure speculation. I have many questions. and would like to experience his way of teaching.

Recommendations for Organ

J. Alain

Complete Organ Works 1

Organ

N. Hakim

Expressions

Organ

N. Bruhns

Organ Works 1

Organ

G. Böhm

Sämtliche Orgelwerke

Organ

D. Buxtehude

The Collected Works 15

Organ

J.S. Bach

Complete Organ Works

Organ

C. Franck

L'Organiste – Orgelbearbeitung 1

Organ

C. Franck

L'Organiste – Orgelbearbeitung 2

Organ

F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy

New Edition of the Complete Organ Works I and II

Organ

J. Brahms

Werke für Orgel

Organ

R. Schumann

Werke für Orgel oder Pedalklavier

Organ

What are your absolute favorite pieces for organ?

There is no such thing as a favorite piece for me. I like a lot of Johann Sebastian Bach, of course, but I also enjoy playing North German organ masters like Dietrich Buxtehude, Nicolaus Bruhns or Georg Böhm. I like the music of the Rococo period, the music of the sons and pupils of J. S. Bach as well as the organ works of Cesar Franck, Felix Mendelssohn, Johannes Brahms or Robert Schumann. I like Jehan Alain and much of Naji Hakim, I like a lot.

What music do you listen to when you are alone?

How does the internet and technology affect the world of music, do you use digital sheet music?

The internet has changed the music world a lot. Often students come to me with bad editions that they downloaded somewhere for free. For me, good editions that stick to the autograph (keyword: Urtext edition) are very important. In general, the Internet is a blessing for research and studies; with little effort one can consult autographs in distant libraries.

I myself still play very conventionally from my music books, and I will continue to do so until I retire, but most of my students play from laptops or iPads. My generation carried bags of sheet music and reference books as a matter of course.

What is your favorite edition of sheet music that you own? Do you remember the first sheet music you were given as a child and the first sheet music book you bought for yourself?

I don't have a favorite edition of sheet music, but I always enjoy looking at the editions of Johann Sebastian Bach that are available in facsimile, such as the Orgelbüchlein, the 18 Chorals, and others, as well as facsimiles of other composers.

Do you think a particular activity that has nothing to do with music is important for musicians?

I think each and every music maker has to find the balance that works for them. For me, at least, it's exercise in the fresh air. I do Nordic walking regularly, which is good for me. In general, I love being outdoors, in the countryside, by the sea or in the mountains.

What are your dreams as an artist/writer? Is there anything you still want to achieve?

I don't have an unfulfilled dream as an artist. Perhaps one day I will write larger organ works, I have enough ideas. Perhaps there will be a second pedal book, the demand would be there. At the moment I am writing a novel in my spare time, which has nothing to do with playing the organ, a different form of creativity, but also very enjoyable.

Editor: Florian Boberski