Wüerst, Richard (Ferdinand)

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Wüerst, Richard (Ferdinand)

Wüerst, Richard (Ferdinand), German composer, music critic, and teacher; b. Berlin, Feb. 22,1824; d. there, Oct. 9,1881. He studied violin with Ferdinand David at the Leipzig Cons., where he also took lessons with Mendelssohn. He then taught at Kullak’s Neue Akademie der Tonkunst in Berlin. As music critic for the Berliner Fremdenblatt, he exercised considerable influence; publ. Leitfaden der Elementartheorie der Musik (1867; Eng. tr. as Elementary Theory of Music and Treatment of Chords, Boston, 1893). As a composer, he was a follower of Mendelssohn.

Works

dramatic: Opera: Der Rotmantel (Berlin, 1848); Viñeta (Pressburg, Dec. 21, 1862); Eine Künstlerreise (with Winterfeld; Berlin, 1868); Faublas (Berlin, 1873); A-ing-fo-hi (Berlin, Jan. 28, 1878); Die Offiziere der Kaiserin (Berlin, 1878). ORCH.: 3 syms.; Ein Märchen, symphonic fantasy; Variations sur une chanson nègre de Kentucky (on Stephen Foster’s My Old Kentucky Home); Sous le balcon, serenade for String Orch. with Cello Obbligato; Russische Suite for String Orch. with Violin Obbligato; Tanz der Mücken, Fliegen und Käfer, scherzo. CHAMBER: Piano Trio; Cello Sonata; 3 string quartets; various violin pieces. VOCAL: Der Wasserneck, cantata; songs; vocal duets and terzets.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire