Editing Helmut Walcha (section)

== Biography ==

Walcha was born on 27 October, 1907 in Leipzig, Germany. After being vaccinated for smallpox at a young age, his eyesight slowly worsened until he became fully blind at age 19. Despite his disability, he entered the [[Felix Mendelssohn College of Music and Theatre|Leipzig Conservatory]] and became an assistant at the [[Saint Thomas Church (Leipzig)|Thomaskirche]] to [[Günther Ramin]], who was professor of organ at the conservatory and [[Thomaskantor]] (a position held by Bach himself). Some two decades later, Ramin would teach another renowned Bach interpreter and organist, [[Karl Richter (conductor)|Karl Richter]]. In 1929, Walcha accepted a position in [[Frankfurt]] am Main at the Friedenskirche and remained in Frankfurt for the rest of his life. From 1933 to 1938 he taught at the [[Hoch Conservatory]]. In 1938 he was appointed professor of organ at the [[Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts|Musikhochschule]] in Frankfurt and organist of the [[Dreikönigskirche, Frankfurt|Dreikönigskirche]] in 1946. He retired from public performance in 1981 and died in Frankfurt on 11 August, 1991.

Walcha recorded Bach's complete solo keyboard works twice, once in mono (1947–52) and in stereo from 1956 to 1971. The former (mono) cycle has been digitally re-mastered and re-issued as a 10-CD boxed set. This latter stereo cycle (released 10/09/2001), has been remastered, and repackaged in a 12-[[Compact Disc|CD]] box. This edition also contains the recording of his own conclusion of the last fugue of ''[[The Art of Fugue]]'' - previously unreleased.

Walcha's completion of the last fugue of ''The Art of Fugue'' was also recorded by his former pupil [[George Ritchie (organist)|George Ritchie]] as part of Ritchie's recording the work, released in 2010.

Walcha also composed for the organ. He published four volumes of original [[chorale prelude]]s (published by [[Edition Peters|C. F. Peters]] and recorded in part by, for example, Renate Meierjürgen<ref>[http://cat.opal-libraries.org/record=b1100821 OPAL Libraries]</ref>) as well as arrangements for organ of orchestral works written by others.

He lectured on organ music and composition (illustrated by his own playing) at the Hoch Conservatory and the Frankfurt Musikhochschule. One other contribution to music scholarship is his attempted completion of the final (unfinished) fugue of ''The Art of Fugue''.

Walcha taught many significant American organists of the twentieth century who travelled to Germany (some of them as Fulbright scholars): these include Robert Anderson, David Boe, Margaret Leupold Dickinson, Melvin Dickinson, Delbert Disselhorst, Betty Louise Lumby, Paul Jordan, David Mulbury, Fenner Douglass, Jane Douglass, Ray P. Ferguson, Grigg and Helen Fountain, Barbara Harbach, Charles Krigbaum, J. Reilly Lewis, George Ritchie, [[Margaret Vardell Sandresky]], and Russell Saunders - all of whom became major teachers and performers after their studies abroad.

A section of the documentary film ''[[Desert Fugue]]'' is about Walcha, and explains how he memorised music part by part, and passed on this method of learning counterpoint to his pupils.