Henry Charles Litolff
Encyclopedia
Henry Charles Litolff was a piano
virtuoso
, composer
of Romantic music
and music publisher.
Litolff was born in London
, the son of a Scottish
mother and an Alsatian
father. His father was a violin
ist who had been taken to London
as a prisoner after being captured while fighting for Napoléon
in the Peninsular War
.
Litolff began his musical education under his father, but when he was twelve he played for the pianist
Ignaz Moscheles
, who was so impressed that he gave him free lessons from 1830. Litolff's promise was indeed realised, and he began to give concerts when he was only fourteen. His lessons with Moscheles continued until Litolff eloped in 1835, at the age of 17, to Gretna Green
, to marry the 16-year-old Elisabeth Etherington. The couple moved to Melun
and then to Paris
.
In 1839 he separated from Elisabeth, and moved to Brussels
, and around 1841 moved to Warsaw
where he is believed to have been the conductor of the orchestra of the Teatr Narodowy
(National Theatre). In 1844 he travelled to Germany
, gave concerts, and taught Hans von Bülow
. The following year he returned to England
with the idea of finally divorcing Elisabeth, but the plan backfired and he ended up in prison, and having to pay a large fine. He managed to escape (it is said, with the assistance of the gaoler's daughter) and fled to the Netherlands
. He became friends with the music publisher Gottfried Meyer and, after Meyer's death, married his widow Julie (having been able to divorce Elisabeth after he had become a citizen of Brunswick
). Litolff and Julie married in 1851 and the marriage lasted until 1858, when he divorced her and moved once again to Paris.
He became a prolific composer, although he is now known mainly as the founder of the Litolff Edition of classical and modern music. He died at Bois-Colombes
near Paris
.
with piano obbligato
. The first one, in D minor, is lost; the others (which, though not regularly heard in the concert repertoire, are all available in modern recordings) are:
The only one of Litolff's own compositions still performed at all regularly is the somewhat Mendelssohnian
scherzo
from the fourth Concerto Symphonique, though his music was admired by Franz Liszt
, and he was the dedicatee of Liszt's own first piano concerto
.
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...
virtuoso
Virtuoso
A virtuoso is an individual who possesses outstanding technical ability in the fine arts, at singing or playing a musical instrument. The plural form is either virtuosi or the Anglicisation, virtuosos, and the feminine form sometimes used is virtuosa...
, 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 Romantic music
Romantic music
Romantic music or music in the Romantic Period is a musicological and artistic term referring to a particular period, theory, compositional practice, and canon in Western music history, from 1810 to 1900....
and music publisher.
Litolff was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the son of a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
mother and an Alsatian
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
father. His father was 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....
ist who had been taken to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
as a prisoner after being captured while fighting for Napoléon
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
in the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
.
Litolff began his musical education under his father, but when he was twelve he played for the pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
Ignaz Moscheles
Ignaz Moscheles
Ignaz Moscheles was a Bohemian composer and piano virtuoso, whose career after his early years was based initially in London, and later at Leipzig, where he succeeded his friend and sometime pupil Felix Mendelssohn as head of the Conservatoire.-Sources:Much of what we know about Moscheles's life...
, who was so impressed that he gave him free lessons from 1830. Litolff's promise was indeed realised, and he began to give concerts when he was only fourteen. His lessons with Moscheles continued until Litolff eloped in 1835, at the age of 17, to Gretna Green
Gretna Green
Gretna Green is a village in the south of Scotland famous for runaway weddings. It is in Dumfries and Galloway, near the mouth of the River Esk and was historically the first village in Scotland, following the old coaching route from London to Edinburgh. Gretna Green has a railway station serving...
, to marry the 16-year-old Elisabeth Etherington. The couple moved to Melun
Melun
Melun is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Located in the south-eastern suburbs of Paris, Melun is the capital of the department, as the seat of an arrondissement...
and then to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
In 1839 he separated from Elisabeth, and moved to Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, and around 1841 moved to Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
where he is believed to have been the conductor of the orchestra of the Teatr Narodowy
Teatr Narodowy
The National Theatre in Warsaw, Poland, was founded in 1765, during the Polish Enlightenment, by that country's last monarch, Stanisław August Poniatowski.-History:...
(National Theatre). In 1844 he travelled to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, gave concerts, and taught Hans von Bülow
Hans von Bülow
Hans Guido Freiherr von Bülow was a German conductor, virtuoso pianist, and composer of the Romantic era. He was one of the most famous conductors of the 19th century, and his activity was critical for establishing the successes of several major composers of the time, including Richard...
. The following year he returned to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
with the idea of finally divorcing Elisabeth, but the plan backfired and he ended up in prison, and having to pay a large fine. He managed to escape (it is said, with the assistance of the gaoler's daughter) and fled to the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. He became friends with the music publisher Gottfried Meyer and, after Meyer's death, married his widow Julie (having been able to divorce Elisabeth after he had become a citizen of Brunswick
Duchy of Brunswick
Brunswick was a historical state in Germany. Originally the territory of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel in the Holy Roman Empire, it was established as an independent duchy by the Congress of Vienna in 1815...
). Litolff and Julie married in 1851 and the marriage lasted until 1858, when he divorced her and moved once again to Paris.
He became a prolific composer, although he is now known mainly as the founder of the Litolff Edition of classical and modern music. He died at Bois-Colombes
Bois-Colombes
Bois-Colombes is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe...
near Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Works
His most notable works were the four Concertos Symphoniques, essentially symphoniesSymphony
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...
with piano obbligato
Obbligato
In classical music obbligato usually describes a musical line that is in some way indispensable in performance. Its opposite is the marking ad libitum. It can also be used, more specifically, to indicate that a passage of music was to be played exactly as written, or only by the specified...
. The first one, in D minor, is lost; the others (which, though not regularly heard in the concert repertoire, are all available in modern recordings) are:
- Concerto Symphonique No. 2 in B minor, Op. 22 (1844)
- Concerto Symphonique No. 3 in E flat, Op. 45 (c.1846)
- Concerto Symphonique No. 4 in D minor, Op. 102 (c.1852)
- Concerto Symphonique No. 5 in C minor, Op. 123 (c.1867)
The only one of Litolff's own compositions still performed at all regularly is the somewhat Mendelssohnian
Felix Mendelssohn
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Barthóldy , use the form 'Mendelssohn' and not 'Mendelssohn Bartholdy'. The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians gives ' Felix Mendelssohn' as the entry, with 'Mendelssohn' used in the body text...
scherzo
Scherzo
A scherzo is a piece of music, often a movement from a larger piece such as a symphony or a sonata. The scherzo's precise definition has varied over the years, but it often refers to a movement which replaces the minuet as the third movement in a four-movement work, such as a symphony, sonata, or...
from the fourth Concerto Symphonique, though his music was admired by 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...
, and he was the dedicatee of Liszt's own first piano concerto
Piano Concerto No. 1 (Liszt)
Franz Liszt composed his Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major, S.124 over a 26-year period; the main themes date from 1830, while the final version dates 1849. The concerto consists of four movements, which are performed without breaks in between, and lasts approximately 20 minutes...
.
External links
- Henry Litolff Piano Trio No.1 in d minor, Op.47 Soundbites and discussion of work
- "Happy Birthday, Litolff (Who?)" — by Jeffrey Engel for The Voice News
- http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/c.asp?c=C367&f=litolff — Hyperion'sHyperion RecordsHyperion Records is an independent British classical record label.-History:The company was named after Hyperion, one of the Titans of Greek mythology. It was founded by George Edward Perry, widely known as "Ted", in 1980. Early LP releases included rarely recorded 20th century British music by...
composer page - Philippe Entremont plays the Scherzo from Concerto Symphonique No 4. Op. 102 (with 2-piano score cued to the music)