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Julius Bittner (born Vienna, 9 April 1874; died Vienna, 9 January 1939) was an Austrian
in ''Ă–sterreich-Lexikon'' at AEIOU or 1923"Bittner Julius"
in '' Österreichisches Biographisches Lexikon 1815–1950'' volume 1 (1955), p. 89 (pdf) he was an official in the Austrian Department of Justice. In addition, Julius Bittner became one of the best-known and most performed Austrian opera composers in the first half of the 20th century.Werner Bollert, "Bittner, Julius" in ''
280
Many of his operas deal with Austrian-Alpine themes. He usually wrote his own libretti. After the Second World War, however, as a typical representative of late Romantic opera in the tradition of
"The Lied in 19th-Century Concert Life"
''Journal of the American Musicological Society'' Vol. 18, No. 2 (Summer, 1965), pp. 207-218 As a leading member of Vienna's judiciary and close friend of
Julius Bittner
in the German National Library * http://www.momh.org.uk/exhibitions-detail.php?cat_id=5&prod_id=338&iotm=1 {{DEFAULTSORT:Bittner, Julius 20th-century classical composers Austrian classical composers Austrian opera composers Male opera composers Musicians from Vienna 1874 births 1939 deaths Lawyers from Vienna Burials at the Vienna Central Cemetery Recipients of the Austrian State Prize Austrian male classical composers 20th-century male musicians
Julius Bittner (born Vienna, 9 April 1874; died Vienna, 9 January 1939) was an Austrian 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 Defi ...
.
Life
The son of a judge, Bittner also initially pursued a career in law. Until 1920 he was a judge in Wolkersdorf im Weinviertel, in Lower Austria. From 1920 to 1922Bittner, Juliusin ''Ă–sterreich-Lexikon'' at AEIOU or 1923"Bittner Julius"
in '' Österreichisches Biographisches Lexikon 1815–1950'' volume 1 (1955), p. 89 (pdf) he was an official in the Austrian Department of Justice. In addition, Julius Bittner became one of the best-known and most performed Austrian opera composers in the first half of the 20th century.Werner Bollert, "Bittner, Julius" in ''
Neue Deutsche Biographie
''Neue Deutsche Biographie'' (''NDB''; literally ''New German Biography'') is a biographical reference work. It is the successor to the ''Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie'' (ADB, Universal German Biography). The 26 volumes published thus far cover ...
'' volume 2 (1955), pp280
Many of his operas deal with Austrian-Alpine themes. He usually wrote his own libretti. After the Second World War, however, as a typical representative of late Romantic opera in the tradition of
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
, he was gradually forgotten. Critics gave him the somewhat derogatory nickname "the Anzengruber of the opera"; in importance he is comparable to his better known contemporary Wilhelm Kienzl.
Bittner was married to the alto
The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: ''altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In 4-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in choruses by ...
Emilie Werner.Kravitt, Edward F"The Lied in 19th-Century Concert Life"
''Journal of the American Musicological Society'' Vol. 18, No. 2 (Summer, 1965), pp. 207-218 As a leading member of Vienna's judiciary and close friend of
Gustav 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 ...
, he assessed Mahler's estate for probate after his death. He later won the Mahler Prize in 1915. He composed many operas, two symphonies and many songs and was helped and promoted by Mahler and Bruno Walter. He was also a close friend of Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Franz Schmidt. He was for a while editor of the Austrian music journal ''Der Merker'' and wrote music criticism for it and other newspapers. He was so influential that he was able to arrange Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (, ; ; 13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian-American composer, music theorist, teacher, writer, and painter. He is widely considered one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. He was as ...
's release from active military service in the First World War.
He received numerous awards and honors and became a member of the Prussian Academy of Arts in Berlin in 1925. In 1964, the archive containing almost all of his works (autograph sketches, text books, scores and piano reductions) was taken over by the Vienna City Library
The Wienbibliothek im Rathaus ( en, Vienna Library in City Hall), formerly known as the ''Wiener Stadt- und Landesbibliothek'' ( en, Vienna City and State Library), is a library and archive containing important documents related to the history of ...
.
Bittner is buried in an honorary grave in Vienna's Central Cemetery
The Vienna Central Cemetery (german: Wiener Zentralfriedhof) is one of the largest cemeteries in the world by number of interred, and is the most well-known cemetery among Vienna's nearly 50 cemeteries. The cemetery's name is descriptive of its ...
(Group 32C, Plot 15).
Works
Operas (selection): * 1907 ''Die rote Gred'' (premièred by conductor Ludwig Rottenberg on 26 October 1907 in Frankfurt am Main. The ''Viennese'' premiere, conducted by Bruno Walter at the Imperial Royal Court Opera, Vienna – today the Vienna State Opera, took place on 10 April 1908.) * 1909 ''Der Musikant'' (premièred by Bruno Walter at the Imperial Royal Court Opera, Vienna – today the Vienna State Opera) * 1911 ''Der Bergsee'' * 1916 ''Das Höllisch Gold'' (his most successful work) * 1917 ''Der liebe Augustin'' (Viennesesingspiel
A Singspiel (; plural: ; ) is a form of German-language music drama, now regarded as a genre of opera. It is characterized by spoken dialogue, which is alternated with ensembles, songs, ballads, and arias which were often strophic, or folk-like ...
)
* 1921 ''Die Kohlhaymerin''
* 1923 ''Das Rosengärtlein''
* 1928 ''Mondnacht''
* 1934 ''Das Veilchen''
Julius Bittner also composed two symphonies, two symphonic poems and a work for two pianos and orchestra entitled ''Österreichische Tanze'' (Austrian Dances). He wrote incidental music to plays by Shakespeare, and for popular plays by Johann Nestroy and Ferdinand Raimund, chamber works (including two string quartets and a still unpublished Cello Sonata) many songs, and a ''Great Mass and Te Deum'' which was a cornerstone of the Austrian choral tradition until World War II. He also composed numerous operettas and three ballets, and assisted his friend Erich Wolfgang Korngold in the creation of the most successful of the Johann Strauss pastiches - '' Walzer aus Wien'' (premièred in Vienna on 30 October 1930), which became known in English as '' The Great Waltz''.
Awards
* 1915Gustav Mahler Prize
Gustav, Gustaf or Gustave may refer to:
*Gustav (name), a male given name of Old Swedish origin
Art, entertainment, and media
* ''Primeval'' (film), a 2007 American horror film
* ''Gustav'' (film series), a Hungarian series of animated short cart ...
* 1918 Raimund Prize ''Raimund'' is thought to be a variant of the name Raymond.
Raimund may refer to:
* Ferdinand Raimund (1790-1836), Austrian actor and dramatist
* Raimund Theater, a theatre in the Mariahilf district of Vienna, Austria
People with the given name R ...
* 1925 City of Vienna Arts Prize
* 1937 Austrian State Prize for music and Literature
References
Sources
*Richard Specht
Richard Specht (7 December 1870, Vienna – 19 March 1932) was an Austrian lyricist, dramatist, musicologist and writer.
Specht is most well known for his writings on classical music, and in his time was seen as a leading music journalist. He ...
. ''Julius Bittner''. Zeitgenössische Komponisten 10. Munich: Drei Masken, 1921.
* Julius Korngold. "Julius Bittner: 'Die rote Gred', 'Der Musikant', 'Der Bergsee', 'Das höllisch Gold'". In ''Deutsches Opernschaffen der Gegenwart. Kritische Aufsätze''. Leipzig: Leonhardt, 1921. pp. 196–223.
* Hermann Ullrich Hermann or Herrmann may refer to:
* Hermann (name), list of people with this name
* Arminius, chieftain of the Germanic Cherusci tribe in the 1st century, known as Hermann in the German language
* Éditions Hermann, French publisher
* Hermann, Miss ...
. ''Julius Bittner. Eine Studie''. Ă–sterreichische Komponisten des 20. Jahrhunderts 13. Vienna: Lafite, 1968.
* Waltraud Zauner. "Studien zu den musikalischen Bühnenwerken von Julius Bittner: mit Beiträgen zur Lebensgeschichte des Komponisten". Dissertation, University of Vienna, 1983.
* Waltraud Zauner. "Neues zur Lebensgeschichte von Julius Bittner". ''Studien zur Musikwissenschaft'' 35 (1984) 131–184.
* Waltraud Zauner. "'Meine tiefe und aufrichtige Verehrung für Ihre Person und Ihr Werk': Briefe an Julius Bittner". ''Österreichische Musikzeitung'' 44.2 (1989) 70–80.
External links
Julius Bittner
in the German National Library * http://www.momh.org.uk/exhibitions-detail.php?cat_id=5&prod_id=338&iotm=1 {{DEFAULTSORT:Bittner, Julius 20th-century classical composers Austrian classical composers Austrian opera composers Male opera composers Musicians from Vienna 1874 births 1939 deaths Lawyers from Vienna Burials at the Vienna Central Cemetery Recipients of the Austrian State Prize Austrian male classical composers 20th-century male musicians