Hermann Zopff 1826-1883

[giles.enders]

Hermann Zopff  Born Glogau, Silesia  1.6.1826   Died Leipzig  12.7.1883

He received a university education but for some reason his father wished him to be a farmer.  He had a natural instinct for music and composition having an overture performed while in his teens.  When he was 24 his father relented and he moved to Berlin where he was able to study under Theodor Kullak and Adolf Bernhard Marx.  From 1864 he lived in Leipzig where as well as composition he became editor of 'Neue Zeitschrift fur Music'. a post which he retained until shortly before his death.

Orchestral

Symphonic Poem 'Tell'
Symphonic Poem 'Traum au Rhein'
Idyll for small orchestra  Op.35

Chamber

Piano Trio  Op.26

Song

Die Rose  Op.9
Hollandisches Scheidleid (6 songs)  Op.38
A Dream on the Banks of the Rhine  Op.48

Choral

Abbetung Gottes  Cantata for soloists, chorus and orchestra  Op.25
Evangelium der Tat  Cantata for Soloists, chorus and orchestra
Alexandra  Cantata for chorus and orchestra

Brauthymne  for chorus and orchestra
Fruhlingshymne  for chorus and orchestra
Triumph der Liebe  for chorus and orchestra

Opera

Carloman
Muhammed
Judas Makkabeus
Constantin

Organ

Fantasia in A flat major  pub. by Ritter

[Alan Howe]

From Grove - kindly supplied by one of our members:

Zopff, Hermann

by Christopher Fifield; published in print: 20 January 2001; published online: 2001

(b Glogau [now Głogów], Silesia, June 1, 1826; d Leipzig, July 12, 1883). German critic and composer . At his father's wish he studied agriculture in Breslau and Berlin, and only after the successful performance of an overture in 1850 did he decide to make music his career. He studied with A.B. Marx and Theodor Kullak at the Stern Conservatory in Berlin, where he later joined the staff to teach music theory. In Berlin he also founded an opera academy and an orchestra, but he moved to Leipzig in 1864, when Franz Brendel chose him to be an editor of the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik; four years later he succeeded Brendel as editor-in-chief and continued his advocacy of the New German School. He was also active as a writer, choral director, and teacher of singing and music theory. His compositions include two published but unperformed operas, Mohammed and Maccabäus, numerous choral works and songs, a symphonic poem Wilhelm Tell, Idyllen for small orchestra and several chamber pieces, all written in a conservative, tasteful and rather superficial style.
https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.31030

[Mark Thomas]

"rather superficial style". Oh dear....

[Alan Howe]

Yes, quite.