Page:Pratt - The history of music (1907).djvu/587

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and to have his opera, König Alfred, given at Stuttgart, were all disappointed. Bulow, however, helped to introduce his works to the public. From 1850 he was Liszt's assistant at Weimar, where his opera was given (1851) with other works, and where he championed Wagner and the new ideas with his pen. In 1856 he moved to Wiesbaden, married the daughter of the actor Genast, and became a favorite piano-teacher. In 1863 his first symphony won in a competition at Vienna, and in 1870 his opera Dame Kobold was given at Weimar. From 1877 he was head of the new Frankfort conservatory founded by Dr. Hoch. Raff was a prolific composer (over 230 works), often in a hasty and superficial vein, but in larger forms sometimes showing much power. The list includes 11 symphonies, such as Im Walde (1869) and Lenore (1872), 4 orchestral suites, 9 overtures, a striking piano-concerto, a large amount of chamber music, a host of piano works, several choral cantatas, church music, an oratorio (1882), many attractive songs and part-songs, besides 4 operas not given, etc. In spite of his sympathy with the new styles, much of his writing follows old lines, though with decided novelty in melodic invention. He used contrapuntal devices with extreme freedom and grace.

Peter Cornelius (d. 1874), born at Mayence in 1824, aimed first to be an actor, but at 23, under the care of his uncle, the distinguished painter, turned to music, studying with Dehn at Berlin and in 1852 joining Liszt at Weimar. Like Raff, he served Liszt as a sort of secretary and entered the field as a literary worker. In 1858 his opera Der Barbier von Bagdad failed because of mean attacks, and he followed Wagner to Vienna. In 1865 the latter got him a place in the Munich Music-School. The same year his opera Der Cid was given at Weimar. His Gunlöd was left incomplete, but was finished by Hoffbauer and Lassen (1892, Strassburg). For these works he wrote the texts with poetic skill, and published poems besides (1861). He is also known by original songs, duets and part-songs. His style has kinship with Wagner's, though somewhat extreme in details.

Hans von Bronsart, born at Berlin in 1830, also came from Dehn to Liszt in 1852. His early success was as a touring pianist. In 1860-2 he led the Euterpe concerts at Leipsic, in 1865 followed Bülow as conductor at Berlin, from 1867 was intendant and choirmaster at Hanover, and from 1887 in the same posts at Weimar, retiring in 1895. His best-known works are a trio, a piano-concerto, an orchestral Phantasie and the choral symphony In den Alpen (1896), besides another symphony, a cantata, piano-pieces and an unperformed opera. His wife, Ingeborg (Starck) von Bronsart, also a pupil of Liszt, is a fine pianist and the gifted writer of several operas and many piano works.

Eduard Lassen (d. 1904), born at Copenhagen in 1830, was finely trained at the Brussels conservatory, winning many prizes, and from 1851 traveled widely in Germany and Italy. His opera Landgraf Ludwigs Brautfahrt was given at Weimar in 1857. In 1858, at Liszt's suggestion, he was made conductor there, and in 1861 succeeded as choirmaster, retiring in 1895. He wrote 2 other operas, Frauenlob (1860, Weimar) and Le captif (1865, Brussels), incidental music to 'Oedipos in Colonos' (1874), 'Faust' (l876), 'Pandora' (1886), Hebbel's 'Nibelungen' and 'Circe,' 2 symphonies, several overtures,