Korngold, Erich Wolfgang 1897 - 1957
Author: Nakamura, Nobuko
Last updated：August 1, 2010
Author: Nakamura, Nobuko
Biography
Erich Wolfgang Korngold was a Jewish composer who was active primarily in Vienna, Austria, and Hollywood, USA. He was born in Brünn (now Brno, Czech Republic), then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His father, Julius, was a lawyer who also engaged in music criticism. When Korngold was four years old, the family moved to Vienna at the invitation of the music critic Eduard Hanslick.
From an early age, Korngold displayed exceptional musical talent and was hailed as a "child prodigy" and "the second Mozart." At the recommendation of Gustav Mahler, who exclaimed "He's a genius!" upon hearing the nine-year-old Korngold, he began studying with Alexander Zemlinsky. Subsequently, his name spread throughout Europe as his works were performed at imperial events and premiered by renowned musicians. However, from the 1930s, he became involved in film music, and after fleeing Nazi persecution and emigrating to the United States in 1938, he gradually faded from the European music scene. After World War II, he attempted to return to Europe, but his plans failed due to the label of "film composer" and his then-conservative and "outdated" compositional style. He passed away in Hollywood at the age of 60, in disappointment.
Works
Piano Works
- Piano Solo Works: Three piano sonatas, as well as suites and character pieces.
- Chamber Music with Piano:
- Piano Trio, Op. 1
- Piano Quintet, Op. 15
- Suite, Op. 23 (commissioned by the pianist Paul Wittgenstein, who lost his right arm in World War I)
- Piano Concerto: Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, Op. 17 (also commissioned by Wittgenstein).
Other Representative Works
- Opera: Die tote Stadt (The Dead City), Op. 12, which premiered simultaneously in Cologne and Hamburg when he was just 23 years old.
- Violin Concerto: Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35, which incorporates motifs from his film scores.
- Symphony: Symphony in F-sharp major, Op. 40, completed in his later years with the hope of returning to Europe.
- Film Scores:
- Anthony Adverse (1936)
- The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
(Both won Academy Awards for Best Original Score.)
Musical Style
Korngold's musical characteristics include brilliant orchestration reminiscent of fin-de-siècle art and lush, beautiful melodies. Although atonal music was gaining prominence at the time, he largely avoided composing such music, with few exceptions, due to the immense influence of his father (who strongly disliked avant-garde music and insisted that his son not engage with it). However, Korngold, who was interested in avant-garde music, subtly incorporated its idioms not by dismantling existing tonality, but by expanding it through successive modulations, thereby blurring the boundaries of tonality. This style of his remained largely consistent from his early years as a "child prodigy" through his period composing film music and into his later life.
Works(38)
Concerto (2)
concerto (1)
Klavierkonzert in Cis in einem Satz für die linke Hand Op.17
Composed in: 1923 Playing time: 27 min 50 sec
Works with orchestral accompaniment (1)
Baby Serenade für 14 Blasinstrumente, Banjo, Klavier, Harfe, Schlagzeug und Streichorchester Op. 24
Composed in: 1928 Playing time: 20 min 50 sec
Piano Solo (10)
sonata (3)
pieces (4)
"Don Quixote" Sechs Charakterstücke für Klavier zu zwei Händen
Composed in: 1909 Playing time: 13 min 00 sec
waltz (8)
character pieces (3)
Vocal works (2)
Various works (6)
Chamber Music (4)
sonata (1)
suite (1)
Suite für zwei Violinen, Cello und Klavier für die linke Hand Op.23
Composed in: 1930 Playing time: 36 min 40 sec
Chamber music (2)
Trio für Klavier, Violine und Violoncello Op.1
Key: D-Dur Composed in: 1909 Playing time: 32 min 00 sec