Thursday, February 28, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
Richard Strauss - His Music and Life
“I may not be a first-rate composer, but I am a first-class second-rate composer.” Richard Strauss, composer
Born on June 11, 1864 in Munich, the German Richard Strauss passed away in Garmisch on September 8, 1949. His mother came from the Munich brewery family Pschorr.
His father, Franz Strauss, had been the "First Royal Bugle Player" of the Royal Musician Academy Munich. Also Richard Strauss had nothing to do with the Viennese Johann Strauss dynasty.
His first compostions left (or better "bequeathed") great classical music treasures: "String Quintet a-major" (1881), "Symphony a-major" (1884), and many more. Strauss' "Great Symphony in f-minor" (1882-1884) has been performed for the first time in New York. His "Burlesque for piano and orchestra" (1885) showed great influences of Johannes Brahms (1833-1897).
In 1888, Strauss composed his first sound poetry "Don Juan", which became the first lasting report of a new classical composition direction. The following pieces "Marbeth" (1890) and "Death and Transfiguration" (1891) overtaxed many musicians' possibilities.
Also "Zarathustra speaks" (1896) suffered from the attempt something to express more by music but remaining unsuccessful.
Strauss started to accept his own naive-uninhibited phantasm and much more beautiful compositions attained his goal. The opera "Salome" (lyrics by Oscar Wilde) was a hazardous business, but the title role's perverted hysteria griped Strauss. The premiere in Dresden/German in 1905 became a great success.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Oscar Straus - His Music and Life
Born on March 6, 1870 in Vienna, The Austrian Oscar Straus passed away in Ischl on January 11, 1954.
Straus studied in Vienna, later with Max Bruch, the composer of the most performed violin concertos from 1868 uo to now. Straus' Opus 1 has been the overture "The dream - a life!"
Straus is known as a chamber music careerist and theater bandmaster as well as conductor in the former CSSR, Teplitz, mainz and Berlin/Germany. In 1900, Straus became Musical Director of E.V. Wolzogen's cabaret "Ueberbrettl". During that time Straus found out his talent for the so-called "light music". As an operetta composer he walked off with such great successes as "A waltz dream" (1920), "Teresina" (1925) or "Her first waltz" (1950).
The category "Viennese Waltzes" got many highlights because of him, who, by the way has not nothing to do with the Johann Strauss dynasty,
In 1940, Oscar STraus migrated to the USA and composed many movie themes, i.e. Max Ophuels "Der Reigen" (The Rondale/La Ronda).
Friday, January 25, 2013
Otto Nicolai - His Music and Life
Born on June 9, 1810 in Königsberg, Germany/Poland, Otto Nicolai passed away in Berlin on May 11, 1849.
At the age of 16, he left his parental house because he thought he mind find his personal fulfilment and luck by travelling to foreign countries.
A generous sponsor facilitated a music study with Karl-Friedrich Zeller (1758-1832) in Berlin. In 1833, Otto Nicolai became organist at the German Legation of Rome. He started composing operas following the typical Italian style. "Il Templaro" (1840) became his greatest success.
The premiere of "The Merry Wifes from Windsor" ("Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor" - 1849) impressed all classical music lovers with wonderful melodies and grateful opera parts. Nicolai could enjoy an over-whelming appreciation only for two months (!), because he passed away surprisingly.
During the 1930s a rebirth of his music works has been without success. What a pity!
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Modest Mussorgski - His Music and Life
The Russian Modest Mussorgski was born on March 21, 1839 in Karewo/Pskow. He passed away in Saint Petersburg on March 28, 1881.
His ancestors have been Russian princes and their relatives. He was appointed to start an officer's cadet career. In 1856, Mussorgski joined a guard regiment. He became acquainted with Alexander Dargomischski, Cesar Cui and Mily Balakirew.
Modest, meanwhile an alcoholic, didn't know how to convert his incredible music talent into a successful classical music composer career. A genius finder talent let him rush centuries in advance in subscribing incredible composer talents. He developed a unique expressionism and impressionism of unknown Russian music reality.
"Pictures at an Exhibition" and "A Night on a Bald Mountain" as well as "The Dances of the Deaths" belonged to Russian classical music jewels.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Friday, January 11, 2013
Karl Milloecker - His Music and Life
Austrian Karl Millöcker was born on April 29, 1842 in Vienna and died in Baden near Vienna on December 31, 1899.
Instead of taking over is father's goldsmith workshop, the discontented Millöcker decided to start a career as flautist.
Already at the age of 16 he became a member of the well known Vienna State Opera Orchestra. One of his patrons has been the great Franz von Suppe (1819-1895 - "Poet and Peasant").
In 1878, Millöcker walked off with "The Enchanted Castle". "Countess Dubarry" (actually from 1879) received worldwide appreciation after a new arrangement by Theo Mackeben in 1931.
Millöcker's masterpiece "The Begging Student" (1882) is known up to these days. Melody abundance and "clean composition master craftsman's intelligence" remained as equal and evenly matched to Johann Strauss.
The following operettas showed a slacken composition readiness and became sadden flops.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Emmerich Kalman - His Music and Life
Born on October 24, 1882 in Siofok/Hungary, Emmerich Kalman passed away in Paris/France on October 30, 1953.
Kalman wanted to become a pianist, but unfortunately a hand's muscle paralysis let htis dream never become true.
Kalman decided to study law - and later music. He became a music reviewer and critic and wrote for several publications.
In 1907, Kalman received the trophy of Budapest for outstanding serious classical compositions. In 1908, his operetta "Autumn Manuever" (Herstmanoever) had its glorious premiere. Several operetta highlights followed: "The Csardas Princess" (1905), "The Dutch Little Woman" (1920), "Countess Marissa" (1924) and "The Circus Princess" (1926).
Kalman's Hungarian operettas remained as his greatest success. Hungarian ideology and identify glittered, shined and have been reflected in his compositions. The rhythmical melodies gave "terrible fresh blood" to the at that time tiring European operetta scene.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Guiseppe Verdi - His Music and his Life
The Italien Guiseppe Verdi was born near Busseto, Roncole, Parma on October 10,1813 and was one of the few composers whose genius was recognized while he as still alive. His reputation as the greatest of all Italian opera composers is beyond dispute.
It was the same year that the Great German Richard Wagner was born - a remarkable parallel to the year 1685 when Bach and Händel have been born.
Verdi started to work as clerk for the trader Antonio Barezzi. Barezzi, a great music lover, made it possible for Verdi to get a grant and scholarship.
Verdi studied also under a Milan Scala's music conductor and was lucky to get theatre practice. In 1835, Verdi became an organ musician. he later became a music conductor in his native town Bussett.
His first opera "Oberto" (1839) received a favorably appreciation. In 1840, Verdi composed his second "opera comique" ("Un Giorno de Rigno") - for him an objectionable work: during the composition period Verdi's wife and two children passed away.
Verdi didn't like to compose operas anymore, but when he read another songbook, his phantasm has been fulfilled with the composition of "Nabucco" (1842): "Fly my thought on golden wings!" Verdi received the name of honor "Maestro della rivoluzione italiana".
More operas followed: "I Lombardi" (1843), "Emani" (1844), Macbeth" (1847, after a drama by Shakespeare), and "Luisa Miller" (1849).
The operas "Rigoletto" (1851), "Il Travatore" (1853) and "La Traviata" (also 1853) remained as a grip musical three-constellation. "La Donna e Mobile" became Verdi's most popular opera song.
"Aida" (1871), "Othello" (1887) and "Falstaff" (1893) followed. Verdi belonged to one of the most blessed opera composers, while other music works of him never reached the same immense popularity.
Verdi passed away in Milan on January 27, 1901.
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