Friedrich Baumfelder facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Friedrich August Wilhelm Baumfelder
|
|
|---|---|
Friedrich Baumfelder (left) with his wife Emma on a trip in England.
|
|
| Born | May 28, 1836 Dresden
|
| Died | September 8, 1916 (aged 80) Dresden
|
| Nationality | German |
| Alma mater | Leipzig Conservatory |
| Occupation | Composer, conductor, and pianist |
| Style | Romantic |
Friedrich August Wilhelm Baumfelder (born May 28, 1836 – died September 8, 1916) was a talented German composer, conductor, and pianist. He was born and lived in Dresden, Germany. Friedrich Baumfelder started his music journey at the famous Leipzig Conservatory. He became a well-known musician during his time, writing over 400 pieces of music! While many of his works were for solo piano, he also composed larger pieces like symphonies, piano concertos, operas, and music for choirs. Even though his music was popular back then, most of it is not well-known today.
Life and Family
Friedrich Baumfelder was the third of seven children. His father, Carl Friedrich Gotthelf Baumfelder, was a school reformer. His mother was Friederike Ernestine.
Friedrich was accepted into the Leipzig Conservatory at a young age. There, he studied with famous teachers like Ignaz Moscheles and Moritz Hauptmann. He even earned a special scholarship! After finishing his studies, Baumfelder went back to Dresden. He worked as a cantor (a church musician) and taught music and piano at the Dreikönigskirche. One of his most successful students was Georg Schumann. In 1875, he became the director of the Robert Schumann Singakademie, a music academy, and stayed in that job for many years. He became a very successful and famous teacher and composer.
As Baumfelder became more recognized, he traveled to perform in other countries. He visited England, France, and even the United States. Friedrich and his wife, Emma Baumfelder, had seven children: five sons and two daughters. One of his sons, Fritz, also became a composer.
Legacy
On May 27, 1936, a special article was published about Baumfelder in the Dresdner Gazette. This was just before his 100th birthday. The article remembered him as "the old tall figure with the white, flowing hair under his hat."
It also mentioned that Baumfelder had written several oratorios (large musical works for voices and orchestra, usually based on religious stories) and a setting of the 40th Psalm (a song from the Bible). Sadly, many of these works were lost or destroyed during World War II. The article also shared how a music group called the Dresdner Liedertafel praised him. They said he was very dedicated and skilled as a conductor. A memorial for him was planned at the Trinity Cemetery.
Today, Baumfelder is still known in the United States, Germany, and Great Britain. However, only a few of his many musical pieces are still played.
Musical Works
Friedrich Baumfelder wrote over 400 musical pieces! These included large works like symphonies and operas. He also wrote many pieces for solo piano.
Some of his most popular works were Confidence, Rondo Mignon, Kinderscenen, and Rococo. His teaching book, Tirocinium musicae, was also very popular. Sadly, many of his works were lost during World War II.
Today, his most famous pieces are the Peasant Dance and the Melody in F major. These are often played by students learning the piano. More recently, some of his other works, like his motet (a choral piece) Praise the Lord, have been recorded on CDs.
