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German composer and music teacher
Waldemar Edler von Baußnern
(also
Baussnern
or
Bausznern
; 29 November 1866 ? 20 August 1931) was a German
composer
and music teacher.
Life
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Born in
Berlin
, and descended from
Transylvanian Saxons
, Baußnern was the son of a financial official. He grew up in both
Transylvania
and
Budapest
in the
Austro-Hungarian Empire
(in present-day
Romania
and
Hungary
respectively). Between 1882?1886 he was a student of
Friedrich Kiel
and
Woldemar Bargiel
at the Berlin Musical Academy (Berliner Musikhochschule). He then conducted various choirs; after 1909 he became director of the
Großherzoglichen Musikschule
in
Weimar
. From 1916 to 1923 he served as director of the
Hoch Conservatory
in
Frankfurt am Main
. In 1923, he became undersecretary of the
Academy of Arts, Berlin
. He died in
Potsdam
.
Music
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Baußnern's extensive catalogue of compositions includes almost all musical genres, yet it displays an emphasis on both choral symphonic and orchestral composition. As a composer, Baußnern found stimulation from poetry, for not only his vocal music, but also his instrumental music; the poetry of
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
emerged as an especial source of inspiration. This compositional impetus is reflected in numerous titles of his works, yet his oeuvre lacks any programmatic design. Stylistically, Baußnern stands out as a maverick to his contemporaries, remaining a composer who defies classification. Generally, however, his music is rooted in the 19th century, yet exhibits independence of form, ranging from extremes of conventional
tonality
to frequently polyphonic
chromaticism
, nonetheless never metamorphosizing into
atonality
.
Baußnern completed
Peter Cornelius
's fragmentary opera
Gunlod
in 1906 and served as editor of the operatic section of a comprehensive edition of Cornelius' works.
Sustained success eluded Baußnern during his life, and many of his compositions (for example, all of his symphonies) were never published. Research into Baußnern work remains in its infancy, but a Baußnern Society (Baußnern-Gesellschaft), founded by German composer
Dietrich von Bausznern
(1920?1980), Baußnern's grandson, seeks to promote awareness of his life's work. Current chair of the society is
Angela Gehann-Dernbach
.
Selected works
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Operas
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- Poet and World
(
Dichter und Welt
), musical drama (Libretto: Julius Petri; 1894, premiere: Weimar 1897)
- Durer in Venice
(
Durer in Venedig
) (Libretto:
Adolf Bartels
based on a text from a novella by
Adolf Stern
; 1897, premiere: Weimar 1901)
- Herbort and Hilde
(
Herbort und Hilde
), light heroic opera (Libretto: Eduard Konig; 1901, premiere: Mannheim 1902)
- The Bundschuh
(
Der Bundschuh
) (Libretto: Otto Erler; 1903, premiere Frankfurt am Main 1904, surviving only in a piano arrangement)
- Satyros
(
Satyros
) (Libretto: Waldemar von Baußnern based on a text by
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
; 1922, premiere: Basel 1923)
Choral works
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- The Birth of Jesus
(
Die Geburt Jesu
), Christmas motet for soprano, alto, choir, orchestra and organ (1911)
- The Song of Songs on Life and Death
(
Das Hohe Lied vom Leben und Sterben
), oratorio for soloists, choir and orchestra (1913, surviving only in a piano arrangement)
- Aus unserer Not
, Kantate fur Bariton, Chor und Orgel (based on a text by
Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock
, 1923)
- Ich will den Herrn loben
fur Chor und Orgel (nach Psalm 34 1925)
- Das Gottliche
fur Chor und Orchester (based on a text by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1927)
- Hafis
, Sinfonische Kantate fur Soli, Chor, Orchester und Orgel (based on a text by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1929)
- numerous smaller a cappella compositions, including:
- Deutschland! Heil’ger Name!
, Hymne fur gemischten Chor (based on a text by
August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben
)
Orchestral works
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- Ouverture
Champagner
for large orchestra (1899)
- Symphony No. 1 in A major
Jugend
(1899)
- Symphony No. 2 in B minor
Dem Andenken von
Johannes Brahms
(1899)
- Symphony No. 3
Leben
(with a final chorale, "Ganymed", based on a text by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1911)
- Symphony No. 4 in C minor (1914)
- Chamber Symphony
Himmlische Idyllen
fur 10 Streicher und Orgel (1916)
- Symphony No. 5
Es ist ein Schnitter, heißt der Tod
(with a final chorale based on the eponymous folk song, 1922)
- Symphony No. 6
Psalm der Liebe
(with solo soprano in
Elizabeth Barrett-Browning
's paraphrase of
Rainer Maria Rilke
, 1921)
- Hymnische Stunden
, three pieces for string orchestra (1925)
- Symphony No. 7
Die Ungrische
(1926)
- Suite
Dem Lande meiner Kindheit
(1929)
- Symphony No. 8 (1930)
- Passacaglia and Fuge for large orchestra (1931)
Chamber music
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- String Quartet No. 1 (1893)
- Piano Quintet in E
♭
major (1896)
- Quintet for Piano, Violin, Clarinet, Horn and Cello in F major (1898)
- Serenade for Violin, Clarinet and Piano in E
♭
major (1898)
- String Sextet (1910)
- Octet in D Minor for Piano, 3 Violins, Flute, Clarinet, Cello and Double Bass (1914)
- Hungarian Theme and Variations, Passacaglia and Fugue
for Violin and Piano (1916)
- Violin Sonata (1916)
- String Quartet No. 2 (1918)
- Piano Trio in A major
Weimarer Trio
(1921)
- String Quartet No. 3 (1923)
- Hungarian Sonate
for Violin and Piano (1923)
- 4 Instrumental Suites for Violin, Flute, Clarinet, Cello and Piano (1924)
- Piano Trio in G minor
O bellissima Italia
(1925)
- 3 Trio Sonatas for two Violins and Piano(1928)
- Three Serious Pieces for Violin, Viola, Cello and Organ (1928)
Piano music
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- Sonata eroica
in C
♯
minor (1906)
- Prelude, Fugue and Finale for two pianos (1914)
- 3 Little Sonatas (1916)
- 2 Preludes and Fugues
Dem Gedachtnis der Toten - Den Lebenden
(1916)
- Suite
Nachtliche Visionen
(1926)
Organ music
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- Choral Fantasy on "
Aus tiefer Not
" (1912)
- Passacaglia in C minor (1927)
- Sonata in A minor (1927)
- 3 Preludes and Fugues (1928)
- Prelude and Triple Fugues in A minor (1930)
- Choral preludes
Songs
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- Zwolf Lieder zur Laute
fur Singstimme und Laute (1911)
- Gesange aus der Tiefe
fur Bariton und Orchester (based on texts by
Friedrich Ruckert
,
Friedrich Nietzsche
,
Nikolaus Lenau
, and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe), 1921
- Die himmlische Orgel
, Liederzyklus fur Alt oder Bariton, Kammerorchester und Orgel (based on a text by
Richard von Volkmann
, 1924)
- numerous songs for voice and piano
Arrangements
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- Gunlod
(a completed arrangement of an unfinished fragmentary opera by Peter Cornelius, 1906)
- numerous arrangements of folk songs, including:
- Alte Volkslieder, dreistimmig gesetzt
(1913)
References
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- Vera Grutzner,
Waldemar von Baußnern ? Leben und Werk
, Musikgeschichtliche Studien 2, Gehann-Musik-Verlag: Kludenbach 1999.
- Karl Teutsch / Monica Vlaicu,
Waldemar von Baußnern, Biografie ? Briefe ? Berichte ? Bilder
, Musikgeschichtliche Studien VI, two volumes, Gehann-Musik-Verlag: Kludenbach 2003.
External links
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