A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Ulrich, Hugo

ULRICH, Hugo, a composer of great ability, whose life was wasted owing to adverse circumstances, and probably also to want of strength of character. He was born Nov. 26, 1827, at Oppeln in Silesia, where his father was schoolmaster. By twelve he had lost both his parents, and was thrown helpless on the world. He then got into the Gymnasium or Convict at Breslau; in 1846 went to Glogau, and lastly to Berlin. From Mosewius, the excellent director of the University of Breslau, he had an introduction to A. B. Marx; but poor Ulrich had no money to pay the fees. With Meyerbeer's help, however, he became a pupil of Dehn's for two years, and then produced his op. 1, a PF. trio, followed by two symphonies, all of which excited much attention. The B minor Symphony (1852) went the round of Germany, and the Sinfonie Triomphale obtained the prize of 1500 francs from the Royal Academy of Brussels in 1853, and was very much performed and applauded. In 1855 he went off to Italy and lived for long in the various great towns, but was driven back by want of means to Berlin. He brought with him an opera, 'Bertrand de Born' (still in MS.). He taught for a short time in the Conservatoire, but teaching was distasteful to him; he had not the strength to struggle against fate, and after attempting a third symphony (in G), he appears to have broken down, or at least to have relinquished his old high standard, and to have betaken himself to pot-boilers of various kinds. Amongst these his arrangements of symphonies and other orchestral works are prominent, and of first-rate merit. His wretched life brought on a most painful nervous illness, which carried him off on March 23, 1872, and thus ended a life which in happier circumstances might have produced great results. He left a quartet, two overtures, a cello sonata, and various PF. works.

[ G. ]