Wiegand Auguste (1849-1904) was a notable Belgian organist, pianist, and composer. Born in Liège on January 14, 1849, he passed away in Oswego, United States, in May 1904.
Chevalier Auguste Wiegand holds the distinction of being the first Sydney City Organist, a role he occupied for a decade from 1891 to 1900. He arrived in Sydney in June 1891 and quickly presented the Council with a list of over 200 works, which he organized into his initial 20 programmes.
Wiegand's inaugural concerts drew immense audiences and have become legendary. His repertoire was impressively diverse; while he often performed compositions by Bach and other classical luminaries, he also demonstrated a flair for engaging with the public. His programmes included a mix of sacred, operatic, and popular music, seamlessly blending the Hallelujah Chorus with Rule Britannia, excerpts from Carmen with God Save the Queen, a Bach fugue, and dynamic storm effects.
Wiegand began his studies at the Conservatoire Royal de Liège in 1859, where he earned a first prize in harmony-counterpoint under E. Soubre, a silver medal for organ in 1868, and gilded silver medals for both piano and organ in 1869 under J. Duguet. Following his studies, he assisted his former teacher from 1869 to 1873 and also took on a teaching role in piano. He furthered his training in Brussels with J.-N. Lemmens and A. Mailly, who had established an organ course independently at the Karmelietenkerk.
His international career began promptly, with performances in cities including Brussels, Aachen, Amsterdam, London, Paris, Sheffield, and New York. Notably, during the 1878 World's Fair in Paris, he performed works by J.S. Bach, F. Chopin, A. Guilmant, L. Lefébure-Wély, and A. Mailly. Between 1883 and 1886, Wiegand spent three years in Antwerp, where he played various Anneesens organs in Antwerp, Ghent, and Geraardsbergen. He then resided in Ostend, serving as the organist at the Sint-Petrus-en-Pauluskerk from 1886 to 1889, and also performing at the Kursaal during the summer seasons of 1888 and 1889. Here, he gained renown for his fantasy and genre pieces, as well as his virtuosic arrangements. His Kursaal repertoire included works by J.S. Bach, A.-E. Batiste, G. Braga, J. Grison, A. Guilmant, G.F. Händel, A. Mailly, and his own compositions.
In 1891, Wiegand settled in Australia and was appointed Sydney's City Organist, where he played on what was then the largest organ in the world, giving over 1,700 concerts. He also composed fantasy pieces and created numerous arrangements. He remained in this role until 1900 before relocating to London. Tragically, during a tour in the United States, he passed away unexpectedly in Oswego. Wiegand's arrangements included works by G. Bizet, F. de Mol, A. Dupont, G.F. Händel, G.B. Martini, F. Mendelssohn, L. van Beethoven, and G. Verdi. Among his compositions are organ works such as Berceuse, Bouquet de fleurs (schottisch), Elévation, Gran Marcia del Rey de España, Improvisation et marche finale, Invocation, Marche Sainte-Cécile, Marche triomphale, Prayer on the Ocean, Pastorale, Prières, Romance sans paroles (Gondola), Meditation on the Lake of Galilee, The Storm Idylle (1900), and Waratah (valse de salon). Additionally, he composed a four-part mass with organ accompaniment, La Harpe de Sainte-Cécile for organ and harp/piano (1904), as well as orchestral works including Marche solennelle and Sérénade italienne.
Bibliography:
- Gregoir, E., ‘Wiegand, Auguste’, in Les artistes-musiciens belges au XVIIIme et au XIXme siècle, Brussels (etc.), 1885, pp. 476-477.
- Casier, A., Het muziekleven in het Kursaal te Oostende tussen 1852 en 1914, unpublished Lic. Verh., KUL, Leuven, 1984, pp. 352-355.
- Hostyn, N., ‘Wiegand, Auguste’, in Nationaal Biografisch Woordenboek, vol. 11, Brussels, 1985, cols. 832-835.
- Lannoo, L. and D’Hooghe, K., West-Vlaamse Orgelklanken, Bruges, 1997, p. 122.
- Félix, Jean-Pierre. Orgues, organistes et maîtres de chapelle à l'église SS. Pierre et Paul à Ostende (XVIe-XXe S.). Brussels, 1981, 76 pp. (Melanges d'organologie, III).
- J.P. Félix, Le Chevalier Auguste Wiegand (1849-1904).
- Lexicon van de muziek in West-Vlaanderen, Bruges, vol. 6, 2005.
- F. Roquet, Lexicon Vlaamse componisten geboren na 1800, Roeselare, 2007.
