Adolf Emil Büchner (December 7, 1826 in

Osterfeld Osterfeld is a town in the Burgenlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated southeast of Naumburg. It is part of the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' ("collective municipality") Wethautal. On 1 January 2010 it absorbed the former municipal ...

– June 9, 1908 in

Erfurt Erfurt () is the capital (political), capital and largest city of the Central Germany (cultural area), Central German state of Thuringia, with a population of around 216,000. It lies in the wide valley of the Gera (river), River Gera, in the so ...

) was a German conductor and bandmaster. He wrote a number of compositions, including

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 ...

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of Musical instrument, instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a Great chamber, palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music ...

, choral works, and

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 c ...

Life

Büchner's parents encouraged his musical interests from a young age. He attended the

Leipzig Conservatory The University of Music and Theatre "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" Leipzig () is a public university in Leipzig, Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1843 by Felix Mendelssohn as the Conservatorium der Musik (Conservatory of Music), it is the oldest music ...

between April 1843 and Easter 1846, when he graduated. He was the ninth student to attend the newly formed conservatory, and was exempt from paying tuition. After his studies he worked as a piano teacher in Leipzig until 1856. After numerous engagements as a conductor, he was from 1865 the conductor of the

Meiningen Court Orchestra The Meiningen Court Orchestra () is one of Europe's most time-honoured orchestras. Since 1952, the 68-member ensemble has been affiliated with the Meiningen Court Theatre, where it regularly performs opera, symphony concerts, and youth concerts. ...

in the city of

Meiningen Meiningen () is a town in the southern part of the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in the region of Franconia and has a population of around 26,000 (2024).

. Büchner and the court orchestra performed with

Franz Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic music, Romantic period. With a diverse List of compositions by Franz Liszt, body of work spanning more than six ...

in 1867 in Meiningen, at the festival of the "General German Music Society". In 1876, at the request of

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

, he introduced the main contingent of the festival orchestra at the first

Bayreuth Festival The Bayreuth Festival () is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of stage works by the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner are presented. Wagner himself conceived and promoted the idea of a special ...

, which many years later participated in the Festival. As ''

Kapellmeister ( , , ), from German (chapel) and (master), literally "master of the chapel choir", designates the leader of an ensemble of musicians. Originally used to refer to somebody in charge of music in a chapel, the term has evolved considerably in i ...

'', Büchner brought the orchestra a significant increase in quality. In 1880 he gave his successor,

Hans von Bülow Freiherr Hans Guido von Bülow (; 8 January 1830 – 12 February 1894) was a German conductor, pianist, and composer of the Romantic era. As one of the most distinguished conductors of the 19th century, his activity was critical for establishi ...

, the chapel next to a known top European orchestra. In 1881, Büchner retired and moved to

where, from 1882 to 1898, he led the "Sollerschen Musikverein". On his 80th birthday, he was granted the title of professor by

Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (2 April 1826 – 25 June 1914), was the penultimate Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, reigning from 1866 to 1914. For his support for his successful court theatre he was also known as the ''Theaterherzog'' (theatre duke ...

. Büchner was a member of the Leipzig Masonic Lodge,

Minerva Minerva (; ; ) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. She is also a goddess of warfare, though with a focus on strategic warfare, rather than the violence of gods such as Mars. Be ...

Works

Songs

*op. 6. **no. 1. "Der Gruss" *op. 18. ''Fünf Lieder für Mezzo-Sopran (oder Bariton) mit Pianoforte'' **no. 1. "Sehnsucht" (Text: Emanuel von Geibel) **no. 2. "An einem lichten Morgen" (Text: Hermann Rollett) **no. 3. "Ich sah den Wald sich färben" (Text: Emanuel von Geibel) **no. 4. "Nachtgesang" (Text:

Robert Reinick Robert Reinick (22 February 1805 – 7 February 1852) was a German painter and poet, associated with the Düsseldorf school of painting. One of his poems, '' Dem Vaterland'', was set to music by Hugo Wolf and another, '' The Flight into Egy ...

) **no. 5. "Die stille Wasserrose" (Text: Emanuel von Geibel) * op. 20. ''Vier Lieder für Mezzo-Sopran (oder Bariton) mit Pianoforte'' **no. 1. "Ave Maria" **no. 2. "Ich bin geliebt" **no. 3. "Osterlied" (Text: Adolf Böttger) **no. 4. "O wär' ich ein Stern" *op. 25. ''Drei Lieder für Sopr. (od. Ten.) mit Pianoforte'' **no. 1. "Frühling" (Text: Friedrich Martin von Bodenstedt after Mirza Shafi Vazeh) *op. 28. ''Sechs Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte'' **no. 1. "Ich möchte mich in Rosenduft berauschen" **no. 2. "Der Mondstrahl fiel in der Lilie Thau" (Text: Adolf Böttger) **no. 3. "Mein Stern" (Text: August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben) **no. 4. "Die Erde liegt so wüst und leer" (Text: Adolf Böttger) **no. 5. "O Welt, du bist so wunderschön" (Text: Julius Rodenberg) **no. 6. "Huldigung" (Text: Hermann Rollett) *op. 29. ''Vier Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte'' **no. 1. "Willst du mein eigen sein" **no. 2. "O blick mich an!" **no. 3. "Die Haideblume von Tiefensee' **no. 4. "Mir träumte von einem Königskind" (Text:

Heinrich Heine Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (; ; born Harry Heine; 13 December 1797 – 17 February 1856) was an outstanding poet, writer, and literary criticism, literary critic of 19th-century German Romanticism. He is best known outside Germany for his ...

)

Notable students

* Carl Friedemann (1862–1952)

Sources

* Encyclopedia Erfurt, 99084 Erfurt * Meininger Museums, 98617 Meiningen {{DEFAULTSORT:Buchner, Emil 1826 births 1908 deaths People from Burgenlandkreis German composers German conductors (music) German male conductors (music) 19th-century German conductors (music) 19th-century German male musicians