Stockhausen

Stockhausen, family of prominent German musicians:

(1) Franz (Anton Adam) Stockhausen, harpist, teacher, and composer; b. Cologne, Sept. 1, 1789; d. Colmar, Sept. 10, 1868. He went to Paris about 1812, and from 1825 he toured Europe in concerts with his wife, the soprano Margarethe (née Schmuck) Stockhausen (b. Gebweiler, March 29, 1803; d. Colmar, Oct. 6, 1877), who had been a pupil of Gioseffo Catrufo at the Paris Cons. In 1840 they settled in Alsace. He composed harp pieces, some vocal music, and various arrangements for his instrument. They had 2 sons who became musicians:

(2) Julius (Christian) Stockhausen, esteemed baritone, conductor, and pedagogue; b. Paris, July 22, 1826; d. Frankfurt am Main, Sept. 22, 1906. He began his music training at an early age with his parents; studied piano with Karl Kienzl and also received instruction in organ, violin, and cello. In 1843 he went to Paris to study with Cramer, then continued his training at the Cons. (from 1845), and also received private lessons in harmony from Matthäus Nagillers and in singing from Manuel Garcia. In 1848 he sang in Elijah in Basel, and in the next year sang before Queen Victoria in London; then toured widely in Europe as a concert singer. He was second baritone at the Mannheim Court Theater (1852–53), then a member of the Paris Opéra-Comique (1856–59). In 1863 he became conductor of the Hamburg Phil. Soc. and Singakademie, which positions he held until 1867; then was conductor of the Berlin Sternscher Gesangverein (1874–78). Settling in Frankfurt am Main, he taught voice at the Hoch Cons. (1878–80; 1883–84); also taught at his own school (from 1880). He publ. Gesangs-methode (2 vols., 1886–87; also in Eng.). He was a distinguished interpreter of the lieder of Schubert and Brahms; the latter was a close friend.

Biblography

J. Wirth-Stockhausen, J. S.: Der Sänger des deutschen Liedes (Frankfurt am Main, 1927).

(3) Franz Stockhausen, pianist, conductor, and teacher; b. Gebweiler, Jan. 30, 1839; d. Strasbourg, Jan. 4, 1926. He began his music studies with his parents, and after piano lessons from Alkan in Paris, he pursued training with Moscheies, Richter, Hauptmann, and Davidov at the Leipzig Cons. (1860–62). He was music director in Thann, Alsace (1863–66), then went to Strasbourg, where he was conductor of the Société de Chant Sacré (1868–79), music director at the Cathedral (from 1868), and director of the Cons. and city concerts (1871–1908).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire