Anton Urspruch was born in Frankfurt on the Main in 1850.
He became a pupil of Ignaz Lachner and Joachim Raff in Frankfurt, and later one of the favourite students of Franz Liszt in Weimar.
In 1878 he was appointed as one of the first teachers at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt when it opened. And he was also in friendly communication with the incomparable Brahms.
Many of his works had successful performances in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Leipzig and Frankfurt.
In the last years of his life he was part of the revival of Gregorian Chant, having contact with the Beuron Archabbey and the cloister at Maria Laach Abbey.
Urspruch's compositions were only moderately influenced by the developments taking place at the end of the nineteenh century and little, if at all, by Wagner. He composed three operas, Der Sturm (libretto by Pirazzi, after Shakespeare), Das Unmöglichste von allem, and Heilige Cäcilie, both to his own librettos (the orchestration of the last is complete only for Act 1, and sketched for Acts 2 and 3; a complete piano score survives). His other works comprise a large number of songs, for both chorus and solo voice, a magnificent symphony, a piano concerto, a piano quintet, other chamber music, and a great many solo piano works.
His compositions were popular in their day and are characterized by harmonic originality (including both unusual chromatic progressions, reminders of sixteenth-century vocal polyphony), ingenious contrapuntal treatment and a progressive orchestral style. He also worked towards a revival of Gregorian chant, his extensive research resulting in the publication of the book Der gregorianische Choral und die Choralfrage (1901).
In his lifetime Urspruch was renowned internationally, but after his expiry soon forgotten.
Listed here are his most important productions:
Der Sturm (opera), after William Shakespeare: The Tempest, Frankfurt, 1888
Das Unmöglichste von Allem (comic opera), after Lope de Vega: El mayor imposible (The most imposible thing of all), Karlsruhe, 1897
Piano Concerto in E-flat major, opus 9 (1882)
Symphony in E-flat major, opus 14
Piano Quintet
Piano Trio
Violin Sonata
Cello Sonata in D major, opus 29
Sonata quasi fantasia, for piano four hands
German Dances for two pianos
He became a pupil of Ignaz Lachner and Joachim Raff in Frankfurt, and later one of the favourite students of Franz Liszt in Weimar.
In 1878 he was appointed as one of the first teachers at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt when it opened. And he was also in friendly communication with the incomparable Brahms.
Many of his works had successful performances in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Leipzig and Frankfurt.
In the last years of his life he was part of the revival of Gregorian Chant, having contact with the Beuron Archabbey and the cloister at Maria Laach Abbey.
Urspruch's compositions were only moderately influenced by the developments taking place at the end of the nineteenh century and little, if at all, by Wagner. He composed three operas, Der Sturm (libretto by Pirazzi, after Shakespeare), Das Unmöglichste von allem, and Heilige Cäcilie, both to his own librettos (the orchestration of the last is complete only for Act 1, and sketched for Acts 2 and 3; a complete piano score survives). His other works comprise a large number of songs, for both chorus and solo voice, a magnificent symphony, a piano concerto, a piano quintet, other chamber music, and a great many solo piano works.
His compositions were popular in their day and are characterized by harmonic originality (including both unusual chromatic progressions, reminders of sixteenth-century vocal polyphony), ingenious contrapuntal treatment and a progressive orchestral style. He also worked towards a revival of Gregorian chant, his extensive research resulting in the publication of the book Der gregorianische Choral und die Choralfrage (1901).
In his lifetime Urspruch was renowned internationally, but after his expiry soon forgotten.
Listed here are his most important productions:
Der Sturm (opera), after William Shakespeare: The Tempest, Frankfurt, 1888
Das Unmöglichste von Allem (comic opera), after Lope de Vega: El mayor imposible (The most imposible thing of all), Karlsruhe, 1897
Piano Concerto in E-flat major, opus 9 (1882)
Symphony in E-flat major, opus 14
Piano Quintet
Piano Trio
Violin Sonata
Cello Sonata in D major, opus 29
Sonata quasi fantasia, for piano four hands
German Dances for two pianos
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