Introduction

Today, Wilhelm Taubert's name is barely known in Japan, primarily through a children's song called "Taubert's Lullaby." This "Lullaby," the fifth piece in his Lieder Op. 27, published in the mid-1830s, was introduced in Japan during the Taisho era as a popular song with Japanese lyrics and has since been cherished and sung in choruses and ensembles. However, very few people know about Taubert himself.

Early Life and Education

Wilhelm Taubert was born in Berlin on March 23, 1811. His father held an administrative position in the military but had previously belonged to a regimental band, and it is said that Wilhelm became familiar with music from an early age by playing his father's flute. He began piano lessons at the age of eight, with his first teacher being the composer August Neithardt (1793–1861), who later became the choirmaster of Berlin Cathedral. Even after starting piano, he did not neglect his flute and violin practice. At the age of twelve, Taubert sought instruction from Ludwig Berger (1777–1839), a renowned composer and pianist in Berlin. Berger had retired from performing due to nerve dysfunction in his arm, but he was an excellent teacher who imparted the profound techniques of piano performance, refined through his interactions with master pianists M. Clementi (1752–1832) and J. Field (1782–1837), to F. Mendelssohn (1809–1847) and A. Henselt (1814–1889).

Taubert's skills, faithfully adhering to Berger's teachings, steadily improved, and by the age of fourteen, he was performing in public concerts. In parallel with his musical training, he studied literature at the Gymnasium and pursued further studies at university. Around the same time, to hone his compositional abilities, he studied under Bernhard Klein (1793–1832), known as the "German Palestrina," receiving extremely rigorous instruction in musical notation and composition.

Rise as a Performer and Teacher

Taubert soon began frequenting the salon of Karl Möser (1774–1851), a renowned violinist who was concertmaster (and from 1825, music director) of the Berlin Court Orchestra. Möser was a virtuoso who had received praise from Haydn and Beethoven themselves for his performances of their works during his stay in Vienna, and he was particularly known as a guardian of Beethoven's works. In this salon, Taubert performed concertos and trios by Beethoven and Mozart, captivating attendees and becoming recognized as an outstanding musician. In 1828, he traveled to Pomerania and Frankfurt, achieving success, and his reputation gradually grew. His activities as a pianist attracted many talented pupils. Among them, Theodor Kullak (1818–1882) and Alexandre Fesca (1820–1849) later became renowned virtuosos and published numerous works.

Beginning of Compositional Career

He began his career as a composer in 1830. That year, Taubert began publishing songs and piano pieces one after another, starting with his Grand Duo Op. 1 for violin and piano. In his early piano works, such as Masquerade Op. 14-2 and Piano Sonata Op. 20, the classical style of the Beethoven era is followed, but an excellent sense of form controlling the musical structure and a distinctive symphonic writing are already evident. He soon expanded his creative scope to large-scale works. In 1831, his Symphony No. 1 Op. 31 was performed at a regular concert arranged by Möser, and the following year, he also achieved success with an opera, quickly gaining attention as a rising composer.

Continued Success and Travels

He continued his creative work without pause, premiering his Piano Concerto Op. 18 in Leipzig in 1833, followed by the performance of incidental music for a play in Dresden, where he subsequently traveled. Riding this wave of success, Taubert achieved success with Der Wanderer at a concert of the Berlin Court Orchestra the following year. Around this time, he began to conduct himself, and his skill in precisely controlling the orchestra received unstinting praise from Mendelssohn. In the mid-1830s, Taubert married the sister of a renowned singer, traveled to England, Scotland, the Netherlands, and the Rhine region, and his impressions from these journeys culminated in Scottish Reminiscences – Eight Fantasies Op. 30 and Piano Trio Op. 32. During this period, the fervent trend of piano music sweeping the piano world led Taubert's interest towards new styles of piano music. 12 Concert Etudes Op. 40 (1838) and The Bell – Concert Etude Op. 41 (1839), dedicated to Clara Wieck (later Schumann), are works reflecting the "etude craze" of the late 1830s, with the latter becoming a widely popular hit.

Court Appointments and Later Career

In 1840, Friedrich Wilhelm IV, who ascended to the throne as the new King of Prussia, needed leading musicians to strengthen Berlin's cultural appeal. The choice fell upon Mendelssohn, who had by then gained international renown, but he already held the position of conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig, his base of activity, and had many other priority plans, such as the founding of the Leipzig Conservatory. After Mendelssohn undertook the role of General Music Director for Prussia for a certain period, the King, respecting his wishes, began to heavily rely on Taubert as a musician who could work in Berlin for an extended period and contribute to the flourishing of the local music culture. Under the direction of J. Meyerbeer (1791–1864), who had been appointed General Music Director for Prussia, Taubert became conductor of the Royal Theater in Berlin in 1842, where he successfully staged his own opera The Marquis and the Thief. Furthermore, in the same year, Taubert also became conductor of the Court Orchestra (and from 1869, principal Kapellmeister), dedicating himself to conducting and composing for approximately 40 years until 1883. For several years after Meyerbeer left Berlin around 1845, Taubert temporarily held the position of General Music Director for Prussia as well.

Becoming a central figure in Berlin's music scene, he led a busy musical life, being commissioned to compose cantatas for official ceremonies such as royal celebrations and the centenary of the opera house. However, a significant advantage of his position as conductor of the Court Orchestra was the ease with which he could secure performance opportunities for his own works. In 1846, his Symphony No. 2 in F major (dedicated to the Prussian Princess), performed by the Court Orchestra, brought him a resounding success. This work was also performed by the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig under the composer's baton. In the 1850s, Symphony No. 3 Op. 80 (1852) and Symphony No. 4 Op. 113, performed on the occasion of the Royal Orchestra's centenary, were staged.

Prolific Output and Legacy

He continued to write operas, including Macbeth Op. 133 (premiered 1857) based on Shakespeare's play, and Cesario Op. 188 (premiered 1874) based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, as well as incidental music for the play The Tempest performed in Munich, four string quartets, and a great many song collections and piano pieces. Currently, his works are confirmed up to opus number 205, with those in the 200s dating from 1886 onwards, when he was already in his later years. Taubert died in Berlin in 1891 at the age of 79. Despite tirelessly working in all genres throughout his life and making significant contributions to Berlin's musical and cultural activities, his name is now rarely spoken. While some of his songs are occasionally performed today, the publication of his piano works is almost entirely defunct.