Theodor Kirchner
Encyclopedia
Fürchtegott Theodor Kirchner (10 December 1823 – 18 September 1903) was a significant German composer and pianist of the Romantic
era.
He was born at Neukirchen near Chemnitz
, and was an accomplished organist and pianist at the age of eight. From 1838 to 1842, he studied in Leipzig
under J. Knorr (piano) and K. F. Becker (organ and theory). He subsequently was a pupil of J. Schneider in Dresden
, and attended the Leipzig Conservatory for a short time. In 1843, he became organist in Winterthur
, Switzerland on the recommendation of Mendelssohn
. He remained there for nearly 20 years, but travelled much in Germany, befriending Robert
and Clara Schumann
and Brahms
. Clara Schumann was very fond of him, though she wrote that 'in his character there is no stability', and it appears they had a discreet affair in the early 1860s. In 1862 Kirchner moved to Zurich
as the director of the subscription concerts there. This only lasted three years. From 1862 to 1872, he was a teacher in the music school at Zurich, then became director of the Würzburg Conservatory (1873-75).
He married in 1868 but the marriage was not a success. After a spell from 1870 as organist in Zurich he moved to Meiningen
as court pianist in 1872 and next year was made director of the Conservatory in Würzburg
. From 1876–1883 he lived in Leipzig
, then until 1890 taught score-reading in Dresden
. In 1884 Brahms, Hanslick
, Gade
, Grieg
and Hans von Bülow
raised 30,000 marks to enable Kirchner to pay off his debts. In 1890 he abandoned his wife and family and moved to Hamburg
, where he was looked after by a former pupil. Two strokes left him paralysed in 1894 and he became completely blind in his last years. He died in Hamburg, 18 September 1903.
Kirchner was esteemed by, among others, Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann
(who wrote approvingly of him in Neue Zeitschrift für Musik
), Brahms, Liszt
, Wagner
and Grieg.
and solo piano arrangements of the third and fourth sets of Hungarian Dances and the Liebeslieder Walzer. As a composer, he was an intense romantic lyricist and a natural miniaturist — he is credited with having written over 1000 piano pieces (mainly collected in cycles) of which many are only a minute or so in duration — a kind of 19th-century forerunner of Webern
's Bagatelles. His waltzes, opus 23, composed in 1876, are dedicated to Brahms and the suite of 'characteristic pieces', Nachtbilder, opus 25 quotes Brahms's song Wie bist du, meine Königen. There are also some organ pieces and songs and a few choral and chamber works, but no orchestral music at all, though his friend Heinrich Schülz-Beuthen
made an orchestral suite out of some of Kirchner's piano pieces. He was especially influenced by Robert Schumann
's music.
Kirchner's complete works are being published by Amadeus in Winterthur.
Romantic music
Romantic music or music in the Romantic Period is a musicological and artistic term referring to a particular period, theory, compositional practice, and canon in Western music history, from 1810 to 1900....
era.
Musical career
Kirchner enjoyed the friendship and admiration of many leading composers of the 19th century yet was unable to maintain a successful career, apparently due to a disordered way of life which included extravagant spending and an addiction to gambling.He was born at Neukirchen near Chemnitz
Chemnitz
Chemnitz is the third-largest city of the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Chemnitz is an independent city which is not part of any county and seat of the government region Direktionsbezirk Chemnitz. Located in the northern foothills of the Ore Mountains, it is a part of the Saxon triangle...
, and was an accomplished organist and pianist at the age of eight. From 1838 to 1842, he studied in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
under J. Knorr (piano) and K. F. Becker (organ and theory). He subsequently was a pupil of J. Schneider in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
, and attended the Leipzig Conservatory for a short time. In 1843, he became organist in Winterthur
Winterthur
Winterthur is a city in the canton of Zurich in northern Switzerland. It has the country's sixth largest population with an estimate of more than 100,000 people. In the local dialect and by its inhabitants, it is usually abbreviated to Winti...
, Switzerland on the recommendation of Mendelssohn
Felix Mendelssohn
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Barthóldy , use the form 'Mendelssohn' and not 'Mendelssohn Bartholdy'. The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians gives ' Felix Mendelssohn' as the entry, with 'Mendelssohn' used in the body text...
. He remained there for nearly 20 years, but travelled much in Germany, befriending Robert
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
and Clara Schumann
Clara Schumann
Clara Schumann was a German musician and composer, considered one of the most distinguished pianists of the Romantic era...
and 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...
. Clara Schumann was very fond of him, though she wrote that 'in his character there is no stability', and it appears they had a discreet affair in the early 1860s. In 1862 Kirchner moved to Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
as the director of the subscription concerts there. This only lasted three years. From 1862 to 1872, he was a teacher in the music school at Zurich, then became director of the Würzburg Conservatory (1873-75).
He married in 1868 but the marriage was not a success. After a spell from 1870 as organist in Zurich he moved to Meiningen
Meiningen
Meiningen is a town in Germany - located in the southern part of the state of Thuringia and is the district seat of Schmalkalden-Meiningen. It is situated on the river Werra....
as court pianist in 1872 and next year was made director of the Conservatory in Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
. From 1876–1883 he lived in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, then until 1890 taught score-reading in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
. In 1884 Brahms, Hanslick
Eduard Hanslick
Eduard Hanslick was a Bohemian-Austrian music critic.-Biography:Hanslick was born in Prague, the son of Joseph Adolph Hanslick, a bibliographer and music teacher from a German-speaking family, and one of his piano pupils, the daughter of a Jewish merchant from Vienna...
, Gade
Niels Wilhelm Gade
Niels Wilhelm Gade was a Danish composer, conductor, violinist, organist and teacher. He is considered the most important Danish musician of his day.-Biography:...
, Grieg
Edvard Grieg
Edvard Hagerup Grieg was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is best known for his Piano Concerto in A minor, for his incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt , and for his collection of piano miniatures Lyric Pieces.-Biography:Edvard Hagerup Grieg was born in...
and Hans von Bülow
Hans von Bülow
Hans Guido Freiherr von Bülow was a German conductor, virtuoso pianist, and composer of the Romantic era. He was one of the most famous conductors of the 19th century, and his activity was critical for establishing the successes of several major composers of the time, including Richard...
raised 30,000 marks to enable Kirchner to pay off his debts. In 1890 he abandoned his wife and family and 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 was looked after by a former pupil. Two strokes left him paralysed in 1894 and he became completely blind in his last years. He died in Hamburg, 18 September 1903.
Kirchner was esteemed by, among others, Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
(who wrote approvingly of him in Neue Zeitschrift für Musik
Neue Zeitschrift für Musik
Die Neue Zeitschrift für Musik was a music magazine published in Leipzig, co-founded by Robert Schumann, his teacher and future father-in law Friedrich Wieck, and his close friend Ludwig Schuncke...
), Brahms, Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
, Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
and Grieg.
Compositions and arrangements
He was a gifted arranger whose transcriptions include the realization of Brahms's two string sextets as piano trios; he also made the vocal score of Brahms's German RequiemEin deutsches Requiem
A German Requiem, To Words of the Holy Scriptures, Op. 45 by Johannes Brahms, is a large-scale work for chorus, orchestra, and a soprano and a baritone soloist, composed between 1865 and 1868. It comprises seven movements, which together last 65 to 80 minutes, making this work Brahms's longest...
and solo piano arrangements of the third and fourth sets of Hungarian Dances and the Liebeslieder Walzer. As a composer, he was an intense romantic lyricist and a natural miniaturist — he is credited with having written over 1000 piano pieces (mainly collected in cycles) of which many are only a minute or so in duration — a kind of 19th-century forerunner of Webern
Anton Webern
Anton Webern was an Austrian composer and conductor. He was a member of the Second Viennese School. As a student and significant follower of Arnold Schoenberg, he became one of the best-known exponents of the twelve-tone technique; in addition, his innovations regarding schematic organization of...
's Bagatelles. His waltzes, opus 23, composed in 1876, are dedicated to Brahms and the suite of 'characteristic pieces', Nachtbilder, opus 25 quotes Brahms's song Wie bist du, meine Königen. There are also some organ pieces and songs and a few choral and chamber works, but no orchestral music at all, though his friend Heinrich Schülz-Beuthen
Heinrich Schülz-Beuthen
Heinrich Donatien Wilhelm Schulz-Beuthen was a composer of the high Romantic era.-Life:...
made an orchestral suite out of some of Kirchner's piano pieces. He was especially influenced by Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
's music.
Kirchner's complete works are being published by Amadeus in Winterthur.