Wilhelm Joseph von Wasielewski

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Wilhelm Joseph von Wasielewski, portrait in the book From seventy years - memoirs

Wilhelm Joseph von Wasielewski (born June 17, 1822 in Großleesen near Danzig , † December 13, 1896 in Sondershausen ) was a German violinist , conductor and musicologist .

Life

Wilhelm Joseph von Wasielewski was born on June 17, 1822 in Groß Leesen near Danzig as the eighth of eleven children of the landowner and later rector of the Danzig monastery school St. Brigitta, Josef Thaddäus von Wasielewski (1785–1850) and his wife Henriette Christina Piwko (1788– 1850) born.

His father gave him his first lessons in playing the violin , which soon became his favorite instrument. At the age of ten, his father handed him over to the St. Peter and Paul College in Gdansk.

On April 2, 1843 Wasielewski was accepted into the newly founded Leipzig Conservatory, which Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847) directed. Here he learned from renowned teachers such as Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Robert Schumann (1810–1856), Moritz Hauptmann (1792–1868) and Ferdinand David (1810–1873). In 1846 he became a violinist with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Student Wilhelm Joseph used the opportunities presented to him with success. Rector Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy was able to confirm in a letter to his father Joseph Thaddäus von Wasielewski on September 17, 1849: “From the beginning, your son distinguished himself in the most advantageous manner through his exemplary behavior, hard work and sustained, uninterrupted zeal in front of the prisoners . His capable, solid nature is free from dryness or affected compulsion, and on the other hand his musical talent and his true love of art do not lead him to freedom and disorder. One immediately notices the careful, correct upbringing that you have given him, but which would not have been sufficient on its own even without such good natural dispositions. Neither side has the slightest complaint or reproach about your son ever been made. On the contrary, his advances, e.g. B. on the violin, so important that concertmaster David told me a short time ago that your son could already be called a good, capable musician, because if he stayed healthy otherwise nothing could prevent him from using any place of the art and to work for one's own honor, to exist, and to gain recognition through one's achievements. "

1850 appointed him Robert Schumann as concertmaster at the Municipal Musikverein Dusseldorf. During this time, close friendly relationships developed with the Schumann couple, which found expression in joint private and public chamber music

In 1852 Wilhelm Joseph von Wasielewski went to Bonn as a choir conductor. In addition, he formed a successful piano trio for chamber music performances together with Julius Tausch and Christian Reimers . Later he was offered the leadership of the men's choir Liedertafel Concordia and the orchestra of the Beethoven Society.

Wasielewski family grave in the old cemetery in Bonn

In the same year Wasielewski married the pianist Alma Beyer (1827–1871) from Freiberg / Saxony who, like Clara Schumann , had been trained by her father Friedrich Wieck .

In the years that followed, up to Robert Schumann's death in 1856, the two families were on friendly terms, as evidenced by the intensive correspondence with Clara and Robert Schumann. Schumann dedicated his Märchenbilder op. 113 (four compositions for piano and viola) to Wilhelm Joseph von Wasielewski and his wife Alma the "Album Blätter" op. 124 (20 piano pieces)

However, since he was initially denied permanent employment in Bonn, the family decided to move to Dresden in 1855 . They lived here for the next fourteen years. Wilhelm Joseph devoted himself to performing in the orchestras of Dresden and Leipzig , gave instrumental lessons and continued his literary work. During these years he also had personal relationships with the piano virtuoso Franz Liszt (1811–1886), who also invited Wilhelm Joseph to the Altenburg in Weimar.

The first Schumann biography , which appeared in 1858, was widely recognized and subsequently achieved several editions, both at home and abroad.

In Dresden, where the royal music library housed an extensive collection of old music manuscripts and copies, Wilhelm Joseph von Wasielewski had the idea for a scientific work on the historical development of the violin and violin playing, taking into account the various styles in European countries.

The publication of the basic work The Violin and its Masters in 1868 clearly represents the climax in Wasielewski's literary work. This standard work reached a total of nine editions, the last of which after the author's death, as happened with other works, of his Son Waldemar von Wasielewski were published in a revised form.

In 1869 Wilhelm Joseph von Wasielewski was appointed city music director in Bonn . In 1871 his first wife Alma died, who, like her two sons, was buried in the old cemetery in Bonn.

In 1873 von Wasielewski was appointed Royal Music Director.

Wilhelm Joseph also maintained good relationships with the composers Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) and Max Bruch (1838–1920), as evidenced by this extensive correspondence.

In August 1873 Wasielewski played a key role in the Bonn memorial service for Robert Schumann, which raised funds for a worthy tomb at Robert Schumann's resting place. Wasielewski and the violin virtuoso Joseph Joachim (1831–1907), who was a close friend of his , were in charge of the performances, in which Clara Schumann also took part . The solemn inauguration of the grave memorial designed by Adolf Donndorf (1835 1916) in the Old Cemetery in Bonn took place on May 2, 1880.

In 1878 he was awarded honorary membership by the Accademia Filarmonica in Bologna .

Wilhelm Joseph von Wasielewski ended his long career as Royal Music Director in Bonn at the age of 61. He withdrew into private life and moved with his family to the Thuringian royal seat of Sondershausen . During this phase of his life he continued his music literary work. The main results of this period were the publication of a Beethoven biography and a work on the history of the violoncello.

Wilhelm Joseph von Wasielewski died on December 13, 1896 in Sondershausen at the age of 74 and, after a life full of artistic and scientific activity, found his final resting place on December 17 in the main cemetery there, where his second wife Hedwig was buried in 1920 has been.

His memoirs from 70 years appeared in 1897 in the Deutsche Verlagsanstalt Stuttgart and Leipzig. In addition to numerous music-historical works, Wilhelm Joseph von Wasielewski has also published a few compositions, two of which deserve mention: Notturno op.21 , and Herbstblumen op.30 (9 medium-difficulty pieces for violin / viola and piano; Verlag Zimmermann, Boston) and a Sedan Song , which also received a brief personal appreciation from Chancellor Otto von Bismarck.

family

Wasielewski was in his first marriage to the pianist Alma von Wasielewski geb. Beyer (1827–1871) married, with whom he had two sons who both died early and are buried in the old cemetery in Bonn in the family grave that is still preserved today.

  • Wolfgang von Wasielewski (1853–1873).
  • Sebastian von Wasielewski (1855-1857).

In December 1874, Wilhelm Joseph von Wasielewski concluded a second marriage with the north German pastor's daughter Hedwig Schueck (1843–1920). From this connection three sons were born:

  • Waldemar von Wasielewski (1875–1959) initially lecturer at the University of Rostock for botany, later a writer with a focus on music history and occultism.
  • Wilhelm von Wasielewski (1878–1956), painter and sculptor in Rome and Munich
  • Felix von Wasielewski (1880–1945) actor, director and dramaturge at the theater in Gotha and Munich.

Fonts (selection)

Complete list of publications

  • Robert Schumann. Dresden 1858.
  • The violin and its masters. Leipzig 1869 ( digitized version )
  • The violin in the 17th century and the beginnings of instrumental composition. Bonn 1874.
  • History of instrumental music in the XVI. Century. Berlin 1878.
  • Goethe's relationship to music. Leipzig 1880.
  • Schumanniana. Bonn 1883.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven. Berlin 1888.
  • The cello and its history. Leipzig 1889.
  • Carl Reinecke. Leipzig 1892.
  • From seventy years - memories. Leipzig 1897.

literature

chronologically

  • Hermann Mendel : Musikalisches Conversations-Lexikon Vol. 11, Berlin (1879)
  • Friedrich Blume : Music in the past and present Kassel London New York (1968)
  • R. Federhofer-Königs: WJ von Wasielewski (1822-1896) in the mirror of his correspondence , Mainzer Studien zur Musikwissenschaft VII, Tutzing (1975) ISBN 3-7952-0003-2
  • Kurt Hofmann: The first prints of the works of Robert Schumann , Tutzing (1979)
  • Horst Seeger : Musiklexikon Personen A – Z , Leipzig (1981)
  • Johannes Forner: The Gewandhaus Concerts in Leipzig Leipzig (1981)
  • Brockhaus Riemann: Musiklexikon Vol. 4 (1998)
  • George Grove / David Charlton : The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians , Vol. 27, 2nd ed., London 2001
  • Sondershausen city administration, personalities in Sondershausen: Wilhelm Josef von Wasielewski (1822–1896) , Sondershausen (2005)
  • Genealogical manual of the nobility, noble houses B, Volume XXVI, Limburg adLahn (2006) ISBN 3-7980-0840-X
  • Robert Schumann House Zwickau, special exhibition Wilhelm Josef von Wasielewski (1822–1896), 150 years of Schumann biography , catalog and conception Thomas Synofzik , Zwickau (2008)

Web links

Commons : Wilhelm Joseph von Wasielewski  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
Wikisource: List of publications and PDF references  - sources and full texts

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Genealogical handbook of the nobility : Noble houses B Volume XXVI Starke Verlag Limburg (2006)
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m City administration Sondershausen: Personalities in Sondershausen: Wilhelm Josef von Wasielewski (1822–1896) Sondershausen (2005)
  3. ^ A b c d e f Robert-Schumann-Haus Zwickau: Special exhibition Wilhelm Josef von Wasielewski (1822–1896), 150 years of Schumann biographical catalog and conception Thomas Synofzik Zwickau (2008)
  4. ↑ a b Horst Seeger : Musiklexikon Personen A – Z / Deutscher Verlag für Musik Leipzig (1981)
  5. ↑ a b c d Brockhaus Riemann Musiklexikon Vol. 4 (1998) ISBN 3-254-08399-7
  6. ↑ Kurt Hofmann: The first prints of the works of Robert Schumann Tutzing (1979)


personal data
SURNAME Wasielewski, Wilhelm Joseph von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German violinist, conductor and musicologist
DATE OF BIRTH June 17, 1822
PLACE OF BIRTH Großleesen near Gdansk
DATE OF DEATH December 13, 1896
Place of death Sondershausen