Philipp Scharwenka
(Ludwig) Philipp Scharwenka ( born February 16, 1847 in Samter, near Poznań, † July 16, 1917 in Bad Nauheim ) was a German composer and music educator Polish- Czech origin. He is the brother of composer and music teacher Xaver Scharwenka and father of the composer and organist Walter Scharwenka.
Life
Like his younger brother Xaver Scharwenka received the first sporadic musical instruction in Posen. After graduating from high school in 1865, he studied with his brother Richard Wüerst and music theory with Heinrich Dorn at the New Academy of Music in Berlin, where he was taken from 1868 even as a teacher of theory and composition. During this time he also wrote his first compositions. In 1874, he joined the first time with an overture and a symphony in a private concert to the public.
With the opening of Scharwenka Conservatory in Berlin, his brother Xavier in 1881 transferred the management of the theory and composition lessons, 1891 then the branch office in New York. However Scharwenka returned in 1892 to take back to Berlin to the management of the local Conservatory, which he put together in 1893 with the piano school of Karl Klindworth to Klindworth - Scharwenka Conservatory. This should occupy a prominent position in the music scene of Berlin in the subsequent period. As director of the Conservatory Scharwenka worked until his death in 1917; in 1937, his son Walter Scharwenka the line of the Conservatory.
Since 1880 Scharwenka was married to the virtuoso violinist Marianne Stresow († 1918).
Importance
Philipp Scharwenka understood despite its manifold educational obligations primarily as a composer, which he enjoyed a great reputation during his lifetime. His compositions include three symphonies, symphonic poems, a violin concerto, some choral works, of which Sakuntala found great recognition, the four-act opera Roland, as well as numerous instrumental works such as sonatas, quartets, Caprices and dances.
Compared to the more extroverted compositions of his brother, his multifaceted oeuvre is characterized by a pensive, almost somber tone. Among the most popular works include the incurred since 1896 chamber music works, continue the traditional shape models and have a considerable melodic and rhythmic ingenuity. In them Scharwenka achieved despite conservative time obligations by sovereign use of compositional means almost impressionistic sound effect. They found such famous performers like Willy Burmester, Julius Klengel and Moritz Meyer- Mahr.
Scharwenkas works have been performed by renowned conductors such as Arthur Nikisch and Anton Seidl. One of his admirers was Max Reger, in 1898 his fantasy pieces op 26 dedicated to him. As part of the 37th Musicians Assembly in 1900 from his Allgemeiner Deutscher Musikverein award-winning Dramatic fantasy for orchestra op was listed 108 in Bremen.
As a music educator Scharwenka enjoyed high reputation. When his most famous pupil Oskar Fried and Otto Klemperer should apply.
Scharwenka also possessed a remarkable talent for drawing, which found expression in Notenquetscher dramatic and humorous illustrations to Alexander Moszkowski satire Anton.
Works (selection)
- Piano Quintet, Op 118
- Piano Trio No.. 1 in C-sharp minor, Op 100
- Trio for Violin, Viola and Piano in E minor, Op 121
- Sonata in G minor, Op 61
- Sonata for Viola and Piano in G minor, Op 106
- Sonata for Viola and Piano in B minor, Op 110
- String Quartet Op 117
- Polish Dance for piano, Op 3
- Anton Notenquetscher. A satirical poem in four cantos by Alexander Moszkowski. With 23 Illustrations by Philipp Scharwenka. Increased cheap popular edition. (Tenth to fifteenth thousand. ) Berlin SW. Carl Simon, music publishing. In 1906.