Hans Bronsart von Schellendorff

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Hans Bronsart von Schellendorff (February 11, 1830–November 3, 1913) was a classical musician and composer who studied under Franz Liszt.

(Some sources write Schellendorf with one F, but the correct German surname of this family is written with double FF). (Source: Adelslexikon)

[edit] Biography

Bronsart von Schellendorff (also called Bronsart - see [1]) was born into a Prussian military family, and educated at Berlin University. He studied piano with Adolph Jullack. He went to Weimar in 1853 where he met Liszt and became familiar with all the musicians in Liszt's circle at the time, including Hector Berlioz and Johannes Brahms. It is a measure of his close relationship with Liszt that it was he who played the solo part in the first Weimar performance of Liszt's second piano concerto, with the composer conducting. When the concerto was published, Liszt dedicated it to Bronsart. After having trained for several years with Liszt, he worked as a conductor in Leipzig and Berlin, and then took the post of general manager of the royal theatre in Hanover from 1867 to 1887. He held a similar post in Weimar from 1887 until his retirement in 1895.

He met his second wife Ingeborg Starck (1840–1913), also a composer, in Weimar. They married in 1861 ([2]).

Bronsart von Schellendorff died in Munich in 1913.

[edit] Compositions

Bronsart von Schellendorff's compositions include

• piano trio in g minor, opus 1
• piano concerto in f-sharp minor, opus 10,
• symphony number 1 In die Alpen for choir and orchestra (lost)
• symphony number 2 Schicksalsgewalten (lost)
• Fruhlings-Fantasie for orchestra
• cantata Christnacht
• opera Der Corsar
• string sextet

as well as solo piano pieces. His piano concerto which was much favoured by Hans von Bülow, who rated the work as the "most significant one of the so-called Weimar school". It was recorded by Michael Ponti.

Both Bronsart and his wife receive many mentions in List's letters. Liszt clearly held their compositions in high regard. In a letter of May 12, 1879, to Walter Bache, he writes "On the 5th June Bulow conducts the first concert there, at which Bronsart's beautiful and valuable "Fruhlings-Fantasie," Billow's music to Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," and my "Faust Symphony" will be performed."

[edit] References

• Walker, Alan. Franz Liszt, the Weimar Years: 1848-1861. Ithaca: Cornell University Press softcover. 1993 revision of a 1989 original pub. ISBN 0-8014-9721-3. (Bronsart is mentioned a number of times, Starck-Bronsart on p.187.)
• Adelslexikon Vol. II, in: Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Vol. 58 of all, C. A. Starke Verlag, Limburg an der Lahn (Germany) 1974, ISSN 0435-2408
• Liszt's letters covering this period with many references to the Bronsarts at Project Gutenberg