Johann Vesque von Püttlingen

Johann Vesque of Nailsworth (pseudonym: Johann Hoven, born July 23, 1803 in Opole, Galicia, † October 29, 1883 in Vienna) was a lawyer and composer. He is considered one of the most important Austrian song creator between Schubert and Brahms.

Life

Johann Vesque of Nailsworth was born at the castle of Count Alexander Lubomirski in Opole in Lublin. His native of French- Dutch nobility father - as kuk Expelled official of Napoleon from the Habsburg Netherlands - where he worked as librarian and tutor. 1804 the family moved into the then political turmoil to Vienna. This city provided henceforth until his death represents the center of his life

After completing his school education from 1822 Vesque studied law and in 1827 received his doctorate with highest honors Dr. jur. He was then taken into the civil service, where he from 1827 to 1872 - most recently as Head of Section in the Foreign Office - worked and it eventually brought about the position of chief administrative officer of Salzburg, State Chancellery Council and Privy Councillor to the rank of Privy Council. In 1866 he was elevated to the status of baron; In 1876 he became a member of the manor. He was one of the leading Austrian lawyer who was also active as a writer in this field, so among other things, with a 1864 published groundbreaking work on " The musical author rights ", also a representation of the force in Austria Foreign law and an overview of the Treaties of Austria with foreign states.

Vesque was married to Anna Maria Márkus to Eör ( 1814-1893 ). From the marriage ten children were born. Through the marriage was wealthy from Nailsworth. In his home in Vienna, he organized house concerts, which made his salon to one of the cultural centers of Vienna. His contacts with Robert and Clara Schumann, Hector Berlioz, Franz Liszt, Carl Loewe, Giacomo Meyerbeer, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Otto Nicolai, and others, which are occupied by extensive preserved correspondence, testify to its artistic importance and all-round appreciation.

The basis for this made ​​- after the students Vesque had dealt in addition to the intense music with literature and science - a sound musical education. Vesque was 13 years old first piano lessons from his friend Franz Schubert and Ludwig van Beethoven Maximilian Josef Leidesdorf, then from 1816 when Ignaz Moscheles and finally with Jan Hugo Worzischek. In 1821 he became a student of the Conservatory of the Society of Friends of Music in Vienna with the piano and choral singing. From 1828, he studied composition with Eduard von Lannoy and was instructed in 1833 by Simon Sechter in the strict sentence. 1827/1828 had Vesque know contact with Franz Schubert and learned about him the famous singer Johann Nepomuk Vogl. It may be assumed that this musical impressions gained from formative effect were made ​​and the basis for life-long love for the genre Vesques song. 1912 Püttlingengasse in Vienna Hietzing was named after him.

Oeuvre

Vesques first published compositions range yet - the taste of time following - in the field easier and more pleasing piano music in the form of country dances, Cotillons, Gallopes and waltzes (opus 1-5). Even with opus 6 then uses the song production, and in opus 7 found with " The Dancer " is already the first setting of a text by Heinrich Heine, this song may be expected to be the best creations of Püttlingens.

Vesque enjoyed as a singer - especially his own songs - high reputation among his contemporaries. He was gifted with a well-trained tenor voice and often occurred in the context of his own house concerts or in other circles of Vienna and on occasion its mostly professional traveling in the home and abroad, with his epistolary reports indicate that in this case again the lecture specifically his Heine settings was required of him. This he obviously knew masterly to present. " The witty, easy pointierende, almost French-inspired sound, the Vesque knew to place in the lecture particularly his humorous songs was, all alone. "

The main work of Johann Vesque Püttlingens, the 1851 released " Homecoming " - in the most extensive cycle of songs in music history - in which there is a complete setting of the full 88 numbers eponymous collection of poems by Heinrich Heine. Hector Berlioz described these songs as " masterpieces of humor, imagination and grace ."

The complete works of Püttlingens essentially comprises about 300 songs ( including 117 on texts by Heinrich Heine ), beyond nine operas - which were performed in Vienna and in part also in other European countries, not without success - two exhibitions ( in D and in It ) together with other sacred works, diverse men's chorus sets, lost three string quartets and piano pieces. In this case, the songs put clearly constitutes as the focal point of the oeuvre, the special historical significance of music Vesques is seen in his Heine settings. Like no other before or after him has been able to trace the Vesque subliminal or even open irony of Heine'schen texts musically. This is where the Independent of the musical language of Püttlingens, far from epigonism. His settings are congenial recreations or perhaps better creations of the literary works of Heinrich Heine.

Vesques pseudonym as a composer - Hoven - is derived from the name of an old country estate of the family in Lorraine.