Ion Ivanovici
Encyclopedia
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n military band
Military band
A military band originally was a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the title of Bandmaster or Director of Music...
leader and 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...
, best remembered today for his waltz Waves of the Danube
Waves of the Danube
"Waves of the Danube" is a waltz composed by Iosif Ivanovici in 1880, and is one of the most famous Romanian tunes in the world. In the United States, it is frequently referred to as "The Anniversary Song", a title given by Al Jolson when he and Saul Chaplin released an adaptation of the song in...
.
Ivanovici was born in Timişoara
Timisoara
Timișoara is the capital city of Timiș County, in western Romania. One of the largest Romanian cities, with an estimated population of 311,586 inhabitants , and considered the informal capital city of the historical region of Banat, Timișoara is the main social, economic and cultural center in the...
, Habsburg Monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
. His interest in music began after he learned to play a flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
given to him when he was a child. Later, he enrolled in the 6th Army Regiment, where he also learned to play the clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
. His talent for music soon led him to become among the best musicians in the regiment, and he continued to study with Emil Lehr, one of the most prominent musicians of the latter half of the nineteenth century. Ivanovici later became a bandmaster
Bandmaster
A bandmaster is the leader and conductor of a band, usually a military band, brass band or a marching band.-British Armed Forces:In the British Armed Forces, a Bandmaster is always a Warrant Officer Class 1 . A commissioned officer who leads a band is known as the Director of Music...
, and toured Romania. In 1900, he was appointed the Inspector of Military Music, a position that he held until his death.
Although today Ivanovici is chiefly remembered for his waltz Waves of the Danube
Waves of the Danube
"Waves of the Danube" is a waltz composed by Iosif Ivanovici in 1880, and is one of the most famous Romanian tunes in the world. In the United States, it is frequently referred to as "The Anniversary Song", a title given by Al Jolson when he and Saul Chaplin released an adaptation of the song in...
, Donauwellen in German, in his lifetime he composed over 350 dances, and his works were published by over sixty publishing houses throughout the world. In 1889, Ivanovici won the coveted march prize to mark the World Exhibition in Paris, out of 116 entries. He died in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
.
His great-grandson Andrei Ivanovitch
Andrei Ivanovitch
Andrei Ivanovitch is an international classical pianist and winner of international competitions.- Biography and career :Andrei Ivanovitch Andrei Ivanovitch (born 1968 in Bucharest, Romania) is an international classical pianist and winner of international competitions.- Biography and career...
is a successful international classical pianist.
Compositions
- Souvenir Moskau (Souvenir from Moscow) Waltz
- Erzherzog Carl Ludwig March, Op. 129
- La Serenade
- The Daughter of the Boatman, or Schiffers Tochterlein (La Fille du Marin)
- Seufzer Waltz (Sigh Waltz)
- Sinaia Waltz
- Szerenade Zigeuneren (Gypsy Serenade)
- Carmen Sylva Waltz from 1892
- Mariana Polka
- Romania's Heart Waltz, Op. 51
- Incognito Waltz
- Abschied von Focsani March (Farewell to Focsani March)
- Vision de l'Orient Waltz (Vision of the East), Op. 147
- Meteor Waltz
- Im Mondenglanz Waltz (Moonglow Waltz), Op. 122
- Magic of the Mountains Waltz
- Liebes Klange Polka (Love of Music Polka)
- Storm Galopp
- Wild Flowers Waltz
- Abendtraume Polka-Mazurka (Evening Dream Polka-Mazurka)
- Agatha Waltz
- Der Liebesbote Waltz (Messenger of Love Waltz), Op. 136
- Easy, like a Dream, also known as Legere, comme un reve in French and Leicht, wie der Traum in German
- Poker Polka, Op. 123
- Am Hofe der Czarin Waltz (In the Courts of the Princess Waltz), Op. 124
- Die Ballkönigin Waltz (King of the Ball Waltz), Op. 127
- Goldene Stunden Waltz (Golden Hours Waltz), Op. 128 from 1893
- Céline Polka-Mazurka, Op. 130
- Natalia Waltz, Op. 134
- Beim Pfanderspiel Polka, Op. 137
- Bluthenzauber Waltz, Op. 149
- Lieb' um Liebe Waltz (Love for Love Waltz), Op. 155
- Alina Waltz
- Amalia Waltz
- Life in Cyprus
- Souvenir de Brăila Quadrille
- Aurel Waltz
- Cleopatra Waltz
- Elena Polka-Mazurka
- Farmecul Pelesului
- Fata pescarului
- Frumoasa romanca Waltz
- Frumosii ochi albastri Song
- Hora micilor dorobanti
- Herzliebchen Waltz
- Kalinderu March
- La balul curtii Mazurka
- Luceafarul Waltz
- Military March
- Marsul Carol
- L'Odalisque Polka-Mazurka
- Pe Dunare Mazurka
- Placerea balului Mazurka
- Porumbeii albi
- Die Konigin des Morgens or The King of the Morning
- Rosina Polka from 1902
- Sarba motilor
- Suvenire Quadrille
- Maus Polka or Mouse Polka
- Tatiana Waltz
- Roses from the Orient Waltz
- Viata la Bucuresti Waltz
- Visuri de aur Waltz
- Zana Dunarii
- Anniversary Waltz
- Bavarian Ländler
- Kaiserreise or Voyage Imperial March
- La Bella Roumaine Waltz from 1901