Woldemar

(vél-dii-mar) (rightly Michel), Orléans, 1750—ClermontFerrand, 1816; conductor and composer; wrote methods; inv. a mus.stenography ‘Tableau me lot a chi graph i que,’ and mus.-correspondence “* Notographie.” Wolf (vélf), (z) Ernst Wm., Gro her in gen, 1735—-Weimar, 1792; ct.conductor; c. 42 pf.-sonatas..(2) Fd., Vienna, 1796—1866; writer. (3) L., Frankfort-on-Main, 1804—Vienna, 1859; pianist, violinist and composer. (4) Wm., Breslau, April 22, 1838— Berlin, 1913; pupil of Kullak, teacher of mus.-history, Berlin, also writer and composer. (5) Hugo, Windischgratz, Styria, March 13, 1860— Vienna, Feb. 22, 1903; notable composer, esp. famed for his many beautiful songs; began study of vln. and piano with his father at 5; for a time attended the Vienna Cons. but was expelled as “incorrigible.” shy, sensitive figure he was principally self-taught, and held only minor posts, as a t. and chorusmaster at the Salzburg Op., under Muck, 1881-82, and as critic for the Vienna Salon blatt, 1884-87. His life was a desperate struggle with poverty and was attended by little recognition; he eked out his income by giving occasional piano and vln. le ons; after 1888 he began writing the series of more than 275 songs which were later to make him immortal. He had ambitions to compose for the stage, and his opera, “Der Corregidor,” based on a Spanish comedy, Alarcon’s ‘“‘Three-Cornered Hat,” was prod. in Mannheim, -1896, but despite the praise it received was not given repetitions; he was at work on another opera, “‘Manuel Venegas,” when his mind failed. After spending some months in an asylum he was released but had to return in 1808; paralysis set in and he lived for 5 years in a helple condition. great genius was discovered only slowly, but today he is generally tanked among the few foremost Lieder composers, including Schubert, Brahms and Franz. His songs have had a great and growing popularity with recitalists the world over. His comps: include, besides the pop. Spanish and Italian “ Liederbiicher,” the “Lieder aus der Jugendzeit,” his Goethe, Mérike songs; choral works, most pop. being “Elfenlied” and “‘Feuerreiter’’; also a partially completed symph., “Italian Serenade” for small orch., a vin. and other works. “Corregidor” has been cond. by Bruno Walter at the Munich and Salzburg Fests. and in 1936 an official ceremony was held at the latter event. More than a score of unknown songs, some youthful, were discovered in 1936. His literary productions were ed. by Batka and Werner and pub. in 1911. have been i ued by Decsey, Haberlandt, P. Mueller, E. Schmitz, Newman, Morold, others. There are W.-Vereins in various Eur. cities. Wolf-Ferrari (vélf-fa-ra’-ré), Ermanno, b. Venice, Jan. 12, 1876; noted composer; son of a German father and Italian mother; studied at the Munich Acad. with Rheinberger; 1902-07, dir. Liceo Benedetto Marcello, Venice; after latter year lived in Neubiberg, Bavaria, for the most part devoting himself to comp.; c. (operas) ‘‘La Sulamita” (1889); ‘Aschenbrédel’’ (Venice, 1900); ‘‘Le Donne Curiose’’ (Munich, 1903; also sung at Met. Op. House, 1912); “J Quattri Rusteghi”? (Munich, 1906); ‘“L’ Amore Medico” (after Moliére), (Dresden, 1913); the 3 previous works as well as “Il Segreto di Susanna” (1-act, called an ‘“Intermezzo,’’ Munich, 1909), being comic in theme and musically reviving a somewhat Mozartean type of sparkling melody; totally different is ‘The Jewels of the Madonna” (Berlin R. Op., roxz, Chicago, 1912), a melodrama which provides the composer’s single attempt to imitate the works of the veristic school; later productions include:. “Liebesband der Marchesa’ (Dresden, 1925); Das Himmelskleid” (Munich, 1927); “Sly? (La Scala, Milan, 1927); ‘‘La Vedova Scaltra’”’ (1931) and “Jl Campiello” (Rome, 1936). He also c. the choral work, “La Vita Nuova,” and opuses for orch. and piano, and for various chamber a symphony da camera, combinations; vin. sonata, piano quartet, etc. Wolff (vdlf), (2). Vide wotr (4). (2) Edouard, Warsaw, 1816—Paris. 1880; pianist and composer. (3) Auguste Désiré Bd., Paris, 1821— 1887; pianist, pf.-teacher and maker; head of firm ‘“Pleyel-Wolff.” (4) Hermann, Cologne, 1845—Berlin, 1902; pupil of Fz. Kroll and Wiirst; editor, Berlin; c. pf.-pes. mgr. songs. (5) Erich, Vienna, Dec.-3, 1874—New York, March 20, 1913; notable song composer; pupil of Door, Robert Fuchs and J. N. Fuchs at the Cons. of the Musikfreunde in his native city; he lived there until 1906 and later in Berlin; made many tours as an accompanist for Lieder singers, incl. visits to the U. S.; his death of these tours; c. ballet, “‘Zlatorog,” prod. in Prague, 1913; a vin. concerto and a number of Lieder which have won marked popularity since his death; he wrote a study of Schumann’s songs in their original and later published forms. _ Wolff) (vélf’"l) (Woelfel, Woelfle), Jos., Salzburg, 1772—London, 1812; composer; his enormous hands and great contrapuntal skill made him a pf.-virtuoso whose rivalry with Beethoven divided Vienna into factions; but the rivals had mutual respect and W. dedicated his op. 6 to B.; c. light operas (1795-08).