Robert Fuchs (composer)

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Robert Fuchs (composer)

Robert Fuchs (born February 15, 1847 in Frauental an der Laßnitz , Styria , † February 19, 1927 in Vienna ) was an Austrian composer and music teacher of the Romantic period .

Life

Robert Fuchs was the youngest of thirteen children of a school teacher in the small western Styrian community of Frauental an der Laßnitz. Following the wishes of his father, he first completed training at the teachers' seminar in Graz. He then went to Vienna in 1865 to study composition with Felix Otto Dessoff at the Conservatory of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde . He also studied with Anton Bruckner . As the final work of his studies, he presented a symphony in 1867 . From 1875 to 1912 he was professor of theory at the Vienna Conservatory.

Robert Fuchs' grave in Vienna's central cemetery

From 1901 until his death, Fuchs spent the summer months in Admont in the villa of his friend Anton Mayr, who wrote a personal biography about him. Fuchs dedicated his Mass in G major, op.108, to the Abbot of Admont, Oswin Schlamadinger.

Famous students were Leo Fall , Franz Haböck , Richard Heuberger , Erich Wolfgang Korngold , Gustav Mahler , Erkki Melartin , Franz Schmidt , Franz Schreker , Jean Sibelius , Robert Stolz , Richard Strauss , Hugo Wolf , Alexander von Zemlinsky and the zoologist Paul Kammerer . In 1881 he was awarded the Beethoven Prize for his piano concerto. From 1894 to 1905 he was also the organist of the Vienna Hofmusikkapelle . He died four days after his 80th birthday, allegedly as a result of the exertions of his birthday party. He is buried in the Vienna Central Cemetery (33E-3-5) in an honorary grave .

In 1934 the Robert-Fuchs-Gasse in Vienna- Penzing (14th district) was named after him.

plant

In the course of his life, Robert Fuchs wrote two operas ("Die Königsbraut", 1889 and "Die Teufelsglocke", 1893), three symphonies , five orchestral serenades , four string quartets , a piano concerto , three piano sonatas , two cello sonatas , a viola sonata , a double bass sonata , six Violin sonatas , piano trios and string trios . He also wrote pieces for organ , songs , church music , chamber music and other pieces for a wide variety of ensembles. He wrote the first of his five serenades in 1874, with which he became famous and which gave him his nickname "Serenade Fox". Johannes Brahms praised and promoted Robert Fuchs. He was able to consolidate his popularity with the two symphonies from 1886 and 1887, while his two operas were not nearly as successful.

Post fame

Today fox is rarely played. He was regarded by some as a Brahms epigone .

After Brahms' death in 1897, Gustav Mahler was appointed Kapellmeister and director of the court opera. Soon a more progressive taste in music set the tone in Vienna.

The Brahms Circle was increasingly seen as a conservative, historically outdated group. Fuchs stuck to his personal style. Fuchs was very humble; he lacked self-confidence. This prevented him from advocating the distribution of his works to publishers, artists, orchestras and institutions.

His post-fame suffered from a bon mot: a conductor or fellow composer is said to have said, when looking through a new composition by Fuchs, alluding to the nursery rhyme Fuchs, you stole the goose : "Fuchs, you stole them entirely" The "Bon mot." By Josef Hellmesberger "Refers to the last movement of his 5th serenade, in which he worked extensively with motifs from" Fledermaus "by Johann Strauss . Since Fuchs composed this work on the occasion of his friend's 50th anniversary as a conductor, there is no plagiarism here , but an homage to the "Waltz King".

A first recording of his piano concerto on record or CD was only released in 2003.

Works (selection)

Orchestral works

  • Symphonies
    • Symphony in B minor ("Conservatory work", 1867)
    • Symphony No. 1 in C major, op. 37 - published in 1885 by Fritz Simrock in Berlin
    • Symphony No. 2 in E flat major, op.45
    • Symphony No. 3 in E major, op.79
    • Symphony in G minor (draft)
  • Serenades
    • Serenade for string orchestra No. 1 in D major, op.9
    • Serenade for string orchestra No. 2 in C major, op.14
    • Serenade for string orchestra No. 3 in E minor, op.21
    • Serenade for string orchestra and two horns, No. 4 in G minor, op.51
    • Serenade for small orchestra No. 5 in D major, op.53
  • “Of the sea and the waves of love”, Overture op. 59
  • Andante grazioso & Capriccio for string orchestra, op.63
  • Piano Concerto in B flat minor, op. 27 (1880/81) "Beethoven Prize"

Vocal works

  • Operas
    • The Royal Bride, in 3 acts, op. 46 (1889) ( librettist: Ignaz Schnitzer ) premiered in Vienna
    • The Devil's Bell, in 3 acts (without opus number) (1891) (Librettist: Bernhard Buchbinder )
  • Choral works
    • Mass in G major, op.108 (with organ)
    • Mass in D minor, op.116 (a cappella)
    • Mass in F major, without opus number (with orchestra)

Chamber music

  • Quintets
    • Quintet for clarinet and string quartet in E flat major, op.102
  • Quartets
    • String Quartet No. 1 in E major, op.58
    • String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, op.62
    • String Quartet No. 3 in C major, op.71
    • String Quartet No. 4 in A major, op.106
    • Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, op.15
    • Piano quartet No. 2 in B minor, op.75
  • Trios
    • Trio in F sharp minor for violin, viola and piano, op.115
    • Seven Fantasy Pieces for Violin, Viola and Piano, op.57
    • String trio in A major, op.94
    • Piano trio in C major, op.22
    • Piano trio in B flat major, op.72
    • Terzette for two violins and viola op. 61, No. 1 in A major and No. 2 in D major
    • Trio for two violins and viola in C sharp minor, op.107
  • Duos
    • Two violins
      • Twenty Duos, op.55
    • Violin and viola
      • Twelve Duets, Op. 60
    • Violin and piano
      • Violin Sonata No. 1 in F sharp minor, op.20
      • Violin Sonata No. 2 in D major, op.33
      • Violin Sonata No. 3 in D minor, op.68
      • Violin Sonata No. 4 in E major, op.77
      • Violin Sonata No. 5 in A major, op.95
      • Violin Sonata No. 6 in G minor, op.103
      • Ten Fantasy Pieces for Violin and Piano, op.74
      • Seven Intermezzi for violin and piano, op.82
    • Viola and piano
      • Viola Sonata in D minor, op.86
      • Six fantasy pieces for viola and piano, op.117
    • Violoncello and piano
      • Cello Sonata No. 1 in D minor, op.29
      • Cello Sonata No. 2 in E flat minor, op.83
      • Seven Fantasy Pieces for Violoncello and Piano, op.78
    • Double bass and piano
      • Double bass sonata in B flat major, op.97
      • Three pieces for double bass and piano, op.96

Solo works

  • organ
    • Fantasy in C major, op.87
    • Fantasy in E minor, op.91
    • Fantasy in D flat major, op.101
    • Variations and Fugue
  • piano
    • Piano Sonata No. 1 in G flat major, op.19 (1877)
    • Piano Sonata No. 2 in G minor, op.88 (1910)
    • Piano Sonata No. 3 in D flat major, op.109 (1919)
    • Three pieces op.5
    • Rural scenes op.8
    • Improvisations op.11
    • Capricietti op.12
    • Scherzo in F minor op.23
    • 12 studies op.31
    • Youth sounds op.32
    • Preludes op.34
    • 20 fantastic sketches op.49
    • 10 fugues op.76 (1905)
    • 9 Fantasiestücke op.89
    • Twelve Waltzes, op.110
    • Tautropfen, thirteen pieces for piano, op.112
  • Piano for 4 hands
    • Voices of spring. 12 pieces, op.1
    • 5 pieces op.4
    • 6 pieces op.7
    • 7 Variations in D minor op.10
    • Waltz op.25
    • In the twilight hour, 10 sketches op. 38 - published in 1885 by Fritz Simrock in Berlin
    • 20 Viennese Waltz op.42 (1896)
    • Miniatures op.44 (1887)
    • 7 dream images op.48
    • 12 Lander Op. 50 (1890)
    • Waltz op.90 (1910)
    • Miniatures op.93
  • harp
    • Fantasy, op.85

Discography (selection)

  • Piano Concerto op. 27 and Serenade No. 5, Franz Vorraber, Orchester Philharmonique du Luxembourg , Alun Francis . cpo 2003.
  • String quartets op. 58, op. 62, op. 106 and op. 71, Minguet Quartet, music production Dabringhaus and Grimm 2000/2001
  • Symphonies No. 1 & 2, Moravian Philharmonic, Manfred Müssauer. Thorofon 1996.

literature

Web links

Commons : Robert Fuchs (composer)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Anton Mayr: Memories of Robert Fuchs. Graz: Leuschner Lubensky, 1934.
  2. ↑ As examples of how markedly the taste in music changed in the years after 1897, three works may be mentioned: the Enigma Variations (premiered in June 1899 in London), Anton Bruckner's 9th Symphony (premiered in February 1903 in Vienna) and Mahler's 3rd Symphony (premiered in June 1902).
  3. ↑ a b Hartmut Wecker (2003): Text accompanying Hyperion Records CDA 67354 (Piano: en: Martin Roscoe , BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra )
  4. ↑ audio samples
  5. ↑ audio samples
personal data
SURNAME Fuchs, Robert
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian Romantic composer
DATE OF BIRTH February 15, 1847
PLACE OF BIRTH Frauental an der Laßnitz , Styria
DATE OF DEATH February 19, 1927
Place of death Vienna