Heinrich Zöllner
Encyclopedia
Heinrich Zöllner was a German composer and conductor.
, Heinrich Zöllner was born in Leipzig
. From 1875 to 1877 he attended the Leipzig Conservatory where he studied music under Carl Reinecke
, Salomon Jadassohn
, and Ernst Friedrich Richter. In 1878 Zöllner became the director of music at the University of Dorpat
(now Tartu) in Estonia
where he stayed for almost seven years. In 1885 he joined the faculty at the Cologne Conservatory and while there he conducted the Cologne Male Voice Choir.
Zöllner moved to the United States
in 1890 to become the conductor and director of the Deutscher Liederkranz in New York
. He remained in that position for eight years and achieved a considerable amount of success. His cantata, Die neue welt (The New World) won a prize at the 1892 Cleveland Sängerfest.
Zöllner returned to Leipzig in 1898 to replace Hermann Kretzschmar
as director of music at Leipzig University, taking over the Paulus male choir. Four year later he was appointed professor of composition
at the university as a replacement for his mentor, E.F. Reinecke. From 1903 to 1906 he was the editor of the Leipzig Tageblatt. He was conductor of the Flemish Opera in Antwerp from 1907 until his retirement in 1914. He retired to Freiburg and worked part time as an opera critic for the Breisgauer Zeitung.
, several large-scale works for chorus and orchestra, five string quartet
s, overtures, works for solo and four-hand piano, choral music, lied
er, and numerous smaller vocal pieces. Like his father, Zöllner composed a significant amount of pieces for men's chorus
. However, unlike his father, he showed a preference for large scale works with full orchestral accompaniment. He is probably best remembered for his 1899 opera Die versunkene Glocke, which enjoyed frequent revivals up until the outbreak of World War II
.
Biography
The son of composer Carl Friedrich ZöllnerCarl Friedrich Zöllner
Carl Friedrich Zöllner was a German composer and choir director. He wrote organ variations on God Save the Queen and wrote several songs. His son was composer Heinrich Zöllner.-External links:*...
, Heinrich Zöllner was born 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...
. From 1875 to 1877 he attended the Leipzig Conservatory where he studied music under Carl Reinecke
Carl Reinecke
Carl Heinrich Carsten Reinecke was a German composer, conductor, and pianist.-Biography:Reinecke was born in Altona, Hamburg, Germany; until 1864 the town was under Danish rule. He studied with his father, Johann Peter Rudolph Reinecke, a music teacher...
, Salomon Jadassohn
Salomon Jadassohn
Salomon Jadassohn was a German composer and a renowned teacher of piano and composition at the Leipzig Conservatory.-Life:...
, and Ernst Friedrich Richter. In 1878 Zöllner became the director of music at the University of Dorpat
University of Tartu
The University of Tartu is a classical university in the city of Tartu, Estonia. University of Tartu is the national university of Estonia; it is the biggest and highest-ranked university in Estonia...
(now Tartu) in Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
where he stayed for almost seven years. In 1885 he joined the faculty at the Cologne Conservatory and while there he conducted the Cologne Male Voice Choir.
Zöllner moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1890 to become the conductor and director of the Deutscher Liederkranz in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He remained in that position for eight years and achieved a considerable amount of success. His cantata, Die neue welt (The New World) won a prize at the 1892 Cleveland Sängerfest.
Zöllner returned to Leipzig in 1898 to replace Hermann Kretzschmar
Hermann Kretzschmar
August Ferdinand Hermann Kretzschmar was a German musicologist and writer, and is considered a founder of interpretation in musical study.- Career :...
as director of music at Leipzig University, taking over the Paulus male choir. Four year later he was appointed professor of composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
at the university as a replacement for his mentor, E.F. Reinecke. From 1903 to 1906 he was the editor of the Leipzig Tageblatt. He was conductor of the Flemish Opera in Antwerp from 1907 until his retirement in 1914. He retired to Freiburg and worked part time as an opera critic for the Breisgauer Zeitung.
Works
Zöllner's compositions include 10 operas, five symphoniesSymphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
, several large-scale works for chorus and orchestra, five string quartet
String quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
s, overtures, works for solo and four-hand piano, choral music, lied
Lied
is a German word literally meaning "song", usually used to describe romantic songs setting German poems of reasonably high literary aspirations, especially during the nineteenth century, beginning with Carl Loewe, Heinrich Marschner, and Franz Schubert and culminating with Hugo Wolf...
er, and numerous smaller vocal pieces. Like his father, Zöllner composed a significant amount of pieces for men's chorus
Men's chorus
A men's chorus or male voice choir , is a choir consisting of men who sing with either a tenor or bass voice, and whose voices are arranged into high and low tenors , and high and low basses —and shortened to the letters TTBB...
. However, unlike his father, he showed a preference for large scale works with full orchestral accompaniment. He is probably best remembered for his 1899 opera Die versunkene Glocke, which enjoyed frequent revivals up until the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Operas
- Die lustigen Chinesinnen (1885 Cologne, Stadt)
- Faust (19 October 1887, Munich, Hof)
- Matteo Falcone (18 December 1893, New York, Irving Place)
- Bei Sedan (1 September 1895, Leipsig, Neues)
- Der Überfall (7 September 1895, Dresden, Hof)
- Das hölzerne Schwert (24 November 1897, Kassel, Hof)
- Die versunkene Glocke (8 July 1899, Berlin, Westens)
- Frithjof (6 October 1910, Antwerp)
- Zigeuner (15 March 1912, Stuttgart, Hof)
- Der Schützenkönig (18 December 1913, Elberfeld-Barmen, Stadt)