Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung
Encyclopedia
The Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung (General music journal) was a German-language periodical published in the 19th century. Comini (2008) has called it "the foremost German-language musical periodical of its time". The journal reviewed musical events taking place in many countries, focusing on the German-speaking nations, but also covering France, Italy, Russia, Britain, and even occasionally America.
Its impartiality and adherence to basic principles of credibility and discretion regarding the personal position of those reviewed, assured and established itself in a high position as a journal in the musical German society of the time, exercising great influence on the period.
in Leipzig
for the first period of publication and for the first three years of the second period; for the remainder of the journal's history it was published by J. Reiter-Biedermann. For a time during the second era it went by the title Leipziger Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung ("AmZ of Leipzig").
Much important material appeared in the journal, including the serialized first version of Georg August Griesinger
's biography of Joseph Haydn
, and articles by scholar Gustav Nottebohm
and critic Eduard Hanslick
. The journal employed the famous critic E. T. A. Hoffmann and published his influential review of Beethoven
's Fifth Symphony
. Both Robert Schumann
and Franz Liszt
published in the journal. The Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung to this day continues to be an essential source for scholars studying the music and musical culture of its time.
Somewhat less to its credit, the journal also published the so-called "Rochlitz anecdotes," a series of vignettes about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
written by the first editor. Today these anecdotes are widely considered by scholars to be heavily contaminated by material coming entirely from Rochlitz's own imagination; for discussion, see Biographies of Mozart
and Mozart's compositional method
.
The Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung is not to be confused with the Berliner allgemeine musikalische Zeitung, a different musical journal which was published in Berlin, or with the Wiener allgemeine musikalische Zeitung which was published in Vienna.
.
Its impartiality and adherence to basic principles of credibility and discretion regarding the personal position of those reviewed, assured and established itself in a high position as a journal in the musical German society of the time, exercising great influence on the period.
History
The journal appeared in two series: a weekly magazine published between 1798 and 1848, and a revived version which lasted from 1866 to 1882. The publisher was Breitkopf & HärtelBreitkopf & Härtel
Breitkopf & Härtel is the world's oldest music publishing house. The firm was founded in 1719 in Leipzig by Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf . The catalogue currently contains over 1000 composers, 8000 works and 15,000 music editions or books on music. The name "Härtel" was added when Gottfried...
in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
for the first period of publication and for the first three years of the second period; for the remainder of the journal's history it was published by J. Reiter-Biedermann. For a time during the second era it went by the title Leipziger Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung ("AmZ of Leipzig").
Much important material appeared in the journal, including the serialized first version of Georg August Griesinger
Georg August Griesinger
Georg August von Griesinger was a tutor and diplomat resident in Vienna during the late 18th and 19th centuries. He is remembered for his friendships with the composers Joseph Haydn and Ludwig van Beethoven, and for the biography he wrote of Haydn....
's biography of Joseph Haydn
Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn , known as Joseph Haydn , was an Austrian composer, one of the most prolific and prominent composers of the Classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these forms...
, and articles by scholar Gustav Nottebohm
Gustav Nottebohm
Martin Gustav Nottebohm was a pianist, teacher, musical editor and composer who spent most of his career in Vienna. He is particularly celebrated for his studies of Beethoven....
and critic Eduard Hanslick
Eduard Hanslick
Eduard Hanslick was a Bohemian-Austrian music critic.-Biography:Hanslick was born in Prague, the son of Joseph Adolph Hanslick, a bibliographer and music teacher from a German-speaking family, and one of his piano pupils, the daughter of a Jewish merchant from Vienna...
. The journal employed the famous critic E. T. A. Hoffmann and published his influential review of Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
's Fifth Symphony
Symphony No. 5 (Beethoven)
The Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67, was written by Ludwig van Beethoven in 1804–08. This symphony is one of the most popular and best-known compositions in all of classical music, and one of the most often played symphonies. It comprises four movements: an opening sonata, an andante, and a fast...
. Both Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
and Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
published in the journal. The Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung to this day continues to be an essential source for scholars studying the music and musical culture of its time.
Somewhat less to its credit, the journal also published the so-called "Rochlitz anecdotes," a series of vignettes about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
written by the first editor. Today these anecdotes are widely considered by scholars to be heavily contaminated by material coming entirely from Rochlitz's own imagination; for discussion, see Biographies of Mozart
Biographies of Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died after a short illness on 5 December 1791. His reputation as a composer, already strong during his lifetime, rose rapidly in the years after his death, and he became one of the most celebrated of all composers.Shortly after Mozart's death, biographers began to piece...
and Mozart's compositional method
Mozart's compositional method
The question of how Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart created his works has long been studied. 19th century views on this topic were often based on a romantic, mythologizing conception of the process of composition...
.
Editors
The editors of the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung during its first 50-year period were:- Friedrich Rochlitz, for the first twenty years; he continued to contribute material for another seventeen.
- Gottfried Christoph Härtel, the owner of the journal's publishing house, anonymously taking on editorship of the journal for ten years
- Gottfried Wilhelm Fink, who edited for fourteen years
- Carl Ferdinand BeckerCarl Ferdinand Becker (organist)Karl Ferdinand Becker , was a German writer on music, and an organist.-Biography:...
, a Leipzig organist, in 1842 - Moritz HauptmannMoritz HauptmannMoritz Hauptmann , was a German music theorist, teacher and composer.Hauptmann was born in Dresden, and studied violin under Scholz, piano under Franz Lanska, composition under Grosse and Francesco Morlacchi,...
, cantor at St. Thomas Church, Leipzig in 1843 - a three-year hiatus without an editor
- Johann Christian LobeJohann Christian LobeJohann Christian Lobe was a German composer and music theorist.Born in Weimar, Lobe was either self-taught as a musician or had music lessons from the age of seven . In 1810, he became violinist in the Weimar Court Orchestra , or else was a flautist and joined the Weimar orchestra in 1811...
, for the last two and a half years.
RIPM
The Répertoire International de la Presse Musicale (RIPM) has published volumes on both series:- Ole Hass, Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung 1798–1848. 14 vols. Répertoire International de la Presse Musicale (Baltimore, Maryland: RIPM, 2009). Introduction: http://www.ripm.org/pdf/Introductions/ALZintroEnglish.pdf
- Karl Kügle, Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung 1863–1882. 7 vols. Répertoire International de la Presse Musicale (Ann Arbor, Michigan: UMI, 1995. Introduction: http://www.ripm.org/pdf/Introductions/AMZintroEnglish.pdf
The Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung is not to be confused with the Berliner allgemeine musikalische Zeitung, a different musical journal which was published in Berlin, or with the Wiener allgemeine musikalische Zeitung which was published in Vienna.
External links
All the issues of the AmZ online 1798–1848, 1863–1882 from WikisourceWikisource
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