Egon Wellesz
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Egon Joseph Wellesz
CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(21 October 1885 – 9 November 1974) was an Austrian, later British composer, teacher and
musicologist Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some mu ...
, notable particularly in the field of
Byzantine music Byzantine music (Greek: Βυζαντινή μουσική) is the music of the Byzantine Empire. Originally it consisted of songs and hymns composed to Greek texts used for courtly ceremonials, during festivals, or as paraliturgical and liturgical ...
.


Early life and education in Vienna

Egon Joseph Wellesz was born on October 21, 1885 in the Schottengasse district of Vienna to Samú Wellesz and Ilona Wellesz (née Lovenyi). Although his parent met and married in Vienna, they both originated from
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
and came from Jewish families in that nation. His parents, while ethnically
Hungarian Jews The history of the Jews in Hungary dates back to at least the Kingdom of Hungary, with some records even predating the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin in 895 CE by over 600 years. Written sources prove that Jewish communities lived i ...
, were both practicing
Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
in Vienna and Wellesz received a
Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
upbringing. He later converted to
Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. As a boy he attended the Franz Josephs Gymnasium on Hegel Street where he received a classical education in Greek and Latin. Wellesz's father worked in the textile business and his parents initially intended Wellesz to join him in his work, or pursue a career as a civil servant. In order to achieve that aim, his parents were intent upon Wellesz pursuing an education in the law. Accordingly, Wellesz entered the
University of Vienna The University of Vienna (german: Universität Wien) is a public research university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world. With its long and rich histor ...
as a law student following the completion of his studies at the Franz Josephs Gymnasium. However, Wellesz's own career ambitions had been bent towards music for several years prior to his entrance to the University of Vienna. This desire to pursue a music career had been formed after attending a performance of
Carl Maria von Weber Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber (18 or 19 November 17865 June 1826) was a German composer, conductor, virtuoso pianist, guitarist, and critic who was one of the first significant composers of the Romantic era. Best known for his opera ...
s ''
Der Freischütz ' ( J. 277, Op. 77 ''The Marksman'' or ''The Freeshooter'') is a German opera with spoken dialogue in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber with a libretto by Friedrich Kind, based on a story by Johann August Apel and Friedrich Laun from their 181 ...
'' under the baton of
Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...
at the
Vienna State Opera The Vienna State Opera (, ) is an opera house and opera company based in Vienna, Austria. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road. It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans by August S ...
on October 21, 1898; a present from his parents on his 13th birthday. This
opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
so moved Wellesz that he decided he wanted to become a composer. Prior to this experience, Wellesz had already had some excellent music education as a boy, as his mother was a music enthusiast and amateur pianist who encourage music studies as a hobby. He began his initial music training at a young age studying the piano with his mother's teacher, Carl Frühling. In 1905, at the age of 19, Wellesz began studying
harmony In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. However ...
and
counterpoint In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more musical lines (or voices) which are harmonically interdependent yet independent in rhythm and melodic contour. It has been most commonly identified in the European classical tradi ...
at
Eugenie Schwarzwald Eugenie Schwarzwald, (née Nußbaum) (4 July 1872, in Polupanivka near Zbruch River in Austria-Hungary (now Ternopil Raion, Ukraine)) and died on 7 August 1940, in Zurich, founded the innovative Schwarzwald school. A progressive Austrian phil ...
's school with
Arnold Schoenberg Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (, ; ; 13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian-American composer, music theorist, teacher, writer, and painter. He is widely considered one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. He was as ...
while simultaneously attending law classes at the university. Schwarzwald's school became an important part of not only his musical development but also his social life. There he became the conductor of a school choir and he met and befriended the poet
Rainer Maria Rilke René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke (4 December 1875 – 29 December 1926), shortened to Rainer Maria Rilke (), was an Austrian poet and novelist. He has been acclaimed as an idiosyncratic and expressive poet, and is widely recogni ...
, the architect
Adolf Loos Adolf Franz Karl Viktor Maria Loos (; 10 December 1870 – 23 August 1933) was an Austrian and Czechoslovak architect, influential European theorist, and a polemicist of modern architecture. He was an inspiration to modernism and a widely-k ...
, and the painter
Oskar Kokoschka Oskar Kokoschka (1 March 1886 – 22 February 1980) was an Austrian artist, poet, playwright, and teacher best known for his intense Expressionism, expressionistic portraits and landscapes, as well as his theories on vision that influenced the ...
; the latter of whom painted his portrait in 1911. He also met his future wife, Emmy Stross, who was a student at that school. Wellesz's lessons with Schoenberg took place at Schoenberg 's Liechtensteinstrasse apartment where he received a thorough and rigorous training in the fundamentals of music. These lessons, however, lasted only a matter of months, and ended when he began studies in
musicology Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some mu ...
with
Guido Adler Guido Adler (1 November 1855, Ivančice (Eibenschütz), Moravia – 15 February 1941, Vienna) was a Bohemian-Austrian musicologist and writer. Biography Early life and education Adler was born at Eibenschütz in Moravia in 1855. He moved ...
at the University of Vienna later in 1905. Adler had founded the Musicological Institute at the University of Vienna and was a leading editor of the Austrian ''Denkmäler der Tonkunst in Österreich''. He and Schoenberg's dual influences shaped much of Wellesz's musical and scholarly thought.


Work as a scholar, lecturer, and composer in Vienna

The main focus of Wellesz's early musicological research was
Baroque opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
; particularly those by composer
Giuseppe Bonno Giuseppe Bonno (29 January 1711 – 15 April 1788)Michael Lorenz (musicologist), Michael Lorenz gives his first name as "Joseph" because Emperor Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor, Joseph I was his godfather; Lorenz also asserts that Bonno was born on ...
who was the subject of his dissertation at the University of Vienna. He also edited
Johann Joseph Fux Johann Joseph Fux (; – 13 February 1741) was an Austrian composer, music theory, music theorist and pedagogy, pedagogue of the late Baroque music, Baroque era. His most enduring work is not a musical composition but his treatise on counterpoin ...
's 1723 opera ''Costanza e fortezza'' for publication in Adler's ''Denkmäler''. Many years later Wellesz published a monograph on Fux in 1965. He graduated from the University of Vienna with a degree in musicology in 1908, and his dissertation on Bonno was published the following year. He married Emmy Stross in 1908, and had a very long and happy marriage. In 1913 Wellesz joined the faculty of the University of Vienna as a lecturer in music history. That same he embarked upon what would become a lifelong interest in the musical achievements of Byzantium. This interest initially arose from dialogues and debates with the Austrian art historian
Josef Strzygowski Josef Rudolph Thomas Strzygowski (March 7, 1862 – January 2, 1941) was a Polish-Austrian art historian known for his theories promoting influences from the art of the Near East on European art, for example that of Early Christian Armenian arch ...
who at this time was putting forward a new theory that many of the elements of Early Christian architecture, such as the rounded dome, originated not in the West but in the East; ideas published in his ''Orient oder Rom''. Wellesz had plenty of opportunity to discuss these theories directly with Strzygowski as his wife Emmy was an art historian who specialized in the art of India and was a disciple and close friend of Strzygowski. These discussions awoke an interest in him to study the early roots of Christianity and compare the development of
chant A chant (from French ', from Latin ', "to sing") is the iterative speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two main pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of notes ...
in the East and the West. 1913 was also the first year one of Wellesz's compositions was publicly performed. The five movement String Quartet No 1, op 14 received its premiere on 31 October, showing the clear influence of Mahler and Schoenberg. Wellesz was the first pupil of Schoenberg to gain independent success as a composer, receiving a contract from
Universal Edition Universal Edition (UE) is a classical music publishing firm. Founded in 1901 in Vienna, they originally intended to provide the core classical works and educational works to the Austrian market (which had until then been dominated by Leipzig-base ...
before
Berg Berg may refer to: People *Berg (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) *Berg Ng (born 1960), Hong Kong actor * Berg (footballer) (born 1989), Brazilian footballer Former states *Berg (state), county and duchy of the Holy ...
or
Webern Anton Friedrich Wilhelm von Webern (3 December 188315 September 1945), better known as Anton Webern (), was an Austrian composer and conductor whose music was among the most radical of its milieu in its sheer concision, even aphorism, and stead ...
. Three further string quartets followed during the war years, establishing his preference for linear chromaticism, and some of them explicitly categorised as atonal.Hans Redlich and Arthur Mendel. 'Egon Wellesz' in ''Musical Quarterly'', January 1940, p 65-75
/ref> However, it was with dramatic music that Wellesz really made his mark, starting with the ballet ''Das Wunder der Diana'' in 1914. In the following 12 years he completed five operas and three ballets, many of the libretti and ballet scenarios written by the important literary figures
Hugo von Hofmannsthal Hugo Laurenz August Hofmann von Hofmannsthal (; 1 February 1874 – 15 July 1929) was an Austrian novelist, librettist, poet, dramatist, narrator, and essayist. Early life Hofmannsthal was born in Landstraße, Vienna, the son of an upper-class ...
and
Jakob Wassermann __NOTOC__ Jakob Wassermann (10 March 1873 – 1 January 1934) was a German writer and novelist. Life Born in Fürth, Wassermann was the son of a shopkeeper and lost his mother at an early age. He showed literary interest early and published v ...
. Operas such as ''Alkestis'' (1924) and ''
Die Bakchantinnen ''Die Bakchantinnen'' is a 1931 German-language opera by Egon Wellesz to libretto by the composer after Euripides' play ''The Bacchae''.Julia Meszaros, Johannes Zachhuber ''Sacrifice and Modern Thought'' 0199659281 2013 - Page 242 "More ambiguous i ...
'' (1931) take their subject matter from ancient mythology and, in contrast to the Wagnerian tradition, use techniques such as dance pantomime and coloratura singing derived from
Claudio Monteverdi Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (baptized 15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, choirmaster and string player. A composer of both secular and sacred music, and a pioneer in the development of opera, he is considered ...
and
Christoph Willibald Gluck Christoph Willibald (Ritter von) Gluck (; 2 July 1714 – 15 November 1787) was a composer of Italian and French opera in the early classical period. Born in the Upper Palatinate and raised in Bohemia, both part of the Holy Roman Empire, he g ...
. In 1922 Wellesz, along with
Rudolph Reti Rudolph Reti, also Réti ( srp, Рудолф Рети, translit=Rudolf Reti; November 27, 1885 – February 7, 1957), was a musical analyst, composer and pianist. He was the older brother of the chess master Richard Réti, but unlike his brother, ...
and others, founded the Internationale Gesellschaft für Neue Musik (IGNM) following the Internationale Kammermusikaufführungen Salzburg, a festival of modern chamber music held as part of the Salzburg Festival. This soon evolved into the
International Society for Contemporary Music The International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) is a music organization that promotes contemporary classical music. The organization was established in Salzburg in 1922 as Internationale Gesellschaft für Neue Musik (IGNM) following the ...
, founded in 1923 with its headquarters in London. The Cambridge academic Edward J. Dent, whom Wellesz had met on his first trip to London in 1906, was elected as its president. In 1929 Wellesz was promoted from lecturer to professor at the University of Vienna; succeeding Adler in his position at the university. He remained in that post until the events of the
Anschluss The (, or , ), also known as the (, en, Annexation of Austria), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into the German Reich on 13 March 1938. The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a " Greater Germany ...
on 13 March 1938 made it no longer safe for him to reside in Austria.


Life in England

His links to England turned out to be fortunate in 1938 when Wellesz was forced to leave Austria in the wake of the
Anschluss The (, or , ), also known as the (, en, Annexation of Austria), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into the German Reich on 13 March 1938. The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a " Greater Germany ...
. By good fortune he was in
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
on 12 March 1938 to hear his orchestral suite ''Prosperos Beschwörungen'' ("Prospero's Invocation", after '' The Tempest'') conducted by
Bruno Walter Bruno Walter (born Bruno Schlesinger, September 15, 1876February 17, 1962) was a German-born conductor, pianist and composer. Born in Berlin, he escaped Nazi Germany in 1933, was naturalised as a French citizen in 1938, and settled in the Un ...
. Once in England he worked for a time on
Grove's Dictionary of Music ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language ''Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the history and theo ...
, but in July 1940 he was
interned Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...
as an
enemy alien In customary international law, an enemy alien is any native, citizen, denizen or subject of any foreign nation or government with which a domestic nation or government is in conflict and who is liable to be apprehended, restrained, secured and ...
, ultimately in Hutchinson Camp in the
Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...
. He gained his release later that year, on 13 October, thanks to intercessions by
Ralph Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams, (; 12 October 1872– 26 August 1958) was an English composer. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over ...
and
H. C. Colles Henry Cope Colles (20 April 18794 March 1943) was an English music critic, music lexicographer, writer on music and organist. He is best known for his 32 years as chief music critic of ''The Times'' (1911–1943) and for editing the 3rd and 4th ...
, the long-standing chief music critic of ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
''. Following his internment in 1940 Wellesz found himself unable to compose, a creative block eventually broken by the composition of the String Quartet No 5 (1943–44), the first important work of his English period.Benser, Caroline Cepin. 'Wellesz, Egon (Joseph)' in ''Grove Music Online'' (2001)
/ref> His response to the great English poet
Gerard Manley Hopkins Gerard Manley Hopkins (28 July 1844 – 8 June 1889) was an English poet and Jesuit priest, whose posthumous fame placed him among leading Victorian poets. His prosody – notably his concept of sprung rhythm – established him as an innovato ...
also helped re-kindle his urge to compose, resulting in his setting of ''The Leaden and the Golden Echo'' in 1944.Mellers, Wilfrid
'Egon Wellesz: An 80th Birthday Tribute'
in ''The Musical Times'', Vol. 106, No. 1472 (October 1965), pp. 766-767
Despite his composing, Wellesz remains best known as an academic and teacher, and for his extensive scholarly contributions to the study of Byzantine music and opera in the 17th century. These contributions brought for him an honorary doctorate from
Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
in 1932 and later a Fellowship at
Lincoln College, Oxford Lincoln College (formally, The College of the Blessed Mary and All Saints, Lincoln) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford, situated on Turl Street in central Oxford. Lincoln was founded in 1427 by Richard Fleming, the ...
, where he remained until his death. His pupils there included
Herbert Chappell Herbert Reginald Chappell (18 March 1934 – 20 October 2019) was a British conductor, composer and film-maker, best known for his television scores. Education and early career Born in Bristol, Herbert Chappell's first musical training was as a ch ...
, Martin Cooper, Kunihiko Hashimoto,
Spike Hughes Patrick Cairns "Spike" Hughes (19 October 1908 – 2 February 1987) was a British musician, composer and arranger involved in the worlds of classical music and jazz. He has been called Britain's earliest jazz composer. Later in his career, he ...
, Frederick May,
Wilfrid Mellers Wilfrid Howard Mellers (26 April 1914 – 17 May 2008) was an English music critic, musicologist and composer. Early life Born in Leamington, Warwickshire, Mellers was educated at the local Leamington College and later won a scholarship to Dow ...
,
Nigel Osborne Nigel Osborne (born 23 June 1948) is a British composer, teacher and aid worker. He served as Reid Professor of Music at the University of Edinburgh and has also taught at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover. He is known fo ...
and
Peter Sculthorpe Peter Joshua Sculthorpe (29 April 1929 – 8 August 2014) was an Australian composer. Much of his music resulted from an interest in the music of countries neighboring Australia as well as from the impulse to bring together aspects of Aborigin ...
. A portrait was made of Wellesz by
Jean Cooke Jean Esme Oregon Cooke Royal Academy, RA (18 February 1927 – 6 August 2008) was an English painter of still lifes, landscapes, portraits and figures. She was a lecturer at the Royal Academy and regularly exhibited her works, including the summ ...
, who had been commissioned for the work by Lincoln College. (There is also an early portrait, painted in 1911 by
Oskar Kokoschka Oskar Kokoschka (1 March 1886 – 22 February 1980) was an Austrian artist, poet, playwright, and teacher best known for his intense Expressionism, expressionistic portraits and landscapes, as well as his theories on vision that influenced the ...
). Wellesz continued composing until he suffered a stroke in 1972. He died two years later and was buried in the
Zentralfriedhof The Vienna Central Cemetery (german: Wiener Zentralfriedhof) is one of the largest cemeteries in the world by number of interred, and is the most well-known cemetery among Vienna's nearly 50 cemeteries. The cemetery's name is descriptive of its ...
in Vienna. His widow Emmy Stross, whom he married in 1908, returned to live in Vienna until her own death in 1987.


Music

Wellesz composed at least 112 works with
opus number In musicology, the opus number is the "work number" that is assigned to a musical composition, or to a set of compositions, to indicate the chronological order of the composer's production. Opus numbers are used to distinguish among compositio ...
s as well as some 20 without numbers. His large scale dramatic works (including six operas) were mostly completed during his Vienna period (the main exception being the comic opera ''Incognita'', written with the Oxford poet Elizabeth Mackenzie and first staged there in 1952). Robert Layton regarded ''Alkestis'' as "probably his most remarkable achievement for the stage. Its invention is marvellously sustained and organically conceived". It was successfully revived in the 1950s and 1960s. Altogether he wrote nine
symphonies A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, most often for orchestra. Although the term has had many meanings from its origins in the ancient Greek era, by the late 18th century the word had taken on the meaning com ...
and an equal number of
string quartet The term string quartet can refer to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two violinists ...
s, the former starting in 1945 and the latter series of works spread throughout his life. Several of his symphonies have titles, including the second (the ''English''), fourth (the ''Austriaca'') and seventh (''Contra torrentum''). They were generally well received in Austria, Germany and England, but even so the Third Symphony (1950–1) was only published posthumously and only received its world premiere in
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
in 2000. Other compositions included the Octet (using Schubert's combination); piano and violin concertos (one of each); choral works such as the Mass in F minor; and a number of vocal works with orchestral or chamber accompaniment. Stylistically his earliest music, somewhat like that of
Ernst Krenek Ernst Heinrich Krenek (, 23 August 1900 – 22 December 1991) was an Austrian, later American, composer of Czech origin. He explored atonality and other modern styles and wrote a number of books, including ''Music Here and Now'' (1939), a study ...
, is in a dissonant but recognisably tonal style; there is a definite second period of sorts around the time of the first two symphonies (1940s) in which his music has a somewhat Brucknerian sound – in the symphonies sometimes an equal breadth, though still with something of a 20th-century feel and harmonies – but after the Fourth Symphony his music became more tonally vague in character, with serial techniques used, though still with hints of
tonality Tonality is the arrangement of pitches and/or chords of a musical work in a hierarchy of perceived relations, stabilities, attractions and directionality. In this hierarchy, the single pitch or triadic chord with the greatest stability is call ...
, as in the Eighth Quartet. Rather than follow his teacher Schoenberg's
Expressionist Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...
style, Wellesz found inspiration in music from the pre-
modern Modern may refer to: History * Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Phil ...
era (with the exception of
Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...
), becoming a forerunner to the anti-Romantic currents of the twenties. As well as the dramatic works, the chamber and orchestral pieces with voice often use these "baroque" elements. An example is the cantata ''Amor Timido'' (1933), a favourite of Wilfrid Mellers. Elsewhere, the neo-classical spirit of
Hindemith Paul Hindemith (; 16 November 189528 December 1963) was a German composer, music theorist, teacher, violist and conductor. He founded the Amar Quartet in 1921, touring extensively in Europe. As a composer, he became a major advocate of the ' ...
is evident, as in the Piano Concerto (1931) and (still there much later) in the Divertimento (1969).Review of Pan Classics 510104 (1999) at MusicWeb International
/ref> He wrote:
In place of the infinite melody, the finite must return, in the place of dissolved, amorphous structures, clear, clearly outlined forms. The opera of the future must tie in with the traditions of
Baroque opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
. This is the natural form, the innermost essence of opera.


Recordings

A complete recording set of his nine symphonies by Radio Symphonieorchester Wien conducted by Gottfried Rabl is available, and there are recordings of three of the quartets, choral works including the Mass, the violin and piano concertos, and other orchestral works including ''Prosperos Beschwörungen'', ''Vorfrühling'' and the ''Symphonic Epilogue''. * Piano Concerto: with ''Triptychon'', Op 98; ''Divertimento'', Op. 107; ''Drei Skizzen'', Op. 6; ''Eklogen'', Op. 11. Karl-Andreas Kolly (piano), Luzerner Sinfonieorchester/ Howard Griffiths, Pan Classics 510104 (1999) * String Quartets: No. 3, 4 and 6. Artis Quartett Wien. NIMBUS NI 5821 (2008) * Symphonies No 1 - 9 (4 CD Set). Radio Symphonieorchester Wien/Gottfried Rabl, CPO 777183-2 (2009) * '20th Century Portraits': ''The Dawn of Spring''; ''Sonnets from the Portuguese'' Op. 52; ''Song of the World, Op. 54''; ''Life, dream and death'' Op. 55; ''Ode to Music'', Op. 92; ''Vision'', Op. 99; ''Symphonic Epilogue'', Op. 108. Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin/Roger Epple, Capriccio 67 077 (2004) * Violin Concerto: with ''Prosperos Beschwörungen'', Op. 53. Andrea Duka Lowenstein (violin), Radio Symphonie Orchester Wien/Gerd Albrecht, ORFEO C 478 981 (1999)


Works

Stage * ''Das Wunder der Diana'', op. 18 (1914–1917), ballet after
Béla Balázs Béla Balázs (; 4 August 1884 in Szeged – 17 May 1949 in Budapest), born Herbert Béla Bauer, was a Hungarian film criticism, film critic, aesthetics, aesthetician, writer and poet of History of the Jews in Hungary, Jewish heritage. He was a ...
* '' Die Prinzessin Girnara'', op. 27 (1919–1920), libretto by
Jakob Wassermann __NOTOC__ Jakob Wassermann (10 March 1873 – 1 January 1934) was a German writer and novelist. Life Born in Fürth, Wassermann was the son of a shopkeeper and lost his mother at an early age. He showed literary interest early and published v ...
* ''Persisches Ballett'', op. 30 (1920), ballet after Ellen Tels * ''Achilles auf Skyros'', op. 33 (1921), ballet after
Hugo von Hofmannsthal Hugo Laurenz August Hofmann von Hofmannsthal (; 1 February 1874 – 15 July 1929) was an Austrian novelist, librettist, poet, dramatist, narrator, and essayist. Early life Hofmannsthal was born in Landstraße, Vienna, the son of an upper-class ...
* ''Alkestis'', op. 35 (1924), Libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal after
Euripides Euripides (; grc, Εὐριπίδης, Eurīpídēs, ; ) was a tragedian Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful e ...
* ''Die Nächtlichen: Tanzsinfonien'', op. 37 (1924), Ballet scene after
Max Terpis Max Terpis, real name ''Max Pfister'', also ''Max Pfister-Terpis'', (1 March 1889 in Zürich – 18 March 1958 in Zollikon) was a Swiss dancer, choreographer, director and psychologist. Publications * ''Tanz und Tänzer'' (1946) Filmography ...
* '' Die Opferung des Gefangenen'', op. 40 (1924–1925), Stage drama after Eduard Stucken * ''Scherz, List und Rache'', op. 41 (1927), libretto after
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as trea ...
* ''
Die Bakchantinnen ''Die Bakchantinnen'' is a 1931 German-language opera by Egon Wellesz to libretto by the composer after Euripides' play ''The Bacchae''.Julia Meszaros, Johannes Zachhuber ''Sacrifice and Modern Thought'' 0199659281 2013 - Page 242 "More ambiguous i ...
'', op. 44 (1931), libretto by the composer after Euripides, opera in 2 Acts * *Hymne der Agave aus ''Die Bakchantinnen'', op. 44, concert edition by Wellesz * ''Incognita'', op. 69 (1950), libretto Elizabeth MacKenzie, based on the novel by
William Congreve William Congreve (24 January 1670 – 19 January 1729) was an English playwright and poet of the Restoration period. He is known for his clever, satirical dialogue and influence on the comedy of manners style of that period. He was also a min ...
Choral * ''Drei gemischte Chöre'', op. 43 (1930), text:
Angelus Silesius Angelus Silesius (9 July 1677), born Johann Scheffler and also known as Johann Angelus Silesius, was a German Catholic priest and physician, known as a mystic and religious poet. Born and raised a Lutheran, he adopted the name ''Angelus'' (Lati ...
* ''Fünf kleine Männerchöre'', op. 46 (1932) from ''Fränkischen Koran'' by
Ludwig Derleth Ludwig Benjamin Derleth (3 November 1870 – 13 January 1948) was a German writer and poet, known for his highly-stylized and anti-humanistic writings on spirituality and Christianity. Life Derleth was born in 1870 in Gerolzhofen, Lower Fr ...
* ''Drei geistliche Chöre'', op. 47 (1932) for men's chorus based on poems from ''Mitte des Lebens'' by
Rudolf Alexander Schröder Rudolf Alexander Schröder (26 January 1878 – 22 August 1962) was a German translator and poet. In 1962 he was awarded the Johann-Heinrich-Voß-Preis für Übersetzung. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature five times. Career Much o ...
* ''Zwei Gesänge'', op. 48 (1932) based on poems from ''Mitte des Lebens'' by
Rudolf Alexander Schröder Rudolf Alexander Schröder (26 January 1878 – 22 August 1962) was a German translator and poet. In 1962 he was awarded the Johann-Heinrich-Voß-Preis für Übersetzung. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature five times. Career Much o ...
* Mass in F minor, op. 51 (1934). Recorded by the choir of Christ Church, Oxford, 2010 * ''Quant'è bella Giovinezza'', op. 59 (1937), for women's choir * ''Carol'', op. 62a (1944) for women's choir * ''Proprium Missae'', ''Laetare'', op. 71 (1953) for choir and organ * ''Kleine Messe'' in G major, op. 80a (1958) for three similar voices a capella * ''Alleluia'', op. 80b (1958) for soprano or tenor solo * ''Laus Nocturna'', op. 88 (1962) * Missa brevis, op. 89 (1963). Recorded by the choir of Christ Church, Oxford, 2010 * ''To Sleep'', op. 94 (1965). Recorded by the choir of Christ Church, Oxford, 2010 * ''Offertorium in Ascensione Domini'' (1965). Recorded by the choir of Christ Church, Oxford, 2010 * ''Festliches Präludium'', op. 100 (1966) on a Byzantinium Magnificat for choir and organ Orchestral * ''Heldensang'', op. 2 (1905), symphonic prologue for large orchestra * ''Vorfrühling'' ('The Dawn of Spring'), op. 12 (1912), symphonic poem. Recorded by Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, 2004 * Suite, op. 16 (1913), for orchestra * ''Mitte des Lebens'', op. 45 (1931–32), cantata for soprano, choir, and orchestra * Piano Concerto, op. 49 (1933). Recorded by Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, soloist Margarete Babinsky, 2010 * ''Amor Timido'', op. 50 (1933), aria for soprano and small orchestra, text:
Pietro Metastasio Pietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi (3 January 1698 – 12 April 1782), better known by his pseudonym of Pietro Metastasio (), was an Italian poet and librettist, considered the most important writer of '' opera seria'' libretti. Early life Me ...
* ''Prosperos Beschwörungen'', op. 53 (1934–36), five symphonic movements for orchestra after '' The Tempest''. Recorded by Radio Symphonie Orchester Wien/Gerd Albrecht. * ''Lied der Welt'', op. 54 (1936–38), for soprano and orchestra. Text:
Hugo von Hofmannsthal Hugo Laurenz August Hofmann von Hofmannsthal (; 1 February 1874 – 15 July 1929) was an Austrian novelist, librettist, poet, dramatist, narrator, and essayist. Early life Hofmannsthal was born in Landstraße, Vienna, the son of an upper-class ...
. Recorded by Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, 2004 * ''Leben, Traum und Tod'', op. 55 (1936–37), for alto and orchestra. Text: Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Recorded by Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, 2004 * ''Schönbüheler Messe'' in C major, op. 58 (1937), for choir, orchestra, and organ * Symphony No. 1, op. 62 (1945) * Symphony No. 2, op. 65 (1947–48), ''The English'' * Symphony No. 3, op. 68 (1949–51) * Symphony No. 4, op. 70 (1951–53), ''Austriaca'' * Symphony No. 5, op. 75 (1955–56) * Violin concerto, op. 84 (1961), dedicated to the violinist Eduard Melkus. Recorded by Andrea Duka Lowenstein in 1999 and David Frühwirth in 2010. * ''Four Songs of Return'', op. 85 (1961), for soprano and chamber orchestra, after texts by Elizabeth Mackenzie * ''Duineser Elegie'', op. 90 (1963) for soprano, choir, and orchestra after
Rainer Maria Rilke René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke (4 December 1875 – 29 December 1926), shortened to Rainer Maria Rilke (), was an Austrian poet and novelist. He has been acclaimed as an idiosyncratic and expressive poet, and is widely recogni ...
* ''Ode an die Musik'', op. 92 (1965) for baritone or alto and chamber orchestra, text:
Pindar Pindar (; grc-gre, Πίνδαρος , ; la, Pindarus; ) was an Ancient Greek lyric poet from Thebes. Of the canonical nine lyric poets of ancient Greece, his work is the best preserved. Quintilian wrote, "Of the nine lyric poets, Pindar is ...
, adapted from
Friedrich Hölderlin Johann Christian Friedrich Hölderlin (, ; ; 20 March 1770 – 7 June 1843) was a German poet and philosopher. Described by Norbert von Hellingrath as "the most German of Germans", Hölderlin was a key figure of German Romanticism. Part ...
. Recorded by Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, 2004 * Symphony No. 6, op. 95 (1965) * ''Vision'' for soprano and orchester, op. 99 (1966), text:
Georg Trakl Georg Trakl (3 February 1887 – 3 November 1914) was an Austrian poet and the brother of the pianist Grete Trakl. He is considered one of the most important Austrian Expressionists. He is perhaps best known for his poem " Grodek", which he wr ...
. Recorded by Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, 2004 * Mirabile Mysterium, op. 101 (1967) for soloist, choir, and Orchester * Symphony No. 7, op. 102 (1967–68), ''Contra torrentem'' * ''Canticum Sapientiae'', op. 104 (1968) for baritone, choir, and orchestra after texts from the
Old Testament The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The ...
* Divertimento, op. 107 (1969), for small orchestra. Recorded by Luzerner Sinfonieorchester/Howard Griffiths, 1999 * Symphonic Epilogue, op. 108 (1969). Recorded by Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, 2004 * Symphony No. 8, op. 110 (1970) * Symphony No. 9, op. 111 (1970–71) Chamber and instrumental * ''Der Abend'', op. 4 (1909–10), four pieces for piano * ''Drei Skizzen'', op. 6 (1911), for piano. Recorded by Karl-Andreas Kolly, 1999 * ''Eklogen'', op. 11, four pieces for piano. Recorded by Karl-Andreas Kolly, 1999 * String Quartet No. 1, op. 14 (1912) * String Quartet No. 2, op. 20 (1915–16) * ''Idyllen'', op. 21 (1917), five pieces for piano after poems by
Stefan George Stefan Anton George (; 12 July 18684 December 1933) was a German symbolist poet and a translator of Dante Alighieri, William Shakespeare, Hesiod, and Charles Baudelaire. He is also known for his role as leader of the highly influential literar ...
* ''Geistliches Lied'', op. 23 (1918–19) for singing voice, violin, viola, and piano * String Quartet No. 3, op. 25 (1918). Recorded by Artis Quartett Wien, 2008 * String Quartet No. 4, op. 28 (1920). Recorded by Artis Quartett Wien, 2008 * Sonata for violoncello solo, op. 31 (1920) * ''Zwei Stücke'' for clarinet and piano, op. 34 (1922) * Sonata for violin solo, op. 36 (1923) * Suite for violin and chamber orchestra, op. 38 (1924) * ''Sonnets from the Portuguese'' for soprano and string quartet or string ensemble, op. 52 (1934). Recorded by Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, 2004 * Suite for violoncello solo, op. 39 (1924) * Suite for violin and piano, op. 56 (1937/1957) * Suite for flute solo, op. 57 (1937) * String quartet No. 5, op. 60 (1943) * ''The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo'',
cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir. The meaning of ...
for soprano, clarinet, violoncello, piano, op. 61 (1944), text:
Gerard Manley Hopkins Gerard Manley Hopkins (28 July 1844 – 8 June 1889) was an English poet and Jesuit priest, whose posthumous fame placed him among leading Victorian poets. His prosody – notably his concept of sprung rhythm – established him as an innovato ...
* String Quartet No. 6, op. 64 (1946). Recorded by Artis Quartett Wien, 2008 * String Quartet No. 7, op. 66 (1948) * Octet, op. 67 (1948–49) for clarinet, bassoon, horn, two violins, viola, violoncello, and contrabass''Continental Britons: The Emigre Composers''
NIMBUS NI 5730/1 (2007), reviewed at ''MusicWeb International''
* Sonata for violin solo, op. 72 (1953/59) * Suite, op. 73 (1954) for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, and bassoon * Suite for solo clarinet, op. 74 (1956) * Suite for solo oboe, op. 76 (1956) * Suite for solo bassoon, op. 77 (1957) * ''Fanfare'' for solo horn, op. 78 (1957) * String Quartet No. 8, op. 79 (1957). Recorded by Artis Quartett Wien, 2008 * Quintet, op. 81 (1959) for clarinet, 2 violins, viola, and violoncello * String trio, op. 86 (1962) * Rhapsody for viola solo, op. 87 (1962) * ''Musik'' for string orchestra in one movement, op. 91 (1964) * ''Fünf Miniaturen'' for violins and piano, op. 93 (1965) * ''Partita in Honor of Johann Sebastian Bach'', op. 96 (1965) for organ * String Quartet No. 9, op. 97 (1966) * ''Triptychon'', op. 98, three pieces for piano (1966). Recorded by Karl-Andreas Kolly, 1999 * ''Four Pieces'' for string quartet, op. 103 (1968) * ''Four Pieces'' for string trio, op. 105 (1969, second version 1971) * ''Five Studies in Grey'', op. 106, for piano (1969) * ''Four Pieces'' for string quintet, op. 109 (1970) * Prelude for viola solo, op. 112 (1971)


Decorations and awards

* 1953: City of Vienna Prize for Music * 1957: Commander of the
Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
* 1957: Great Silver Medal of the City of Paris * 1959: Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria * 1961:
Grand Austrian State Prize for Music The Grand Austrian State Prize () is a decoration given annually by Austria to an artist for exceptional work. The recipient must be an Austrian citizen with a permanent residence in Austria. It was originally created in 1950 by then education mi ...
* 1961:
Order of St. Gregory the Great The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great ( la, Ordo Sancti Gregorii Magni; it, Ordine di San Gregorio Magno) was established on 1 September 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election as Pope. The order is one of ...
(Vatican) * 1971: Foreign Member of the
Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts The Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts ( la, Academia Scientiarum et Artium Serbica, sr-Cyr, Српска академија наука и уметности, САНУ, Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti, SANU) is a national academy and the ...
* 1971:
Austrian Decoration for Science and Art The Austrian Decoration for Science and Art (german: Österreichisches Ehrenzeichen für Wissenschaft und Kunst) is a state decoration of the Republic of Austria and forms part of the Austrian national honours system. History The "Austrian D ...
* 1973: Honorary Member of the Society of Friends of Music in Vienna


Bibliography

* * * * *


See also

* List of émigré composers in Britain


References


Further reading

* Hans F. Redlich, "Egon Wellesz", in: ''The Musical Quarterly'', XXVI (1940), 65–75. * Rudolph Reti, "Egon Wellesz, Musician and scholar", in: ''The Musical Quarterly'', XLII (1956), 1–13. * Robert Scholium, ''Egon Wellesz,'' in: ''Österreichische Komponisten des XX. Jahrhunderts'', vol. 2, Vienna: Elisabeth Lafite 1964. * Caroline Cepin Benser, ''Egon Wellesz (1885–1974): Chronicle of a Twentieth-Century Musician'', New York: P. Lang, 1985 . * Otto Kolleritsch (ed.), ''Egon Wellesz'', Studien zur Wertungsforschung, vol. 17, Graz and Vienna: Universal Edition 1986. * Lorenz Wedl, ''"Die Bacchantinnen" von Egon Wellesz oder das göttliche Wunder'', Wien/Köln/Weimar, Böhlau 1992. * Harald Kaufmann, ''Gespräch mit Egon Wellesz'', in: Harald Kaufmann, ''Von innen und außen. Schriften über Musik, Musikleben und Ästhetik'', ed. by Werner Grünzweig and Gottfried Krieger. Wolke: Hofheim, 1993, . * Knut Eckhardt, ''Das Verhältnis von Klangfarbe und Form bei Egon Wellesz'', Göttingen: Edition Re, 1994. * David Symons, ''Egon Wellesz. Composer'', Wilhelmshaven, Florian Noetzel 1996. * Snowman, Daniel
''The Hitler Emigrés''
Penguin, 2002 * Marcus G. Patka/Michael Haas (eds.): ''
Hans Gál Hans Gál OBE (5 August 1890 – 3 October 1987) was an Austrian composer, pedagogue, musicologist, and author, who emigrated to the United Kingdom in 1938. Life Gál was born to a Jewish family in the small village of Brunn am Gebirge, Lowe ...
und Egon Wellesz: Continental Britons. Ausstellung "Continental Britons – Hans Gál und Egon Wellesz des Jüdischen Museums der Stadt Wien vom 25. Februar – 2. Mai 2004'' (= ''Musik des Aufbruchs''). Im Auftrag des Jüdischen Museums Wien. Vienna: Mandelbaum-Verlag, 2004, . *
Jürgen Maehder Jürgen Maehder (born 1950) is a German musicologist and opera director. He discovered Franco Alfano's original version of the finale for the third act of Puccini's ''Turandot''. He has lectured and staged opera internationally. Career Born in Du ...
, ''Das Quiché-Drama »Rabinal Achí«, Brasseur de Bourbourg und das Tanzdrama »Die Opferung des Gefangenen« von Egon Wellesz'', in: Peter Csobádi, Ulrich Müller, et al. (eds.), ''Das (Musik)-Theater in Exil und Diktatur und seine Rezeption. Vorträge und Gespräche des Salzburger Symposiums 2003'', Anif/Salzburg: Müller-Speiser 2005, . * Pietro Massa, ''Antikerezeption und musikalische Dramaturgie in »Die Bakchantinnen« von Egon Wellesz'', in: Peter Csobádi, Ulrich Müller et al. (eds.), ''Das (Musik)-Theater in Exil und Diktatur und seine Rezeption. Vorträge und Gespräche des Salzburger Symposiums 2003'', Anif/Salzburg: Müller-Speiser 2005, . * Michael Hass,
Forbidden Music: The Jewish Composers Banned by the Nazis
', Yale University Press, 2013 * Jörg Bierhance,
The Observation of Form
The form analysis method of Constantin Bugeanu in reference to the 1st and 5th Symphonies of Egon Wellesz'', Academia, 2018


External links

* * Klavierkonzert/Violinkonzert, Babinsky (piano),
David Frühwirth David Frühwirth (born 15 June 1974) is an Austrian classical violinist. He has played internationally as a soloist and chamber musician, with a focus on contemporary music which he also recorded. He has given international master classes. Life a ...
(violin), Epple (conductor), Egon Wellesz (composer)
Egon-Wellesz-Fonds
at the
Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde The Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Wien (), also known as the Wiener Musikverein (German for 'Viennese Music Association'), is an Austrian music organization that was founded in 1812 by Joseph Sonnleithner, general secretary of the Court Theat ...
, Vienna (also includes a News section with recent performances of Wellesz' compositions) {{DEFAULTSORT:Wellesz, Egon 1885 births 1974 deaths 20th-century Austrian composers 20th-century Austrian male musicians 20th-century British composers 20th-century British musicologists 20th-century British male musicians 20th-century classical composers Academics of the University of Vienna Austrian classical composers Austrian musicologists Austrian opera composers Hungarian composers Hungarian male composers British classical composers British male classical composers Jewish classical musicians Jewish classical composers Jewish musicologists Second Viennese School Fellows of Lincoln College, Oxford Male opera composers Jewish emigrants from Austria to the United Kingdom after the Anschluss Burials at the Vienna Central Cemetery Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Recipients of the Grand Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria Recipients of the Grand Austrian State Prize Knights of St. Gregory the Great Recipients of the Austrian Decoration for Science and Art Members of the Society of Friends of Music in Vienna People interned in the Isle of Man during World War II Members of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts Pupils of Arnold Schoenberg University of Vienna alumni