1843–1900 · Austria
Heinrich von Herzogenberg (1843–1900) was an Austrian composer, conductor and teacher born in Graz. He founded the Bach-Verein in Leipzig, taught composition at the Berlin Hochschule for Music and wrote chamber, choral and church music. Pianists will find his solo piano «8 Variations» in the site catalogue.
Heinrich Peter von Herzogenberg was born in Graz on 10 June 1843. He held the title of baron, and his family came from the French aristocracy: his ancestors had emigrated to Austria during the Great French Revolution. The family's earlier surname was Picot de Peccaduc, and in 1811 it was given a German form.
He first studied at a Jesuit school in Feldkirch and in his home town, and also in Munich and Dresden. He then entered the University of Vienna, where he studied law, philosophy and political science. Soon, however, he turned to music: in 1862–1864 he studied in Vienna with Felix Otto Dessoff. Gustav Nottebohm is also named among his teachers.
In his youth he was drawn to the music of Richard Wagner. Studying the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, however, made Herzogenberg an adherent of the classical tradition, and later an advocate of the music of Brahms.
Through his teacher Dessoff, Herzogenberg came into contact with Johannes Brahms. In Viennese society he also met his future wife, Elisabeth von Stockhausen (1848–1892), the daughter of the Hanoverian envoy at court. She was an excellent pianist and a gifted singer, had been a piano pupil of Brahms, and was often the first to review Brahms's works.
The young couple lived in Graz until 1872 and then moved to Leipzig. A lively correspondence passed between the Herzogenbergs and Brahms, in which questions of composition were also discussed.
In Leipzig, Herzogenberg, together with the Bach scholar Philipp Spitta, Franz von Holstein and Alfred Volkland, founded a choral society, the Bach-Verein. Later he became its leader and stayed at its head until 1885.
The society concerned itself with reviving Bach's cantatas. On his initiative, Bach's cantata legacy became available to a wider public for the first time. Studying Bach also left a clear mark on Herzogenberg's own style.
Brahms visited Leipzig: the correspondence with the couple paved the way for his visits. Brahms himself, however, almost never expressed approval of Herzogenberg's works, although Elisabeth tried to persuade him. In 1876 Herzogenberg wrote variations on a theme by Brahms.
Herzogenberg tried large forms even before Leipzig: in 1866 he wrote a symphony in D minor, and in the early 1870s a symphony in F major. Both remained unpublished. In Leipzig the cantata Columbus (op. 11, 1872) and the work Odysseus (op. 16, 1873) came out in print.
In 1875 he composed the piano quintet in C major, op. 17, which Breitkopf & Härtel published. Two piano trios followed: the one in C minor, op. 24, published in 1877, and the one in D minor, op. 36, published in 1884. His chamber works also include five string quartets.
Herzogenberg dedicated to Joseph Joachim the violin sonata, op. 32, and a violin concerto written in 1889; the string quartet, op. 63, is also addressed to him. The three quartets of op. 42, published in 1884, are dedicated to Brahms. Later came the violin sonatas, op. 54 (1887) and op. 78 (1892), the cello sonatas, op. 52 and op. 94, and the quintet for winds and piano, op. 43.
In 1887 Nanna's Klage (op. 59), for soprano, alto, small chorus and orchestra, appeared. The Requiem, op. 72, was published in 1891 and the String Quintet in C minor, op. 77, in 1892.
His piano works include the Four Fantasy Pieces, op. 4, which came out in Leipzig around 1866, the Fantastic Dances, op. 9, issued in Vienna around 1870, a theme with variations for two pianos, op. 13, issued in Vienna in 1872, and five piano pieces, op. 37, issued in Leipzig around 1879. The variations on Brahms's song «Die Trauernde» (op. 7 no. 5), op. 23, were written in 1876 for piano four hands. For organ he wrote two fantasias, on «Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland», op. 39, and on «Nun danket alle Gott», op. 46.
From 1885 Herzogenberg taught composition at the Royal Hochschule for Music in Berlin. The invitation had been prepared by Spitta and Joseph Joachim. In the autumn of that year he took up the post in the capital that Friedrich Kiel had left.
In 1888 illness made him give up his posts, and Woldemar Bargiel was invited in his place. After Bargiel's death in 1897 Herzogenberg returned to his former posts.
Among those he advised was the young Ralph Vaughan Williams: Herzogenberg suggested that he study with Max Bruch.
A lifelong friendship grew between Herzogenberg and the Spitta family, and they spent holidays together in the Appenzellerland more than once.
In 1891 he began building a summer house in Heiden, with a view of nearby Lake Constance. He did not finish it with his wife: Elisabeth died in 1892 of a long-standing heart ailment. Herzogenberg also worked through the loss in his music.
In 1893 he became friends with Friedrich Spitta, the younger brother of Philipp and a theologian who taught in Strasbourg. The sudden death of Philipp Spitta and the growing friendship with his brother turned Herzogenberg towards church music. Earlier, his work had centred on chamber music, choral and solo songs and two symphonies.
In memory of Philipp Spitta, Herzogenberg wrote a large Mass, for which Friedrich Spitta chose the text. Friedrich also supplied the libretto of the cantata Todtenfeier, composed in 1893. For Herzogenberg's church music, the Bach oratorios and passions served as models.
In the following summers in Heiden he wrote the Liturgical Songs, the oratorio Die Geburt Christi, the chorale cantata Gott ist gegenwärtig and, finally, Die Erntefeier, a work lasting more than two hours.
Herzogenberg taught composition, and his pupils include Julius Röntgen, Carl Prohaska, Walther Lampe, Franz Mikorey, Max Ettinger and Julius Weismann. Prince Heinrich XXIV Reuss of Köstritz (1855–1910) is also named among his pupils. During his years leading the Bach-Verein, Ethel Smyth was also one of his composition pupils.
A worsening rheumatic illness repeatedly forced Herzogenberg to interrupt his teaching in Berlin. After several stays at Wiesbaden for treatment, he settled there for good.
Heinrich von Herzogenberg died in Wiesbaden on 9 October 1900 and was buried in the city's North Cemetery.
Herzogenberg had a thorough training. He leaned towards contrapuntal writing, but his sense of proportion kept him from going too far in that direction. Some labelled him a mere follower of Brahms, yet Brahms's influence is slight in many of his works, for example the two string trios, op. 27. A few early pieces, written before he knew Brahms, have certain traits in common with the older master. The two op. 27 trios, one in A major from 1879 and one in F major, show his chamber writing, and in 1879 he also wrote a serenade for flute, oboe, clarinet, two bassoons, two horns and strings. The Three Legends for viola and piano, op. 62, date from 1889.
Studying Bach left a mark on his musical language. Before he turned to church music, his output was dominated by chamber music, choral and solo songs and two symphonies. His models were the Bach oratorios and passions: the chorales were meant to be sung by the whole congregation, with only a small instrumental ensemble.
Although he remained a Roman Catholic himself, he wrote music for worship in the Lutheran church in Strasbourg, drawn there by his friendship with Friedrich Spitta. For the large Mass in memory of Philipp Spitta, Friedrich chose the text. He also wrote the Requiem, op. 72, the oratorio Die Geburt Christi and the cantata Todtenfeier, op. 80.
The fate of several major works was not simple: they were believed destroyed in the Second World War but turned up again in the 1990s. The Mass in E minor, op. 87, was published in 2002. Both piano trios, op. 24 and op. 36, were reissued in 2001.
His choral and vocal works include a psalm (Psalm 116, op. 34), cantatas, a mass and two collections of songs for high voice and piano, op. 29 and op. 30, five songs in each, published in 1881. The Geistliche Gesänge, op. 89, were written for high voice, violin and organ.
The site catalogue currently has one piece by Herzogenberg for pianists: the solo piano «8 Variations», at the intermediate-plus level. Variations appear in his other works as well: in 1876 he wrote variations on a theme from a song by Brahms.