Kistler, Cyrill (1848-1907) Germany

Cyril Kistler was born in Großaitingen, Swabia, in 1848. He attended the teacher training college in Lauingen (Swabia) from 1865 to 1867. After his first years of school teaching, he then turned his attention to music and composition. From 1876 to 1878, he was a student at the Royal Music School in Munich in the subjects organ and composition, among others at Josef Gabriel Rheinberger. He received the position as a lecturer for music theory at the princely conservatory in Sondershausen in 1883. From 1880 to 1892, he was editor of the magazine "Musikalische Tagesfragen, Organ für Musiker, Musikfreunde und Freunde der Wahrheit”. ('Daily Musical Questions, Organ for Musicians, Music Lovers and Friends of Truth). He founded his own music school in Bad Kissingen in 1884.
Kistler's musical work of more than 200 pieces includes operas, secular and religious choral movements, songs as well as organ and piano pieces. In 1904, he published his theory of harmony "The simple counterpoint and the simple fugue". In 1876, he met his future friend Richard Wagner in Bayreuth, whose work had a lasting influence on his compositions. Wagner himself described Kistler as his only worthy successor. The Kistler Tomb is located on the Chapel Cemetery and his bronze bust on the Cyril-Kistler-Platz in Bad Kissingen.