Maybe you were unaware that he was not just a public official apparently too sharptongued to be successful and writer of the romantic era whose work attracted schumanns attention for one, he composed quite a bit of music. E rnst t heodor a madeus wilhelm hoffmann 17761822 german writer, composer, caricaturist, and painter, known for his stories in which supernatural characters reveal peoples hidden secrets. The critical reception of beethovens compositions by his. Hoffmann wrote novels and short stories, and he composed music, including an opera, undine 1814. Robert schumann is one of the most renowned composers of the romantic era, but only those who have studied his life realize that he also made enormous contributions to the world of literature. Paul hindemith, born november 16, 1895, hanau, near frankfurt am main, germanydied december 28, 1963, frankfurt am main, one of the principal german composers of the first half of the 20th century and a leading musical theorist. Hoffmann, born ernst theodore wilhelm hoffmann in what is now kaliningrad, russia in 1776, was a writer and a composer, among other artistic aptitudes. Les contes d hoffmann is an opera fantastique by jacques offenbach. However, he continued to use wilhelm in official documents throughout his life, and the initials e. Hoffmann 17761822 is well known for his novels and stories which inspired tchaikovskys the nutcracker and offenbachs the tales of hoffmann, and. Ernst theodor amadeus hoffmann grand piano trio in e major, av 52 i. It is a comprehensive and imprecise termrepresenting various tendencies for change in. His work represents an extreme development of german romanticism toward the grotesque and the fantastic.
This thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the graduate studies at digital commons. In an effort to explore the extensive relationship between literature and robert schumanns musical style, this paper considers two notable authors jean paul richter and e. Hoffmann considered music the highest form of art and renamed himself after mozarternst theodor wilhelm became e. The present edition is based on this preparatory research and presents more than half of e. Hoffmanns musical works in a critical edition of 12 volumes. This book contains the first complete translation in english of e. The term romanticism not only has various literarymeanings, but its usefulness is directly dependent upon its flexibility. Hoffmann 1776182217761822 introductionprincipal worksgeneral commentarytitle commentaryfurther readingfull name ernst theodor amadeus hoffmann german shortstory writer, novelist, essayist, composer, and librettist. Hoffmann, born on 24 january 1776, in konigsberg, died on 25 june 1822, in berlin, councillor of the court of justice, excellent in his office, as a poet, as a musician, as a painter, dedicated by his friends. Hoffmann s compositions are performed successfully in our time. Overview v biography v discography v compositions v. Hoffmann studied law and concurrently learned the organ with podbielski. But hoffmanns fiction was as much a musical inspiration as it was a literary one, for both himself and others.
According to him, the a was for amadeus, a nod to mozart, whom he admired. A translation of beethovens instrumentalmusik by e. Feb 16, 2014 ernst theodor amadeus hoffmann grand piano trio in e major, av 52 i. A list of the story of music in fifty pieces episodes and clips related to adaptations of works by e. Dec 19, 2018 but hoffmanns fiction was as much a musical inspiration as it was a literary one, for both himself and others. Hoffmanns major musical writings, complementing the wellknown tales. A list of hoffmanns major musical compositions includes eight operas and singspiele, music for various other stage works, a symphony, motets. Bbc radio 3 the story of music in fifty pieces topics. Hoffmann in which young marie stahlbaums favorite christmas toy, the nutcracker, comes alive and, after defeating the evil mouse king in battle, whisks her away to a magical kingdom populated by dolls. Hoffmann is one of the most famous figures of early 19thcentury german literature. When, in the course of the napoleonic wars, french troops came to occupy warsaw, he lost his job there, went. Elisabeth bronfen will be giving the introduction at an event devoted to the musical compositions of e. Hoffmanns kreisleriana with an introductory note see other formats stop early journal content on jstor, free to anyone in the world this article is one of nearly 500,000 scholarly works digitized and made freely available to everyone in the world by jstor. Hoffmanns creations, an eccentric, wild, and witty conductor.
The story is told by a narrator who claims to have known. The german author, composer, and artist ernst theodor amadeus hoffmann 17761822 is known chiefly for his short stories and novels. Earlier that year he had begun publishing in what at the time was the most respected journal for music criticism in the german speaking world, the allgemeine musikalische zeitung amz. He was a genius, who had the ability to write, compose and draw with his own characteristics and to catch the attention of many other artists and thinkers from his life time until present date. Hoffmann was a 19th century german author known for his bizarre, fantastical works. Ernst theodor amadeus hoffmann was a german romantic author of fantasy and gothic horror. Mar, 2012 a lot of you educated folks have heard of, maybe even know something about, e. Hoffmann, german writer, composer, and painter known for his stories in which supernatural and sinister characters move in and out of mens lives, ironically revealing tragic or grotesque sides of human nature. Hoffmann, beethovens instrumental music a standardbearer of german romanticism, hoffmann was born in 1776 at konigsberg and died in 1822 at berlin. Hoffmann, writer, composer, draughtsman and lawyer. Hoffmanns kreisleriana with an introductory note see other formats stop early journal content on jstor, free to anyone in the world this article is one of nearly 500,000 scholarly works digitized and. Hoffmann has been around for quite some time 1967 and may be one of easiest collection of the tales in english to come by. Hoffmann received a copy of the score to beetho vens fifth symphony. A lot of you educated folks have heard of, maybe even know something about, e.
He was one of the major figures of german romanticism, and his work inspired such later genres as surrealism, fantasy, and magical realism. In this parenthesis, hoffmann does not explicitly mention the harpsichord. He wrote two novels the devils elixir and the life and opinions of kater murr, with a fragmentary biography of conductor johannes kreisler. In 1804 he was able to have some of his works read full biography. Quotations from the original german refer to the edition of kreisleriana found in e. Most of the works omitted consist of his numerous stage compositions. Nevertheless, he managed to compose his six canticles for a cappella choir. Between 1798 and 1799 he began his first compositions when studying with reichardt. He sought to revitalize tonalitythe traditional harmonic system that was being challenged by many other composersand also pioneered in the writing of. Hoffmann, often also called the ghost hoffmann, was one of the important writers and artist of the romantic era in europe. Ernst theodor wilhelm hoffmann, better known by his pen name e. My cousins corner window 1822, alludes to empirical characters from high literature of the age and, through a flower girl, to the typical end consumer of the contemporary commercial literary market. Hoffmann, and used that on official papers, but used e.
He had many talents, of which his creative writing was neither the first to come to fruition, nor was it, once hoffmann began turning his attention to literary works, the. Hoffmann got it right steven cassedy in july of 1809, e. Ernst theodor amadeus hoffmann a nemet romantika egyik kiemelkedo iroja, tovabba komponista, zenekritikus, karmester, jogasz, grafikus es karikaturista volt. Ernst theodor wilhelm amadeus hoffmann 24 january 1776 25 june 1822 was a german romantic author of fantasy and horror, a jurist. Hoffmann, telling people that the a stood for amadeus, in homage to the composer wolfgang amadeus mozart 175691. The man who made romanticism by hannah niemeier the new. Hoffmann, in full ernst theodor amadeus hoffmann, original name ernst theodor wilhelm hoffmann, born january 24, 1776, konigsberg, prussia now kaliningrad, russiadied june 25, 1822, berlin, germany, german writer, composer, and painter known for his stories in which supernatural and sinister characters move in and out of mens. However you hear hoffmanns miserere whether as an echo of mozart, a sympathetic vibration with beethoven, or a precursor to verdiit doesnt matter, as long as you hear it, because its a stunning work, which really ought to spark a reassessment of e. Hoffmann and the impact of their literary contributions on schumanns compositional style in three of his works.
It was written in only four days in april 1838 and a revised version appeared in 1850. Literary influences on the works of robert schumann, faculty mentor. Hoffmann ernst theodor amadeus hoffmann, was a german romantic author of fantasy and horror, a jurist, composer, music critic, draftsman and caricaturist. However, hoffmann was by training and profession a jurist. Hoffmanns musical aesthetics, puts forth a vision of hoffmanns farreaching significance that considers his writings and musical compositions and that is informed by over a century of previous scholarship on hoffmann. Nov 16, 1989 ernst theodor wilhelm hoffmann, better known by his pen name e.
The nutcracker is based on a story originally written by the romantic writer victor hugo and expanded by e. He was a genius, who had the ability to write, compose and draw with his own characteristics and to catch the attention of many other artists and. So, keep your eyes open for the tales of hoffmann series. In 1843, when he had moved from writing for solo piano to much larger works, in particular paradise and the peri, he still listed it as one of his best piano works. He would also influence many other 19th century writers and inspired various musical compositions. Ernst theodor amadeus wilhelm hoffmann 17761822 german writer, composer, caricaturist, and painter, known for his stories in which supernatural characters reveal peoples hidden secrets. The extensive back and forth between adolf bernhard marx, one of the 9ths earliest champions, and more skeptical writers in the berliner allgemeine musikalische zeitung makes fascinating. Ernst theodor amadeus hoffmann commonly abbreviated as e. Hoffmann is an important figure in the background of musical history of whom we have gradually lost sight in spite of his significant relationship to the course of musical events and to those greater creative personalities. Hoffmanns kreisler works and robert schumanns kreisleriana 2017. Redman, alison elizabeth, magical and mysterious resonances. His stories form the basis of jacques offenbachs famous opera the tales of hoffmann, in which hoffmann appears heavily fictionalized. Hoffmann was also a music critic, composer, painter, jurist, and caricaturist. Az amadeus keresztnevet muveszi eszmenykepe, wolfgang amadeus mozart utan vette fel.
Night pieces 181617 plays on a technical term in painting though it is also a musical term. Hoffmanns kreisleriana with an introductory note by arthur ware locke. He is a salient and, at the same time, not uncontroversially romantic author. With this publication, hoffmann began to use the pseudonym e. Dec 02, 2016 the nutcracker and the mouse king german. Hoffmann was born ernst theodor wilhelm hoffmann on 24 january 1776 in. The house was the second lodging of hoffmann and his polish wife michaelina in bamberg. More information about the event can be found here. It is a comprehensive and imprecise termrepresenting various tendencies for change in such areas as subject matter, attitude, and form. Hoffmanns stories, one soon realizes that these stories were conceived and written at a very sensitive time politically.
1430 219 1324 590 39 70 205 1100 1250 791 1330 430 1503 414 180 923 1353 475 622 1442 1029 1082 819 661 769 588 844 772 1076 73 1145 1281 1082 1260