- Robert Fuchs
Robert Fuchs (
February 15 ,1847 –February 19 ,1927 ) was anAustria ncomposer and musicteacher .As Professor of
music theory at the Vienna Conservatory, Fuchs taught many notable composers, while he was himself a highly regarded composer in his lifetime.Biography
He was born in
Frauental an der Laßnitz inStyria in 1847 as the youngest of thirteen children. He studied at the Vienna Conservatory withFelix Otto Dessoff andJoseph Hellmesberger among others. He eventually secured a teaching position there and was appointed Professor ofmusic theory in 1875. He retained the position until 1912. He died inVienna at the age of eighty.He was the brother of
Johann Nepomuk Fuchs , who was also a composer and conductor, primarily ofopera s.Robert Fuchs taught many notable composers, including
Gustav Mahler ,Hugo Wolf ,Jean Sibelius ,Alexander von Zemlinsky ,Erich Korngold ,Franz Schmidt ,Franz Schreker ,Richard Heuberger ,Leo Fall ,Erkki Melartin , andLeo Ascher .Notability
"Unfailingly tuneful and enjoyable, Robert Fuchs’s piano trios are an easily accessible way to get to know a composer whom Brahms greatly admired," noted the magazine Gramophone. "In his time Fuchs was very highly regarded, with one critic famously pointing to Fuchsisms in Mahler’s Second Symphony."
That his compositions did not become better known was largely because he did little to promote them, living a quiet life in Vienna and refusing to arrange concerts, even when the opportunity arose, in other cities. He certainly had his admirers, among them Brahms, who almost never praised the works of other composers. But with regard to Fuchs, Brahms wrote, "“Fuchs is a splendid musician, everything is so fine and so skillful, so charmingly invented, that one is always pleased.”" Rarely, if ever, did another composer receive this kind of an accolade from Brahms. Famous contemporary conductors, including
Arthur Nikisch ,Felix Weingartner and Hans Richter, championed his works when they had the opportunity but with few exceptions, it was his chamber music which was considered his finest work.In his lifetime, his best known works were his five serenades; their popularity was so great that Fuchs acquired the nickname "Serenaden-Fuchs" (roughly, "Serenading Fox").
Johannes Moser and Paul Rivinius recorded his Sonata No.2 in Emusic|flat Minor, Op. 83 for Violoncello and Piano in 2006 for Hanssler Classic.
List of compositions
Orchestral
*Symphonies
**Symphony No.1 in C major, Op.37
**Symphony No.2 in Emusic|flat major, Op.45
**Symphony No.3 in E major, Op.79*Serenades
**Serenade for string orchestra No.1 in D major, Op.9
**Serenade for string orchestra No.2 in C major, Op.14
**Serenade for string orchestra No.3 in E minor, Op.21
**Serenade for string orchestra and 2 horns in G minor, Op.51
**Serenade for small orchestra in D major, Op. 53*Andante grazioso & Capriccio for string orchestra, Op.63
*Piano Concerto in Bmusic|flat minor, Op.27Vocal
*Operas
**Die Königsbraut, in 3 acts, Op.46 (1889) ("librettist: Ignaz Schnitzer") premiered in Vienna [ [http://www.operone.de/komponist/fuchsrob.html Robert Fuchs ] at www.operone.de]
**Die Teufelsglocke, in 3 acts (w/o Op.) (1891) ("librettist: Bernhard Buchbinder")*Choral works
**Mass in G, Op. 108
**Mass in D minor, Op. 116
**Mass in F, without Opus numberChamber
*Quintets
**Quintet for clarinet and string quartet in Emusic|flat major, Op.102*Quartets
**String Quartet No.1 in E major, Op.58
**String Quartet No.2 in A minor, Op.62
**String Quartet No.3 in C major, Op.71
**String Quartet No.4 in A major, Op.106
**Piano Quartet No.1 in G minor, Op.15
**Piano Quartet No.2 in B minor, Op.75*Trios
**Trio in F♯ minor for violin, viola, and piano, Op.115
**Seven Fantasy Pieces for violin, viola and piano, Op.57
**String Trio in A major, Op.94
**Piano Trio in C major, Op.22
**Piano Trio in Bmusic|flat major, Op.72
**Terzetti (trios for two violins and viola) Opp. 61 nos. 1 in A, 2 in D
**Terzetto in Cmusic|sharp minor, Op. 107*Duos
**Two Violins
***Twenty Duos, Op. 55
**Violin and Viola
***Twelve Duets, Op. 60
**Violin and Piano
***Violin Sonata No.1 in Fmusic|sharp minor, Op. 20
***Violin Sonata No.2 in D major, Op. 33
***Violin Sonata No.3 in D minor, Op. 68
***Violin Sonata No.4 in A major, Op. 77
***Violin Sonata No.5 in E major, Op. 95
***Violin Sonata No.6 in G minor, Op.103
***Ten Fantasy Pieces for violin and piano, Op. 74
**Viola and Piano
***Viola Sonata in D minor, Op. 86
***Six Fantasies for viola and piano, Op. 117
**Cello and Piano
***Cello Sonata No.1 in D minor, Op. 29
***Cello Sonata No.2 in Emusic|flat minor, Op. 83
***Seven Fantasy Pieces for cello and piano, Op. 78
**Double-Bass and Piano
***Double Bass Sonata, G minor, Op.97
***Three Pieces for Double Bass and Piano, Op.96 [http://www.deutscher-musikrat.de/jumu/projekt/download/Kontrabss.xls]olo
*Organ
**Fantasia in C major, Op. 87
**Fantasia in E minor, Op. 91
**Fantasia in Dmusic|flat major, Op. 101
**Variations and Fugue on an Original Theme*Piano
**Piano Sonata No.1 in Gmusic|flat major, Op. 19
**Piano Sonata No.2 in G minor, Op. 88
**Piano Sonata No.3 in Dmusic|flat major, Op. 109
**Jugendklänge, Op. 32
**Twelve Waltzes, Op.110
**Dewdrops (Tautropfen), Thirteen Pieces for Piano, Op. 112*Harp
**Harp Fantasy, Op. 85References
Some of the information on this page appears on the website of Edition Silvertrust but permission has been granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
External links
*IMSLP|id=Fuchs, Robert|cname=Robert Fuchs
*cite web|author=Benjamin M. Korstvedt|title=Notes for a Performance of the 3rd Symphony|url=http://www.americansymphony.org/dialogue.php?id=250&season=1998-1999|accessdate=2008-08-31|date=1999-05-12
* [http://editionsilvertrust.com/music-books-h-to-m.htm Sound-bites from Several Chamber Music Works & short biography]
* [http://www.gramophone.co.uk/gramofilereview.asp?reviewID=0&mediaID=217662&type=edschoice&edsdate=01/02/2006 Notes on Piano Trios by Gramophone]
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