Historical Perspectives: Leopold Jansa

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Leopold Jansa, estimable composer and violin virtuoso, born 1797 in Wildenschwert, Bohemia. The son of a local garment maker, Jansa took singing lessons and learned to play the violin, clavier and organ. Jansa began to perform in public while reading law at the University of Vienna. Encouraged by his successes, he decided to pursue a musical career. The court organist Worzischek introduced him to Emanuel Förster, who instructed him in composition and basso continuo. Jansa soon made his name as a violin virtuoso next to the luminaries of Vienna’s music scene such as Mayseder and Böhm. In 1823, he was appointed to the court of the Count of Brunswick. A year later, he was given the position of Kammervirtuose at the Austrian Emperor’s court. In 1834, he became musical director and violin professor at the University. After the death of Schuppanzigh, Jansa took over his popular musical salons at which string quartets were performed. Among Jansa’s musical partners were Heissler, Durst and Schlesinger. The chamber music salons were held in high regard in the midst of Vienna’s rather frivolous music scene and played an important role in educating the public.

In 1849, Jansa traveled with a delegation of musical experts to London. There, he agreed to play at a benefit concert for the victims of the Hungarian Revolution. This act of humanitarianism drew the ire of the Austrian government however and he was barred from returning home. Jansa was thus forced to stay in London and pick up a career as a performer and teacher. He was finally pardoned in 1867 and returned to Vienna the following year. After a short sojourn to Salzburg, he returned to Vienna and performed again in public. Jansa died in 1875. His works include String Quartets, String Trios and Duos, Violin Concertos, choral music, Fantasias, Rondos, solo pieces as well as various musical exercises. All of his works are fashioned with great style and are still popular with teachers and students alike.

—Source: Musikalisches Conversations-Lexikon: An Encyclopedia of All Musical Sciences for the Educated of All Classes, edited and published by Hermann Mendel, Berlin 1875 (transl.)

Historical Perspectives: Ernst Toch

admin — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 17:59:25 +0000

Toch, Ernst, österreichischer Komponist, geboren am 7. Dezember 1887 zu Wien, studierte Medizin und Philosophie und bildete sich in der Musik durchaus autodidaktisch, errang aber 1909 das Mozart-Stipendium; 1910 das Mendelssohn-Stipendium und viermal nacheinander den österreichischen Staatspreis für Komposition. Seit 1909 lebte Toch in Frankfurt am Main und bildete sich unter Willi Rehberg zum Pianisten. 1913 ging er nach Mannheim als Lehrer an die von Karl Zuschneid geleitete Hochschule für Musik, an die er nach dem Kriege zurückkehrte, aber sie bald wieder verließ. Er lebt seitdem als privater Lehrer der Komposition in Mannheim. 1921 promovierte er zum Dr. philosophicus mit Beiträgen zur Stilkunde der Melodie (mit dem Titel Melodielehre, Berlin 1923, Hesse). Als Komponist ist er einer der beweglichsten und erfindungsreichsten Begabungen der “Neuen Musik”, voll musikantischer Frische und Temperament, ohne negativ parodistische Ader und ist aus einer anfänglichen Stimmungs- und Geschmackskunst zu immer freierer und sicherer Ausdrucksmusik gelangt.

—Source: Das Neue Musiklexikon, from Dictionary of Modern Music and Musicians, published by A. Eaglefield-Hull, translated and edited by Alfred Einstein, ed. Max Hesse, Berlin 1926 (transl.)

Audio excerpt — Ernst Toch

Divertimento for Violin & Violoncello Op. 37 No.1: Flott

Jansa Duo» Vienna

Historical Perspectives: Leopold Jansa

Historical Perspectives: Ernst Toch