Born Eugène Francis Charles d'Albert in Glasgow of an English mother and a German father of mixed French/Italian heritage.
At 17 won a scholarship to study in Austria. Was a pupil of Liszt. Rejected his Scottish-English upbringing and considered himself German from that point on. Was a fine pianist, and began a career playing concerts. In later life, he modified his previous views against the country of his "accidental" birth, and said the former prejudice he felt had vanished as he grew older.
He was married six times. Something of a glutton for punishment, I'd say. He died in 1932 at the age of 67 in Riga, Latvia, where he had travelled for a divorce from his sixth wife (so as to have more time with his mistress.) :D
Perhaps known primarily for his operas, he also composed some nice, Romantic instrumental pieces.
Orchestral Chamber
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Symphony in F, Op.4 (1886) String Quartet No.1 in a, Op.7 (1887)
Piano Concerto No.1 in b, Op.2 (1884) Piano Sonata in f, Op.10 (1893)
Symphonic Prelude to Tiefland, Op.34 (1924) String Quartet No.2 in E, Op.11 (1893)
Cello Concerto in C, Op.20 (1899) 8 Kavierstucke, Op.5
Piano Concerto No.2 in E, Op.12 (1893) Suite for Piano in d, Op.1 (1883)
Aschenputtel. Cinderella Suite, Op.33 (1924)
Overture to Grillparzer: Esther, Op.8 (1888) Opera (selective)
The Little Mermaid, Op.15 for Soprano & Orchestra (1897) =======================
(incomplete) Concerto for Piano in g dated 1874 Die toten Augen (The Dead Eyes) 1916
Die Abreise (The Departure) 1898
Gernot (1897)
Der Rubin (The Ruby) 1893
Tiefland (1903)
Flauto solo (1905)
Der Golem (1928)
Scirocco (1921)
He was friends with Richard Strauss and Hans Pfitzner.
Liszt considered him to be one of his most important pupils.
I had an older friend who had been married 7 times. Back then, if you wanted to screw someone, you got married. Definitely not something I'm nostalgic for.
His first piano concerto is one of the more unjustly neglected romantic piano concertos I can think of. It's nice to hear a more extended version of Liszt's one movement form, and the cadenza with the fugue in it is a masterpiece unto itself. Excellent work.
Quote from: Daverz on October 18, 2015, 06:44:12 PM
Back then, if you wanted to screw someone, you got married.
Bad strategy. If you want to screw around, don't get married.
Quote from: Scion7 on October 18, 2015, 03:54:40 PM
He was married six times.
"Come quick, Teresa! Your children and my children are fighting with our children!!!"
I think the Piano Sonata, the Cello Concerto, the second Piano Concerto, the Symphonic Prologue to the opera Tiefland, and Aschenputtel are the ones to have an annual rotation on your stereo. All of the piano music is technically admirable.
"Tiefland" was on stage rather popular in Germany until the 60s or so; it's something like a German version of Cavalleria Rusticana style Verismo with a somewhat similar jealousy/revenge plot. (As I do not much care about any Verismo I cannot say more about it, I listened to it once or twice on disc) "Die toten Augen" was also comparably well known, I believe, but I have never heard that one.
Quote from: Jo498 on October 19, 2015, 12:54:54 AM
"Die toten Augen" was also comparably well known, I believe, but I have never heard that one.
A taste, anyway --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJRISIhu_BU
Interesting - Brahms' publishing/presenting the 2nd String Quartet by d'Albert:
(http://s14.postimg.org/r2avj8n1t/Brahms_Publishing_d_Albert.jpg)
The piece is dedicated to Brahms ("verehrungsvollst zugeeignet" = dedicated with deepest admiration). Not sure if or how far Brahms was involved in the publications (The Berlin based music publisher "Bote & Bock" existed until the 1990 and was bought by Boosey & Hawkes in 1996).
Might be an interesting piece. Besides "Tiefland", I only have the hyperion disc with piano concerti by d'Albert. He wrote no less than 21 operas but "Tiefland" has been by far the best known since the lifetime of the composer.
It was so popular that Riefenstahl made a Tiefland movie starring herself (1940-44) but it got delayed and only premiered in 1954:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiefland_%28film%29
The string quartets are just average. The pieces I listed are the one that I think would get the most attention - for 3rd tier classical music, of course.