Gustav Lange

Gustav Lange (13 August 1830 – 20 July 1889) was a German composer known mainly for his melodious salon music for the piano.

Life

Lange was born in Schwerstedt, near Erfurt, 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, and Albert Löschhorn.

He lived for many years in Berlin and died at Wernigerode 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'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
19th-century classical composers
19th-century German composers
Composers for piano
German male classical composers
German Romantic composers
19th-century German male musicians