Émile Waldteufel
Émile Waldteufel (also Emil Waldteufel , actually Charles Émile Lévy ; born December 9, 1837 in Strasbourg , † February 12, 1915 in Paris ) was a French musician and composer . He composed over 250 dances, mostly waltzes .
Life
His Jewish parents were Lazare Lévy alias Louis Waldteufel, who led a well-known orchestra , and Flora Neubauer, pianist and singing professor. His brother Léon was a popular musician. When Émile was five years old, the family moved from Strasbourg to Paris. He received his first lessons from his mother and then from Joseph Heyberger .
Émile Waldteufel studied at the Paris Conservatory . For a while he worked in a piano factory. In 1865 he became a chamber pianist for the Empress Eugenie , and then Napoléon III's court ball director . He conducted the Paris Opera Balls and performed frequently with his father's orchestra. His breakthrough as a composer came after he auditioned for the Prince of Wales , Edward (VII) in 1874 , who was so enthusiastic about his Manolo waltz that he agreed to support him. The publisher Hopwood & Crew made Waldteufel's compositions popular worldwide.
Works
Waldteufel's best-known work is the Ice Skaters Waltz (Les Patineurs), op.183 . In addition, Sirenenzauber (Sirenes), op. 154 , Dolores, op. 170 , Estudiantina, op. 191 and España, op. 236 were much played pieces.
Émile Waldteufel's Viennese waltzes are based on Johann Strauss (son) , who began his career at the Viennese court only two years before Waldteufel's appointment in Paris. Waldteufel composed exclusively on the piano ; the works were subsequently orchestrated. Typical for Waldteufel orchestras are strings , two cornets , double woodwinds , three trombones , three tubas , percussion instruments and timpani . Many pieces are characterized by a special sense of humor.
Trivia
In the 1970s Cindy & Bert had two hits in their repertoire that had been arranged by Heinz Gietz based on Waldteufel's templates: Spaniens Guitars (1973, based on Estudiantina ) and When the Roses bloom in Malaga (1975, based on the waltz España ).
Web links
- Sheet music and audio files by Émile Waldteufel in the International Music Score Library Project
- Emile Waldteufel et la tradition de la musique à danser française , French website about Waldteufel with music examples
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Forest devil, Émile |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Charles Émile Lévy |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Alsatian musician and composer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 9, 1837 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Strasbourg |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 12, 1915 |
| Place of death | Paris |