Egon Joseph Wellesz,

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

, FBA (21 October 1885 – 9 November 1974) was an Austrian, later British composer, teacher and

musicologist Musicology is the academic, research-based study of music, as opposed to musical composition or performance. Musicology research combines and intersects with many fields, including psychology, sociology, acoustics, neurology, natural sciences, f ...

, notable particularly in the field of Byzantine music.

Early life and education in Vienna

Egon Joseph Wellesz was born on 21 October 1885 in the district of Vienna to Samú Wellesz and Ilona Wellesz (née Lovenyi). Although his parents met and married in Vienna, they both originated from

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, 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 and ...

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 ...

, were both practising

Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...

in Vienna and Wellesz received a

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

upbringing. He later converted to

Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. As a boy he attended the on 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 law. Accordingly, Wellesz entered the

University of Vienna The University of Vienna (, ) is a public university, public research university in Vienna, Austria. Founded by Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, Duke Rudolph IV in 1365, it is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and among the largest ...

as a law student following the completion of his studies at the Franz-Joseph-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 (5 June 1826) was a German composer, conductor, virtuoso pianist, guitarist, and Music criticism, critic in the early Romantic music, Romantic period. Best known for List of operas by Carl Maria von Weber, h ...

s ''

Der Freischütz ' (Friedrich Wilhelm Jähns, J. 277, Opus number, Op. 77 ''The Marksman'' or ''The Freeshooter'') is a German List of operas by Carl Maria von Weber, opera with spoken dialogue in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber with a libretto by Johann Fried ...

'' under the baton of

Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic music, 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 ...

at the

Vienna State Opera The Vienna State Opera (, ) is a historic 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 ...

on October 21, 1898; a present from his parents on his 13th birthday. This

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

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 encouraged 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 concept of combining different sounds in order to create new, distinct musical ideas. Theories of harmony seek to describe or explain the effects created by distinct pitches or tones coinciding with one another; harm ...

and

counterpoint In music theory, counterpoint is the relationship of two or more simultaneous musical lines (also called voices) that are harmonically dependent on each other, yet independent in rhythm and melodic contour. The term originates from the Latin ...

at Eugenie Schwarzwald's school with

Arnold Schoenberg Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian and American composer, music theorist, teacher and writer. He was among the first Modernism (music), modernists who transformed the practice of harmony in 20th-centu ...

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), known as Rainer Maria Rilke, was an Austrian poet and novelist. Acclaimed as an Idiosyncrasy, idiosyncratic and expressive poet, he is widely recognized as ...

, 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 inspired by modernism and a widely-known c ...

, 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 expressionistic portraits and landscapes, as well as his theories on vision that influenced the Viennese Expre ...

; the latter of whom painted his portrait in 1911. He also met his future wife, , who was a student at that school. Wellesz's lessons with Schoenberg took place at Schoenberg's 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 is the academic, research-based study of music, as opposed to musical composition or performance. Musicology research combines and intersects with many fields, including psychology, sociology, acoustics, neurology, natural sciences, ...

with Guido Adler 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. His 1921 book on Schoenberg is still a standard source on Schoenberg's early period.

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 History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

; particularly those by composer

Giuseppe Bonno Giuseppe Bonno (29 January 1711 – 15 April 1788) Michael Lorenz gives his first name as "Joseph" because Emperor Joseph I was his godfather; Lorenz also asserts that Bonno was born on 30 JanuaryHaydn Singing at Vivaldi's Exequies: An Ineradic ...

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 theorist and pedagogue of the late Baroque era. His most enduring work is not a musical composition but his treatise on counterpoint, '' Gradus ad Parnassum'', which ha ...

's 1723 opera ' 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 year 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 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 no ...

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 an Austrian classical music publishing firm. Founded in 1901 in Vienna, it originally intended to provide the core classical works and educational works to the Austrian market. The firm soon expanded to become one of t ...

before

Berg Berg may refer to: People *Berg (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) * General Berg (disambiguation) * Berg Ng (born 1960), Hong Kong actor * Berg (footballer, born 1963), Ninimbergue dos Santos Guerra, Brazilian footba ...

Webern Anton Webern (; 3 December 1883 – 15 September 1945) was an Austrian composer, conductor, and musicologist. His music was among the most radical of its milieu in its lyric poetry, lyrical, poetic concision and use of then novel atonality, aton ...

. 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 ''

The Musical Quarterly ''The Musical Quarterly'' is the oldest academic journal on music in America. Originally established in 1915 by Oscar Sonneck, the journal was edited by Sonneck until his death in 1928. Sonneck was succeeded by a number of editors, including C ...

'', January 1940, pp. 65–75 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, libretto, librettist, Poetry, poet, Playwdramatist, narrator, and essayist. Early life Hofmannsthal was born in Landstraße, Vienna, th ...

and Jakob Wassermann. Operas such as ''Alkestis'' (1924) and '' Die Bakchantinnen'' (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 instrument, string player. A composer of both Secular music, secular and Church music, sacred music, and a pioneer ...

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 (music), classical period. Born in the Upper Palatinate and raised in Bohemia, both part of th ...

. In 1922 Wellesz, along with

Rudolph Reti Rudolph Reti, also Réti (; 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, Reti did not write his surname with an acute acc ...

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, 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 (, ), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into Nazi Germany on 12 March 1938. The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a "German Question, Greater Germany") arose after t ...

on 13 March 1938 made it no longer safe for him to reside in Austria.

Life in England

In 1938 Wellesz was forced to leave Austria in the wake of the

(annexation by Nazi Germany). By good fortune he was in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

on 12 March 1938 to hear his orchestral suite ''Prosperos Beschwörungen'' ("Prospero's Invocation", after ''

The Tempest ''The Tempest'' is a Shakespeare's plays, play by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1610–1611, and thought to be one of the last plays that he wrote alone. After the first scene, which takes place on a ship at sea during a tempest, th ...

'') conducted by

Bruno Walter Bruno Walter (born Bruno Schlesinger, September 15, 1876February 17, 1962) was a Germany, German-born Conducting, conductor, pianist, and composer. Born in Berlin, he escaped Nazi Germany in 1933, was naturalised as a French people, French cit ...

. Once in England he worked for a time on '' Grove's Dictionary of Music'', but in July 1940 he was

interned Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without Criminal charge, charges or Indictment, intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects ...

as an

enemy alien In customary international law, an enemy alien is any alien 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, secur ...

, ultimately in Hutchinson Camp in the

Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...

. 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, the long-standing chief music critic of ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

''. 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. His response to the great English poet

Gerard Manley Hopkins Gerard Manley Hopkins (28 July 1844 – 8 June 1889) was an English poet and Society of Jesus, Jesuit priest, whose posthumous fame places him among the leading English poets. His Prosody (linguistics), prosody – notably his concept of sprung ...

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 ''The Musical Times'' was an academic journal of classical music edited and produced in the United Kingdom. It was originally created by Joseph Mainzer in 1842 as ''Mainzer's Musical Times and Singing Circular'', but in 1844 he sold it to Alfr ...

'', vol. 106, no. 1472 (October 1965), pp. 766–767 Welleszgrave

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 The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

in 1932 and later a fellowship at

Lincoln College, Oxford Lincoln College (formally, The College of the Blessed Mary and All Saints, Lincoln) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. Lincoln was founded in 1427 by Richard Flemin ...

, where he remained until his death. His pupils there included Herbert Chappell, Martin Cooper, Kunihiko Hashimoto, Spike Hughes, Frederick May, Wilfrid Mellers,

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. Known for his e ...

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 neighbouring Australia as well as from the impulse to bring together aspects of Aborigi ...

. He was elected a

Fellow of the British Academy Fellowship of the British Academy (post-nominal letters FBA) is an award granted by the British Academy to leading academics for their distinction in the humanities and social sciences. The categories are: # Fellows – scholars resident in t ...

in 1953. A portrait was made of Wellesz by Jean Cooke, who had been commissioned for the work by Lincoln College. (There is also an early portrait, painted in 1911 by

). Wellesz continued composing until he suffered a stroke in 1972. He died two years later and was buried in the Zentralfriedhof 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 music, 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 publication of that work. Opus numbers are used to distinguish among ...

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 said ''Alkestis'' was "probably his most remarkable achievement for the stage. Its invention is marvellously sustained and organically conceived". He wrote nine symphonies and nine number of

string quartet The term string quartet refers 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 Violin, violini ...

s, the former starting in 1945 and the latter throughout his life. Several of his symphonies have titles, including the second (the ''English''), fourth (the ''Austriaca'') and seventh (''Contra torrentem''). They were generally well received in Austria, Germany and England, but even so the Third Symphony (1950–51) was only published posthumously and only received its world premiere in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

in 2000. Other compositions included the Octet, Op. 67 (using Schubert's combination); a piano concerto, Op. 49, a violin concerto, Op. 84; 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. He explored atonality and other modern styles and wrote a number of books, including ''Music Here and Now'' (1939), a study of Johannes Ock ...

, 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. Rather than follow his teacher Schoenberg's Expressionist style, Wellesz found inspiration in music from the pre- modern 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 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 History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
. This is the natural form, the innermost essence of opera.

Recordings

A complete recording set of his nine symphonies by the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra 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''. * Chamber music: Clarinet Quintet, Op. 81, String Trio, Op. 86, Four Pieces for String Quartet, Op. 103, and Four Pieces for String Trio, Op. 105. Veles Ensemble, Toccata TOCC0617 (2023) * Choral music and song: Mass in F, Op. 61; Missa Brevis, Op. 89, ''To Sleep'' Op. 94. Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. Nimbus NI5852 (2011) * 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) * Sonata for solo violin, Op. 72. Siân Philipps. Claudio CC6035-2 (2024) * String quartets: No. 3, 4 and 6. Vienna. Nimbus NI 5821 (2008) * String quartets: No. 2, 5 and 7. aron quartet Vienna. CPO 555617-2 (2025) * 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 * '' Die Prinzessin Girnara'', Op. 27 (1919–1920), libretto by Jakob Wassermann * ''Persisches Ballett'', Op. 30 (1920), ballet after Ellen Tels * ''Achilles auf Skyros'', Op. 33 (1921), ballet after

* ''Alkestis'', Op. 35 (1924), libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal after

Euripides Euripides () was a Greek tragedy, tragedian of classical Athens. Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three ancient Greek tragedians for whom any plays have survived in full. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to ...

* ''Die Nächtlichen: Tanzsinfonien'', Op. 37 (1924), Ballet scene after Max Terpis * '' 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 polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...

* '' Die Bakchantinnen'', 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, satirist, poet, and Whig politician. He spent most of his career between London and Dublin, and was noted for his highly polished style of writing, being regard ...

Choral

* ''Drei gemischte Chöre'', Op. 43 (1930), text:

Angelus Silesius Angelus Silesius, Order of Friars Minor, OFM (9 July 1677), born Johann Scheffler, was a German Roman Catholicism, Catholic priest, physician, Mysticism, mystic and Christian poetry, religious poet. Born and raised a Lutheranism, Lutheran, he be ...

* ''Fünf kleine Männerchöre'', Op. 46 (1932) from ''Der fränkische Koran'' by Ludwig Derleth * ''Drei geistliche Chöre'', Op. 47 (1932) for men's chorus based on poems from ''Mitte des Lebens'' by Rudolf Alexander Schröder * ''Zwei Gesänge'', Op. 48 (1932) based on poems from ''Mitte des Lebens'' by Rudolf Alexander Schröder * 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 * ''Prosperos Beschwörungen'', Op. 53 (1934–36), five symphonic movements for orchestra after ''

''. Recorded by Radio Symphonie Orchester Wien/Gerd Albrecht. * ''Lied der Welt'', Op. 54 (1936–38), for soprano and orchestra. Text:

. 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

* ''Ode an die Musik'', Op. 92 (1965) for baritone or alto and chamber orchestra, text:

Pindar Pindar (; ; ; ) was an Greek lyric, Ancient Greek lyric poet from Thebes, Greece, Thebes. Of the Western canon, canonical nine lyric poets of ancient Greece, his work is the best preserved. Quintilian wrote, "Of the nine lyric poets, Pindar i ...

, adapted from

Friedrich Hölderlin Johann Christian Friedrich Hölderlin (, ; ; 20 March 1770 – 7 June 1843) was a Germans, German poet and philosopher. Described by Norbert von Hellingrath as "the most German of Germans", Hölderlin was a key figure of German Romanticis ...

. Recorded by Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, 2004 * Symphony No. 6, Op. 95 (1965) * ''Vision'' for soprano and orchester, Op. 99 (1966), text: Georg Trakl. 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 (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 and occasionally Aramaic writings by the Isr ...

* 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 liter ...

* ''Geistliches Lied'', Op. 23 (1918–19) for singing voice, violin, viola, and piano * String Quartet No. 3, Op. 25 (1918). Recorded by Artis-Quartett Vienna, 2008 * String Quartet No. 4, Op. 28 (1920). Recorded by Artis-Quartett Vienna, 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 for soprano, clarinet, violoncello, piano, Op. 61 (1944), text:

* String Quartet No. 6, Op. 64 (1946). Recorded by Artis-Quartett Vienna, 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 Vienna, 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 * 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 * 1961: Order of St. Gregory the Great (Vatican) * 1971: Foreign Member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts * 1971: Austrian Decoration for Science and Art * 1973: Honorary Member of the Society of Friends of Music in Vienna

Bibliography

* * * * *

References

External links

* * Klavierkonzert/Violinkonzert, Babinsky (piano), David Frühwirth (violin), Epple (conductor), Egon Wellesz (composer)
Egon-Wellesz-Fonds
at the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, 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 Academic staff of the University of Vienna Austrian classical composers Austrian musicologists Austrian opera composers Hungarian composers Hungarian male composers Hungarian musicologists British classical composers British male classical composers Jewish classical composers Jewish musicologists Second Viennese School Fellows of Lincoln College, Oxford Male opera composers Jewish emigrants from Austria after the Anschluss to the United Kingdom 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 Fellows of the British Academy Austrian emigrants to England Composers awarded knighthoods World War II civilian prisoners held by the United Kingdom