Adolf Jensen

Adolf Jensen ( born January 12, 1837 in Königsberg, † 23 January 1879 in Baden -Baden ) was a German composer, pianist and music teacher.

Biography

Adolf Jensen was born in 1837 in Königsberg. He first discovered his musical talent as an autodidact. In 1852 he studied with Louis Ehlert and Friedrich Marpurg ( 1825-1884 ), the great grandson of the music theorist Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg, in Berlin. Franz Liszt (1811-1886) was aware of him and promoted his pianistic talent. After graduating, he went to Russia in 1856, first as a music teacher, then was in 1857 Kapellmeister at the Stadttheater in Poznan and then studied two years in Copenhagen with Niels Wilhelm Gade. In 1860 he returned to Königsberg and arrived there quickly reputation as a composer and as a teacher. In 1866 he was appointed as professor of piano to Berlin at Tausig's " school for higher piano ". He taught there until 1868, then moved to Dresden and in 1870 moved to Graz.

He spent his last four years in Baden -Baden, where he had regular contact with his friend Johannes Brahms ( 1833-1897 ). On January 23, 1879, he died at the age of only 42 years in Baden -Baden from a serious lung disease.

By Jensen's very poetic musical feeling he was in his time as a spiritual successor to Robert Schumann. The romantic sensitivity of his compositions, but especially the popularity of some of his pieces in the house music for young ladies meant that his music has sometimes been labeled as kitsch and moved to the vicinity of salon music.

Works

Jensen composed predominantly song settings (176 plants) and piano works. Jensen wrote several song cycles, including Dolorosa, Gaudeamus, the Spanish Songbook. However, his most important compositions were mainly piano pieces. Here are particularly worthy of mention: Inner voices, Valse brillante, Fantasy Pieces, Romantic studies, Berceuse, hiking pictures, Impromptus, Sonata in F sharp minor, 25 Etudes, Erotikon, memories and the Scènes carnavalesques. Next Jensen wrote an abundance of four-hand compositions.