Classical
Austria
Franz Xaver Gruber
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About Franz Xaver Gruber
Hometown
Austria
Born
1787
Genre
Classical
When the Austrian composer Franz Xaver Gruber was born the son of an impoverished weaver in 1787, he was destined to become known for one work. His setting of “Stille Nacht” (“Silent Night”) was written in haste on Christmas Eve 1818 and first performed later that day at the church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorf, near Salzburg, where he was choirmaster and organist. While legend contends that its swift creation and guitar accompaniment were the smart response to a last-minute problem with the St. Nikolaus organ, scholars have discovered that the instrument was in good condition. Whatever the impulse for Gruber’s Christmas song, its outcome has radiated around the world and been covered by the most famous popular singers in history, including Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Elvis Presley, and Dolly Parton. His prolific output as a composer includes another delightful Christmas song, “Welch ein Jubelton,” a German Te Deum, and a Mass in honor of the patron saint of music, St. Cecilia. Before his death in 1863, he ended his career as choirmaster of the parish church in Hallein, home today to the Silent Night Museum.
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