Otto Erich Deutsch
Encyclopedia
Otto Erich Deutsch was an Austrian musicologist
. He is known for compiling the first comprehensive catalogue of the works of Franz Schubert
, first published in 1951 in English, new edition in 1978 in German. It is from this that the D numbers used to identify Schubert's pieces are drawn.
, he worked as a lecturer at the Department of Art History of the University of Vienna
. His specialization was the Biedermeier
period, which led naturally to his interest in Schubert, whose life took place during this cultural era. His scholarly career was interrupted by the First World War, when he served in the Austrian army. Following the war Deutsch worked for a time as a bookseller. He also shifted his scholarly interests to historical musicology, eventually becoming music librarian, working in the archives of Anthony van Hoboken
. In 1938, when Austrian was taken over by Nazi Germany in the Anschluss
, Deutsch was forced to flee the country, as he was of Jewish origin. He lived in Cambridge
, England, from 1939 to 1951, thereafter in Vienna again.
Deutsch was a close friend of Heinrich Schenker
. His niece Sophie Deutsch studied with him until her premature death. Deutsch is interred in an honorary grave of the Vienna Central Cemetery
(group 40, no. 12).
and Handel
; in them, the texts of the old documents are placed in chronological order, strung together with narration and commentary by Deutsch. In these biographies, Deutsch lets the documents speak for themselves, with his supplementary remarks providing clarifications, corrections, and context.
Deutsch also prepared conventional scholarly articles on these composers as well as on Joseph Haydn
. He also edited and published musical texts, in particular Haydn's output of canon
s.
provided many translations for this work)
Musicology
Musicology is the scholarly study of music. The word is used in narrow, broad and intermediate senses. In the narrow sense, musicology is confined to the music history of Western culture...
. He is known for compiling the first comprehensive catalogue of the works of Franz Schubert
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
, first published in 1951 in English, new edition in 1978 in German. It is from this that the D numbers used to identify Schubert's pieces are drawn.
Life
Following his studies of art history and literature in Vienna and 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 worked as a lecturer at the Department of Art History of the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
. His specialization was the Biedermeier
Biedermeier
In Central Europe, the Biedermeier era refers to the middle-class sensibilities of the historical period between 1815, the year of the Congress of Vienna at the end of the Napoleonic Wars, and 1848, the year of the European revolutions...
period, which led naturally to his interest in Schubert, whose life took place during this cultural era. His scholarly career was interrupted by the First World War, when he served in the Austrian army. Following the war Deutsch worked for a time as a bookseller. He also shifted his scholarly interests to historical musicology, eventually becoming music librarian, working in the archives of Anthony van Hoboken
Anthony van Hoboken
Anthony van Hoboken was a collector and musicologist. He was born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and died in Zürich, Switzerland.Hoboken trained as an engineer in Delft, before studying music in Frankfurt and Vienna...
. In 1938, when Austrian was taken over by Nazi Germany in the Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
, Deutsch was forced to flee the country, as he was of Jewish origin. He lived in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, England, from 1939 to 1951, thereafter in Vienna again.
Deutsch was a close friend of Heinrich Schenker
Heinrich Schenker
Heinrich Schenker was a music theorist, best known for his approach to musical analysis, now usually called Schenkerian analysis....
. His niece Sophie Deutsch studied with him until her premature death. Deutsch is interred in an honorary grave of the Vienna Central Cemetery
Zentralfriedhof
The Zentralfriedhof is one of the largest cemeteries in the world, largest by number of interred in Europe and most famous cemetery among Vienna's nearly 50 cemeteries.-Name and location:...
(group 40, no. 12).
Scholarship
According to Jones, Deutsch's work was based on "an abiding belief that historical documents and iconographic evidence constituted the essential ingredients of biographical exposition." Hence, Deutsch composed "documentary biographies" of Schubert, MozartWolfgang 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...
and Handel
George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
; in them, the texts of the old documents are placed in chronological order, strung together with narration and commentary by Deutsch. In these biographies, Deutsch lets the documents speak for themselves, with his supplementary remarks providing clarifications, corrections, and context.
Deutsch also prepared conventional scholarly articles on these composers as well as on 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...
. He also edited and published musical texts, in particular Haydn's output of canon
Canon (music)
In music, a canon is a contrapuntal composition that employs a melody with one or more imitations of the melody played after a given duration . The initial melody is called the leader , while the imitative melody, which is played in a different voice, is called the follower...
s.
Works
(English translation of Deutsch's German original. Eric BlomEric Blom
Eric Walter Blom CBE was a Swiss-born British-naturalised music lexicographer, musicologist, music critic, music biographer and translator. He is best known as the editor of the 5th edition of Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians .-Biography:Blom was born in Berne, Switzerland...
provided many translations for this work)
Films
- D 795: Die schöne MüllerinDie schöne MüllerinDie schöne Müllerin , is a song cycle by Franz Schubert on poems by Wilhelm Müller. It is the earliest extended song cycle to be widely performed. The work is considered one of Schubert's most important, and it is widely performed and recorded....
. Otto Erich Deutsch – Ein Leben für die Musik. Film by Claus SpahnClaus SpahnClaus Spahn is a former TV programme editor of Germany's Westdeutscher Rundfunk broadcasting corporation, a presenter, producer and author...
, ARDARD (broadcaster)ARD is a joint organization of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters...
1983, 60 min.
See also
- List of compositions by Franz Schubert
- Schubert compositions D number 1–500
- Schubert compositions D number 501–998