Carl Goldmark

A short biography
"Carl Goldmark"
Senad Salihovic
7th grade, 2000
born in Keszthely, Hungary on May 18th, 1830
died in Vienna on January 2nd, 1915
 
  • Composer.
  • Father: Ruben Goldmark, notary and organist.
  • Mother: maiden name Marie Krausz.
  • Brothers and sisters: at his time 11 were alive, together with the dead ones there were 20 or 23.
  • 1834: the family moved to Deutschkreutz (Burgenland).
  • his education was traditional Jewish.
  • 1841: first musical education in playing the violin by a chorist in his native place.
  • 1842: first lessons in reading and writing by Friedmann, his expectant brother-in-law; attendance of the music school in Sopron (Hungary).
  • 1844: he continued his studies at the "Wiener Konservatorium" in Vienna.
  • 1846: he broke off his violin studies with Jansa, because he had no money - then he studied autodidactically - first as a violinist, then as a pianist.
  • From 1847 on he also studied at the "Wiener Technikum".
  • After the revolution of 1848 in which he and his brother, Dr.Joseph Goldmark, had been involved, he had his first appearance as a solo violinist in Sopron and Buda (Hungary).
  • 1858: first concert presenting his own compositions in Vienna.
  • 1859: second concert; gradually people drew attention to Goldmark.
  • Then he moved to Pest (Hungary).
  • 1860: he settled down in Vienna, soon there was the only meeting with Richard Wagner.
  • 1862: he visited Deutschkreutz.
  • He also lived in Gmunden; from 1867 on he went hiking there.
  • 1875: the first performance of his opera "The Queen of Saba" at the Viennese Hofoper, which made him famous instantaneously.
  • At the turn of the century, Carl Goldmark was beside Gustav Mahler and Ludwig Bösendorfer a member of the committee for the purchase of a new organ for the "Musikvereinssaal" in Vienna.
  • Later on he was honoured on several occasions and finally he was appointed honorary doctor of the University in Budapest.

HIS WORKS


In his operas, he combined the style of the French opera and the style of Wagner.


Operas:

 


"Die Königin von Saba" (1874)
"Merlin" (1885)
"Das Heimchen am Herd" (1895)
"Die Kriegsgefangene" (1898)
"Götz von Berlichingen" (1901)
"Ein Wintermärchen" (1907)

Ouverture: "Sakuntala" (1865); first great success

Symphonic Poems:


"Penthesilea"
"Im Frühling"
"Der gefesselte Prometheus"
"Sappho"
"In Italien"
"Zrinyi"
"Ländliche Hochzeit" (1876)


Autobiography:
"Erinnerungen aus meinem Leben" (1922)