George Onslow

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George Onslow

André George Louis Onslow (born July 27, 1784 in Clermont-Ferrand , † October 3, 1853 there ) was a French composer . His first name is often given as Georges; however, George is correct. He is considered the most important instrumental composer of his generation in France.

Life

George Onslow was the son of the English nobleman Edward Onslow, who had been elected to the British Parliament in 1780 , but emigrated to France due to a scandal and married Marie-Rosalie de Bourdeille de Brantome, a French noblewoman from Auvergne . George, the couple's first child, grew up in a well-protected environment and material prosperity and received an upbringing appropriate to the nobility, which also included piano lessons.

Because of the French Revolution , his father went into exile in Hamburg , where he was accompanied by George, who took the opportunity to study with the famous composer Johann Ladislaus Dussek from 1799 to 1800 . Although Edward and George Onslow were allowed to return to Auvergne in 1800, George preferred to go to London , where he took lessons from Johann Baptist Cramer . During this time, he wrote his first compositions, including a piano sonata and piano trios . Onslow also learned to play the cello . In 1808 he received his last instruction in composition technique from Anton Reicha in Paris , where he had moved.

As a result, Onslow quickly gained a reputation as an outstanding composer and chamber musician . Since he could not gather a large audience with his primarily chamber music compositions, Onslow began to grapple with the most popular form of music in France at the time, opera , and composed L'Alcade de la Véga (a first early work, the opera Les deux Oncles ( 1806), remained unpublished). The opera Le Colporteur followed three years later, the performance of which surpassed the only moderate success of the first. However, Onslow's main creative field remained chamber music, which in terms of composition also influenced the composer's soon-to-be symphonies . The third symphony (1833/34), for example, is an arrangement of the 1826 string quintet op. 32. With his symphonies and chamber music, the composer was able to win over many followers, especially in Germany , but in his home country he was soon known as the “French Beethoven ”. In 1842 he was elected to succeed Luigi Cherubini in the Académie des Beaux-Arts .

In a hunting accident in 1829, Onslow was injured by a bullet in one ear, which became deaf (the bullet remained in his neck inoperable for life). Since then he has been staying more and more at his country estate in Auvergne and only visiting the capital to attend meetings of the Académie or to present new compositions. The experience also prompted him to compose the quintet No. 15 in C minor “De la balle” (“Kugelquintett”). In 1846 Felix Mendelssohn conducted the overture to his opera Le Colporteur ou l'Enfant du Bûcheron at the Niederrheinischen Musikfest in Aachen in Onslow's presence . In 1847 Onslow stayed in Cologne, where several of his works (including his 4th symphony) were performed with great success in several concerts in his honor.

The last years of Onslow's life were overshadowed by increasing depression and self-doubt, which were intensified by the fact that his works were slowly pushed out of concert life by the growing enthusiasm for his role model Beethoven. In 1850 the 66-year-old composed his last work, the Piano Trio op. 83. He died three years later.

style

Stylistically and formally, one recognizes clear references in Onslow's works to the Viennese classicism , especially to Beethoven. His works are characterized by perfect form and skillful counterpoint . Onslow is the most important chamber music composer in France in the first half of the 19th century. His symphonies, which show him alongside Hector Berlioz as the most important French symphony composer of the time, already point in some details to the corresponding works by later masters such as Camille Saint-Saëns .

Works

Chamber music

Orchestral works

  • Symphony No. 1 in A major op.41 (1831)
  • Symphony No. 2 in D minor, Op. 42 (1831)
  • Symphony No. 3 in F minor o.op. (1833, arrangement of the string quintet op. 32 [1826])
  • Symphony No. 4 in G major op.71 (1846)

Operas

  • Les deux Oncles (Opéra, around 1806)
  • L'Alcade de la Véga (Drame lyrique, 1822/24)
  • Le Colporteur ou l'Enfant du Bûcheron (Opéra-comique, 1826)
  • Guise ou les États de Blois (Drame lyrique, 1835/36)

Complete catalog of works

Works without opus numbers

  • 6 pieces for piano
  • Allegro agitato for piano in G minor. 1844 (unpublished)
  • Allegro agitato for piano in B flat minor. 1844 (unpublished)
  • Allegro moderato in F. 1844 (unpublished)
  • Andante for piano. 1824
  • Andantino con moto for piano in E minor. 1844 (unpublished)
  • Andantino for oboe and piano. 1843 (unpublished)
  • Ave Maria for 4 voices. 1838
  • Caïn maudit ou la Mort d'Abel. Scène dramatique [for baritone and orchestra]. 1845
  • Fantaisie for piano about l'Ange Gardien. 1849
  • Guise ou les Etats de Blois. Drame lyrique. 1835-36
  • L'Alcade de la Vega. Drame lyrique. 1822-24
  • La jeune grecque. Couplets with choir. 1826
  • Le Colporteur ou l'Enfant du Bûcheron. Opera comique. 1826
  • Le Dante in le Paradis. Ballad vocale - [approx. 1835] (unpublished)
  • Le Garde du corps. Romance. 1815
  • Le Premier Baron Chrétien. Romance [approx. 1829]
  • Le Printemps. Nocturne vocal. [approx. 1825]
  • Les deux oncles. Opéra. 1806 (unpublished)
  • Les Regrets! Romance.
  • Mijmering for piano. 1844 - Only partially published.
  • Trio piece. 1841 (unpublished)
  • Piano Sonata [No. 2]. [approx. 1806] (unpublished)
  • Symphony No. 3. 1833/34

Works with opus numbers

  • Opus 1 (3 string quintets). 1806
  • Opus 2 (piano sonata). 1806
  • Opus 3 (3 trios for piano, violin and violoncello). 1806
  • Opus 4 (3 string quartets). 1806
  • Opus 5 (Airs écossais for piano). 1810
  • Opus 6 (Toccata for piano). 1810
  • Opus 7 (sonata for piano 4 hands). 1811
  • Opus 8 (3 string quartets). circa 1812
  • Opus 9 (3 string quartets). circa 1812
  • Opus 10 (3 string quartets). circa 1812
  • Opus 11 (3 sonatas for violin and piano). 1816
  • Opus 12 (Variations on Charming Gabrielle for piano). 1817
  • Opus 13 (Variations on Aussitôt que la lumière for piano). 1817
  • Opus 14 (3 trios for piano, violin and violoncello). 1818
  • Opus 15 (sonata for violin and piano). 1819
  • Opus 16 (3 sonatas for violoncello and piano). 1819
  • Opus 17 (string quintet). 1821
  • Opus 18 (string quintet). 1821
  • Opus 19 (string quintet). 1821
  • Opus 20 (trio for piano, violin and violoncello). 1822
  • Opus 21 (3 string quartets). 1822
  • Opus 22 (sonata for piano 4 hands). 1823
  • Opus 23 (string quintet). 1823
  • Opus 24 (string quintet). 1823
  • Opus 25 (string quintet). 1823
  • Opus 26 (trio for piano, violin and violoncello). 1824
  • Opus 27 (trio for piano, violin and violoncello). 1824
  • Opus 28 (Thème anglais for piano). 1824
  • Opus 29 (sonata for violin and piano). 1824
  • Opus 30 (sextet for piano and wind instruments). 1825
  • Opus 31 (sonata for violin and piano). 1825
  • Opus 32 (string quintet). 1826
  • Opus 33 (string quintet). 1827/28
  • Opus 34 (string quintet). 1827/28
  • Opus 35 (string quintet). 1827/28
  • Opus 36 (3 string quartets). 1828
  • Opus 37 (string quintet). 1828
  • Opus 38 (string quintet). 1829
  • Opus 39 (string quintet). 1830
  • Opus 40 (string quintet). 1830
  • Opus 41 (1st Symphony). 1830
  • Opus 42 (2nd symphony). 1831
  • Opus 43 (string quintet). 1832
  • Opus 44 (string quintet). 1832
  • Opus 45 (string quintet). 1832
  • Opus 46 (3 string quartets). 1832/33
  • Opus 47 (string quartet). 1832/33
  • Opus 48 (string quartet). 1833
  • Opus 49 (string quartet). 1833
  • Opus 50 (string quartet). 1833
  • Opus 51 (string quintet). 1834
  • Opus 52 (string quartet). 1834
  • Opus 53 (string quartet). 1834
  • Opus 54 (string quartet). 1834
  • Opus 55 (string quartet). 1834
  • Opus 56 (string quartet). 1834
  • Opus 57 (string quintet). 1835
  • Opus 58 (string quintet). 1836
  • Opus 59 (string quintet). [1837?]
  • Opus 60 (Guise arranged in 2 suites for string quartet). 1837
  • Opus 61 (string quintet). [1837?]
  • Opus 62 (string quartet). 1841
  • Opus 63 (string quartet). 1841
  • Opus 64 (string quartet). 1841
  • Opus 65 (string quartet). 1842
  • Opus 66 (string quartet). 1843
  • Opus 67 (string quintet). 1843
  • Opus 68 (string quintet). 1844
  • Opus 69 (string quartet). 1845/46
  • Opus 70 (quintet for piano and strings). 1846
  • Opus 71 (4th Symphony). 1846
  • Opus 72 (string quintet). 1847/48
  • Opus 73 (string quintet). 1847/48
  • Opus 74 (string quintet). 1847/48
  • Opus 75 (string quintet). 1847/48
  • Opus 76 (quintet for piano and strings). 1848
  • Opus 77 (nonet for wind instruments and strings). 1848
  • Opus 77 bis (sextet for wind instruments and strings). 1848
  • Opus 78 (2 string quintets2). 1848
  • Opus 79 (septet for piano, wind instruments and double bass). 1849
  • Opus 79 bis (quintet for piano and strings). 1849
  • Opus 80 (string quintet). 1849/50
  • Opus 81 (wind quintet). 1850
  • Opus 82 (string quintet). 1850
  • Opus 83 (trio for piano, violin and violoncello). 1851

literature

  • Bert Hagels: On the reception of Onslow in Germany until 1830. Available online on the website of the Association George Onslow (PDF; 244 kB)
  • Gottfried Heinz-Kronberger: The piano quintets George Onslow. Available online on the website of the Association George Onslow (PDF; 1.2 MB)
  • Cirice Teillard: George Onslow, l'homme et le musicien. Tequi, Paris, 1889.
  • H. Luguet: Etude sur Onslow. Mont-Louis, Clermont-Ferrand, 1889.
  • CE Vulliamy: The Onslow Family (1528-1874). London 1953.
  • JF Halévy: Notice on George Onslow. Paris 1855.
  • Richard Nelson Franks. George Onslow, A Study of His Life and Works . Ph.D. Dissertation, Musicology. University of Texas Press, 1981.
  • Christiana Nobach: Investigations into George Onslow's chamber music. Bärenreiter, Kassel 1985.
  • Gérard Faivre, “Le compositeur Georges Onslow”. Santa Maria & Gazelle, Cannes, 1994.
  • Viviane Niaux: La Musique de chambre avec piano de George Onslow. Maîtrise de musicologie, Paris IV, 1986–1987.
  • Viviane Niaux: Catalog de la Musique imprimée conservée au château d'Aulteribe. Direction de la Musique et de la Danse, Paris / CNMHS Aulteribe, 1993.
  • Viviane Niaux and Sylvia Lecuyer: Biography musicale: George Onslow par Joseph d'Ortigue. In: Bulletin de l'Association George Onslow , n ° 1, 1994, pp. 3-24.
  • Viviane Niaux: Les Quatuors à cordes de G. Onslow. In: (Collectif): Le Quatuor à cordes en France de 1750 à nos jours. Association française pour le patrimoine Musical, Paris 1995.
  • Viviane Niaux: La Reception des opéras d'Onslow en France à travers la presse quotidienne de l'époque. In: Bulletin de l'Association George Onslow , n ° 2, 1995-96, p. 21-61.
  • Viviane Niaux: La Vie musicale à Clermont-Ferrand au XIXe siècle. In: Bulletin historique et scientifique de l'Auvergne , XCVII, n ° 725, avril-juin, 1995, pp. 343-362.
  • Viviane Niaux: George Onslow et ses éditeurs français et allemands: trente-six lettres présentées et annotées. In: Bulletin de l'Association George Onslow , n ° 3, 1998, pp. 25-63.
  • Viviane Niaux: Catalog général de l'œuvre d'Onslow. In: Bulletin de l'Association George Onslow , n ° 3, 1998, pp. 65-76.
  • Viviane Niaux: Onslow. In: The New Grove dictionary of music. Macmillan, London 2001.
  • Viviane Niaux: George Onslow, gentleman compositeur. Presses universitaires Blaise-Pascal, Clermont-Ferrand 2003.
  • Viviane Niaux: Onslow. In: Joël-Marie Fauquet (ed.): Dictionnaire de la musique en France au XIXe siècle. Fayard, Paris 2003.
  • Viviane Niaux: L'Apprentissage musical de George Onslow et les voyages de 1784 à 1807 à travers les sources et les documents du XIXe siècle. In: Bulletin de l'Association George Onslow , n ° 4, 2004, pp. 5-11.
  • Patrick Taïeb: Une Révélation pour George Onslow: Stratonice. In: Bulletin de l'Association George Onslow , n ° 2, 1995-1996.
  • Baudime Jam: George Onslow. Editions du Mélophile, Clermont-Ferand 2003.
  • Baudime Jam: Les origines anglaises des Onslow d'Auvergne. "Édouard Onslow". Un, Deux ... Quatre Éditions, Clermont-Ferrand '2004.
  • Baudime Jam: George Onslow est une énigme de l'Histoire de la musique. Almanac des gens d'Auvergne, 2006.
  • Baudime Jam: George Onslow & l'Auvergne , Les Éditions du Mélophile, Nîmes 2011.
  • Alexandre Dratwicki: L'ultime opéra d'Onslow: "Guise ou les États de Blois". In: Bulletin de l'Association George Onslow , n ° 4, 2004, pp. 13-27.
  • Pierre Serié: D'un duc de Guise à l'autre: Delaroche et Onslow en rupture avec les catégories génériques autour de 1835 . In: Bulletin de l'Association George Onslow , n ° 4, 2004, pp. 31-45.
  • Muriel Boulan: Les deux premières symphonies d'Onslow. In: Bulletin de l'Association George Onslow , n ° 5, 2005, pp. 35-57.
  • Marianne W. Lenti: Problèmes et spécificités rencontrés lors de l'enregistrement des oeuvres de George onslow: la sonate en mi mineur pour piano à quatre mains op.7 (1815). In: Bulletin de l'Association George Onslow , n ° 5, 2005, pp. 59-63.
  • RHR Silvertrust: The String Quartets of George Onslow. Edition Silvertrust, Riverwoods 2005.
  • Thomas Schipperges (Ed.): George Onslow. Contributions to his work, first part (University of Music and Theater "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" Leipzig. Writings Volume 1), Olms, Hildesheim 2009. ISBN 978-3-487-14221-0
  • Thomas Schipperges (Ed.), George Onslow. Contributions to his work , part two (that. Volume 6), Olms: Hildesheim 2013.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Onslow, George
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Onslow, André George Louis (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION French composer
DATE OF BIRTH July 27, 1784
PLACE OF BIRTH Clermont-Ferrand
DATE OF DEATH October 3, 1853
Place of death Clermont-Ferrand