Clemens von und zu Franckenstein

Clemens Erwein Heinrich Karl Bonaventura Freiherr von und zu Franckenstein (14 July 1875  – 19 August 1942) was a German opera composer, studying in Vienna, Austria, and later in Munich, Germany, with Ludwig Thuille and at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt with Iwan Knorr. After a visit to the USA he conducted the Moody-Manners Opera Company in England from 1902-1907, then worked at the court theatres of Wiesbaden and Berlin, becoming general director of the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich (1912-1918 and 1924-1934), until the court theaters were abolished after the First World War. He produced the Munich Opera Festival through 1934 when he was forced out by Nazi prohibitions.^[1]

Franckenstein was born in Wiesentheid, Germany to Karl Freiherr von und zu Franckenstein (1831-1898) and Elma Gräfin von Schönborn-Wiesentheid (1841-1884). His brother was Austrian Ambassador to England, Georg von und zu Franckenstein (1878-1953). Georg's son, actor Clement von Franckenstein (b. 1944), is his nephew.^[2]

Franckenstein died in Hechendorf am Pilsensee, Oberbayern, Germany at age 67.

Stage Works

• Griseldis. Oper in 3 Akten (Libretto: Oskar Mayer)
• Fortunatus. Oper in 3 Akten (Libretto : Jakob Wassermann)
• Rahab. Oper in 1 Akt (Libretto: Oskar Mayer)
• Die Biene. Pantomime (Libretto: Hugo von Hofmannsthal)
• Li-Tai-Pe, der Kaisers Dichter. Oper in 3 Akten, Op. 43 (1920) (Libretto: Rudolf Lothar)

Orchestral Works

• Rhapsodie für Orchester op. 47.
• Variations on a theme by Meyerbeer
• Dance suite
• Serenade
• Praeludium
• Symphonic suite
• Das alte Lied
• Four dances
• Festival Prelude

References

Further reading

• McCredie, Andrew D., Clemens von Franckenstein (1875-1942). A German Associate of the English Frankfort Group. The Ochesterlied and his settings from Hans Bethge's "Die chinesische Flöte", in Miscellanea Musicologica [Adelaide Studies in Musicology, Vol. 13], 1988.
• McCredie, Andrew D., Clemens von Franckenstein, Tutzing: Schneider, 1992 (in German) [Series: Komponisten in Bayern, Vol. 26], ISSN 0937583X.
• McCredie, Andrew D., The comparative case histories of Karl Amadeus Hartmann, Clemens von Frankenstein and Paul von Klenau as variant examples of Innere Emigration: Problems and issues for German music historiography of the period 1918-1945. in: Glazba, ideje i drustvo: Svecani zbornik za Ivana Supicica/Music, ideas, and society: Essays in honour of Ivan Supicic, Zagreb, Croatia: Hrvatsko Muzikolosko Drustvo 1993, pp. 215-235 (in English).
• Landfester, Ulrike, Briefwechsel mit Clemens von Franckenstein [The correspondence with Clemens von Franckenstein: 1894-1928.], Freiburg im Breisgau: Rombach 1998, ISBN 3793091821.