Von Bulow
NAME: von Bulow, Baron Hans Guido
ACHIEVEMENT(S): Major German orchestral conductor
NICKNAME/ALIAS: None
DATE/PLACE OF BIRTH: January 8, 1830, Dresden, Germany
DATE AND PLACE OF DEATH/AGE AT DEATH: February 12, 1894, Cairo, Egypt. Aged 64
DISCIPLINE; Pianist and conductor
FIELD: Music
LANGUAGE: German
PARENTS: (father) ? von Bulow; (mother) Franziska
SIBLINGS: ?
SPOUSE: Cosima Liszt
CHILDREN: Two daughters: Daniela and Blandine
EDUCATION: Studied piano under Friedrich Wieck, then law at the University
of Leipzig; then piano under Franz Liszt.
MAJOR WORKS: His piano works are technically demanding, and reflect the
manner of Liszt in their bravura and some of the thematic handling. He
also composed music for Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" op. 10, a Ballad for
orchestra " Des Sangers Fluch" op. 16, the symphonic poem " Nirwana" op.
20 and "Vier Charakterstucke" for orchestra op. 23, and made editions of
keyboard works by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Cramer, Domenico Scarlatti,
Weber, and others.
LIFE AND TIMES:
In 1839 von Bulow began studying with Friedrich Wieck, father of <knew> Clara Schumann*, in Leipzig. He met <father-in-law was> Liszt* at Weimar in 1849. The same year, von Bulow joined Berlin University, where, writing in a democratic political journal, "Die Abendpost", he became a champion of the new German national musical movement. After the premiere of "Lohengrin", conducted by Liszt at Weimar in 1850, von Bulow decided he much preferred a career in music to a career in law.
Von Bulow left went to Zurich to seek out <a pal of> Wagner* for guidance. Impressed
by his talents, Wagner became von Bulow's first musical sponsor. He encouraged him to defy his parents and abandon his legal studies to become a musician. He helped him further by arranging for some conducting experience in Zurich, then an engagement as conductor in St. Gall in 1850-51.
In 1851, von Bulow went to study piano with Liszt in Weimar, and made his first concert tour in 1853 ,at age 23, visiting Vienna, Pest, Dresden, Karlsruhe, Bremen, Hamburg and Berlin.
In 1855, he accepted the post of principal piano teacher at the Stern and Marx Conservatories in Berlin, where he stayed in for nine years. His own repertoire as a pianist included every major work of his day. He also wrote political and musical articles, and resumed touring both as a pianist and conductor, winning praise throughout Germany and Russia.
Von Bulow married Liszt's daughter (<wife was> Cosima von Bulow*) in 1857. They had met in 1855, when he was 25 and she was 17. She had been sent by Liszt to live with von
Bulow's mother, Franziska, in Berlin. Ironically, right after the wedding, Hans took his 19-year-old bride to visit Richard Wagner in Zurich. Twelve years later, Cosima would leave von Bulow for Wagner.
During his tenure at Stern Conservatory, von Bulow still went on concert tours, championing Wagner's music and that of the new German school. He became famous and much sought-after, both as pianist and conductor. Dannreuther called his playing "passionate intellectuality". But others, including Clara Schumann (whose playing he despised), found him too "calculated."
As a conductor, von Bulow was sharp-tongued and dictatorial, carrying to the rostrum the irascibility that marked his private life. He insisted the orchestra played standing up. But the brilliance and clarity of his mind commanded loyalty and respect.
He caused astonishment by directing Brahms's "First Piano Concerto" from the keyboard. He also introduced five-string basses, the Ritter alto viola, and pedal
timpani into the orchestra.
In 1864, at the invitation of <worked for> Ludwig II* von Bulow went to Munich as conductor of the Court Opera, and became director of the Munich Conservatory in 1867. At the Court Opera, he conducted the brilliant premieres of "Tristan und Isolde" (1865) and " Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg" (1868).
Cosima left him for Wagner in 1869. Soon after the divorce, von Bulow left Munich and lived for some years in Florence. But though he was shocked at his wife and Wagner's betrayal, he continued to promote Wagner's music. Von Bulow toured again from 1872, making his first English appearance on in 1873. He visited the USA in 1875-76 and during this tour, comprising 139 concerts, he gave the premiere of <premiered> Tchaikovsky's* "First Piano Concerto" in Boston in October, 1875. He was one of the first western European musicians to recognize Tchaikovsky's talent, and wrote to encourage him (the Concerto was dedicated to von Bulow).
In 1878 von Bulow was appointed as conductor at the Hoftheater at Hanover, but left in 1880 over a quarrel with the leading tenor. As music director to the Duke of Meiningen (1880-85), he transformed the orchestra into one of the most famous in Germany, persuading them to play from memory and championing Brahms in his programmes.
On leaving Meiningen in 1885, he conducted concerts in Berlin, St Petersburg and elsewhere, also teaching at the Raff Conservatory in Frankfurt am Main and at Klindworth's Conservatory in Berlin. He appeared in Glasgow in 1878, and again in London in 1888, by which time he had settled in Hamburg.
In 1893, he went to Cairo in search of a cure for his failing health, but died there on February 12,1894.
ASSESSMENT: Bulow's interpretations were noted for their integrity and emotional power. He was one of the first conductors to conduct from memory.
EXTRA CONNECTIONS: Was a lifelong friend of composer <a pal of> Brahms*.
Composer <known to> Gustav Mahler* knew his work.
Commissioned work from composer <commissioned> Strauss*
Hear a performance by <heard performance by> Dvorak*
Mother-in-law was Countess Marie d’ <mother-in-law was> Agoult*
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
EB
Warrack, John, "Bulow, Hans" in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie, London: Macmillan, 1960