Henry Charles Litolff 1818-1891

[giles.enders]

Henry Charles Litolff was born in Marylebone, London on February 6th 1818. His father Martin Louis L. was from Alsace and his mother Sophia Hayes, from Glasgow.  There were eight children in the family.  It is often written that he eloped to Gretna Green with the 16 year old Elisabeth Etherington ¹.  In fact he married her at St Alphege church in Greenwich, London in 1835. From 1861 he resided in Paris after passing his publishing business in Germany to his son. He died at Bois-Colombes which is now a suburb of Paris in 1891
He studied under Moscheles from 1831 and made his concert debut at The Covent Garden Theatre in July 1832

Below are listed some of his compositions: Dates given are when published

Overtures
This designation is correct though the publisher also referred to them as Symphinique Dramatique - Robespierre is 12 minutes long.

Maximilian Robespierre alternative title Le Denier Jour de la terreur.  Op.55   1850  pub. by Richault
Dasi Welflied Von Gustav Von Mayern (Les Guelfes)  Op.99  1856
Chante des Belges  Op.101  1858
Die Girondisten  Op.80  1870
King Lear  1891

Concertos Symphoniques for Piano and Orchestra

No.1  in D minor   1839  (lost, possibly in the bombing of Leipzig)
No.2  in B minor  Op.22  1844
No.3  in E flat 'Hollandais' Op.45  1846
No.4  in D minor  Op.102  1852
No.5  in C minor  Op.123  1870

Works for Violin and Orchestra

Reve d'un Captif  Op.41  1847
'Eroica' Concerto Symphonique Op.42  1846
Reve d'Amour  Op.53
Serenade  Op.61

Other orchestral

A la memoire de Meyerbeer - funeral march
'Vagabonded' - polka  Op.25

Chamber

String Quartet in C minor Op.60  1851 pub. by G M Meyer
Piano Trio No.1  in D minor  Op.47  1848  pub. by Braunschweig & GM Meyer also Richault
Piano Trio No.2   in E flat major Op.56   1852   pub. by Braunschweig & GM Meyer
Piano Trio No.3  in C minor Op.100  1854  pub. by Braunschweig & GM Meyer
Serenade for violin and piano Op.91  1851
Three pieces for violin and piano: Reve d'amour, La Capricieuse, Scene Champetre. Op.53   pub. by Braunschweig & GM Meyer

Piano

Rondo elegant  Op.2
Grande marche fantastique  Op.3
Reverie au Bal, Grande Valse  Op.5
Fantasie on Rossini's Othello  Op.6
Grand variations brillant on the favourite air, 'Life's like an April Day', by Herold  Op.10   pub. by T Walsh  1835


for other piano pieces see list below.

Song

Three lieder  Op.46
Das neue lied  Op.48
Three lieder  Op.49
Three lieder  Op.52
Du meine Seele  Op.58.1
Two lieder Op.67
Lied  Op.76

Opera

Salvatore Rosa  1845
Catherine Howard  1847
The Bride of Kynast  romantic opera, Story by Ernst Klingemann  1847
Rodrique of Toledo  1860
The Cavalier Nahal or The Wager of the Devil,  comic opera  1866
Pandora's Box  1871  pub. by L Bathlot, Paris
Heloise and Abelard  comic opera  libretto by Louis Clairville & William Busnach 1872   pub. by Bathlot
Sleeping Beauty    fairy opera  1874
The Fiance of the King of Garbe  comic opera   libretto by Adolph d'Ennery & Henri Chabrillat  1874  pub. by L Bathlot, Paris
The Mandrake  story by Alexandre Dumas  1876
The Templers  1886  pub. by Enoch, Freres & Costallat
The Cavalry of the King  comic opera  1888
King Lear  (unfinished?)  1891

Vocal

Ruth et Boaz - Oratorio  libretto by Hippolyte Lefebvre   pub. by Choudens
Scenes from Goethe's Faust - for voice and orchestra  1875


Litolff married four times

Brothers & Sisters
Sophia Litolff  1814-1875
Martin Litolff  1816-1889
Maria Litolff  1816- ?
Henry Charles Litolff  1818-1891
Edwin Litolff 1819-1846
Frederick T Litolff  1821-1850
Alfred Litolff  1823-18 ?
Edward Litolff  1827- ?


He had 8 children by three of his wives.

[JimL]

Someone ought to do the complete trios on CD.  Same with the VC.  I wasn't aware that he has a string quartet to his credit.  Most of his solo piano music consists of short character pieces.  I was wondering if there aren't a few larger scale sonatas or fantasies among them.

[thalbergmad]

Most of his solo piano music consists of short character pieces.  I was wondering if there aren't a few larger scale sonatas or fantasies among them.

There are no sonatas as far as I am aware, but Litolff like many other composers of his era did compose fantasias on popular operatic themes such as Otello, Lucrezia Borgia & Robert le Diable and they are reasonably substantial.

Thal
 

[Balapoel]

This list is tolerably complete, but plenty of missing opus numbers.

Chamber

47   Piano Trio No.1 in d minor (ca.1848)
53   3 Pieces vor Violin and Piano (ca.1855)
56   Piano Trio No.2 in E flat major (ca.1850)
60   String Quartet in C major (1851)
91   Serenade for Violin and Piano (1851)
100   Piano Trio No.3 in c minor (ca.1854)

Operas

   Salvator Rosa, 1845
   Catherine Howard, 1847
   Die Braut vom Kynast, große romantische Oper nach Ernst August Friedrich Klingemann, 1847
   Rodrique de Tolède, Oper, um 1860
   Le Chevalier Nahal ou La Gageure du diable, Komische Oper, 1866
   La Boîte de Pandore, Opéra bouffe, 1871
   Héloise et Abélard, Komische Oper, 1872
   La Belle au bois dormant, Feenoper, 1874
   La Fiancée du roi de Garbe, Komische Oper, 1874
   La Mandragore, Komische Oper nach Alexandre Dumas, 1876
   Les Templiers, Oper, 1886
   L'Escadron volant de la reine, Komische Oper, 1888
   Le Roi Lear, Oper

Orchestral

   Concerto symphonique No. 1 in d minor
22   Concerto symphonique No. 2 in b minor, for Piano and Orchestra (1844)
45   Concerto symphonique No. 3 in Eb, for Piano and Orchestra (1845)
102   Concerto symphonique No. 4 in d minor, for Piano and Orchestra (1852)
123   Concerto symphonique No. 5 in c minor, for Piano and Orchestra (1867)
25   2 Vagabondes-Polka f. Orchester. Op. 25
41   Reve d'un Captive, Scène dramatique for Violin and Orchestra / Piano (ca.1847)
42   Eroica, Concerto symphonique for Violin and Orchestra (ca.1846)
53   Rêve d'amour, op.53 (n.d.);
61   Sérénade, op.61 (n.d.), also arr. vc, pf;
   A la mémoire de Meyerbeer, marche funèbre, Po;
55   Maximilian Robespierre, Symphonie dramatique for Orchestra (1849/50)
80   Girondins, Ouverture dramatique for Orchestra (1870)
99   Das Welflied von Gustav von Meyern, op.99 (1856), (Les Guelfes)
101   Chant des Belges, Ouverture dramatique for Orchestra (1854/55)

Piano

2   Rondo élégant for Piano
3   Grânde Marche fantastique.
5   Rèverie au Bal. Grande Valse p. Pfte.
6   Fantasia on Rossini's Othello for Piano
17   3 Mazurkas for Piano
18   2 Etudes de Concert
19   Souvenir de Lucia de Lammermoor
20   Grande Caprice de Concert de Lucrezia Borgia
21   Grande Fantaisie-Caprice de Concert de Robert le Diable
25   6 Opuscules for Piano (Tarantelle calabraise. Op. 25. No. 1 )
28   3 Caprices en forme de Valse for Piano
30   Moments de Tristesse, 2 Nocturnes for Piano
31   Invitation à la Polka for Piano (and/or 3 lieder ohne worte)
35   Die Preußische Post for Piano
36   Inviation à la Tarantelle for Piano
37   Grand Caprice de Concert en forme de l'Étude for Piano
40   Souvenirs de la Pologne, 3 Mazurkas for Piano
43   Souvenirs d'Harzburg for Piano
44   Promenade du Soir au Bord de Rhin, Fantasia for Piano
50   Feuille d'Album, Piano Piece
51   3 Lieder ohne Worte for Piano
54   3 Morceaux caracteristiques for Piano
57   Terpsichore, Etude de Bravoure for Piano
59   Souvenir d'Enfance for Piano
61   Sérénade for Piano
62   Nocturne for Piano
63   Le Retour, Pièce de Concert for Piano
64   Elégie for Piano
65   Arabesques, 6 Piano Pieces
66   Valse de Bravoure for Piano
70   3 Idylles for Piano
71   3 Aquarelles for Piano
72   La Harpe d'Eole for Piano
73   Ballade for Piano
74   Souvenir d'un beau Jour, Pensée musicale for Piano
77   Une Fleur du Bal for Piano
78   Chant d'amour, Étude
79   Tarantelle infernale for Piano
81   Spinnlied No.1 for Piano (1850)
82   3 Esquisses musicales for Piano
83   6 Lieder ohne Worte for Piano
89   Grande Valse brillante for Piano
90   Romance for Piano
95   Perles harmoniques for Piano
96   Chant du Printemps, Impromptu for Piano
97   Bacchanale, Scherzo for Piano
98   3 Impromptus for Piano
104   Spinnlied No.2 for Piano (1860)
105   Maitau, Lied ohne Worte for Piano
106   Les Octaves, Concert Piece for Piano (1860)
107   Valse élégante for Piano
108   Polka caractéristique for Piano
109   La Mazurka, Impromptu for Piano
110   Andante for Piano
111   La Chasse, Etude de Concert fo Piano
112   Le Carnaval de Paris
113   Melodie for Piano
114   Souvenir de Vienne, Caprice for Piano
115   Scherzo for Piano
116   A la Memoire de Meyerbeer, Marche funèbre for Piano (1864)
117   Impressions de Voyage, Piano Pieces
124   Neckende Geister. Impromptu f. Pfte.
125   Dernière Aurore, Lied ohne Worte for Piano
126   Frascati-Valse
127   Der Abendstern, Valse for Piano

Vocal

46   3 Lieder. Op. 46 . Hannover, Nagel 25 Ngr. No. 1, O Herz lass ab zu zagen. 12½ Ngr. – 2, Wolle keiner mich fragen. 10 Ngr. – 3, Das sterbende Kind.
48   Das neue Lied. Gedicht v. A. Buchheim, f. Bass. Op. 48
49   Nächtliche Wanderung, Liebesahnung, Trennung von der Geliebten, Songs
52   3 Lieder v. N. Lenau, f. Sopran. (od. Tenor.) Op. 52. (Mein Herz. Abendlied. Einsamkeit.)
58   3 Lieder f. Sopran (od. Tenor). Op. 58 (Widmung. Vergissmeinnicht. Meine Furcht).
67   2 Lieder. Op. 67 (Mein Herz allein. Des Schäfers Sonntagslied.)
76   Mein Herz ist krank, v. Saphir, f. Sopran (od. Ten.) Op. 76
103   Szenen aus Goethe's Faust for Voices and Orchestra (1875)
   Ruth et Boaz (orat, H. Lefebvre), vs (Paris, 1869)

Unknown opp: 1, 4, 7-16, 23-24, 26-27, 29, 32-34, 38-39, 68-69, 75, 84-88, 92-94, 118-122

[mgendron]

I'm looking for a while for this composer which I only got 3 cds (2x hyperion and the one with the trio) and nothing else. Is there some other recotrdings? I think this guy is worth much more then what he is getting in recording. Difficult, perhaps I don't play piano, but surely challenging and very good.

I've been reading for about 2 years and this is my first post  and learn a lot. (sorry for errors, english is not my langage)

[Alan Howe]

Welcome to the site! And don't worry about your English - we can understand you just fine! Unfortunately, there's very little of Litolff's music on CD - but perhaps other members can help...?

[jerfilm]

All of the Concerto Symphonique's except #1 have been recorded at some point as has been the Piano Trio in d, opus 47.   I have a cassette of the opus 55 Symphonie Dramatique and I know not right offhand where it originated.  That's all I'm aware of.

Jerry

[JimL]

Concerto Symphonique No. 1 is lost.  From what I gather there were no scores or manuscripts lying around after the composer's death; whatever there was of the work was at Litolff's Verlag in Leipzig, as were the plates (if any).  You guessed it.  Allied bombing in WWII took it out.

[mikehopf]

Jerfilm..... please, please , PLEASE upload the Symphonie Dramatique by Litolff

[Mark Thomas]

Amen to that.

[jerfilm]

I'll have to write another note to myself - not at home again.   Be a couple of weeks or so....

Jerry

[eschiss1]

Piano trios - no.1 op.47 published 1848 (see HMB 1848, page 183) ; no.2 op.56 published 1850 (HMB 1850, page 116) (in E-flat major - key from IMSLP score) ; no.3 op.100 pub.ca.1854 (maybe 1853). Not sure where 1850 and 1852 came from for the first two trios but they're much too late. (See Hofmeisters Monatsberichte. Earlier dates still may be possible - and these are publication dates; I have no idea what the composition dates were.)

[EarlyRomantic]

Jerry, Have you returned home yet? Are you able to find and upload  the Robespierre overture? It appears many of us are excited, and would be grateful to you! Thank You.

[Jonathan]

Indeed, that would be interesting to hear!

[Mark Thomas]

I can upload four overtures, including Maximilian Robespierre, providing I'm not treading on Jerry's toes.