Adolf Bernhard Marx
Encyclopedia
Friedrich Heinrich Adolf Bernhard Marx (Halle
, Germany
, 15 March 1795 – Berlin
, 17 May 1866) was a German composer
, musical theorist
and critic.
He began his career studying law at Halle, but also learned musical composition there - a fellow student was the composer Carl Loewe. In 1821 he went to Berlin, where in 1825 Adolf Martin Schlesinger
appointed him editor of the music journal he had founded , the Berliner allgemeine musikalische Zeitung. Marx's intellectual critiques were appreciated by, amongst others, Beethoven, although they often offended the Berlin establishment, including Carl Friedrich Zelter
.
Marx became an intimate of the family of Felix Mendelssohn
, who was greatly influenced by Marx's ideas about the representational qualities of music - Marx's influence in the revision of Mendelssohn's overture to 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (1826) was noted by their mutual friend Eduard Devrient
in his memoirs. After Mendelssohn's revival of J. S. Bach's St. Matthew Passion
in 1829, Marx persuaded Schlesinger to undertake the publication of this work, making Bach's masterpiece accessible to scholars for the first time. As Mendelssohn matured however the two drifted apart. At one time each agreed to write the libretto
for an oratorio
to be composed by the other. Mendelssohn wrote a text on the subject of Moses
, while Marx wrote one on the subject of St. Paul
. However Mendelssohn's later oratorio on St. Paul used an extensively revised text; and when Marx asked Mendelssohn to perform his Moses in 1841 in Leipzig
, Mendelssohn refused because of its poor quality. The enraged Marx thereupon threw his extensive correspondence with Mendelssohn into the river, and it has therefore been lost forever. ' Moses ' was eventually given a performance by Liszt
at Weimar
in 1853.
In 1830, with Mendelssohn's recommendation, Marx was appointed to the new post of professor of music at Berlin University
, and from this time until his death Marx's main influence was as a writer and teacher. In 1832, he also became music director at the University. In 1850 he was one of the founders of the Berlin Stern conservatory
. His four-volume textbook on compositional theory, Die Lehre von der musikalischen Komposition, was one of the most influential of the nineteenth century. It demonstrated a new approach to musical pedagogics, and presented a logically ordered system of the musical forms then in use, concluding with sonata form
, which Marx exemplified using Beethoven's piano sonatas. Toward the end of his life Marx completed a biography of the composer. He wrote extensively about the music of his time and also published a two-volume autobiography.
Halle, Saxony-Anhalt
Halle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, 15 March 1795 – Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, 17 May 1866) was a German composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, musical theorist
Music theory
Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...
and critic.
Life
Marx was the son of a Jewish doctor in Halle who, though a member of the congregation, was according to his son a convinced atheist. Marx was given the names 'Samuel Moses' at birth, but changed these at his baptism in 1819.He began his career studying law at Halle, but also learned musical composition there - a fellow student was the composer Carl Loewe. In 1821 he went to Berlin, where in 1825 Adolf Martin Schlesinger
Adolf Martin Schlesinger
Adolf Martin Schlesinger was a German music publisher whose firm became one of the most influential in Berlin in the early nineteenth century.-Career:...
appointed him editor of the music journal he had founded , the Berliner allgemeine musikalische Zeitung. Marx's intellectual critiques were appreciated by, amongst others, Beethoven, although they often offended the Berlin establishment, including Carl Friedrich Zelter
Carl Friedrich Zelter
Carl Friedrich Zelter was a German composer, conductor and teacher of music.Zelter became friendly with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and his works include settings of Goethe's poems...
.
Marx became an intimate of the family of Felix Mendelssohn
Felix Mendelssohn
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Barthóldy , use the form 'Mendelssohn' and not 'Mendelssohn Bartholdy'. The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians gives ' Felix Mendelssohn' as the entry, with 'Mendelssohn' used in the body text...
, who was greatly influenced by Marx's ideas about the representational qualities of music - Marx's influence in the revision of Mendelssohn's overture to 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (1826) was noted by their mutual friend Eduard Devrient
Eduard Devrient
Eduard Devrient was a German baritone, librettist, playwright, actor, theatre director and theatre reformer and historian.Devrient came from a theatrical family...
in his memoirs. After Mendelssohn's revival of J. S. Bach's St. Matthew Passion
Matthäuspassion
The St Matthew Passion, BWV 244, , is a musical composition from the Passions written by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1727 for solo voices, double choir and double orchestra, with libretto by Picander . It sets chapters 26 and 27 of the Gospel of Matthew to music, with interspersed chorales and arias...
in 1829, Marx persuaded Schlesinger to undertake the publication of this work, making Bach's masterpiece accessible to scholars for the first time. As Mendelssohn matured however the two drifted apart. At one time each agreed to write the libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
for an oratorio
Oratorio
An oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
to be composed by the other. Mendelssohn wrote a text on the subject of Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
, while Marx wrote one on the subject of St. Paul
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
. However Mendelssohn's later oratorio on St. Paul used an extensively revised text; and when Marx asked Mendelssohn to perform his Moses in 1841 in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, Mendelssohn refused because of its poor quality. The enraged Marx thereupon threw his extensive correspondence with Mendelssohn into the river, and it has therefore been lost forever. ' Moses ' was eventually given a performance by Liszt
Liszt
Liszt is a Hungarian surname. Notable persons with that surname include:* Franz Liszt , Hungarian composer and pianist* Adam Liszt , father of Franz Liszt* Anna Liszt , mother of Franz Liszt...
at Weimar
Weimar
Weimar is a city in Germany famous for its cultural heritage. It is located in the federal state of Thuringia , north of the Thüringer Wald, east of Erfurt, and southwest of Halle and Leipzig. Its current population is approximately 65,000. The oldest record of the city dates from the year 899...
in 1853.
In 1830, with Mendelssohn's recommendation, Marx was appointed to the new post of professor of music at Berlin University
Humboldt University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities...
, and from this time until his death Marx's main influence was as a writer and teacher. In 1832, he also became music director at the University. In 1850 he was one of the founders of the Berlin Stern conservatory
Stern conservatory
The Stern Conservatory was a private music school in Berlin with many notable tutors and alumni.-History:It was originally founded in 1850 as the Berliner Musikschule by Julius Stern, Theodor Kullak and Adolf Bernhard Marx. Kullak withdrew from the conservatory in 1855 in order to create a new...
. His four-volume textbook on compositional theory, Die Lehre von der musikalischen Komposition, was one of the most influential of the nineteenth century. It demonstrated a new approach to musical pedagogics, and presented a logically ordered system of the musical forms then in use, concluding with sonata form
Sonata form
Sonata form is a large-scale musical structure used widely since the middle of the 18th century . While it is typically used in the first movement of multi-movement pieces, it is sometimes used in subsequent movements as well—particularly the final movement...
, which Marx exemplified using Beethoven's piano sonatas. Toward the end of his life Marx completed a biography of the composer. He wrote extensively about the music of his time and also published a two-volume autobiography.
Works by Marx
- Über Malerei in der Tonkunst: ein Maigruss an die Kunstphilosophien. Berlin, 1826.
- Die Lehre von der musikalischen Komposition, praktisch-theoretisch. Leipzig, 1837/38/45/47.
- Die Musik des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts und ihre Pflege: Methode der Musik. Leipzig, 1855.
- Ludwig van Beethoven: Leben und Schaffen. Berlin: Janke, 1859.
- Erinnerungen aus meinem Leben. Berlin, 1865.
- Musical Form in the Age of Beethoven: Selected Writings on Theory and Method. Edited and Translated by Scott Burnham. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997.
Others
- Burnham, Scott. "Aesthetics, Theory, and History in the Works of Adolf Bernhard Marx." Ph.D. dissertation, Brandeis University, 1988.
External links
- Introduction to the Interpretation of the Beethoven Piano Works (1895) by Marx, translated by Fannie Louise Gwinner. From Sibley Music Library Digital Scores Collection