Heinrich August Marschner (16 August 1795 – 14 December 1861) was a German composer famous for writing operas. He is regarded as the most important German opera composer between Weber and Wagner.

Biography

Marschner was born in Zittau, a city in southeastern Saxony. He was first meant to become a lawyer. After meeting Beethoven around 1815–16, he chose to focus on music and became a private music teacher in Bratislava. From 1821, he worked as a stage composer and conductor at the municipal theatres in Dresden (starting in 1821), Leipzig (starting in 1827), and the Court Theatre in Hanover (starting in 1830). His opera Hans Heiling (1833) helped him become one of the most respected German opera composers of his time. He died in Hanover.

Legacy

Marschner was highly respected as one of the most important composers in Europe from about 1830 until the end of the 19th century. He was a competitor of Weber and a friend of Beethoven and Mendelssohn. His operas often included themes inspired by folk songs, and this style began with Weber's opera Der Freischütz (1821). His final opera, Austin, was first performed in 1852. It was not well received, and later, the more famous Wagner became more prominent than Marschner.

Robert Schumann highly praised Marschner's piano trios. Marschner did not write these works quickly or carelessly; instead, he spent a lot of time and effort on them. He titled each of his piano, violin, and cello works "Grand Trio," showing how important he believed they were. These pieces express the emotions common in the Romantic movement during the mid-19th century.

Marschner is most remembered today for his operas Hans Heiling (1833), Der Vampyr (1828), and Der Templer und die Jüdin (1829), which were extremely popular during his lifetime. His ability to use music to create a sense of supernatural horror is especially clear in the first two operas and in some of his ballads, such as "Die Monduhr" (around 1839).

Besides his operas, Marschner made significant contributions to the Lied (a type of art song). His best works in this form are comparable to those by Carl Loewe. He also wrote many chamber music pieces, including seven piano trios, and unaccompanied male chorus music that was popular in the 19th century. While Marschner's operas strongly influenced Wagner, his chamber music, songs, and his cantata Klänge aus Osten (1842) were admired by Schumann. Schumann's own cantata Paradise and the Peri (1843) shows the influence of Marschner. Marschner's Bagatelles for guitar (1814) have recently been performed by some guitarists, and some of his chamber music is occasionally played today. Among his operas, Hans Heiling and especially Der Vampyr have been adapted and revived in recent years with much success.

Selected works

• Prinz Friedrich von Homburg, Op. 56 (1821) based on a play by Kleist
• Schön Ella, Op. 27 (1822–3) based on a play by Johann Friedrich Kind
• Der Goldschmied von Ulm (1856) based on a play by Salomon Hermann Mosenthal
• Die Hermannsschlacht based on a play by Kleist

• Piano Trio No. 1 in A minor, Op. 29
• Piano Trio No. 2 in G minor, Op. 111
• Piano Trio No. 3 in F minor, Op. 121
• Piano Trio No. 4 in D major, Op. 135
• Piano Trio No. 5 in D minor, Op. 138
• Piano Trio No. 6 in C minor, Op. 148
• Piano Trio No. 7 in F major, Op. 167
• Piano Quartet No. 1 in B-flat major, Op. 36
• Piano Quartet No. 2 in G major, Op. 158

• Twelve Bagatelles for Guitar, Op. 4