Life Hermann Cohen (Carmelite)

1 life

1.1 life , musical career

1.1.1 franz liszt


1.2 conversion
1.3 discalced carmelite friar

1.3.1 reconciliation
1.3.2 mission england


1.4 final days

life
early life , musical career

he born in hamburg, 1 of 4 children of david abraham cohen , rosalie benjamin, part of large , prosperous jewish banking family. although not pious, parents members of reform judaism movement there , taught son hebrew , basics of jewish faith.

a gifted student, @ age of 4 began study piano, @ had became accomplished. praised teacher, had arranged successful concerts him @ age of 7 in altona , frankfurt, became spoiled focus of family s attention. teacher, acquired serious gambling habit, plague him many years. @ age of 12, mother resolved take him paris advance musical training, against wishes of husband, experiencing financial difficulties. undeterred, approached grand dukes george of mecklenburg-strelitz , francis of mecklenburg-schwerin, in order obtain financial support son. successful in quest, took children , moved paris. family arrived there in july 1834, learn that, foreigner, hermann denied admission famed paris conservatory.

franz liszt

this rejection led significant direction in cohen s life. rosalie cohen able persuade renowned pianist franz liszt take son on pupil. despite reluctance, after hearing him play , taken looks, liszt accepted him pupil. cohen became favorite student. liszt himself had been nicknamed putzig (german little cute guy ) own teacher, carl czerny, began call cohen puzzi, diminutive form of word. liszt accepted cohen social circle, introducing him friends, author george sand , radical priest, abbé de lamennais, both became charmed boy. sand began dote on boy , called him le mélancolique puzzi. lamennais gave young jewish boy autographed copy of work, paroles d un croyant—for priest had been excommunicated pope gregory xvi—with inscription: souvenirs offerts à mon cher petit puzzi.

the following june, liszt left paris without warning new lover, countess marie d agoult, , moved geneva, began teach @ founded geneva conservatory of music. devastated sudden loss of mentor, cohen persisted in begging liszt allow him join him there, liszt relented. cohen s arrival in liszt circle in geneva earned him long-held enmity of countess. abilities continued grow under liszt’s watchful eye. on 1 october 1835 cohen played in concert sponsored princess cristina trivulzio belgiojoso. liszt , 2 other pianists, played in four-piano brilliant potpourri on folk airs czerny. same month liszt entrusted boy 10 students of own. @ age 13, cohen’s career appeared headed greatness.

by cohen had become liszt s constant companion, accompanying him , countess on holiday trips through swiss countryside. them , sand on notorious trip chamonix. later wrote, circumstances led me interior of family unsanctified marriage ties. dissolute circle appeared world, liszt felt himself responsible boy s moral professional development , cohen touched when liszt gave him bible. cohen felt deep religious experience in course of 1 trip, when liszt played improvisation of dies irae mozart s requiem on grand organ of cathedral of st. nicholas cathedral in fribourg.

in 1837 liszt , circle returned paris, princess had arranged famed competition between him , greatest rival of period, sigismond thalberg. came know cohen @ time , became friend , patron. when increasing debts threatened drown him, arranged concert, prove unsuccessful, apparently due lack of training idle lifestyle of gambling , dissolution had adopted. shock of failure led cohen return hamburg, sought father. alone , in financial straits himself, elder cohen had no interest in helping son. cohen turned former patron, grand duke george of mecklenburg-strelitz, sponsored several concerts him raise funds. successful enough allow him return paris. there met popular italian singer named mario, whom formed partnership. duo traveled london, cohen improved skills , experienced number of successes concerts.

again saddled debts, 1839 cohen began estranged mentors, both liszt , princess, result of lifestyle. countess d agoult used affair had married woman in campaign in attempt discredit him in liszt s eyes, nonetheless kept cohen companion concert tours around europe until end of 1840. ties liszt not without own consequences. friedrich wieck, father of future clara schumann, began criticize publicly both liszt , cohen in newspapers in leipzig. furious @ liszt supporting robert schumann in own lawsuit against wieck: show cause why twenty-year-old daughter clara should not marry schumann . liszt shrugged off charges cohen did not , took wieck court, won case.

the year 1841 saw final rupture between cohen , liszt, when teenager accused of embezzling funds concerts liszt had given in dresden. unable persuade liszt of innocence. felt life had been wrecked, later calling experience result of plot hatched in hell . spent next 5 years traveling around europe mother , sister henriette, playing concerts , composing works piano.

conversion

cohen settled in paris in october 1846, shared apartment artist friend. following spring met , fell in love popular circus rider, celeste mogadar, whom shared deep love of music. relationship ended, however, when broke off abruptly, indicating felt called place life in hands of god. disgusted life, began seek spiritual guidance, visiting churches of city, spend hours in prayer.

in may 1847, while playing organ benediction service in former church of st. valerius (french: saint valère), became overwhelmed intense experience of submission, again experienced @ same service next day, @ time thought came him should become catholic. while in ems, germany, give concert, again overwhelmed during services in local church there , resolved take step.

cohen had never known priest besides lamennais , confused in whom confide. introduced marie theodor ratisbonne, fellow jewish convert, who, in turn introduced him abbé legrande. under instruction, cohen trained in catholic faith , baptized, baptismal name of marie-augustin-henri, on 28 august, feast day of namesake, st. augustine. baptism took place in chapel of our lady of zion, in presence of ratisbonne, founder, , many jewish catholics. @ baptism, experienced apparition of christ, blessed virgin mary, , multitude of saints, bathed in brilliant light, overwhelming experience of love.

cohen received confirmation following 3 december archbishop of paris, denis auguste affre. support of jean-baptiste de bouillé, archbishop of poitiers, out of own experience, began efforts popularize practice of nocturnal adoration of blessed sacrament general faithful.

cohen felt called priest. first approached benedictine monks of abbey of solesmes, known studies revival of gregorian chant. declined application. next turned jean-baptiste henri lacordaire, o.p., in process of re-establishing dominican order in france, after destruction during french revolution. counseled cohen find order more monastic dominicans. cohen explored more austere branch of carmelite order, discalced, (or barefoot) carmelites, follow reforms of spanish mystics, john of cross , teresa of avila, of jewish ancestry. felt called order, claim having originated on mount carmel in israel, under prophet elijah. being recent convert barrier admission, however, due church law, required personal visit rome obtain dispensation.

discalced carmelite friar

cohen gave farewell concert cleared debts, required before admitted order, in days before revolution of 1848. instead of joining fight in streets, @ favorite devotion, spending night in adoration before exposed blessed sacrament. entered discalced carmelite novitiate @ le broussey, in rions, france, on 19 july of year. received religious habit on 6 october 1849, being given religious name of augustine mary of blessed sacrament. professed religious vows member of order on 7 october 1850. began study theology. in faced major challenge, formal education had stopped @ age of ten. having been granted exemption of required courses, ordained priest on 19 april 1851.

once ordained, cohen launched himself ministry of preaching, lead him capitals of europe. preached thousands in geneva, bordeaux, lyon, , in paris before huge crowds in prominent churches, such saint-sulpice , sainte-clotilde. poet, charles baudelaire, wrote found cohen s sermons fascinating. fiery eloquence , interest caused conversion made him popular preacher, despite limited studies. became main figure in restoration of carmelites in france, taking active role in founding of several priories of friars in south of france: bagnères-de-bigorre (1853), lyon (1857) , hermitage in tarasteix, near lourdes (1857).

reconciliation

by 1852, cohen , liszt, known generosity of spirit, had renewed association through correspondence. cohen invited former mentor visit him in france, liszt, living in weimar, unable do. several years later, liszt s daughter countess reported father mother had undergone change of heart , had come admire cohen. liszt returned offer in 1857, pleading illness not being able travel.

in june 1862, both cohen , liszt happened in rome. time, liszt himself cleric, being in minor orders , franciscan tertiary. met first time in years, spending 3 weeks together, playing music , walking in coloseum. time, mother, maria anna liszt, had ceased view cohen antisemitism had exhibited life prior that.

mission england

cohen s fame preacher led invitation cardinal wiseman come england re-establish carmelite order, after suppression in dissolution of monasteries in 16th century, received special blessing pope pius ix. arrived in london in 1862, having £7 (c. ₤550 in modern funds) support work. opened new priory public religious procession, first held english catholics since time of tudors. gained further public attention ministry in 1864, when faced jeering crowd while administering last rites 6 catholic sailors hanged on gallows of newgate prison. lauded bravery times of london.

final days

in 1867 cohen retired hermitage had founded in tarasteix, france. during period, eyesight began fail , diagnosed glaucoma. spurning surgery prescribed doctors, chose make pilgrimage shrine of our lady of lourdes. bathing eyes there miraculous spring attributed shrine, sight restored. returned life of solitude in france cured, living there in peace next few years.

cohen s life uprooted, however, outbreak of franco-prussian war in 1870, when german nationals expelled france. though exempted french government, , surviving immediate family living in france, chose go exile in geneva, switzerland following october. heard of large numbers of french prisoners being held in spandau prison, outside berlin @ time. despite failing health, volunteered minister them, , moved berlin in november. found facility crammed on 5,000 prisoners living in squalid conditions, of whom ten percent suffering serious infectious diseases, including smallpox.

as prison chaplain, cohen worked tirelessly alleviate needs of french prisoners, distributing relief supplies in addition spiritual services. said daily mass, regularly drawing 500 attendees, , heard frequent confessions. careless, however, administering last rites 2 prisoners own hands instead of prescribed spatula. within 2 months, began exhibit symptoms of smallpox himself, dying on 19 january 1871. remains buried in st. hedwig s cathedral in berlin. after destruction of church during world war ii remains transferred cathedral cemetery. in 2008 remains exhumed , transferred priory in le broussey had entered carmelite order.