Ernst, Alfred

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Ernst, Alfred

Ernst, Alfred, French writer on music, son of Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst; b. Périgueux, April 9, 1860; d. Paris, May 15, 1898. A pupil of the Ècole Polytechnique, he abandoned science for art. He was a passionate admirer and defender of Wagner. Besides many contributions to musical journals, he publ. L’OEuvre dramatique de Berlioz (1884), Richard Wagner et le drame contemporain (1887), L’Art de Richard Wagner, L’OEuvre poetique (1893; a projected 2nd vol. on L’OEuvre musicale remained unfinished), and Etude sur “Tännhauser,” analysis and thematic guide (1895; with E. Poirée). He also tr. Die Meistersinger and Der Ring des Nibelungen into French.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire