Woldemar Bargiel facts for kids
Woldemar Bargiel (born October 3, 1828 – died February 23, 1897) was a German composer and conductor. He lived during the Romantic period, a time when music became very expressive and emotional.
About Woldemar Bargiel
Bargiel was born in Berlin, Germany. He was the younger half-brother of the famous pianist and composer Clara Schumann. They shared the same mother, Mariane Tromlitz. Woldemar's father, Adolph Bargiel, was a well-known teacher of piano and singing. Clara was nine years older than Woldemar, but they had a very close relationship throughout their lives.
Clara helped Woldemar a lot with his music career. She introduced him to important musicians like Robert Schumann (her husband) and Felix Mendelssohn. These connections were very helpful for Woldemar's future success.
Early Music Training
Woldemar started learning music at home. Later, he studied music theory with a famous teacher in Berlin, Siegfried Wilhelm Dehn. When he was 18, Robert Schumann suggested that Woldemar should study at the famous Leipzig Conservatory. Mendelssohn also recommended him. At the conservatory, Woldemar learned from top music teachers. He studied piano with Ignaz Moscheles and composition with Niels Gade and Julius Rietz.
Career and Teaching
After finishing his studies in Leipzig in 1850, Bargiel went back to Berlin. He gave private music lessons to earn money. Clara and Robert Schumann helped him get some of his early musical pieces published. One of these was his First Piano Trio.
Later, Bargiel worked at music schools in Cologne and Rotterdam. In Rotterdam, he met Hermine Tours, who would become his wife. She was the sister of another composer, Berthold Tours. Eventually, Bargiel got a job at the important Hochschule für Musik in Berlin. He taught there for the rest of his life. Many students learned from him, including Paul Juon and Leopold Godowsky.
Besides teaching and composing, Bargiel also helped edit music. He worked with the famous composer Johannes Brahms. Together, they helped prepare the complete collections of music by Robert Schumann and Frédéric Chopin.
Bargiel's Music
Woldemar Bargiel did not write a huge amount of music. However, his compositions were always carefully crafted and showed great skill. He wrote many pieces for small groups of instruments, known as chamber music. These included four string quartets, a string octet, and three piano trios. He also wrote pieces for piano and some orchestral works, like his Symphony in C major.
See also
In Spanish: Woldemar Bargiel para niños
