Emil von Reznicek
Encyclopedia
Emil Nikolaus Freiherr
von Reznicek (4 May 1860, Vienna – 2 August 1945 in Berlin) was an Austrian late Romantic
composer
of Czech ancestry.
. He didn't finish his law degree, but continued to study music. Subsequently, he conducted at the theater in Graz, in Berlin and a few other places. From 1886 to 1894 he was Kapellmeister
of the 88th Infantry of Prague, and it was here that he saw his greatest triumph with the premiere of Donna Diana
(16 December 1894). In the spring of 1902 he settled in Berlin
, touring to Russia and England from time to time. When the Nazi Party came to power in 1933, Reznicek tried not to become involved, but stayed in Berlin.
Reznicek was a personal friend of Richard Strauss
. However, the relation between the two seems to have been an ambivalent one. Reznicek's symphonic poem
Schlemihl (1912) can be seen as a direct parody of Strauss' Ein Heldenleben. The use of (often sarcastic) humor is a feature of much of Reznicek's music, from the jibbering Blaubart in the opera
Ritter Blaubart
through the sardonic Dance around the Golden Calf from Der Sieger (1913) to the expressionist Tarantella last movement of his Dance Symphony (#5, 1925). This Eulenspiegelei (a reference to the literary prankster Till Eulenspiegel
) frequently got him into trouble in a world that was unaccustomed to the use of humour in music and art.
Ferdinand von Rezniček
was his half-brother.
to his opera Donna Diana, composed in 1894. The overture is a popular stand-alone piece at symphony concerts and also served as the theme for the American radio (1947–1955) series Challenge of the Yukon
, which later migrated to the TV series (1955–1958) Sergeant Preston of the Yukon. It was also used in the 1950s on the BBC's
Children's Hour
by Stephen King-Hall
for his talks on current affairs.
The German label CPO
has started a project to record all of Reznicek's orchestral output. In this series, the symphonic poems Der Sieger (1913) and Schlemihl (1912), along with a number of symphonies (#2 "Ironische" and #5 "Tanzsinfonie") and the overture Raskolnikoff (1931) have already been released (November, 2006). Symphony #1 in D minor "Tragic", was released by CPO in 2008.
Reznicek's works include orchestral works (five symphonies
, suite
s, serenades, overtures), a violin
concerto
(1922), operas (Till Eulenspiegel (1902), Ritter Blaubart – A Fairy-Tale Opera in Three Acts (composed 1915–1917 and recorded by the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra in 2002), Spiel oder Ernst (1930)), chamber music (the first of his four string quartets (composed in 1921) received its world premiere recording from the Franz Schubert Quartet of Vienna in 1996).
Freiherr
The German titles Freiherr and Freifrau and Freiin are titles of nobility, used preceding a person's given name or, after 1919, before the surname...
von Reznicek (4 May 1860, Vienna – 2 August 1945 in Berlin) was an Austrian late Romantic
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
of Czech ancestry.
Life
Reznicek studied law and music simultaneously in GrazGraz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
. He didn't finish his law degree, but continued to study music. Subsequently, he conducted at the theater in Graz, in Berlin and a few other places. From 1886 to 1894 he was Kapellmeister
Kapellmeister
Kapellmeister is a German word designating a person in charge of music-making. The word is a compound, consisting of the roots Kapelle and Meister . The words Kapelle and Meister derive from the Latin: capella and magister...
of the 88th Infantry of Prague, and it was here that he saw his greatest triumph with the premiere of Donna Diana
Donna Diana
Donna Diana is a comic opera in three acts by Emil von Reznicek. The libretto, written by the composer, is based on a German translation by Carl August West titled Donna Diana oder Stolz und Liebe of the Spanish comedy El desdén con el desdén by Agustín Moreto y Cavana.-Performance history:It was...
(16 December 1894). In the spring of 1902 he settled in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, touring to Russia and England from time to time. When the Nazi Party came to power in 1933, Reznicek tried not to become involved, but stayed in Berlin.
Reznicek was a personal friend of Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
. However, the relation between the two seems to have been an ambivalent one. Reznicek's symphonic poem
Symphonic poem
A symphonic poem or tone poem is a piece of orchestral music in a single continuous section in which the content of a poem, a story or novel, a painting, a landscape or another source is illustrated or evoked. The term was first applied by Hungarian composer Franz Liszt to his 13 works in this vein...
Schlemihl (1912) can be seen as a direct parody of Strauss' Ein Heldenleben. The use of (often sarcastic) humor is a feature of much of Reznicek's music, from the jibbering Blaubart in the opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
Ritter Blaubart
Ritter Blaubart
Ritter Blaubart is a fairy-tale opera in three acts by the Austrian composer Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek...
through the sardonic Dance around the Golden Calf from Der Sieger (1913) to the expressionist Tarantella last movement of his Dance Symphony (#5, 1925). This Eulenspiegelei (a reference to the literary prankster Till Eulenspiegel
Till Eulenspiegel
Till Eulenspiegel was an impudent trickster figure originating in Middle Low German folklore. His tales were disseminated in popular printed editions narrating a string of lightly connected episodes that outlined his picaresque career, primarily in Germany, the Low Countries and France...
) frequently got him into trouble in a world that was unaccustomed to the use of humour in music and art.
Ferdinand von Rezniček
Ferdinand von Reznicek
Ferdinand Freiherr von Rezniček was an Austrian painter, caricaturist, and illustrator. Born to a noble Austrian family of Czech descent, he was a half-brother of composer Emil Nikolaus von Rezniček.His father had been a military officer, and Rezniček became a cavalry officer before following his...
was his half-brother.
Reputation
Today, Reznicek is remembered mainly for the overtureOverture
Overture in music is the term originally applied to the instrumental introduction to an opera...
to his opera Donna Diana, composed in 1894. The overture is a popular stand-alone piece at symphony concerts and also served as the theme for the American radio (1947–1955) series Challenge of the Yukon
Challenge of the Yukon
Challenge of the Yukon was a radio series that began on Detroit's station WXYZ , and an example of a Northern genre story. The series was first heard on February 3, 1938...
, which later migrated to the TV series (1955–1958) Sergeant Preston of the Yukon. It was also used in the 1950s on the BBC's
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Children's Hour
Children's Hour
Children's Hour—at first: "The Children's Hour", from a verse by Longfellow—was the name of the BBC's principal recreational service for children during the period when radio dominated broadcasting....
by Stephen King-Hall
Stephen King-Hall
Sir William Stephen Richard King-Hall, Baron King-Hall of Headley was a British naval officer, writer, politician and playwright. -Life:...
for his talks on current affairs.
The German label CPO
Classic Produktion Osnabrück
Classic Produktion Osnabrück is a record label founded in 1986 by Georg Ortmann and several others. Its declared mission is to fill niches in the recorded classical repertory, with an emphasis on romantic, late romantic and 20th-century music...
has started a project to record all of Reznicek's orchestral output. In this series, the symphonic poems Der Sieger (1913) and Schlemihl (1912), along with a number of symphonies (#2 "Ironische" and #5 "Tanzsinfonie") and the overture Raskolnikoff (1931) have already been released (November, 2006). Symphony #1 in D minor "Tragic", was released by CPO in 2008.
Reznicek's works include orchestral works (five symphonies
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
, suite
Suite
In music, a suite is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral pieces normally performed in a concert setting rather than as accompaniment; they may be extracts from an opera, ballet , or incidental music to a play or film , or they may be entirely original movements .In the...
s, serenades, overtures), a violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
concerto
Concerto
A concerto is a musical work usually composed in three parts or movements, in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.The etymology is uncertain, but the word seems to have originated from the conjunction of the two Latin words...
(1922), operas (Till Eulenspiegel (1902), Ritter Blaubart – A Fairy-Tale Opera in Three Acts (composed 1915–1917 and recorded by the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra in 2002), Spiel oder Ernst (1930)), chamber music (the first of his four string quartets (composed in 1921) received its world premiere recording from the Franz Schubert Quartet of Vienna in 1996).
Symphonies
- Symphony No. 1, "Tragic" in D minor (composed 1902)
- Symphony No. 2, "Ironic" in B-flat (composed 1904)
- Symphony No. 3, "Im alten Stil" in D major (composed 1918)
- Symphony No. 4 in F minor (composed 1919)
- Symphony No. 5, "Tanz-Symphonie" (composed 1924)
Orchestral and vocal works
- Hexenszene aus MacbethMacbethThe Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
(composed 1877) - Symphonische Suite in E major (composed 1883)
- Probszt-Marsch für Militärmusik (composed 1892)
- Eine Lustspielouvertüre (composed 1895)
- Symphonische Suite in D major (composed 1896)
- Wie Till Eulenspiegel lebte, Overture (composed 1900)
- Frühlings-ouvertüre (composed 1903)
- Nachtstück for cello and orchestra (composed 1903)
- Serenade for Strings No. 1 in G major (composed 1905)
- Orchesterfuge (composed 1906)
- Introduktion und Valse Caprice for violin and orchestra (composed 1906)
- Prelude and Fugue (composed 1912)
- Schlemihl (ein Symphonisches Lebensbild) for tenor and orchestra (composed 1912)
- Traumspiel-Suite based on incidental music for StrindbergAugust StrindbergJohan August Strindberg was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg's career spanned four decades, during which time he wrote over 60 plays and more than 30 works of fiction, autobiography,...
's play (composed 1915) - Nach Damaskus III incidental music for Strindberg's play (composed 1916)
- Konzertstück for violin and orchestra (composed 1918)
- Violin Concerto (composed 1918)
- Serenade for Strings No. 2 in G major (composed 1920)
- Thema und Variationen nach ChamissoAdelbert von ChamissoAdelbert von Chamisso was a German poet and botanist.- Life :He was born Louis Charles Adélaïde de Chamissot at the château of Boncourt at Ante, in Champagne, France, the ancestral seat of his family...
s Tragische Geschichte for baritone and orchestra (composed 1921) - Die wunderliche Geschichte des Kapellmeisters Kreisler, incidental music to the play by Carl Meinhardt and Rudolf BernauerRudolf BernauerRudolf Bernauer was an Austrian lyricist, librettist, screenwriter, film director, producer,and actor.He was born on 20 January 1880, in Vienna, Austria....
(composed 1922) - Raskolnikoff, Overture-fantasy No. 1 (composed 1925; lost)
- Festouvertüre, "Dem befreiten Köln" (composed 1926)
- Polizei, incidental music to the play by Herbert EulenbergHerbert EulenbergHerbert Eulenberg was a German poet and author born in Cologne-Mülheim, Germany.-1920s:Eulenberg was the publisher of many books, for which he wrote the introductions. His speech on Schiller, which he wrote in 1909, generated heated debates...
(composed 1926) - Symfonische Variationen über das "Kol Nidrei" (composed 1929)
- Raskolnikoff, Overture-fantasy No. 2 (composed 1929)
- Raskolnikoff, Overture-fantasy No. 3 (composed 1930; lost)
- Goldpirol-Ouvertüre, "Im deutschen Wald" (composed 1930)
- Valse Pathétique (composed 1931)
Stage works
- Die Jungfrau von Orleans, opera in 3 acts after Friedrich SchillerFriedrich SchillerJohann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller was a German poet, philosopher, historian, and playwright. During the last seventeen years of his life , Schiller struck up a productive, if complicated, friendship with already famous and influential Johann Wolfgang von Goethe...
(composed 1886) - Satanella, opera in 2 acts on a libretto by Reznicek (composed 1887)
- Emerich Fortunat, opera in 2 acts on a libretto by Reznicek (composed 1888)
- Donna DianaDonna DianaDonna Diana is a comic opera in three acts by Emil von Reznicek. The libretto, written by the composer, is based on a German translation by Carl August West titled Donna Diana oder Stolz und Liebe of the Spanish comedy El desdén con el desdén by Agustín Moreto y Cavana.-Performance history:It was...
, opera in 3 acts after Agustín MoretoAgustín Moreto y CavanaAgustín Moreto y Cavana , was a Spanish Catholic priest, dramatist and playwright.He was of Italian descent. His exact date of birth is unknown, but he was baptized at Madrid on 9 April 1618. He attended the University of Alcalá de Henares between 1634 and 1637, studying logic and physics and...
's El desdén con el desdén (composed 1894, revised 1933) - Till Eulenspiegel, opera in 2 acts after Johann FischartJohann FischartJohann Fischart was a German satirist and publicist.-Biography:Fischart was born, probably, at Strasbourg , in or about the year 1545, and was educated at Worms in the house of Kaspar Scheid, whom in the preface to his Eulenspiegel he mentions as his cousin and preceptor...
's Eulenspiegel Reimensweiss (composed 1900, revised 1939) - Die verlorene Braut, operetta (composed 1910)
- Die Angst vor der Ehe, operetta after Taufstein and Urban (composed 1913)
- Ritter BlaubartRitter BlaubartRitter Blaubart is a fairy-tale opera in three acts by the Austrian composer Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek...
, opera in 2 acts on a libretto by H. Eulenberg (composed 1917) - Holofernes, opera in 2 acts after Friedrich HebbelChristian Friedrich HebbelChristian Friedrich Hebbel , was a German poet and dramatist.-Biography:Hebbel was born at Wesselburen in Ditmarschen, Holstein, the son of a bricklayer. He was educated at the Gelehrtenschule des Johanneums...
's Judith und Holofernes (composed 1922) - Satuala, opera in 4 acts on a libretto by R. Laukner (composed 1927)
- Benzin, opera in 2 acts on a libretto by Calderón de la BarcaPedro Calderón de la BarcaPedro Calderón de la Barca y Barreda González de Henao Ruiz de Blasco y Riaño usually referred as Pedro Calderón de la Barca , was a dramatist, poet and writer of the Spanish Golden Age. During certain periods of his life he was also a soldier and a Roman Catholic priest...
(composed 1929) - Spiel oder Ernst?, opera in 1 act on a libretto by Peter Knudsen (composed 1930)
- Der Gondoliere des Dogen, opera in 1 act on a libretto by Peter Knudsen (composed 1931)
- Das Opfer, opera in 1 act on a libretto by Peter Knudsen (composed 1932)
- Das goldene Kalb, ballet (composed 1935)
Chamber music
- String Quartet (unnumbered) in C minor (composed 1882)
- Nachtstück for piano, violin and cello (composed 1905)
- String Quartet No. 1 in C minor (composed 1906, revised 1921)
- String Quartet No. 2 in D minor (composed 1921, revised 1922)
- Für unseren Kleinen for piano, violin and cello (composed 1921)
- Kol Nidrey, Vorspiel zu "Holofernes:, for piano, violin and cello (composed 1926)
- String Quartet in E minor (unfinished fragments, composed 1925–1930)
- String Quartet No. 3 in B major (composed 1932)
- Walzerlied for piano trio (composed 1932)
Piano
- Die Gedanken des Selbstmörders for piano (composed 1880)
- Vier Klavierstücke (composed 1882)
- Grünnemarsch (composed 1890)
- Eine Lustspiel-Ouvertüre, reduction for four-hands piano (composed 1895)
- Zwei Phantasie-Stücke (composed 1896)
- Traumspiel-Suite, reduction for piano (composed 1921)
- Ernster Walzer (composed 1924)
- Valse Pathétique (composed 1924, orchestrated 1924)
- Vier sinfonische Tänze, piano reduction of Symphony No. 5 (composed 1924)
- Menuett, piano reduction from the opera Polizei (composed 1926)
- Liebeserklärung (composed 1943)
Organ
- Präludium und chromatische Fuge in C minor (composed 1912)
- Präludium und Fuge in C minor (composed 1918)
- Fantasie "Kommt Menschenkinder, rühmt und priest" (composed 1930)
Selected discography
- Thema und Variationen über die "Tragische Geschichte" von Adelbert von ChamissoAdelbert von ChamissoAdelbert von Chamisso was a German poet and botanist.- Life :He was born Louis Charles Adélaïde de Chamissot at the château of Boncourt at Ante, in Champagne, France, the ancestral seat of his family...
für großes Orchester und Bariton. Performed by the RSO Stuttgart conducted by Carl SchurichtCarl SchurichtCarl Adolph Schuricht was a German conductor.Schuricht was born in Danzig , German Empire; his father's family had been respected organ-builders. His mother, Amanda Wusinowska, a widow soon after her marriage , brought up her son alone...
(Schuricht-Edition Vol. 14, combined with works by Richard StraussRichard StraussRichard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
, Hans PfitznerHans PfitznerHans Erich Pfitzner was a German composer and self-described anti-modernist. His best known work is the post-Romantic opera Palestrina, loosely based on the life of the great sixteenth-century composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina.-Biography:Pfitzner was born in Moscow, Russia, where his...
, and Max RegerMax RegerJohann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger was a German composer, conductor, pianist, organist, and academic teacher.-Life:...
) (Hänssler). - Symphony No1 in D minor, "Tragic", CPO 777223-2.
- Symphony No. 2 ("Ironische"); and No. 5 ("Tanz-Symphonie"). Performed by the Bern Symphony Orchestra conducted by Frank Beermann (CPO 777 056-2)
- Symphony No3 in D major, Symphony No4 in F minor, was released by Schwann CD11091. (1984/85)
- Der Sieger (The Victor) for alto and orchestra. Performed by Beate Koepp (alto) and the WDR Symphony Orchestra and Choir (Cologne) conducted by Michail Jurowski (CPO 999 898-2).
- Schlemihl, Symphonisches Lebensbild für Tenor & Orchester; Raskolnikoff (Schuld und Sühne, eine Phantasie-Ouvertüre). Performed by Nobuaki Yamamasu (tenor) and the WDR Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michail Jurowski (CPO 999 795-2).
- Donna Diana (opera, 1894). Performed by Max Wittges (bass), Manuela Uhl (soprano) and others, Kiel Opera Chorus and Philharmonic OrchestraKiel Opera HouseThe Peabody Opera House is a civic performing arts building in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded as the Kiel Opera House, it opened it 1934 and operated until 1991, when it and the adjacent Kiel Auditorium were closed so the auditorium could be demolished and replaced by the Scottrade Center...
conducted by Ulrich Windfuhr (CPO 999 991-2). - Ritter Blaubart (opera, 1918). Performed by David Pittman-Jennings (baritone), Arutjun Kotchinian (tenor) and others, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin conducted by Michail Jurowski (CPO 999 899-2).
- String Quartet No. 1 in C-sharp minor. Performed by the Franz Schubert String Quartet (Combined with Erich Wolfgang KorngoldErich Wolfgang KorngoldErich Wolfgang Korngold was an Austro-Hungarian film and romantic music composer. While his compositional style was considered well out of vogue at the time he died, his music has more recently undergone a reevaluation and a gradual reawakening of interest...
's String Quartet No. 1 in A major, Op. 16) (NimbusNimbus RecordsNimbus Records is a British record company specializing in classical music recordings.Nimbus was founded in 1972 by the late bass singer Numa Labinsky and the brothers Michael and Gerald Reynolds and has traditionally been based at the Wyastone Leys mansion site, near Monmouth and the English/Welsh...
5506-2).
External links
- A site with brief article, a list of works, and audio examples, maintained by Reznicek's grandson Michael (in German).
- Christian Stürzl's Reznicek site (in German) with soundbites from virtually every recording of Reznicek works available today.