By Franz Liszt; Letters Collected by La Mara and Translated

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

By Franz Liszt; Letters Collected by La Mara and Translated Letters of Franz Liszt, Volume 2: "From Rome to the End" by Franz Liszt; letters collected by La Mara and translated Letters of Franz Liszt, Volume 2: "From Rome to the End" by Franz Liszt; letters collected by La Mara and translated This etext was produced by John Mamoun with the Online Distributed Proofreading Team of Charles Franks. Letters of Franz Liszt, Volume 2: "From Rome to the End" by Franz Liszt; letters collected by La Mara and translated by Constance Bache CONTENTS BRIEF BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH FRONTISPIECE TO VOLUME II, HONORING LISZT TABLE OF LETTER CONTENTS THE LETTERS OF FRANZ LISZT, VOL. 2 INFO ABOUT THIS E-TEXT EDITION page 1 / 711 BRIEF BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH The Austrio-Hungarian composer Franz Liszt (1811-1886) was a pianistic miracle. He could play anything on site and composed over 400 works centered around "his" instrument. Among his key works are his Hungarian Rhapsodies, his Transcendental Etudes, his Concert Etudes, his Etudes based on variations of Paganinini's Violin Caprices and his Sonata, one of the most important of the nineteenth century. He also wrote thousands of letters, of which 399 are translated into English in this second of a 2-volume set of letters (the first volume contains 260 letters). Those who knew him were struck by his extremely sophisticated personality. He was surely one of the most civilized people of the nineteeth century, internalizing within himself a complex conception of human civility, and attempting to project it in his music and his communications with people. His life was centered around people; he knew them, worked with them, remembered them, thought about them, and wrote about them using an almost poetic language, while pushing them to reflect the high ideals he believed in. His personality was the embodiment of a refined, idealized form of human civility. He was the consummate musical artist, always looking for ways to communicate a new civilized idea through music, and to work with other musicians in organizing concerts and gatherings to perform the music publicly. He also did as much as he could to promote and compliment those page 2 / 711 whose music he believed in. He was also a superlative musical critic, knowing, with few mistakes, what music of his day was "artistic" and what was not. But, although he was clearly a musical genius, he insisted on projecting a tonal, romantic "beauty" in his music, confining his music to a narrow range of moral values and ideals. He would have rejected 20th-century music that entertained cynical notions of any kind, or notions that obviated the concept of beauty in any way. There is little of a Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Cage, Adams, and certainly none of a Schoenberg, in Liszt's music. His music has an ideological "ceiling," and that ceiling is "beauty." It never goes beyond that. And perhaps it was never as "beautiful" as the music of Mozart, Bach or Beethoven, nor quite as rational (Are all the emotions in Liszt's music truly "controlled?"). But it certainly was original and instructive, and it certainly will linger. FRONTISPIECE TO VOLUME II, HONORING LISZT I. We welcome thee, from southern sunnier clime, To England's shore, And stretch glad hands across the lapse of time To the once more. page 3 / 711 II. Full twice two decades swiftly have rolled by Since thou wast here; A meteor flashing through our northern sky Thou didst appear. III. Thy coming now we greet with pleasure keen, And loyal heart, Adding tradition of what thou hast been To what thou art. IV. No laurel can we weave into the crown Long years entwine, Nor add one honour into the renown Already thine: V. page 4 / 711 Yet might these roses waft to thee a breath Of memory, Recalling thy fair Saint Elizabeth Of Hungary VI. We welcome her, from out those days of old, In song divine, But thee we greet a thousand fold, The song is thine! --C.B. [Presumably written by Constance Bache, this trite paean would likely not have appealed to Liszt, who repeatedly affirmed his humility.] TABLE OF LETTER CONTENTS (LETTER NUMBER, FOLLOWED BY ADDRESSEE) 1. Dr. Franz Brendel. December 20th, 1861 2. A. W. Gottschalg in Tieffurt. March 11th, 1862 3. Dr. Franz Brendel. April 12th, 1862 4. Mme. Jessie Laussot in Florence. May 3rd, 1862 page 5 / 711 5. Dr. Franz Brendel. June 12th, 1862 6. the same. July 12th, 1862 7. the same. August 10th, 1862 8. the same. August 29th, 1862 9. the same. November 8th, 1862 10. A.W. Gottschalg. November 15th, 1862 11. Eduard Liszt. November 19th, 1862 12. Dr. Franz Brendel. December 30th, 1862 13. Breitkopf and Hartel. March 26th, 1863 14. A.W. Gottschalg in Weimar. April 14th, 1863 15. Dr. Franz Brendel. May 8th, 1863 16. Eduard Liszt. May 22nd, 1863 17. Dr. Franz Brendel. June 18th, 1863 18. the same. July 18th, 1863 19. Breitkopf and Hartel. August 28th, 1863 20. Dr. Franz Brendel. September 7th, 1863 21. Dr. Gille in Jena. September 10th, 1863 22. Dr. Franz Brendel. October l0th, 1863 23. Mme. Jessie Laussot. October 15th, 1863 24. Dr. Franz Brendel. November 11th, 1863 25. Breitkopf and Hartel. November 16th, 1863 26. Dr. Franz Brendel. January 22nd, 1864 27. the same. May 28th, 1864 28. Dr. Franz Brendel. June 13th, 1864 29. The Committee of the Society for the Support of Needy Hungarian Musicians in Pest. June 18th, 1864 30. Eduard Liszt. June 22nd, 1864 31. Dr. Franz Brendel. July 1st, 1864 page 6 / 711 32. Walter Bache in London. July 2nd, 1864 33. ? August 7th, 1864 34. Eduard Liszt. September 7th, 1864 35. Breitkopf and Hartel. September 14th, 1864.93 36. the same. October 1st, 1864 37. Mme. Jessie Laussot. March 6th, 1865 38. Dr. Franz Brendel. April 3rd, 1865 39. Prince Constantine (Hohenzollern-Hechingen). May 11th, 1865 40. Breitkopf and Hartel. May 27th, 1865 41. Dr. Franz Brendel. July 21st, 1865 42. Abbe Schwendtner. September 20th, 1865 43. Dr. Franz Brendel. September 28th, 1865 44. Eduard Liszt. November 1st, 1865. 45. Dr. Franz Brendel. January 14th, 1866 46. the same. June 19th, 1866 47. the same. October 2nd, 1866 48. Breitkopf and Hartel. October 4th, 1866 49. Dr. Franz Brendel. January 6th, 1867 50. Dr. Cuturi in Pisa. January 22nd, 1867 51. Julius von Beliczay in Vienna. April 29th, 1867 52. Mme. Jessie Laussot. May 24th, 1867 53. Eduard Liszt. June 20th, 1867 54. William Mason. July 8th, 1867 55. E. Repos in Paris. July 12th, 1867 56. Prince Constantine Czartoryski.October 14th, 1867 57. Eduard Liszt. October 16th, 1867 58. the same. October 20th, 1867 59. Peter Cornelius. October 23rd, 1867 page 7 / 711 60. Eduard von Liszt. November 6th, 1867 61. E. Repos. November 8th, 1867 62. Mme. Jessie Laussot. January 13th, 1868 63. DP. Franz Brendel. January 26th, 1868 64. Walter Bache. January 30th, 1868 65. Dr. Franz Brendel. March 31st, 1868 66. Johann von Herbeck. June 9th, 1868 67. Dr. Franz Brendel. June 17th, 1868 68. E. Repos. July 1st, 1868 69. Carl Riedel in Leipzig. August 12th, 1868 70. E. Repos. August 26th, 1868 71. Dr. Siegmund Lebert in Stuttgart. September 10th, 1868 72. E. Repos. September 19th, 1868 73. C.F. Kahnt. September 20th, 1868 74. E. Repos. September 22nd, 1868 75. Dr. S. Lebert. October 19th, 1869 76. Richard Pohl in Baden-Baden. November 7th, 1868 77. Johann von Herbeck. December 1st, 1868 78. Dr. Siegmund Lebert. December 2nd, 1868 79. Eduard von Liszt. December 6th, 1868 80. Johann von Herbeck. December 29th, 1868 81. Edvard Grieg. December 29th, 1868 82. Carl Bechstein in Berlin. January 19th, 1869 83. Johann von Herbeck. January 27th, 1869 84. E. Repos. March 3rd, 1869 85. Laura Kahrer in Vienna. April 15th, 1868 86. Franz Servais. May 21st, 1869 87. William Mason. May 26th, 1869 page 8 / 711 88. Heinrich Schulz-Beuthen. June 18th, 1869 89. Franz Servais. July 4th, 1869 90. Mme. Jessie Laussot. July 16th, 1869 91. Camille Saint-Sa2ns. July 19th, 1869 92. the same. August 4th, 1869 93. Mme. Jessie Laussot. October 7th, 1869 94. Dr. Ludwig Nohl. November i7th, 1869 188 95. Princess Wittgenstein. November 27th, 1869 96. Franz Servais. December 20th, 1869 97. Dr. Franz Witt in Ratisbon. Towards end of 1869 98. Dr. Siegmund Lebert. January loth, 1870 99. C.F. Kahnt. February 11th, 1870 100. Dr. Gille. February 26th, 1870 101. Baroness Schwartz in Crete. March 15th, 1870 102. Camille Saint-Saens. May 12th, 1870 103. Johann von Herbeck. June 20th, 1870 104. Sophie Menter. August 11th, 1870 105. the same. August 29th, 1870 106. Kornel von Abranyi in Budapest, November 2nd, 1870 107. Sophie Menter. March 22nd, 1871 108. Edmund von Mihalovich in Budapest. May 29th, 1871 109. Marie Lipsius. July 23rd, 1871 110. Franz Servais. August 25th, 1871 111. Walter Bache. October 25th, 1871 112. Marie Lipsius. October 25th, 1871 113. Breitkopf and Hartel. November 22nd, 1871 114. Mme. Anton Rubinstein. January 9th, 1872 115. Edmund von Mihalovich. April 18th, 1872 page 9 / 711 116. Johanna Wenzel. June 10th, 1872 117. Wilhelm von Lenz. September 20th, 1872 118. Otto Lessmann. September 26th, 1872 119. Eduard von Liszt. November 6th, 1872 120. Princess Wittgenstein. January 10th, 1873 121. Eduard von Liszt. January 13th, 1873 122. Dr. Emil Thewrewk von Ponor in Budapest. January 14th, 1873 123. Dr. Franz Witt. January 20th, 1873 124. Eduard von Liszt. January 28th, 1873 125. the same. February 10th, 1873 126. the same. March 3rd, 1873 127. Mme. Jessie Laussot. March 30th, 1873 128. Casar Cui. May, 1873 129. Franz Servais. June 5th, 1873 130.
Recommended publications
  • Im Doppler-Affekt
    Magazin der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Wien April 2013 Im Doppler-Affekt Eine philharmonische „Doppleriade“ mit Walter Auer und Karl-Heinz Schütz Franz und Karl Doppler: Im 19. Jahrhundert galten die beiden Brüder und Mitglieder der Wiener Philharmoniker als die Flötisten schlechthin. Walter Auer und Karl-Heinz Schütz, philharmonische Soloflötisten der Jetztzeit, widmen ihren Vorgängern einen Abend im Gläsernen Saal. Wem sind sie heute noch geläufig, die Namen der vielen virtuosen Pioniere des sich im 19. Jahrhundert institutionalisierenden öffentlichen Musiklebens? Wer weiß sie noch zu würdigen, jene stupenden Musiker, die durch ihre gewinnende Umtriebigkeit das Fundament für den modernen Konzertbetrieb legten, sich als verdienstvolle Pädagogen hervortaten und nebenbei die Spieltechniken ihrer jeweiligen Instrumente revolutionierten? Natürlich haben sich Niccolò Paganini, Frédéric Chopin und Franz Liszt unauslöschlich in die Musikgeschichte eingeschrieben. Aber wie steht es um die Klarinettisten Baermann und Hermstedt, die Cellisten Romberg, Dotzauer und Popper oder die Flötistenbrüder Franz und Karl Doppler? Ihre effektvollen Kompositionen werden heute zumeist nur noch bei Vortragsabenden des musikalischen Nachwuchses von Tanten und Großeltern beklatscht. So manchen Eltern und Nachbarn sollen die gefälligen Kantilenen und Läufe, abhängig von der jeweiligen Übeintensität, dagegen schon zu Kopf gestiegen sein … Wunderkinder an der Flöte Den Flötisten Franz und Karl Doppler wird nun im Musikverein die seltene Ehre zuteil, dem Milieu der Vortragsabende entrissen und von zwei Meistern ihres Fachs abendfüllend im besten Licht präsentiert zu werden. Walter Auer und Karl-Heinz Schütz, Soloflötisten an der Wiener Staatsoper und bei den Philharmonikern, nehmen den 130. Todestag von Franz, dem Älteren der beiden, zum Anlass, auf die Vielseitigkeit der sehr oft im Doppel in Erscheinung tretenden Brüder hinzuweisen.
    [Show full text]
  • Institute of Germanic and Romance Studies University of London
    Institute of Germanic and Romance Studies University of London Closs / Priebsch Family Papers (reference Closs) To order material, please use the reference (Closs) with the box and file numbers and a description of the item: (eg) Closs box 5 file 1 C.F. Carter – letter, Harrow 1946 and translation of Hoenderlin’s Der Archipelago NB Do not use sub-fonds references (eg Closs/ACT) when ordering material. Table of contents of boxes Acquired material: 1-2, 67 August Closs: 3-36, 51-66, 68 Robert Priebsch: 37-39, 68-9 Hannah Priebsch-Closs: 40-45 Elizabeth Closs-Traugott: 46-49 Alois Closs: 50 1 Box 1 file 1 16th and 17th Century material Hexenprozesse: MSS - 3 folio booklets in originally yellow paper folders, without doubt the original records of the women's trials. Catharina Stroblin, farmer in Schernfeld. Arrested, suspected of witchcraft on Friday 24 November 1617, questioned by the Malefiz Commissarios, and on 26 January 1618 run through with a sword and then burned. Appolonia Nueberin, brewer, 32 years old. Arrested on suspicion of witchcraft on 10 May 1623. On 23 June 1623 she was also executed and burned. Bill put in to cover costs of difficulties caused by and rewards offered for the executed magical persons during the years 1617, 1628 and 1629, by Hans Schoelern. Box1 file 2 Original charter to over 5 hides of land and a farm Sold by Nette, servant of Graf Dieterich von Plesse to a nunnery. Pergament, cut off sharply at the top and torn at the bottom without loss of text.
    [Show full text]
  • April 1911) James Francis Cooke
    Gardner-Webb University Digital Commons @ Gardner-Webb University The tudeE Magazine: 1883-1957 John R. Dover Memorial Library 4-1-1911 Volume 29, Number 04 (April 1911) James Francis Cooke Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/etude Part of the Composition Commons, Ethnomusicology Commons, Fine Arts Commons, History Commons, Liturgy and Worship Commons, Music Education Commons, Musicology Commons, Music Pedagogy Commons, Music Performance Commons, Music Practice Commons, and the Music Theory Commons Recommended Citation Cooke, James Francis. "Volume 29, Number 04 (April 1911)." , (1911). https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/etude/568 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the John R. Dover Memorial Library at Digital Commons @ Gardner-Webb University. It has been accepted for inclusion in The tudeE Magazine: 1883-1957 by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Gardner-Webb University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. TWO PIANOS THE ETUDE FOUR HANDS New Publications The following ensemble pieces in- S^s?^yssL*aa.‘Sffi- Anthems of Prayer and Life Stories of Great nai editions, and some of the latest UP-TO-DATE PREMIUMS Sacred Duets novelties are inueamong to addthe WOnumberrks of For All Voices &nd General Use Praise Composers OF STANDARD QUALITY A MONTHLY JOURNAL FOR THE MUSICIAN, THE MUSIC STUDENT, AND ALL MUSIC LOVERS. sis Edited by JAMES FRANCIS COOKE Subscription Price, $1.60 per jeer In United States Alaska, Cuba, Po Mexico, Hawaii, Pb’”—1— "-“-“* *k- "•* 5 In Canada, »1.7t STYLISH PARASOLS FOUR DISTINCT ADVANCE STYLES REMITTANCES should be made by post-offlee t No.
    [Show full text]
  • THE MARKETS Sales & Demographic Data on The
    www.musictrades.com DECEMBER 2014 THE MARKETS THE RANKINGS THE PLAYERS Sales & Demographic The World’s Top 225 Profiles Of Data On The World’s Music Products Companies That Are Top Markets Companies Ranked Driving The Industry By Revenue GLOBAL MUSIC PRODUCTS MARKETS ing reflects management’s goal to offer exceptional pianos at every price point. The pianos are distributed throughout Europe, North America, and most recently, China through a network of partners. Chairman Karl Schulze explains, “Our goal has been to offer a range of products that deliver value for the money and will secure our market position over the longer term.” This long-term outlook has been sup- ported by a well over €35 million investment in buildings and equipment at the Seifhennersdorf and Hradec Kralove operations. High-tech comput- er controlled machinery is used in the production of metal parts, such as the cast iron frame, and basic wooden com- ponents including rim parts. The machinery shapes component parts to precise tolerances but hasn’t automated piano production. Rather it has freed up Workers at the modernized Seifhennersdorf, Germany plant, site of Bechstein pro- craftsmen for tasks such as action duction. The company produces its W.Hoffman line in Hradec Kralove in the Czech adjustment and regulating that require a Republic. skilled hand and a discerning ear. Both plants also boast precise climate control systems and acoustically optimized rooms for the intonation process, which BECHSTEIN reflects the emphasis on quality. Much of the global piano industry is awash in red ink, and the past decade PIANO GROUP has seen several high-profile European piano makers fold.
    [Show full text]
  • Franz Liszt Die Orchesterwerke Im Originalklang
    Franz Liszt Die Orchesterwerke im Originalklang Orchester Wiener Akademie Martin Haselböck The Sound of Weimar Franz Liszt (1811–1886) The Sound of Weimar Liszts Orchesterwerke im Originalklang / The Authentic Sound of Liszt’s Orchestral Works I Eine Sinfonie nach Dantes Divina Commedia S 109 A Symphony to Dante’s Divina Commedia, S 109 1 Inferno 20:49 2 Purgatorio – 16:41 3 Magnifi cat 6:27 4 Evocation à la Chapelle Sixtine 15:09 (Violinsolo / Solo Violin: Ilia Korol) Frauen des Chorus sine nomine / Women of the Chorus sine nomine (Johannes Hiemetsberger Chorleiter / Choir Master) II Eine Faust-Symphonie in drei Charakterbildern S 108 A Faust Symphony in Three Character Sketches, S 108 1 I. Faust 26:59 2 II. Gretchen 17:36 2 3 III. Mephistopheles – IV. Chorus Mysticus 23:45 Steve Davislim Tenor / tenor Männer des Chorus sine nomine / Men of the Chorus sine nomine (Johannes Hiemetsberger Chorleiter / Choir Master) III 1 Les Préludes, S 97 15:35 Sinfonische Dichtung Nr. 3 / Symphonic Poem No. 3 2 Orpheus, S 98 10:27 Sinfonische Dichtung Nr. 4 / Symphonic Poem No. 4 3 „Ce qu’on entend sur la montagne“ (Berg-Symphonie), S 95 30:12 Sinfonische Dichtung Nr. 1 / Symphonic Poem No. 1 IV 1 Hunnenschlacht, S 105 16:25 Sinfonische Dichtung Nr. 11 / Symphonic Poem No. 11 2 Hungaria, S 103 23:07 Sinfonische Dichtung Nr. 9 / Symphonic Poem No. 9 3 Mazeppa, S 100 18:33 Sinfonische Dichtung Nr. 6 / Symphonic Poem No. 6 3 V 1 Tasso. Lamento e trionfo, S 96 20:41 Sinfonische Dichtung Nr.
    [Show full text]
  • The Ninth Season Through Brahms CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL and INSTITUTE July 22–August 13, 2011 David Finckel and Wu Han, Artistic Directors
    The Ninth Season Through Brahms CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL AND INSTITUTE July 22–August 13, 2011 David Finckel and Wu Han, Artistic Directors Music@Menlo Through Brahms the ninth season July 22–August 13, 2011 david finckel and wu han, artistic directors Contents 2 Season Dedication 3 A Message from the Artistic Directors 4 Welcome from the Executive Director 4 Board, Administration, and Mission Statement 5 Through Brahms Program Overview 6 Essay: “Johannes Brahms: The Great Romantic” by Calum MacDonald 8 Encounters I–IV 11 Concert Programs I–VI 30 String Quartet Programs 37 Carte Blanche Concerts I–IV 50 Chamber Music Institute 52 Prelude Performances 61 Koret Young Performers Concerts 64 Café Conversations 65 Master Classes 66 Open House 67 2011 Visual Artist: John Morra 68 Listening Room 69 Music@Menlo LIVE 70 2011–2012 Winter Series 72 Artist and Faculty Biographies 85 Internship Program 86 Glossary 88 Join Music@Menlo 92 Acknowledgments 95 Ticket and Performance Information 96 Calendar Cover artwork: Mertz No. 12, 2009, by John Morra. Inside (p. 67): Paintings by John Morra. Photograph of Johannes Brahms in his studio (p. 1): © The Art Archive/Museum der Stadt Wien/ Alfredo Dagli Orti. Photograph of the grave of Johannes Brahms in the Zentralfriedhof (central cemetery), Vienna, Austria (p. 5): © Chris Stock/Lebrecht Music and Arts. Photograph of Brahms (p. 7): Courtesy of Eugene Drucker in memory of Ernest Drucker. Da-Hong Seetoo (p. 69) and Ani Kavafian (p. 75): Christian Steiner. Paul Appleby (p. 72): Ken Howard. Carey Bell (p. 73): Steve Savage. Sasha Cooke (p. 74): Nick Granito.
    [Show full text]
  • Gestalten Und Schöpfen
    Magazin der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Wien Jänner 2009 Gestalten und Schöpfen Staatsoperndirektoren und -dirigenten als Liederkomponisten Lieder komponierende Direktoren und Dirigenten. Was an der Wiener Staatsoper lange Zeit schöne Tradition war, erklären Ildikó Raimondi, Peter Matic und Charles Spencer im Musikverein zum Thema ihres Abends in der Reihe „Lied.Bühne“. Sie haben es tatsächlich getan – sie haben Lieder komponiert, und zwei von ihnen mit großem, ja mit größtem Erfolg: Gustav Mahler und Richard Strauss. Die anderen sekundierten mit mehr oder weniger bedeutenden Leistungen: Johann von Herbeck, Felix von Weingartner oder Clemens Krauss, Bruno Walter und Karl Böhm. In Herbeck, Weingartner und Krauss brannte noch das Feuer schöpferischer Begeisterung, obwohl die Hingabe an die musikalische nachgestaltende Arbeit des Opern- und Konzertbetriebs die Kräfte für selbständiges Schaffen nur bedingt freisetzte. Bei Krauss ging vieles davon in die Zusammenarbeit mit Richard Strauss ein, während es für Walter und Böhm bei jugendlichen oder zumindest frühen Talentproben blieb. Lebendige Tradition Einmal in der 150-jährigen Geschichte der Wiener Oper standen einander im Direktorium ein nachgestaltender und ein schöpferischer Künstler gegenüber: Franz Schalk und Richard Strauss. Anlässlich der Uraufführung der Oper „Die Frau ohne Schatten“ des designierten neuen Wiener Operndirektors aus Bayern am 10. Oktober 1919 unter der Leitung von Franz Schalk – eines kongenialen „direktoralen“ Ereignisses, das in seiner Bedeutung nicht mehr übertroffen wurde – schrieb der führende Wiener Musikkritiker Julius Korngold: „Es gibt keinen lebenden Musiker, der ähnliches vermöchte; aber wer brächte auch das Vorangegangene zustande?“ Unter dem „Vorangegangenen“ darf man neben den Opern von Richard Strauss auch die symphonischen Dichtungen, kleineren Konzertstücke und schließlich die Lieder bedenken.
    [Show full text]
  • 4.2 Zur Person Des Firmengründers Carl Bechstein 4.2.1
    4. Unternehmertum im Instrumentenbau am Beispiel Bechstein 172 4.2 Zur Person des Firmengründers Carl Bechstein 4.2.1 Heimat und Familie Wer war dieser Mann, dessen Name heute über fünfhundertmal in deutschen Telefonbüchern zu finden ist, und wo kam er her? Bechsteins Vorfahren stammten überwiegend aus dem Lande zwischen Erfurt und Eisenach zwischen Unstrut und Thüringer Wald, einem Gebiet, das damals größtenteils zum Herzogtum Sachsen-Gotha-Altenburg gehörte. Friedrich Wilhelm Carl Bechstein wurde am 1. Juni 1826 in der Siebleber Straße in Gotha geboren (vgl. Stammbaum der Familie Bechstein im Anhang). Hier, „am Fuße des Inselberges in den Dörfern Laucha und Langenhain und in den Städten Waltershausen und Ohrdruf sitzen die Bechsteine als Ackerbauern und Handwerker seit mehreren Jahrhunderten. Alle sind ausgezeichnet durch einen hohen Grad von Intelligenz, einen ernsten Sinn und das Streben, sich emporzuarbeiten. Angeboren ist ihnen ein außerordentliches musikalisches Talent und dies wurde die Veranlassung, dass viele von ihnen den Lehrerberuf ergriffen“ (Berbig 1926: 1). Carls Großvater Dieter Johann Christoph Bechstein hatte eine für die damalige Zeit hohe schulische und berufliche Bildung. Er war über 20 Jahre lang als Kammerdiener im Dienste des Prinzen August von Sachsen-Gotha-Altenburg gewesen, bevor er eine Lehrerstelle in Laucha bekam, die er bis zu seinem Tode 10 Jahre lang innehatte. Carls Vater, der am 10. August 1780 geborene Friedrich Wilhelm August Bechstein, war zu Lebzeiten u. a. selbständiger Unternehmer gewesen. Frühzeitig hatte er mit 14 Jahren das Haus verlassen und sich als Frisör und Perückenmacher selbständig gemacht. Von ihm muss der junge Carl das unternehmerische Blut geerbt haben. Der Beruf des Vaters, den er im Elternhaus in der Sieblebener Straße in Gotha ausübte, füllte diesen allerdings nicht aus.
    [Show full text]
  • Demythologizing the Genesis of the Hungarian National Anthem
    Demythologizing the Genesis of the Hungarian National Anthem Katalin Kim All content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Received: 30/08/2019 Published: 03/04/2021 Last updated: 03/04/2021 How to cite: Katalin Kim, “Demythologizing the Genesis of the Hungarian National Anthem,” Musicologica Austriaca: Journal for Austrian Music Studies (April 03, 2021) Tags: 19th century; Erkel, Ferenc; Gárdonyi, Géza; Hungarian National Anthem; Hymnusz; Klein, Heinrich This article is part of the special issue “Exploring Music Life in the Late Habsburg Monarchy and Successor States,” ed. Tatjana Marković and Fritz Trümpi (April 3, 2021). The preparation of this study was made possible by support from the National Research, Development, and Innovation Office project “Ferenc Erkel and his Workshop” (OTKA K112504). Abstract Hungary’s state anthem is the musical setting of Ferenc Kölcsey’s 1823 poem Hymnus …, composed by Ferenc Erkel for a competition announced by the National Theater of Pest in 1844. With Erkel’s award-winning melody, the already well-known poem soon became a national prayer, sung throughout the country. Based on recently surfaced sources, the study examines the genesis of the musical setting and surveys the process of its canonization in the nineteenth century as well. The concordance of the melody with one of the pieces from the collection of Catholic hymns of Heinrich Klein, Ferenc Erkel’s former teacher in Pressburg, seems to substantiate the anthem’s inspiration from the Catholic church music. This inspiration is also supported by a number of hitherto neglected or unknown spots/fragments in Erkel’s operas, where the composer quoted both the melody and the lyrics of the Hymnusz in the context of religioso scenes.
    [Show full text]
  • Critical Study of Two Piano Transcriptions by August Stradal And
    CRITICAL STUDY OF TWO PIANO TRANSCRIPTIONS BY AUGUST STRADAL AND THE TRANSCRIPTIONS’ SOURCES: ALTERATIONS TO THE SCORE BASED ON HISTORICAL EVIDENCE AND ARTISTIC JUDGEMENT JUAN GUILLERMO VIZCARRA, B.M., M.M. Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS May 2015 APPROVED: Joseph Banowetz, Major Professor Steven Harlos, Committee Member Pamela Paul, Committee Member Steven Harlos, Chair of Division of Keyboard Studies Benjamin Brand, Director of Graduate Studies in the College of Music James Scott, Dean of the College of Music James D. Meernik, Acting Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School Vizcarra, Juan Guillermo. Critical Study of Two Piano Transcriptions by August Stradal and the Transcriptions’ Sources: Alterations to the Score Based on Historical Evidence and Artistic Judgment. Doctor of Musical Arts (Performance), May 2015, 35 pp., 15 musical examples, bibliography, 6 titles. The fact that a number of pianists of the past two centuries adapted, embellished, and rearranged piano works for performance, be these original works or transcriptions, has been well documented throughout history. This thought, in addition to the fact that Stradal’s scores needed revision, encouraged me to make alterations to Stradal’s transcriptions and served as a strong incentive to write the current study. In it, I will comment on the alterations performed to segments of Stradal’s piano transcriptions of Wagner’s Schluβ der letzten Aufzuges (End of the last Act) from Siegfried and Trauermusik aus dem letzten Aufzug (Siegfried’s Funeral March) from Götterdämmerung. These changes have the purpose of reflecting in the piano as closely as possible the sonorous reality of the transcriptions’ operatic sources and, by doing so, making Stradal’s arrangements more effective for performance.
    [Show full text]
  • Celebrating the Habsburgs in the Hungarian National Theater, 1837–67
    Celebrating the Habsburgs in the Hungarian National Theater, 1837–67 Lili Veronika Békéssy All content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Received: 29/08/2019 Published: 03/04/2021 Last updated: 03/04/2021 How to cite: Lili Veronika Békéssy, “Celebrating the Habsburgs in the Hungarian National Theater, 1837–67,” Musicologica Austriaca: Journal for Austrian Music Studies (April 03, 2021) Tags: 19th century; Budapest; Erkel, Ferenc; Franz Joseph I; Habsburg; Hungarian National Theater; Imperial visit 1857; Pest-Buda; Pesti Nemzeti Színház; Playbills; Representation; Wittelsbach, Elisabeth This article is part of the special issue “Exploring Music Life in the Late Habsburg Monarchy and Successor States,” ed. Tatjana Marković and Fritz Trümpi (April 3, 2021). This study was written with the support of the Országos Tudományos Kutatási Alapprogramok (Hungarian Scientific Research Fund), as part of the research program entitled “Erkel Ferenc és műhelye” (“Ferenc Erkel and his Workshop”) (OTKA K112504). The project was conducted at the the MTA BTK Zenetudományi Intézet Magyar Zenetörténeti Osztály (Hungarian Academy of Sciences Research Centre for the Humanities, Institute for Musicology, Department for Hungarian Music). Abstract The musical theater had a central intermediary role in the propagation of national consciousness throughout East-Central Europe in the nineteenth century, and so too in Hungary. The Pesti Magyar Színház (Pest Hungarian Theater), which was renamed after 1840 to Magyar Nemzeti Színház (Hungarian National Theater), had an identical repertoire to that in all the Habsburg Empire, following a tradition inherited from the German-language theaters. The festive performances of the institution on occasions of political representation stand out.
    [Show full text]
  • The Music of Sir Alexander Campbell Mackenzie (1847-1935): a Critical Study
    The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without the written consent of the author and infomation derived from it should be acknowledged. The Music of Sir Alexander Campbell Mackenzie (1847-1935): A Critical Study Duncan James Barker A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Music Department University of Durham 1999 Volume 2 of 2 23 AUG 1999 Contents Volume 2 Appendix 1: Biographical Timeline 246 Appendix 2: The Mackenzie Family Tree 257 Appendix 3: A Catalogue of Works 260 by Alexander Campbell Mackenzie List of Manuscript Sources 396 Bibliography 399 Appendix 1: Biographical Timeline Appendix 1: Biographical Timeline NOTE: The following timeline, detailing the main biographical events of Mackenzie's life, has been constructed from the composer's autobiography, A Musician's Narrative, and various interviews published during his lifetime. It has been verified with reference to information found in The Musical Times and other similar sources. Although not fully comprehensive, the timeline should provide the reader with a useful chronological survey of Mackenzie's career as a musician and composer. ABBREVIATIONS: ACM Alexander Campbell Mackenzie MT The Musical Times RAM Royal Academy of Music 1847 Born 22 August, 22 Nelson Street, Edinburgh. 1856 ACM travels to London with his father and the orchestra of the Theatre Royal, Edinburgh, and visits the Crystal Palace and the Thames Tunnel. 1857 Alexander Mackenzie admits to ill health and plans for ACM's education (July). ACM and his father travel to Germany in August: Edinburgh to Hamburg (by boat), then to Hildesheim (by rail) and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (by Schnellpost).
    [Show full text]