Becker, Constantin Julius

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Becker, Constantin Julius

Becker, Constantin Julius, German composer and author; b. Freiberg, Saxony, Feb. 3, 1811; d. Ober-lössnitz, Feb. 26, 1859. He studied singing with Anacker and composition with Carl Becker. From 1837 to 1846 he ed. the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, in association with Schumann. In 1843 he settled in Dresden, where he taught singing, composed, and wrote novels on musical subjects. In 1846 he went to Oberlössnitz, where he spent the remainder of his life. He wrote an opera, Die Erstürmung von Belgrad (Leipzig, May 21, 1848), a Sym., and various vocal works, but he is best known for his manuals: Männergesangschule (1845), Harmonielehre für Dilettanten (1842), and Kleine Harmonielehre (1844). He also publ. the novel Die Neuromantiker (1840) and tr. Voyage musical by Berlioz into German (1843).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire