Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst
Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst ( born May 6, 1814 Brno, † October 8, 1865 in Nice ) was a Moravian violinist and composer. He is considered one of the greatest violinists of the 19th century.
Life
As a composer, not only of virtuoso violin music, he found his own distinctive style in the spirit of romance, which points beyond his idol Nicolo Paganini. Leading the way was for Ernst, who had graduated in 1823 first performances as a violin prodigy and had studied in 1825 at the Conservatory of the Society of Friends of Music in Vienna as a pupil of Joseph Böhm, an encounter with Paganini in Vienna in 1828. Paganini recognized the talent in Ernst while this was impressed with Paganini's playing so that henceforth he obsessively did seek to get across Paganini addition. In the following years there were repeated encounters between the two. 1834 Ernst played in Brussels, Vienna, St. Petersburg and London with its Berlioz Harold in Italy as principal violist what Paganini had previously rejected due to lack of profiling options. Became famous for an appearance Ernst in Marseille in 1837, where at the same time Paganini gave a concert. Ernst played by anxious treasured works from the ear in his concert Paganini.
The two violinists had very different natures. While Paganini surrounded himself with the aura of the demonic and tragic, Ernst was a humorous, appealing and accessible person. This was reflected in the choice of concert instruments to express. During Paganini 's concerts mainly gave a violin by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù, concerted Ernst on violins by Antonio Stradivari. He possessed an instrument from 1726 (now " Ernst / Plotenyi ") and a 1709 ( "Lady Hallé / Ernst " ), which he played until 1865.
The fact that Ernst was not only instrumental showman, but also a profound musician, is evident not only in his compositions, but also in his involvement in the London Beethoven Quartet Society, in which he with major virtuosos of the time, Joseph Joachim, Henryk Wieniawski and Alfredo Piatti, as leader of Beethoven string quartets publicly aufführte.
In 1862 he had to retire from the concert platform because of serious illness and moved his residence from London to Nice, where he died impoverished in 1865. Johann Strauss (father ), had dedicated the piece of memory of Ernst, or The Carnival of Venice.
Works
By Ernst there are 26 numbered Opera, especially for the violin. The most famous work is probably the Grand Caprice for solo violin, Op 26 " Der Erlkönig " ( after the famous ballad of Franz Schubert), which stands unique in its fabulous drama in the unaccompanied violin literature. At compositions for solo violin also the 6 polyphonic etudes are to be mentioned, which are dedicated to all famous violinists of the time (No. 1 leaves, No. 2 Sainton, No. 3 Joachim, No. 4 Vieuxtemps, No. 5 Hellmesberger, no. 6 Bazzini ) and of which the No. 6, Introduction, Theme and Variations on the Irish folk song " the last Rose " ( "The last rose of summer" ), has become the best known. This piece is dedicated to Bazzini, Paganini Variations, however, is close to works. In the technical difficulty of these works, not below, but comes in a different, embossed with the spirit of romantic ideals of beauty expressed. In addition, pieces for violin and orchestra are to be mentioned, which are virtuosic in part, such as the brilliant imagination sur la Marche et la Romance d' Otello de Rossini op 11 or op 21, Rondo Papageno, partly but also melodic and elegiac, such as the Elegy op 10.3 or 25.2 Nocturne op. In addition, a now hardly performed Violin Concerto op has survived 23 in F sharp minor. In this work, switch similar to the violin concertos of Paganini melodic and virtuoso passages from, but in the style of Romanticism. The work is in contrast to Paganini's concerts technically so outlandishly difficult that currently hardly dare thus a violinist in the public. Currently there are only three commercial recordings of the concert available ( with Aaron Rosand, Ruggiero Ricci and Ilya Grubert ). Addition of Ernst's chamber music compositions, such as for string quartet, survived.
Quote
"Like I have never heard of again; such as Ernst Geiger was, standing head and shoulders above all others that I have encountered in life. "(Joseph Joachim 1864 E. )