Hausegger, Siegmund
1872-
[A request for biographical material brought the
following sketch from Mr. Hausegger, which is so interesting that it is
inserted verbatim.] I was born on August 16, 1872, at Graz in Styria, that
lovely province of Austria, which has sent forth such renowned artists as
Amalia Materna, Scaria, Busoni, and above all the great and unfortunate composer,
Hugo Wolf, so that to be born there would almost seem a good omen for a young
musician. My father, Dr. Friedrich von Hausegger, a solicitor, was musically
highly gifted, and from his earliest youth had the ardent wish to devote
himself entirely to this art, but instead he was obliged to take up a more
lucrative profession. However, every spare hour he devoted to music, more
especially to scientific studies as to the origin and innermost soul of music.
He made himself known by several works on aesthetics, Die Musik als Ausdruck
Das Jenseits des Künstlers, and others, and is regarded in Germany as one of
the founders of the modern school of musical aesthetics, which is based upon
the theories of Wagner and Schopenhauer. But although specially attracted by
the scientific side of music, it never* became to him a soulless object only to
be dissected; the artist in him was equal to the scholar and so he was ever
ready to receive new impressions, new rules from new geniuses. It was his
special pride that he was one of the first in Austria to recognize the
greatness of Richard Wagner and to exert himself to the utmost in propagating
his music and his ideas.
It is easy to understand what such a father has been
to me; nature could not have given me a more precious gift. He very soon
discovered the signs of musical talent in me, and after having received the
first rudiments from my mother my education was entirely under the guidance of
my father. Very soon I began to improvise and every new readingbook that we got
at school was set into music the same day. Of course all my relations, uncles
and aunts, were much impressed by such performances, and my mother often told
me afterwards how unhappy she had been because my father would never allow me
to appear in public as another little boy of my age, Ferruccio Busoni, did at
the same time, as her motherly pride desired for me the same honors as he
received.
At the age of nineteen I composed my first serious
composition (preceded only by a series of overtures to blood-stained tragedies
which I wrote myself), a mass for chorus, solos, orchestra and organ, at the
request of the rector of the college, who wished to have it performed by his
pupils at a festival in honor of the Emperor's birthday. Unfortunately it
proved too difficult for the boys to execute. Great was my disappointment; so
that my good father, to help and to encourage me, helped me to a performance of
the work, which I had to conduct myself. It took place before an invited
audience, and this first debut as conductor and composer was a great success.
At eighteen I began my studies in the history of art,
literature, philosophy and history at the University; but they were often
somewhat neglected, as I continued to work at the composition of my first
opera, Helfrid, which was performed in 1890 at the Landestheatre in Graz. The
succeeding years were rich in musical work, songs, chamber-music, sonatas, a
symphony, and lastly a new fantastic comic opera, Zinnober. Beside this I was
an active member of the Graz Wagner Society, which my father, with some kindred
spirits, had founded. As preparation for the festivals at Bayreuth he arranged
a complete performance of the Nibelungen Ring in the form of concerts. During
1895-1896 I was conductor at the opera in Graz, and these years were to me an
excellent school, especially as I had to bring out all novelties in a very
short time. The year 1898 brought me the first great success outside of my
native town, when Richard Strauss had my opera, Zinnober, performed at the Royal
Opera in Munich. Of all modern German artists, Strauss was the first who
actively interested himself in me and my work, and ever since he has done his
utmost to forward me in my career by his active friendship. The performance at
Munich was an excellent one and brought me full honor, both from the public and
the critics. The impressions of Munich altogether were pleasant, as it is an
ideal city for artists, and I was therefore greatly delighted when soon after I
received an invitation to conduct one of the Kaim concerts and to perform on
that occasion my first symphony poem,
Dionysiche Fantasie. Following the splendid reception I received the engagement
from Dr. Kaim as colleague of Weingartner, in conducting his orchestra. I was
to enter my new appointment in the autumn of 1899, and the intervening months
were occupied in finishing a new symphonic poem, the composition of which had
been cruelly interrupted by the death of my father, in February, 1899. The
origin of this work is closely connected with the political events of that
year, when the Teutonic population in Austria was oppressed by the Slav party
and rose in furious rebellion against the Badenyi ministry; Graz being one of
the most Teutonic towns in Austria, the excitement rose high and a revolution
seemed to be inevitable. From the windows of my home I saw the infuriated
populace storming the police offices, the mounted and armed soldiers charging
the hurling crowds, the erection of barricades, and I felt the misery of my
people as my own. Then it was that my thoughts turned constantly to the
wonderful German legend of the old Emperor Barbarossa, who slumbers in the
depths of a huge mountain (some say, the majestic Untersberg near Salzburg),
awaiting the day of greatest need to arise and save his people; when the rocks
will burst with thunderous sound and the Emperor surrounded by his knights will
appear in his great array. The composition of the symphony entitled Barbarossa
was begun in 1898 and finished before I left for Munich in 1899. It is divided
into three parts, the misery of the people, the enchanted mountain, the
awakening; nevertheless it is easy to recognize the old form of the symphony
suited to a poetic idea. The first part is allegro, the second begins with a
scherzo, followed by an adagio, and ends with a repetition of the scherzo.
I spent the following three years at Munich,
conducting the Volkssymphonie-Konzerte (popular symphony concerts), which soon
became so well patronized that their number was to be doubled, and the Modern
Evenings at which I brought out a quantity of new work. Besides this I
undertook many tours, partly with the orchestra, partly to fulfil invitations
to conduct my own work. " Barbarossa '* was performed for the first time
in Berlin and met with such general appreciation and lively enthusiasm that it
soon made the round of the concerts all over Germany and several American
towns, and has subsequently become the most popular of my works.
In 1902 I married Hertha Ritter, daughter of Alexander
Ritter, the composer and intimate friend of Richard Strauss, and niece of
Richard Wagner's, and some months after I entered upon my new duties in the
position of conductor of the Museumskonzerte in Frankfort-on-theMain, one of
the finest and most important orchestras and concert unions in Germany. With it I performed for the first
time my latest symphonic poem, Wieland der Schmied (after the plot sketched by
R. Wagner), at the Musical Festival which, in 1904, was held at Frankfort. During
six months of the year my duties as conductor kept me at Frankfort, but the
whole summer is spent at my country house in Obergrainau near Garmisch in the
Bavarian Highland, where nature in all her grandness and purity helps to
restore the mind and body after the winter's work and fatigue. I left Frankfort
in 1906 in order to have entirely free time for composition, which I consider
to be my principal avocation.
A LIST OF MY PUBLISHED WORKS: 1. Zinnober,
romantic-comic opera in three acts. 2. Dionysische Fantasie, symphonic poem. 3.
Barbarossa, a symphonic poem. 4. Wieland der Schmied, a symphonic poem. 5.
Thirty-two Songs. 6. Two choruses for male voices accompaniment of orchestra.
7. Totenmarsch, chorus for male voices with orchestral accompaniment. 8. Two
choruses for male and female voices (a) Stimme des Abends, (b) Schnitterlied.
9. Two Songs for tenor with orchestral accompaniment (a) Schwule. (b) O war es
doch. 10. Three " Hymnen an die Nacht," for barytone and orchestra
accompaniment. 11. Seven Songs (Lieder der Liebe), for tenor and orchestral
accompaniment. 12. Three Songs for a medium voice.
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