Felix Draeseke facts for kids

Felix Draeseke, painted by Robert Sterl in 1907

Felix August Bernhard Draeseke (born October 7, 1835 – died February 26, 1913) was a German composer. He was part of a group called the "New German School" who greatly admired composers like Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner. Felix Draeseke wrote many different kinds of music, including operas, symphonies, and pieces for voices and small groups of instruments.

Life of Felix Draeseke

Felix Draeseke was born in Coburg, a town in Germany. He loved music from a young age and wrote his first piece when he was just 8 years old. His family supported his dream of becoming a professional musician.

He studied at the Leipzig Conservatory, a music school. After hearing one of Wagner's operas, Lohengrin, he decided to join the "New German School." This group was centered around Franz Liszt in Weimar, where Draeseke lived from 1856 to 1861.

In 1862, Draeseke moved to the French-speaking part of Switzerland, near Lausanne, where he taught music. He returned to Germany in 1876 and settled in Dresden. Even though he was writing successful music, he didn't get a steady job until 1884. He became a teacher at the Dresden Conservatory, which gave him financial security.

In 1894, when he was 58, he married Frida Neuhaus, who had been one of his students. In 1912, he finished his last major orchestral work, his Fourth Symphony. Felix Draeseke passed away on February 26, 1913, and was buried in Dresden.

Draeseke's Music and Styles

Felix Draeseke wrote music in almost every style. This included symphonies (large pieces for orchestra), concertos (pieces for a solo instrument with orchestra), operas (musical plays), chamber music (for small groups of instruments), and pieces for solo piano.

His early Piano Sonata in C-sharp minor, called Sonata quasi Fantasia, was very important. Liszt himself admired it greatly, calling it one of the most important piano sonatas after Beethoven. Draeseke's operas, Herrat and Gudrun, were popular for a while but are not often performed today.

Draeseke was always interested in new ideas in music. He used new instruments in his chamber music. For example, he used the violotta, an instrument that sounds like a mix between a viola and a cello. He also used the viola alta, a special type of viola that Richard Wagner liked for his orchestra.

He loved writing counterpoint, which is when different melodies are played at the same time and weave together. His B minor Requiem (a type of religious choral music) was very successful. His most complex work is Christus. Mysterium in a Prelude and Three Oratorios, which is so long it would take three days to perform completely!

Many people believe his Symphonia Tragica (Symphony No. 3) is as good as symphonies by famous composers like Brahms and Bruckner. Other orchestral pieces by Draeseke include the Serenade in D major and the symphonic prelude Penthesilea. He also wrote many pieces for small groups of instruments.

How People Saw His Music

During his lifetime and shortly after his death, Felix Draeseke's music was highly respected, even by other composers who had different musical ideas. Leading musicians in Germany often performed his works.

However, one famous conductor, Hans von Bülow, once said that Draeseke was "a hard nut to crack." This meant that even though his music was good, it would "never be popular among ordinary people." Draeseke could be very critical, which sometimes caused problems. For example, he strongly criticized Richard Strauss's opera Salome, even though Draeseke had influenced the younger Strauss.

Draeseke's music was promoted during a certain time in German history. After World War II, musical tastes changed, and his name and music became less known. But as the 20th century ended, new recordings helped people rediscover his music.

Notable Works by Felix Draeseke

Orchestral Music

• Symphony No. 1 in G major, Op. 12 (1872)
• Symphony No. 2 in F major, Op. 25 (1876)
• Symphony No. 3 in C major, Op. 40 "Symphonia Tragica" (1885–1886)
• Symphony No. 4 in E minor, WoO 38 "Symphonia Comica" (1912)
• Julius Caesar, symphonic poem (1860, revised 1865)
• Serenade in D major for small orchestra, Op. 49 (1888)
• Penthesilea, symphonic prelude (after Kleist), Op. 50 (1888)
• Jubel-ouvertüre, Op. 65 (1898)
• Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in E-flat, Op. 36 (1885–1886)
• Symphonic Andante for Cello and Orchestra in E minor, WoO 11 (1876)

Operas

• König Sigurd - opera in 3 acts (1853–1857)
• Dietrich von Bern - opera in 3 acts (1877; revised 1925)
• Gudrun - opera in 3 acts (1879–1884)
• Bertram de Born - opera in 3 acts (1892–1894)

Choral and Vocal Music (Religious and Non-Religious)

• Christus. Mysterium in a Prelude and Three Oratorios, Opp. 70–73 (1895–1899):
  • Prelude: Die Geburt des Herrn (The Birth of the Lord), Op. 70
  • First Oratorio: Christi Weihe (Christ's Consecration), Op. 71
  • Second Oratorio: Christus der Prophet (Christ the Prophet), Op. 72
  • Third Oratorio: Tod und Sieg des Herrn (Death and Victory of the Lord), Op. 73
• Grand Mass in A minor, Op. 85 (1908–1909)
• Requiem in E minor (1909–1910)
• Columbus, Cantata for soprano, baritone, male chorus, and orchestra, Op. 52 (1890)
• Der Mönch von Bonifazio Op. 74, a melodrama (1901)

Chamber Music

• String Quartet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 27 (1880)
• String Quartet No. 2 in E minor, Op. 35 (1886)
• String Quartet No. 3 in C-sharp minor, Op. 66 (1895)
• Quintet in A major 'Stelzner-Quintett' for 2 violins, viola, violotta, and cello (1897)
• Quintet in F major for 2 violins, viola, and 2 cellos, Op. 77 (1901)
• Quintet in B-flat major for piano, string trio and horn, Op. 48 (1888)
• Viola Sonata No. 1 in C minor (1892)
• Viola Sonata No. 2 in F major (1902)
• Clarinet Sonata in B-flat major, Op. 38 (1887)
• Cello Sonata in D major, Op. 51 (1890)

See also

In Spanish: Felix Draeseke para niños