Gustav Lange (13 August 1830 – 20 July 1889) was a German
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and def ...
known mainly for his melodious
salon music
Salon music was a popular music genre in Europe during the 19th century. It was usually written for solo piano in the Romantic music, romantic style, and is often performed by the composer at events known as "Salon (gathering), Salons". Salon compo ...
for the piano.
Life
Lange was born in
Schwerstedt, near
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 ...
,
Prussian Saxony, in 1830. He received initial musical training from his father on the piano and organ, followed by conservatory studies in piano, organ,
thorough bass, and composition – probably at the Royal Institute for Church Music in Berlin. His teachers included
August Wilhelm Bach,
Eduard Grell
Eduard Grell or August Eduard Grell (6 November 1800 – 10 August 1886) was a German composer, organist, and music teacher.
Grell was born in Berlin. Among his early teachers were Carl Friedrich Zelter and Carl Friedrich Rungenhagen. On Zelt ...
, and
Albert Löschhorn.
He lived for many years in Berlin and died at
Wernigerode
Wernigerode () is a town in the Harz (district), district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Until 2007, it was the capital of the Wernigerode (district), district of Wernigerode. Its population was 32,181 in 2020.
Wernigerode is located southwes ...
in 1889.
Music
Encouraged by the success of some 1860s compositions, Lange produced a large number of works, most of which were light and popular piano pieces of which he wrote around 500. ''Edelweiss'' op. 31 and ''Blumenlied'' op. 39 (alternatively known as ''Flower Song'' in English) are perhaps two of his best-known works today.
A contemporary English source says: "Many of these pieces are very pleasing and pretty in character, but they are not marked by any very striking features".
[Brown, James Duff: ''Biographical Dictionary of Musicians'' (Paisley and London: Alexander Gardner, 1886; reprint Hildesheim: Georg Olms Verlag, 1970), p. 374.]
Selected compositions (piano)
*''Lamentation d'une jeunne fille'' op. 10
*''Farewell!'' op. 15
*''Prière à la Madonne'' op. 17
*''Fête militaire'' op. 18
*''Le Retour de soldat'' op. 19
*''Sehnsuchtsklänge'' op. 20
*''Die Libelle'' op. 24
*''Jägerfahrt'' op. 26
*''Dolorosa'' op. 28
*''Edelweiß'' op. 31
*''Blumenlied'' op. 39
*''Fischerlied'' op. 43
*''Langage d'amour'' op. 45
*''Au bivouac'' op. 47
*''Fleurs fanées'' op. 48
*''Minnelied'' op. 51
*''Einsame Tränen'' op. 52
*''Hortensia'' op. 53
*''Dein Eigen'' op. 54
*''Liebesahnung'' op. 75
*''Heidenröslein'' op. 78
*''Aus Herzensgrunde'' op. 85
*''Blumenmärchen'' op. 93
*''Immortellen'' op. 94
*''Mein Sohn, wo willst du hin so spät? Op.165''
:(Arrangement of
Felix Mendelssohn
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic music, Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions inc ...
's Winterlied (No.3) from 6 Gesänge, Op.19a for single piano)
*''Drei Fantasie-Transkriptionen über Opernarien von G. Meyerbeer'' op. 207
*''Offenbach-Fantasien'' op. 208
*''Valse mélancholique'' op. 210
*''Zwei Waldidyllen'' op. 211
*''Vier Lieder von Anton Rubinstein frei übertragen'' op. 212
*''Fantasie-Transkriptionen über drei Lieder von Franz Abt'' op. 213
*''Paraphrase über die Schlummerarie aus der Oper 'Die Stumme von Portici' von D.F.E. Auber'' op. 214
*''Paraphrase über die Romanze der Ines aus der Oper 'Die Afrikanerin' von G. Meyerbeer'' op. 215
*''Fantasie-Polonaise nach Motiven von B. Bilses beliebter Königs-Polonaise'' op. 216
*''Drei Fantasie-Transkriptionen über Lieder und Arien von W.A. Mozart'' op. 217
*''Die Maccabäer'' op. 237
*''Das goldene Kreuz'' op. 254
*''Der Landfriede'' op. 255
*''Sérénade irlandaise'' op. 409
*''Melitta'' op. 417
*''Almröschen'' op. 418
*''Im Ahnenschloss'' op. 419
*''Blumenklage'' op. 420
*''Begegnung auf der Alm'' op. 421
*''Les Pages de la Reine'' op. 422
*''Aus der Kindheit frohen Tagen'' op. 427
*''Frohes Wandern'' op. 428
*''Die Lotosblume'' op. 429
*''Marguerite'' op. 430
*''Lieb' Mütterlein'' op. 431
*''Marcella'' op. 432
*''L'Adieu'' op. 433
*''Gitanella'' op. 434
*''La Danse au Tyrol'' op. 435
*''Après le travail'' op. 436
*''Plaisirs de l'automne'' op. 437
*''Im Zwielicht'' op. 445
*''Von Zweig zu Zweig'' op. 447
*''Graziosa'' op. 448
*''Sérénade du gondolier'' op. 451
*''La jeunne fille de Pologne'' op. 453
*''Liebesreigen'' op. 455
*''Gavotte favorite'' op. 457
*''Heckenrosen'' op. 462
*''Les Grenadiers du Roi'' op. 464
*''Marche des Mineurs'' op. 474
*''Calme-toi!'' op. 475
*''La Petite flatteuse'' op. 480
*''Jour de répos'' op. 485
*''Fleur printanière'' op. 487
*''Danse des fleurs'' op. 489
*''Folâtrerie'' op. 491
*''Les Mois de roses'' op. 493
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lange, Gustav
1830 births
1889 deaths
Composers from the Kingdom of Prussia
19th-century German classical composers
Composers for piano
German male classical composers
German Romantic composers
19th-century German male musicians