Role

:

Composer

Country

:

Germany

Birth

:

September 8, 1849 in Zeulenroda, Germany

Death

:

January 22, 1918 in Leipzig, Germany

Period

:

Romantic

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Choral

 

Gustav Schreck was a German composer and conductor who lived from 1849 to 1918. He was born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, on October 13, 1849, and grew up in a family of musicians. His father was a music teacher, and his mother was a singer. Schreck showed an early interest in music and began studying piano and violin at a young age. Schreck's musical education continued at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt, where he studied composition with Joachim Raff and piano with Clara Schumann. He also studied conducting with Franz Wüllner in Cologne. After completing his studies, Schreck worked as a conductor in various German cities, including Frankfurt, Cologne, and Leipzig. Schreck's compositions were influenced by the music of Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms. He was particularly interested in choral music and wrote a number of works for choir and orchestra. One of his most famous works is his oratorio "Das Wort ward Fleisch" (The Word Became Flesh), which was first performed in 1892. The oratorio tells the story of the life of Christ and features a large choir, soloists, and orchestra. Schreck also wrote a number of other choral works, including "Die sieben Worte Jesu am Kreuz" (The Seven Words of Jesus on the Cross) and "Die letzten Dinge" (The Last Things). He also wrote instrumental music, including a piano concerto, a violin concerto, and a string quartet. In addition to his work as a composer, Schreck was also a respected conductor. He was the conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra from 1895 to 1900 and the conductor of the Frankfurt Opera from 1900 to 1911. He was known for his precise and disciplined conducting style and was highly regarded by his colleagues and audiences alike. Despite his success as a composer and conductor, Schreck's music fell out of favor after his death in 1918. However, in recent years, there has been renewed interest in his work, and his music has been performed and recorded by a number of orchestras and choirs around the world. Overall, Gustav Schreck was a talented composer and conductor who made significant contributions to the world of classical music. His choral works, in particular, are notable for their beauty and emotional depth, and his legacy continues to be felt in the world of classical music today.

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