Ernst Décsey
Encyclopedia
Professor
Dr.
Ernst Décsey, born Ernst Deutsch (13 April 1870 - 12 March 1941), was an Austria
n author
and music critic.
Décsey was born in Hamburg
and studied law at the Vienna University. At the same time he completed professional training at the Vienna music school (Konservatorium) in piano
, harmony
and composition
.
From 1899 on Ernst Décsey worked as music critic at the Grazer Tagespost (Graz
's daily newspaper
) and subsequently became its chief editor. In 1920, he was offered the position of permanent music adviser at the Neue Wiener Tagblatt (a daily newspaper) in Vienna
, where he became the leading music critic of his time.
In addition to his journalistic work, Ernst Décsey also taught music history
and esthetics at the Vienna
music school and published a number of novel
s, short stories
, plays
, libretti
and biographies
. He co-authored (with Gustav Holm
) a play Sissys Brautfahrt ("Sissy's bridal journey") which was later used for the libretto of the well-known operetta
Sissy by Ernst and Hubert Marischka; and wrote the libretto for Erich Wolfgang Korngold
's opera
Die Kathrin.
His biographies of great musicians in particular earned him wide reputation throughout the music world, far beyond Austria's borders. They included Hugo Wolf - Das Leben und das Lied (Hugo Wolf -life and lied); Bruckner - Versuch eines Lebens (Bruckner - a tentative outline of his life); Claude Debussy; Debussys Werke (Debussy's works - published after his death ); Johann Strauß; Franz Lehár; and Maria Jeritza.
Décsey died 12 March 1941 in Vienna.
Biographies:
Plays and Librettos:
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
Dr.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
Ernst Décsey, born Ernst Deutsch (13 April 1870 - 12 March 1941), was an Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and music critic.
Décsey was born in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and studied law at the Vienna University. At the same time he completed professional training at the Vienna music school (Konservatorium) in piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, harmony
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
and composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
.
From 1899 on Ernst Décsey worked as music critic at the Grazer Tagespost (Graz
Graz
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...
's daily newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
) and subsequently became its chief editor. In 1920, he was offered the position of permanent music adviser at the Neue Wiener Tagblatt (a daily newspaper) in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, where he became the leading music critic of his time.
In addition to his journalistic work, Ernst Décsey also taught music history
Music history
Music history, sometimes called historical musicology, is the highly diverse subfield of the broader discipline of musicology that studies the composition, performance, reception, and criticism of music over time...
and esthetics at the Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
music school and published a number of novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s, short stories
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
, plays
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
, libretti
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
and biographies
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
. He co-authored (with Gustav Holm
Robert Weil (writer)
Robert Weil was a writer for stage and screen. Under the pseudonym "Gustav Holm", he co-authored a play Sissys Brautfahrt which was later used for the libretto of the well-known operetta Sissi by Ernst and Hubert Marischka...
) a play Sissys Brautfahrt ("Sissy's bridal journey") which was later used for the libretto of the well-known operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
Sissy by Ernst and Hubert Marischka; and wrote the libretto for Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Erich 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 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...
Die Kathrin.
His biographies of great musicians in particular earned him wide reputation throughout the music world, far beyond Austria's borders. They included Hugo Wolf - Das Leben und das Lied (Hugo Wolf -life and lied); Bruckner - Versuch eines Lebens (Bruckner - a tentative outline of his life); Claude Debussy; Debussys Werke (Debussy's works - published after his death ); Johann Strauß; Franz Lehár; and Maria Jeritza.
Décsey died 12 March 1941 in Vienna.
Works
Novels and Erzählungen:- Du liebes Wien, Roman, 1911;
- Zigarettenrauch, Erzählungen, 1911;
- Die Insel der sieben Träume, Ein Reisebuch, 1912;
- Der kleine Herzog Cupidon, Roman , 1913;
- Die Theaterfritzl, Roman, 1915;
- Krieg im Stein, Erzählungen, 1915;
- Im Feuerkreis des Karsts, Erzählungen, 1916;
- Memoiren eines Pechvogels, Erzählungen, 1917;
- Die Stadt am Strom, Roman, 1918?;
- Das Theater unserer lieben Frau, Roman, 1927;
- Die Spieldose, Musikeranekdoten, 1928;
Biographies:
- Hugo Wolf - Das Leben und das Lied, 1906;
- Peter RoseggerPeter RoseggerPeter Rosegger was an Austrian poet from the province of Styria. He was a son of a farmer and grew up in the forests and fields. Rosegger went on to become a most productive poet and author as well as an insightful teacher and visionary...
, 1913?; - Bruckner - Versuch eines Lebens, 1920;
- Johann Strauß, 1922;
- Franz LehárFranz LehárFranz Lehár was an Austrian-Hungarian composer. He is mainly known for his operettas of which the most successful and best known is The Merry Widow .-Biography:...
, 1924; - Maria JeritzaMaria JeritzaMaria Jeritza , born Marie Jedličková, was a celebrated Moravian soprano singer, long associated with the Vienna State Opera and the Metropolitan Opera...
, 1931; - Claude DebussyClaude DebussyClaude-Achille Debussy was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures working within the field of impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions...
, 1936; - Debussys Werke (Nachlass), 1948;
Plays and Librettos:
- Der Musikant Gottes (Co-Autor: Victor Léon), Theaterstück, 1924;
- Sissys Brautfahrt (Co-Autor: Gustav HolmRobert Weil (writer)Robert Weil was a writer for stage and screen. Under the pseudonym "Gustav Holm", he co-authored a play Sissys Brautfahrt which was later used for the libretto of the well-known operetta Sissi by Ernst and Hubert Marischka...
), Lustspiel, 1931 (dieses Lustspiel wurde später Vorlage für die Operette Sissy); - Die KathrinDie KathrinDie Kathrin, Op. 28 is an opera in three acts by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, with a German libretto by Ernst Decsey.-Performance history:Korngold completed the opera during the summer of 1937. The premiere was set for March 1938 in Vienna, but was cancelled on Nazi instructions after the Nazi invasion...
, Libretto zur gleichnamigen Oper von 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...
, 1937; - Die Dame im Traum, (Co-Autor: Gustav Holm, Pseudonym für Dr.jur. Robert Weil, 1881–1950, auch als "Homunkulus" bekannt), Libretto zur gleichnamigen Oper von Franz SalmhoferFranz SalmhoferFranz Salmhofer was an Austrian composer, clarinetist, conductor and poet. He studied the clarinet, composition and musicology in Vienna and was a pupil of Franz Schreker and Franz Schmidt...
, 1935.