Joseph Martin Kraus

Joseph Martin Kraus is a type-setter and German leader born in Miltenburg amndt Hand, Bavarian small town, the June 20th 1756 and died in Stockholm, where it made the essence of its short career, the December 15th 1792. Kraus was eclipsed by its exact contemporary, illustrates it Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Biography

Formation

After a short passage to Osterburken, the family moves in Buchen, in 1761. His/her father, Joseph Bernhard, find an use of civil servant there ( Stadtschreiber i.e. municipal clerk). His/her mother, Anna Dorothea Schmidt, put at the world thirteen children, of which six only survived. The child makes his classes with Buchen and takes his first lessons of music: piano and violin with the vice-chancellor Georg Pfister (1730-1807) and sing under the direction of the chief of chorus Bernhard Franz Wendler (1702-1782).

In 1768, at twelve years, it enters to the Jesuiten-Gymnasium of Mannheim and is child of chorus ( Sängerknabe ) to the church of the palatine Court. It has as a professor of violin Alexander Keck (1724-1804) and of song Anton von Klein (1748-1810), author of the famous booklet of opera, the German first, Günther von Schwarzburg of the Viennese Ignaz Holzbauer. Its Master Anton Klein leaves an invaluable testimony:

Its gift for the music was so remarkable and so exceptional that as of the first quarter of the year, it exceeded the soprano so much on the level of the registers than of competences and it played thus in a trio on his small violin - because it could not hold large yet - the first voice of a sonata for trio - me, his professor, playing the second, with the amazement of all those which were held with the platform. He progressed thus naturally until his tenth year and one can even say that he was too gifted when he was allowed with the academy of music of Mannheim.

It is there that he is sensitized with the music of his time in particular of Cannabich and Fränzl.

At the request of his relative, in 1773, he undertakes studies of rights and philosophy at the university of Mainz, but of it is if not very satisfied that he writes a lampoon satyric and continues his university cycle with Erfurt (1774). In parallel, it continues its musical studies under the control of Johann Christian Kittel, a pupil of J. - S. Bach and of Georg Peter Weimar (Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach raises). Kraus brings back itself: It is only there that I learned what was art to compose. These voyages enable him to become acquainted with other type-setters, such Agricola, Graun, Neffe or Poker which all exerted in Erfurt and during a displacement in Hamburg, Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach. The Swedish diplomat Fredrik Silfverstolpe, the first biographer of Kraus, reports the remarks which CPE Bach made:

Kraus promises to become one of largest of our musical world. I prefer it in Mozart with many regards.

In 1775, nineteen years old, Kraus composes its Requiem , one of its first works and two oratorios, Der Tod Jesu and Die Geburt Jesu both lost…

From 1776 to 1778, it continues its right to Göttingen, the most important Faculty of Law of Germany, and adheres to the Göttinger Hainbund , a literary association of students, which had as a model and founder the poet Klopstock. The young man is not long in packing for the ideas of this movement.

It is of this time that it leaves some writings: a collection of nineteen poems, disappeared today, Versuch von Schäfergedichten (" Test of poems bucoliques"), a tragedy in 3 acts, Tolon published in Frankfurt in 1776, as well as a test Etwas von und über Musik fürs Jahr 1777 (" Some observations on the music for the year 1777"). Kraus there vigorously criticizes the conformism and the skimped doctrines of its contemporaries to the opera and evokes his admiration for the musicians such Holzbauer (1711-1783), Grétry and more particularly Gluck; especially it expresses its adhesion with the spirit of the movement Sturm und Drang , whose this text is one of the rare references:

The music can certainly describe not only a given emotion, but also the passage of the one with the other. (...) The contrasted musical aspects of this current are from now on rather well defined: prevalence of the minor mode, frequent change of tonalities and set of themes, modulations uncommon in let us tons distant, sudden and violent modifications of dynamics, and, over all, constant dramatization of the musical speech.

One knows thanks to his correspondence that Kraus composes of the quartets and the symphonies by six, like some concerting works, all disappeared. Its period of Göttingen was determining for its formation and from its clean consents he learned from other things that it for which he had come there…

Stockholm

In June 1778, Kraus gives up its legal career and gains the Sweden, accompanied by Carl Strinsberg a Swedish student in theology and member, like him, of the Göttinger Hainbund . Twenty-two years old, without precise goal, with the prospect to find an use of musician in the context favorable of the cultural reforms undertaken by the sovereign, eager to make Stockholm a recognized cultural capital of all Europe. But it has evil has to be made accept by the Swedish company and spends two years in misery, helped by its family.

Its opera Azire , on a booklet of his/her friend Carl Strinsberg is refused by the Royal Académie of Music (there remains only of the fragments of the final ballet). Kraus entrusts to its family that the music is extremely estimated but the poet has enemies. However, the nomination of a new director to the opera, Leijonhufvud, offers a new chance to him, this last takes it under its protection and the fact of electing with the Académie in November 1780.

Gustave III of Sweden, impassioned arts and particularly of opera, orders with the young type-setter Proserpine , whose sovereign wrote the booklet and which in worms the poet Johan Kellgren puts (1751-1795). The work, submitted to the court in June 1781, was so well accommodated that Kraus is named assistant Kapellmästere with the vault of the royal Court (June 1781).

Lastly, my work was represented in front of the king in his palate of pleasure of Ulriksdal. To this occasion, I directed myself the orchestra. There the Court seemed to take pleasure, and the way in which the king expressed me his satisfaction exceeded all my hopes. The hardly finished music, the king spoke to me during more than one fifteen minutes, complimenting me initially very politely, asking me questions about all and nothing, while it detailed me head with the feet. For my part, according to my good old practice, I taken freedom to look at the right monarch in the eyes, and this, as I intended it to say later, was what rained to him more. Since poetry is not finished yet, the opera could not admittedly be given before the autumn: but then, I must be able to hope for a beautiful present.

The opera will not have an other representation before our days. However, the sovereign places order of a Énée to carthage to Kraus and Gustav Vasa to Johann Gottlieb Naumann. Énée was to be gone up for the inauguration of the new opera of Stockholm, but the escape of the actress holding the role of Didon prevented the project. It was Cora and Alonzo of Naumann which was produced in the place (September 30th, 1782).

Kraus paufina during ten years its Énée , monumental work in five acts.

Travel Européen

In October 1782, just after the inauguration of the very new opera of Stockholm, the King sends Kraus through Europe, all expenses paid, in order to assimilate the last musical tendencies and the organization of the opera. He crosses Germany by Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig, Munich to reach Vienna. With this occasion it meets the emblematic figures of the time, the organist Albrechtsberger, Gluck, which it admires and in front of which it plays by heart! long extracts of its opera, and Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) which it went to see with Esterhazà - dedicatee and creator of splendid the Symphonie in minor C (VB 148) - fact a reception favorable to Kraus and regards it as a genius. In spite of his stay in Vienna of several months, one has no document on a hypothetical meeting in Vienna with Mozart.

In 1783, it continues its tour in direction of Italy: Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples then Bologna, where it meets the Padre Martini, undoubtedly the most famous Master and Italian theorist of the time - whose Mozart was pupil thirteen years earlier.

From June 1784 to 1786, it settles with Paris. Its symphonies in minor D and semi minor are played Concert of sacred music . First is published in 1786 under the name of Haydn and the other, in 1787, under the name of Giuseppe Cambini (1746-1825), type-setter in vogue. This practice was current in certain not very scrupulous editors, in order to better sell works of type-setters little known. Kraus spends also some time to London for the festivals birthdays of the birth of Haendel (1785).

Not receiving more money of Sweden, it decides to return.

Last years

Towards Christmas 1786, after four years of voyage, it is of return in Sweden. Kraus discovers there that it at évincé summer of its station by the abbot Georg Joseph Vogler (1749-1814). It will take two years to regain the confidence of its guard. He is initially named director of the Royal Académie of Music , then the following year he cumulates this station with that of Hovkapellmästere (First Choirmaster, i.e. Royal leader) succeeding Francesco Antonio Uttini.

For this period, it belongs to the circle of intellectuals gathered around the architect Érik Palmstedt (1741-1803) where all the cultural affairs struggle, literary and musical of Stockholm.

Until its death, it is very active there as a type-setter, leader, organist and a professor with the Académie :

Put aside the dinner and the supper, when I then to conceal some time with this goal, my day am that of a convict to the forced labors: sung sounds, piaillés, beaten measurement and rebattue, folderols of organ of the morning at the evening and the evening in the morning, without respite, so much so that my sweat is empestée by all these notes.

Its symphony " Per the chiesa" (VB 138) is created at the time of the opening ceremony of the session on March 9th, 1789 of the Riksdag ( Reichtag , or Swedish House of Commons) with St Nicolaï. The Sinfonia is preceded by a Walk of Mozart extracted from Idoménée from Mozart.

In January 1792, Kraus composes the opening, a walk and interludes for the Olympie of Voltaire, played Royal Theater in a translation of Kellgren.

In March 1792 King Gustave III of Sweden dies of the continuations of an attack to the gun. Kraus, which saw the scene, is deeply touched by it. It composes and directs a funeral Symphonie (VB 148), as well as a funeral Cantate , at the time of the ceremony of burial of the sovereign. Witnesses report that taken by the emotion, the type-setter disappears on the estrade.

Kraus, in full possession of its artistic means, with old of thirty-six years, is carried by tuberculosis on December 15th, 1792 - eight month after the disappearance of its guard. It rests in the peninsula of Tivoli, close to Stockholm, in Bergshama, in the Haga park. On the tomb stone one can read: Here the terrestrial body of Kraus rests, through its music saw what is celestial.

Its grand opera, Aeneas I Cartago , ordered after Proserpine , always on a booklet of Kellgren and in building site during ten years, is given only in 1799 by Hæffner, in a mutilated form.

Catalog works

The catalog was drawn up by the American musicologist Bertil van Boer in 1998, large specialist and editor of Kraus (at Artaria). It deducts 208 of them, of which alas, good number of lost works and about fifteen additional numbers, known as in German Anhang .

Another catalog establishes by Karl Schreiber, is preceded by letter A.

Selective discography

Parts for piano

Works for piano - Ronald Brautigam ((a) 1319)
Sonatas into semi major & major E flat VB 195 & 196, Swedish Dance VB 192, Larghetto VB 194 - Alexandra Oehler (2001, Ars Musici AM 13.262-2)

String quartets

String quartets VB 176,177,178 & 180 n° 2,4,5 & 6 (1784) - Quartet Lysell (1994, Musica Sveciae MSCD 414)
String quartets opus 1 n° 1,5 & 6, Quartet in minor C & semi major vol. II - Quartet Joseph Martin Kraus (2006, Cavalli-Records CCC 225

Symphonies

Four Symphonies , in minor C, major E flat, major C & major D - Concerto Köln, Dir. Werner Ehrhardt (1991, Capriccio MINOR ROAD 10.396)

This recording combines the advantages of a recognized artistic quality, a technical good quality and one generous duration. However, the present suggestion reflects only the opinion of a wikipedist and could not be regarded as an indisputable reference, as well with regard to the choice of work as that of its interpretation.

Four Symphonies , in major D sinfonia da chiesa VB 138, in C minor sharp CV 140, major C VB 146 & minor C Symphony fenèbre VB 148 vol. 2 - Concerto Köln, Dir. Werner Ehrhardt (1992, Capriccio MINOR ROAD 10.430)

Naxos publishes four recordings forming the integral of the 14 symphonies (out of 15 preserved). In particular the first volume, in which one can discover surprising it opening Olympie , extraordinarily mozartienne.

3 Symphonies VB 139,142 & 144, Opening Olympie VB 29 (vol. 1) - Swedish Chamber Orchestrated, Dir. Petter Sundkwist (1996, Naxos 8.553734)
4 Symphonies VB 128,129 ( buffa ), 130 & 138 ( violin obligato ) (vol. 2) - Swedish Chamber Orchestrated, Dir. Petter Sundkwist (1998, Naxos 8.554472)
4 Symphonies VB 140,141,147 & 148 ( funeral ) (vol. 3) - Swedish Chamber Orchestrated, Dir. Petter Sundkwist (1999, Naxos 8.554777)

Vocal works

funerary Cantata VB 42 & funeral Symphony VB 148 - Chorus of room of the University of Uppsala, Drottningholm Baroque Together, Dir. Stefan Parkman (1987, Musica Sveciae MSCD 416E)

Opera

Proserpine VB 19 (1781) Opera in an act and XXI scenes, on a booklet of J.H. Kelgren - Anna Eklund-Tarentino, soprano (Proserpin), Hillevi Martinpelto, soprano (Ceres), Suzanne Rydén, soprano (Cyane), Stephen Smith, tenor (Atis), Lars Arvidson, baritone (Pluto), Peter Mattei, baritone (Jupiter)/Stockholms Kammerorkester/Kör, Dir. Mark Tatlow (1994, Musica Sveciae MSCD 422-423)

Random links: