Nagiller, Matthäus, composer and Kapellmeister. * Münster (Tyrol), 10/24/1815; † Innsbruck, 07/08 /1874. Son of a farmer; received his first music lessons from the choir director Pichler in Schwaz, was already a school teacher in Telfs before 1834, then went to Innsbruck and studied music theory with Goller in 1834-36. In 1837 he went to Vienna and became a composition student of Preyer at the Conservatory. In 1840 he was awarded the First Composition Prize. In 1842 Nagiller moved to Paris and taught music theory according to a method he had invented with such great success that he was appointed professor at the conservatory. He founded the ''Mozart-Verein'' a German singing society, with which he organized concerts. The performance of his 1st Symphony caused a sensation. In 1846/47 he undertook a concert tour to Cologne, Frankfurt a. Main, Leipzig, Berlin and Hamburg, where his compositions were received with great acclaim. The February Revolution of 1848 put an end to his activities in Paris and the Mozart-Verein He seems to have spent the following years on concert tours. In 1852-54, Nagiller directed the house chapel of Franz Frh. v. Goldegg in Partschins bei Merano. From 1854-61 he spent most of his time in Munich, composing new works, but despite appreciative reviews of his concerts, he was unable to find a permanent position either here or in Salzburg (application as conductor of the ''Dom-Musikverein'' and Mozarteum) or in Coburg (where the Duke had awarded him the Golden Medal for Art and Science). Finally, in 1862, Nagiller became Kapellmeister of the ''Musikverein'' in Bolzano (also Chormeister of the ''Liedertafel'') and in 1866 went to Innsbruck in the same position, where he made a name for himself especially as organizer of the Tyrolean music festivals, at which oratorios were performed with musicians from all over the country. Nagiller was an epigone of the classical period, in whose compositions lyrical traits emerged. His sensational initial successes led one to expect greater things than he was able to accomplish in the following years. Church music was a special concern of his, and he worked to improve it. Especially his "country masses" enjoyed great popularity and were performed until the middle of the 20th century.
