Richard Barth
Encyclopedia
Richard Barth was a left-handed German
violin
virtuoso, conductor
, music teacher and composer
in the circle of Johannes Brahms
. Barth was born in Saxony and from 1863 to 1867 studied with the renowned violin
ist Joseph Joachim
. Barth used his left hand for bowing and his right hand for fingering and so played the violin "in reverse." Nonetheless, he was successful as a violinist and served as concertmaster
of orchestras in Munster
, Krefeld
and Marburg
and headed a string quartet. He was also a successful music teacher. He was music director of the university in Marburg before he moved to Hamburg
where he became conductor of the Philharmonie and the Singakademie and directed the Conservatory beginning in 1908.
Barth's Ciacona in B minor composed in 1908 is a finely crafted tribute to J.S. Bach's Chaconne in post-Paganini technical and tonal terms.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
virtuoso, conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
, music teacher and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
in the circle of Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
. Barth was born in Saxony and from 1863 to 1867 studied with the renowned violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist Joseph Joachim
Joseph Joachim
Joseph Joachim was a Hungarian violinist, conductor, composer and teacher. A close collaborator of Johannes Brahms, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant violinists of the 19th century.-Origins:...
. Barth used his left hand for bowing and his right hand for fingering and so played the violin "in reverse." Nonetheless, he was successful as a violinist and served as concertmaster
Concertmaster
The concertmaster/mistress is the spalla or leader, of the first violin section of an orchestra. In the UK, the term commonly used is leader...
of orchestras in Munster
Munster
Munster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the south of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes...
, Krefeld
Krefeld
Krefeld , also known as Crefeld until 1929, is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located northwest of Düsseldorf, its centre lying just a few kilometres to the west of the River Rhine; the borough of Uerdingen is situated directly on the Rhine...
and Marburg
Marburg
Marburg is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany, on the River Lahn. It is the main town of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district and its population, as of March 2010, was 79,911.- Founding and early history :...
and headed a string quartet. He was also a successful music teacher. He was music director of the university in Marburg before he moved to Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
where he became conductor of the Philharmonie and the Singakademie and directed the Conservatory beginning in 1908.
Barth's Ciacona in B minor composed in 1908 is a finely crafted tribute to J.S. Bach's Chaconne in post-Paganini technical and tonal terms.
Sources
- Liner notes by Eric Wen for the recording of Solo Chaconnes (by Bach, Barth and Max RegerMax RegerJohann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger was a German composer, conductor, pianist, organist, and academic teacher.-Life:...
) performed by Jennifer Koh (Cedille CDR 90000 060) - Walter and Paula Rehberg, "Johannes Brahms", Namenregister, p. 597