Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari - His Music and His Life

The Italian Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari was born in Venice on January 12, 1876 as son of the German painter August Wolf. Ermanno's mother was Italian.

From 1893-1895, Wolf-Ferrari studied in Munich with Joseph Rheinberger (1839-1901). During 1902-1907, he became Conservatory Principal in Venice. In 1903, 1906 and 1909, Wolf-Ferrari brought out his most successful operas. "Die neugierigen Frauen" ("The curious women"), "Die vier Grobiane" ("The four rude guys") and "Susanne's Geheimnis" (Susan's Secret") with Italian "buffo-style" and wonderful intermission numbers. "Buffo" means "gust of wind" but also "bright, cheerful and comical".

Powerful sounds can be found in "Schmuck der Madonna" (1911, "Madonna's Juwelries"), but Wolf-Ferrari never reached the sonority i.e. of Giacomo Puccini. Most of all following operas remained as flops.

The instrumental and chamber music works have been mostly treated as second-rate - but in my opinion very much unjustly.

Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari passed away in Venice on January 21, 1948.

Carl Michael Ziehrer - His Music and His Life

Carl Michael Ziehrer was born in Vienna on May 2, 1843 and became a student of Simon Sechter (1788-1867), a Military bandmaster and conductor of the "Hoch- und Deutschmeister Regiments" and in 1908, the Court Ball Music Director".

Ziehrer lived long enough to experience the Austrian monarchy decline. His life ended up in poverty. Out of his 600 (!) dance compositions remained only a few, such as "Weaner Madlin" ("Viennese Girls").

Out of his 22 operettas only one remained as uncertain success: "Die Landstreicher" ("The Hobos", 1899).

Carl Michael Ziehrer passed away in Vienna on November 14, 1922.