Gerhart von Westerman - His Music and His Life

 

He was born in Latvia's capital Riga on September 19, 1894 and passed away in Berlin on February 14, 1963.

Gerhart von Westerman was initially influenced by Strauss and the impressionist composers (as heard in his Two Ballads for baritone and orchestra), and later began to include modernist elements in his compositions, such as in the Intermezzi for orchestra * Devoted a large part of his work to journalism, radio, the writing of books, the direction of the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra and the Berlin festival weeks * The Divertimento, a free, abundantly expressive suite for orchestra, was performed for the first time by the Berlin Philharmonic under Furtwängler in October 1944 * His melodic patterns are of a characteristic, personal kind, sometimes with a Slavic ring * Von Westerman's originality, though rooted in late Romanticism, are shown by his original, refined treatment of harmony and his surprising sense of colour * His great opera Promethean Fantasy, to which he himself wrote the libretto, shifts between classical antiquity and the present to unfold its theme of hubris that has brought both suffering and love to mankind.

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.

Riccardo Zandonai: Concerto Romantico (1919)

Riccardo Zandonai - His Music and His Life

The Italian Riccardo Zandonai was born on May 28, 1883 in Saaco, Trentino and became a student of Pietro Mascagni at the Pesaro Conservatory.

Zandonai, like other opera composers of his generation, made to his business to build up a succession and emulation, for example Giacomo Puccini.

Zadonai was very much influenced by the German Richard Strauss.

Being important was "Francesca da Rimini" (1914) as well as sprightly symphonic musical poetries, chroal works and movie themes.

Riccardo Zandonai passed away in Pesaro on June 5, 1944.

HANS - HEINZ NISSEN SINGT " DER MÖNCH ZU PISA " (+playlist)

Karl Loewe - His Music and His Life

The German Karl Loewe was born in Loebejuen near Halle on November 30, 1796 as 12th child of a simple school teacher.

Loewe was able to study because of King Jerome's generous scholarship. In Stettin, Loewe became musical director. In this position, he was at work for 46 (!) years.

Loewe composed chamber music and five operas. "The Three Wishes" premiered in Berlin in 1834. Loewe's oratorios are popular until today - "Jerusalem's Destruction" (1829), "Hiob" (1848) or "Lazarus' Wake" (1863).

Among 150 compositions, Karl Loewe's ballads rmained as incredible and convincing performances, i.e. "Die Glocken von Speyer" (The Bells from Speyer), "Mr. Oluf" or "The Fall into a Ruin Mill".

Loewe passed away in Kiel on April 20, 1869.

Albert Lortzing : Holzschuhtanz ( Zar und Zimmermann ) - Andrè Rieu and ...

Albert Lortzing - His Music and His Life

The German Albert Lortzing was born in Berlin on October 23, 1801. His father was a leather goods tader and amateurish actor. Lortzing didn't receive any sufficient musical education. "Learning by doing" at theatres in Breslau and Aachen / Germany or the French Strasbourg made Lortzing's incredible education.

In 1824, his first (untitled!) opera premiered in Cologne. His oratorio "The Ascension of Christ" was heard in Muenster/Germany in 1828. Nine years later, Lortzing's successful opera "Zar und Zimmermann" ("Czar and Carpenter") followed. It became also his most famous composition.

"Der Wildschuetz" ("The Deerhunter") from 1842, un fortunately never became such popular as the romantic opera "Undine" from 1845.

Albert Lortzing passed away also in Berlin on January 21, 1851. His tragically end in poverty, loneliness and illness is really an inglorious part of Berlin's music history.

Erich Wolfgang Korngold - His Music and His Life

Erich Wolfgang Korngold was born in Pruenn, former Czechoslovakia, on May 29, 1897. His father, who lived from 1860-1945, was one of the most popular critics in Vienna and wrote especially for the well-known "Neue Freie Press Wien" (New Free Presse Vienna).

At the age of of 11, Korngold started to compose the music for the mime stage play "The Snowman" (1908). Classic music radio stations, for example in Germany, still enjoy playing Korngold's "Tragedy Overture" (1911) or the overture to "Viel Laerm um Nichts" (Much ado about no nothing - Shakespeare).

1920, Korngold reached his careerHamH's pinnacle with his opera "The Death City" in Hamburg.

But even that, Korngold never became an original music inventor. 1938, he went to Hollywood, where he passed away.

Erich Wolfgang Korngold - Violin Concerto in D major - Stefan Jackiw

Zoltan Kodaly - His Music and His Life

The Hungarian Zoltan Kodaly was born in Kecskemet on December 16, 1882. Kodaly's way of living was very similar to his best friend Bela Bartok. Together with Bartok, Kodaly collected folksongs in Hungary, the whole Balkan and North Africa.

Kodal's biography shows an incredible career: Professor for music theory, vice conductor, music critic and writer for several local and international publications as well as university editor... .

His most popular compositions have been "Psalmus Hungaricus" (1923), "Dances from Galanta" (1931), the symphonic play "The Spinning Room" (1932) or the hymn praise song ""The Budapest Tedeum" (1936). - His last work was a beautiful symphony, which premiered in 1962 with Kodaly's student Ferenc Fricsay (1924-1963).

Zoltan Kodaly passed away in 1972.

Zoltán Kodály-Dances of Galánta (Rajkó orchestra)

Joseph Lanner - His Music and His Life

The Austrian Joseph Lanner, Godfather of Waltz, was  born in Vienna on April 12, 1801. As a self-educated person, Lanner joined a string quintet together with viola player Johann Strauss, Kind of Waltz ("Blue Danube" and many more).

Langer enlarged this quintet formation gradually up to a wellknown orchestra.

Lanner started to compose dances - all-in-all 200 (!) waltzes! Beethoven and Schubert also used this composition format already in their so-called German dances.

In Lanner's waltzes swing the cozy sound of Vienna's conventional life.

Joseph Lanner passed away in Oberdoebling nearby Vienna on April 14, 1843.

Joseph Lanner - Hoffnungsstrahlen (Waltz)