Composers on Stamps

Johann Strauss Sohn (J.S.the younger) 1825-1899,see post #13


Jojann Strauss Vater (J.S.the elder) 1804-1849,see post #17
stamps issued June 4th,1999;

 

Robert Schumann,born in 1810 in Zwickau,Saxony.
Highly gifted,he composed his first works for piano as a child,before
he learned to play.Not sure,wether to become a musician or a poet,
he decided in favour of music at the age of 20.He trained to become
a professional piano-virtuoso,but had to give up,because of
problems with his right hand.
But at first,following the wishes of his mother,he studied law,but
not for long.He worked as a conductor and musical journalist
and critic,but spent most of his time composing.
He is best described as a romantic composer.His works embrace
all kinds of compositions,except of operas.
In 1840 he married Clara Wiek (against the will of her father,who
was his former teacher),who at the age of 21 was already a
celebrated international concert-piano player.He was always
regarded as the husband at the side of this famous performer.
From 1840 till 1854 they had 8 children.
1850 the Schumanns left Saxony for Düsseldorf,where Schuman
was appointed as Musical Director.
However Schumann had lots difficulties with the musicians in the
orchestra and chorus,what became worse,when his mental health
deteriorated.In 1854 he entered on his own will a mental
sanatorium in Endenich,near Bonn.He got worse and worse and
died there in 1856.
The above stamp was issued on July 28th,1956,commemorating
Schumann´s 100th death anniversary.


The GDR issued a set of two on July 20th,1956 for the same
occasion.
However a little mishap occured: the notes in the background were
that of a composition by Franz Schubert (Wanderer´s Nachtlied) !
The stamps were withdrawn from sale on July 23rd,and were
declared to become invalid on Sept.30th,1956.

On Oct.8th,1956 the lower set was issued,now with notes from
Schumann ("Mondnacht",set to music poem of Joseph v.Eichendorff).

Both sets were printed in the same quantities: 1 mill.of the 10 Pfg.
and 5 mill. of the 20 Pfg.-value.

 

Paul Gerhardt (1607- 1676) was a Lutheran pastor,theologian,poet
and composer of hymns.
Born in Gräfenhainichen near Wittenberg,where he later studied at
the university theology and philosophy.
He is regarded as one of the most eminent composers of hymns of
Germany.His hymns are found in hymn-books of many countries.
Even in catholic books.
Several of his hymns were incorporated into his compositions by Bach.
Stamp issued,commemorating Gerhardt´s 350th birth-anniversary
on May 18th,1957.

Two more stamps were issued in Germany:

Issued commemorating his 300th death-anniversary on May 13th,1976 and celebrating his 400th birth-anniversary on March 1st,2007.

 

Issued for the opening of the ( 3rd) "Beetvoven Halle" (concert hall)
in Bonn (birthplace of Beethoven and capital of West-Germany) the
above souvenir sheet was issued on Sept.8th,1959.
It happened in the hey-days of stamp-collecting in Germany and
so the s.s. with a print of 4.771.000 was sold out in less than one week.
In mint n.h. condition the s.s. sell for about 50% of used (c.t.o.).
For postally used there is no premium,as 100% were used philatelicly.
The notes show an autograph of Beethoven´s 9th symphony,the chorus
of the 4th set,"Ode an die Freude" (ode to joy),what was adopted as
the anthem of Europe.
The first "Beethoven Halle" was built as a temporary site for a
Beethoven-festival in 1845,directed by Franz Liszt.
1870 a permanent second hall was built,what was destroyed by an
allied bomb-raid on Oct.18th,1944.
The new 3rd "Beethoven Halle" was built at a cost of DM 9.5 millions.
In 1996 it was overhauled and got some more smaller buildings added
at a cost of DM 22.6 millions.
After a long debate in 2009/10,wether to demolish the hall and build
a complete new one,it was finally decided to modernize the hall.
The projected costs of the works,what began in 2016 were € 60 mill.
However the latest estimates run up to € 166 mill. or 320 mill.in DM
currency.The reopening is scheduled for the year 2022.

 

Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759) was born in Halle (Saale).
Little authentical is known of his early years.
He was a very professional composer and musician,who studied with
and from many eminent composers.
In 1710 he became the musical director at the court of the Prince
Elector Georg Ludwig of Hannover.At the same time he put his main
"business" to London.When Georg Ludwig was crowned as King George I
of Great Britain in 1715,Händel was his preferred composer.As the king
split his time between London and Hanover,Händel several times
accompanied him back to Germany.
However his main money-maker was his engagement with the opera-
life of London.He wrote many operas,what are not often played today.
Unlike his oratorios and the great ochestra pieces,he composed for
royal festivities,what still today are an important part of the baroque/
classical music repertoire.Unlike many other composers,Händel was
successful during his lifetime and became a rich man.
In 1727 he became a british citizen,as it is claimed,mainly for tax-reasons
and he changed his name to George Frederic Handel.
He developed eye-problems in his later years,what left him nearly
blind,but still performed till his death in London in 1759.
issued June 21st,1935,for his 150th birth anniversary

issued May 7th,1985 (Bach-Händel-Jahr)

 

Louis (originally Ludewig) Spohr (1784 - 1859) was a classical composer.
After Beethoven´s death in 1827 he was considered,for a while,as the
most important living composer of Germany.
He wrote operas,oratorios and instrumental music,etc.
Today his works are rarely played.
He is more known as an outstanding violin virtuoso of his time,second
to Paganini only.

 

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) is often regarded as the "inventor" of the
Classical Music.
As a boy of eight he was brought to Vienna,where he became a choir-
boy at the Stephansdom (St.Stephen´s Cathedreal).Although he had
no formal composition-education,he perfected his huge talent all the
time.When his voice was breaking in 1749,he became a free-lancing
musician.In 1757 he got his first important engagement as musical
director of the theatre of Count von Morzin in Pilsen.
Four years later he moved to Prince Esterházy in Eisenstadt,where he
became first musical director in 1766,after the death of his predecessor.
He remained in this position till 1790,when a new prince dissolved
the orchestra.However Haydn was not confined to the provincial
Eisenstadt,-at the time a rural hungarian city-,but the princely family
had also palais´ in Vienna,where they spent the winter months,as
well as different other palaces.The Esterházys where the "Rockefellers"
of Hungary,with properties and interests all over the Austrian Empire
as well as in other countries of Europe.
Hadyn was befriended with Mozart,whoem he admired and vice versa.
When he was on his own again,his manager organized very successful
tours to England and other places,what made Haydn a rich man.
After a long illness he died in 1809,when Napoleon´s army was
conquering Vienna.His last words were to calm his servants,who were
frightened by the sound of french artillery gun-fire.
See also post #25.

 

Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdi (1809-1847) was classical (romatic)
composer,pianist,organist and conductor.
Born into a rich jewish family,what later converted to the protestant church,he was a musical child prodigy.
He received a top-class musical education,together with his sister
Fanny (Fanny Hensel),who was four years older than Felix.
He started to compose in a serious manner at the age of eleven.
When twelve,he visited Goethe for a first time and stayed sixteen days
with him.
His career was breath-taking.He performed in many places all over
Europe (very much loved in Britain) playing and conducting his own
works but was also a key-player in the revival of Bach´s music.
His work-index lists more than 750 compositions of all musical kinds.
He held many positions and was the founder of the first music-academy
in Germany.A short time he was also music-director general of Prussia,
but soon asked the king for dispens,as he needed more time for his
post as leader of the Gewandhaus-orchestra in Leipzig.
Only a few month after his sister Fanny,he died,like her,from a stroke
in Leipzig.
There are more stamps than the above from 1959,but I will have to
scan them.

 

Bach and Beethoven from the possibly most laothed definitive series
of West-Germany ever.
Issued: 20 Pfg. June 28th,1961 (exists on ordinary and on fluorescent
paper)
70 Pfg. light blackish-green,Dec.1st,1961,
70 Pfg. black-blue-green,in November 1962.
A identical series was issued for (West-) Berlin,missing the lighter coloured 70 Pfg. and issued on fluorescent paper only.

 

The 1926 definitives for comparison.

 

Beethoven once more,issued commemorating his 200th birth-
anniversary on March 20th,1970. (from a set of 3)