Jensen, Adolf
Jensen, Adolf
Jensen, Adolf, German composer, brother of Gustav Jensen; b. Königsberg, Jan. 12, 1837; d. Baden-Baden, Jan. 23, 1879. He began his studies with E. Sobolewski, the Königsberg Kapellmeister. He publ. a vol. of songs as his op.l (1849; withdrawn and publ. as 6 songs, op.l, in 1859), and also continued his studies with Ehlert, Köhler, and F. Marpurg (1849–52). He went to Brest Litovsk as a music tutor (1856), then was a theater conductor in Posen, Bromberg, and Copenhagen (1857–58). He returned to Königsberg as asst. director of the Academy (1861), and subsequently taught at Tausig’s school in Berlin (1866–68). He ultimately settled in Baden-Baden, where he died of consumption. A great admirer of Schumann, he closely imitated him in his songs, of which about 160 were publ. He also wrote an opera, Die Erbin von Montfort (1864-65; rev. by Kienzl, to a new libretto by Jensen’s daughter, as Turandot). P. Kuczynski ed. his letters (Berlin, 1879).
Bibliography
A. Niggli, A. J. (Zürich, 1895); idem, A. J. (Berlin, 1900); G. Schweizer, Das Liedschaffen A. J.s (diss., Univ. of Giessen, 1932; publ. in Frankfurt am Main, 1933).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire