Friedrich Wilhelm Berner

Friedrich Wilhelm Berner, born at Breslau, Silesia, March 16, 1780, died there, May 9, 1827. Organist, pupil of his father, who was organist of the Elizabeth Church at Breslau, and his assistant when thirteen years old. He studied counterpoint and composition under Gehirnie, director of the choir at the Matthäus Church, and the violoncello, horn, bassoon, and clarinet under Reichardt. In company with Schnabel, Berner visited Berlin in 1811 to master the system of the Singakademie, with a view to establishing for the government similar institutions throughout Silesia, and he was employed also in cataloguing the musical libraries of the suppressed monasteries, a task which was cut short by his death. He wrote cantatas, marches, dances, etc. from 1792-1796; later (1799) he composed an elegy to Jules de Tarent, and a harmonized piece which was considered very fine. In 801 his productions became more characteristic; his best work is the 150th Psalm for four voices and orchestra; L'Hymne des Allemands with orchestra is also one of his best works. He wrote intermezzo, Der Kappellmeister, besides masses, canons, sacred choruses, and Lieder, of which his Deutsches Herz, verzage nicht is still popular. He excelled as a teacher.

Cyclopedia of Music and Musicians by John Denison Camplin, Jr. and William Foster Apthorp (Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1888)