Ambros, August Wilhelm

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Ambros, August Wilhelm

Ambros, August Wilhelm, eminent Austrian music historian, nephew of Raphael Georg Kiesewet-ter; b. Mauth, near Prague, Nov. 17, 1816; d. Vienna, June 28, 1876. He studied music before pursuing training in the law at the Univ. of Prague (Jur.D., 1839). He then entered the Austrian civil service and, in 1850, he became public prosecutor in Prague. In 1869 he became prof. of music at the Univ. of Prague, and also gave lectures at the Prague Cons. In 1872 he went to Vienna to serve in the Ministry of Justice, and also taught at the Vienna Cons. His most important work was the monumental Geschichte der Musik, which was left unfinished at his death but completed by others. He also wrote an opera, Bfetislav a Jitka, 2 syms., overtures, keyboard pieces, sacred music, and numerous songs.

Writings

Die Grenzen der Musik und Poesi: Eine Studie zur Aesthetik der Tonkunst (Prague, 1856; Eng. tr., 1893); Culturhistorische Bilder aus dem Musikleben der Gegenwart (Leipzig, 1860; 2nd ed., 1865); Geschichte der Musik (vols. I-III, Breslau, 1862-68; vol. IV ed. by E. Schelle, Breslau, 1878; vol. V ed. by O. Kade, Leipzig, 1882); Bunte Blatter: Skizzen und Studienfür Freunde der Musik der bilden Kunst (Leipzig, 1872).

Bibliography

P. Naegele, AW. A.: His Historical and Critical Thought (diss., Princeton Univ., 1954); W. Beyer, Zu einigen Grundproblemen derformalistischen Asthetik E. Hanslicks und A.W. A. (diss., Univ. of Prague, 1957).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire