Hugo Kauder (9 June 188822 July 1972) was an

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

composer,

music theorist Music theory is the study of theoretical frameworks for understanding the practices and possibilities of music. '' The Oxford Companion to Music'' describes three interrelated uses of the term "music theory": The first is the " rudiments", that ...

, and teacher. He composed in a relatively traditional,

Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid- Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, often set within studied ye ...

ian

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

–

harmonic In physics, acoustics, and telecommunications, a harmonic is a sinusoidal wave with a frequency that is a positive integer multiple of the ''fundamental frequency'' of a periodic signal. The fundamental frequency is also called the ''1st har ...

manner with substantial modal mixture. Kauder sought a synthesis of sound and word in his

vocal music Vocal music is a type of singing performed by one or more singers, either with instrumental accompaniment, or without instrumental accompaniment (a cappella), in which singing provides the main focus of the piece. Music which employs singing but ...

and was attentive to texts, praising the

word painting Word painting, also known as tone painting or text painting, is the musical technique of composing music that reflects the literal meaning of a song's lyrics or story elements in programmatic music. Historical development Tone painting of word ...

of Schoenberg's Op. 15

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 ...

settings. He was close to Rudolph Pannwitz, who wrote

aphorism An aphorism (from Greek ἀφορισμός: ''aphorismos'', denoting 'delimitation', 'distinction', and 'definition') is a concise, terse, laconic, or memorable expression of a general truth or principle. Aphorisms are often handed down by tra ...

s and was influenced by George and

Friedrich Nietzsche Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher. He began his career as a classical philology, classical philologist, turning to philosophy early in his academic career. In 1869, aged 24, Nietzsche bec ...

. He wrote over 300 works. A society (2002) and performance competition (2003) were founded in his name.

Biography

Kauder was born in

Tovačov Tovačov () is a town in Přerov District in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 2,500 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument zones, urban monume ...

. His father Ignaz was ''Oberlehrer'' (principal) of the local

German language German (, ) is a West Germanic language in the Indo-European language family, mainly spoken in Western Europe, Western and Central Europe. It is the majority and Official language, official (or co-official) language in Germany, Austria, Switze ...

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...

. The local

violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

teacher gave the boy Kauder lessons. This was his only formal training in music. In 1905, Kauder moved to

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. ...

to study engineering. He often skipped school with to study scores in the

Imperial Court Library The Austrian National Library (, ) is the largest library in Austria, with more than 12 million items in its various collections. The library is located in the Neue Burg Wing of the Hofburg in center of Vienna. Since 2005, some of the collection ...

. Several volumes of

Guido Adler Guido Adler (1 November 1855 – 15 February 1941) was a Moravian-Austrian musicologist and writer. Early life Adler was born at Eibenschütz in Moravia in 1855 of Jewish parentage. He moved with his family to Vienna nine years later. His ...

's ''

Denkmäler der Tonkunst in Österreich ''Denkmäler der Tonkunst in Österreich'' (''Monuments of Fine Austrian Music''; 1894–) is a historical edition of music from Austria covering the Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical periods. The most recent volume in the edition was publishe ...

'', a compendium of music including that of the

Franco-Flemish School The designation Franco-Flemish School, also called Netherlandish School, Burgundian School, Low Countries School, Flemish School, Dutch School, or Northern School, refers to the style of polyphonic vocal music composition originating from Franc ...

, especially interested him. He cited

Josquin des Prez Josquin Lebloitte dit des Prez ( – 27 August 1521) was a composer of High Renaissance music, who is variously described as French or Franco-Flemish. Considered one of the greatest composers of the Renaissance, he was a central figure of the ...

as a "teacher". From 1911 to 1917, Kauder played

in the

Wiener Tonkünstler-Orchester The Wiener Tonkünstler-Orchester was an orchestra association in Vienna, which existed until 1933. History The predecessor institution was the Tonkünstler-Sozietät, which was founded in 1771 on the initiative of the composer Florian Leopold ...

under Ferdinand Loewe,

Franz Schalk Franz Schalk (27 May 18633 September 1931) was an Austrian conductor. From 1918 to 1929 he was director of the Vienna State Opera, a post he held jointly with Richard Strauss from 1919 to 1924. He was later involved in the establishment of the ...

Arthur Nikisch Arthur Nikisch (12 October 185523 January 1922) was a Hungary, Hungarian conducting, conductor who performed internationally, holding posts in Boston, London, Leipzig and—most importantly—Berlin. He was considered an outstanding interpreter ...

, and

Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; ; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer and conductor best known for his Tone poems (Strauss), tone poems and List of operas by Richard Strauss, operas. Considered a leading composer of the late Roman ...

. So began a lifelong friendship with Dutch hornist (1887–1986), which inspired many

horn Horn may refer to: Common uses * Horn (acoustic), a tapered sound guide ** Horn antenna ** Horn loudspeaker ** Vehicle horn ** Train horn *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various animals * Horn (instrument), a family ...

compositions. From 1917 to 1922, Kauder was the

violist The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the v ...

of the Gottesmann Quartet. He was a member of Arnold Schoenberg's

Society for Private Musical Performances The Society for Private Musical Performances (in German, the ) was an organization founded in Vienna in the autumn of 1918 by Arnold Schoenberg with the intention of making carefully rehearsed and comprehensible performances of newly composed musi ...

, to which he referred (perhaps skeptically) as "our club" in a 1918 letter to

Alban Berg Alban Maria Johannes Berg ( ; ; 9 February 1885 – 24 December 1935) was an Austrian composer of the Second Viennese School. His compositional style combined Romantic lyricism with the twelve-tone technique. Although he left a relatively sma ...

. He mentioned practicing

Karl Weigl Karl Ignaz Weigl (6 February 1881 – 11 August 1949) was a History of the Jews in Austria, Jewish Austrian composer and pianist, who later became a Naturalization, naturalized American citizen in 1943. Biography Weigl was born in Vienna, ...

's String Quartet No. 1 on

viola d'amore The viola d'amore (; ) is a 7- or 6- stringed musical instrument with additional sympathetic strings used chiefly in the baroque period. It is played under the chin in the same manner as the violin. Structure and sound The viola d'amore shar ...

for a Feb. 1919 concert. At a Nov. 1919 concert, he played in Igor Stravinsky's ''

Pribaoutki ''Pribaoutki'' () is a Song cycle, cycle of four songs composed by Igor Stravinsky in 1914 to Russian texts by Alexander Afanasyev. Its Russian title has no direct English equivalent, although Richard Taruskin suggests "nonsense rhymes" or "jingle ...

'', Schoenberg conducting. Kauder met poet and philosopher Rudolph Pannwitz at

Bad Gastein Bad Gastein ( is a spa town in the St. Johann im Pongau District. Picturesquely situated in a high valley of the Hohe Tauern mountain range, it is known for the Gastein waterfall and a variety of grand hotel buildings. Geography Bad Gastein i ...

in Dec. 1919, who he came to regard as a mentor. Pannwitz did not play an instrument but composed settings of classic poems. He believed, somewhat unconventionally, that composers should find and reveal the music latent in texts rather than creating the musical setting at will. Kauder took and expanded this approach in his vocal music. At the first in

Salzburg Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...

(1922), Kauder stood photographed with Lustgarten and many of their contemporaries. There

César Saerchinger César Saerchinger (October 23, 1884 – October 10, 1971) was a French-born American broadcaster, musicologist, and writer. ''The New York Times'' referred to him as a "a pioneer in transatlantic radio broadcasting". His books included ''The Way O ...

advocated for , and Rudolf Réti and

Egon Wellesz Egon Joseph Wellesz, CBE, FBA (21 October 1885 – 9 November 1974) was an Austrian, later British composer, teacher and musicologist, notable particularly in the field of Byzantine music. Early life and education in Vienna Egon Joseph Well ...

founded the at the . Kauder's 1916 ''Nachts'', three

movements Movement may refer to: Generic uses * Movement (clockwork), the internal mechanism of a timepiece * Movement (sign language), a hand movement when signing * Motion, commonly referred to as movement * Movement (music), a division of a larger c ...

for viola, cello, and piano, was performed as part of a

concert program A concert program (in American English) or concert programme (in British English) is a selection and ordering, or programming, of pieces to be performed at an occasion, or concert. Concert programs can be organized into a booklet. In some occasi ...

on the topic of

night Night, or nighttime, is the period of darkness when the Sun is below the horizon. Sunlight illuminates one side of the Earth, leaving the other in darkness. The opposite of nighttime is daytime. Earth's rotation causes the appearance of ...

. In ', Lustgarten highlighted Kauder's independence of any school of composition. In 1923 Kauder married Lustgarten's cousin Helene Guttman (1898–1949), a linguist, archeologist, and

bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

scholar. For the rest of his life, in

and later in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, Kauder composed and privately taught

music theory Music theory is the study of theoretical frameworks for understanding the practices and possibilities of music. ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' describes three interrelated uses of the term "music theory": The first is the "Elements of music, ...

, and

composition Composition or Compositions may refer to: Arts and literature *Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography * Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include ...

. He conducted a chorus and a chamber ensemble of friends and students, including his son Otto. They studied and performed classics as well as Kauder's own music. emphasized the influence of

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

, Brahms, and

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 ...

on Kauder's music.

Reception

Many notable musicians appreciated and performed Kauder's music in pre-

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 ...

(and to some extent post-

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

)

. Conductors included Viktor Bermeiser, Siegmund Levarie, ,

Karl Ristenpart Karl Ristenpart (26 January 1900 – 24 December 1967) was a German conductor. Career Born in Kiel, Germany, he studied at the Stern Conservatory in Berlin and in Vienna. He was heavily involved in creating three orchestras in his lifeti ...

, and

Alexander Zemlinsky Alexander Zemlinsky or Alexander von Zemlinsky (14 October 1871 – 15 March 1942) was an Austrian composer, conducting, conductor, and teacher. Biography Early life Zemlinsky was born in Vienna to a highly diverse family. Zemlinsky's grandfat ...

. Among

string quartets 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 violinists, a ...

were the Gottesmann Quartet, Kolbe Quartet,

Rosé Quartet The Rosé Quartet was a string quartet formed by Arnold Rosé in 1882. It was active for 55 years, until 1938. Members Its members changed over time. Rosé was first violin throughout. Julius Egghard Jr. played the second violin at first; ...

, and -Winkler Quartet. Pianists included Adolf Baller and

Friedrich Wührer Friedrich Wührer (29 June 1900 – 27 December 1975) was an Austrian- German pianist and piano pedagogue. He was a close associate and advocate of composer Franz Schmidt, whose music he edited and, in the case of the works for left hand alone, r ...

. Various others did also, among them Alphons Jansen (cello), Ernst Paul (horn), and

Alexander Wunderer Alexander Wunderer (11 April 1877 – 29 December 1955) was an Austrian oboist, orchestra leader and composer. He served as a professor at the State Music Academy in Vienna, where he taught students including Frida Kern, Ľudovít Rajter and Herb ...

(oboe). The Hugo Kauder Society was founded (2002) in

New Haven New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is the third largest city in Co ...

. Its

mission Mission (from Latin 'the act of sending out'), Missions or The Mission may refer to: Geography Australia *Mission River (Queensland) Canada *Mission, British Columbia, a district municipality * Mission, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood * ...

is to foster awareness and appreciation of the composer, and to provide opportunities to emerging musicians to perform (and sometimes premiere) his music. In 2003, the society established an international music competition in Kauder's name. Among the winners were the Euclid Quartet (2004) and oboist Ivan Danko (2009). The Euclid Quartet recorded his four string quartets for

Centaur Records Centaur Records is one of the oldest and largest independent classical labels in America. The company is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and was founded by Victor Sachse in 1976. Centaur's catalog includes classical, historical, pops, contemp ...

(Cat. No. 2840, released 2007). A

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

-based trio in Kauder's name recorded his 1916 trio and others' chamber music for oboe (Ivan Danko), viola (Robert Lakatos), and piano (Ladislav Fanzowitz) for Pavlik Records in 2010.Hugo Kauder Society: Recording
Hugo Kauder Society: Recordings

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links

– The Hugo Kauder Society
"Hugo Kauder Papers, Papers—Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library"Hugo Kauder Society papers, 1911-2006
Music Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
2022 Centennial Celebration
at

YIVO YIVO (, , short for ) is an organization that preserves, studies, and teaches the cultural history of Jewish life throughout Eastern Europe, Germany, and Russia as well as orthography, lexicography, and other studies related to Yiddish. Estab ...

in New York {{DEFAULTSORT:Kauder, Hugo 1888 births 1972 deaths 20th-century classical music 20th-century Austrian classical violinists 20th-century Austrian male musicians 20th-century Austrian musicologists Austrian composers Austrian male composers Austrian classical violists Austrian music theorists Austrian people of Moravian-German descent Austrian male classical violinists Moravian-German people People from Tovačov 20th-century Austrian Jews Jewish classical composers 20th-century violists