Hans Bronsart von Schellendorff

[Peter1953]

One of the gems in the Brilliant Box 'The Golden Age of the RPC' is the F sharp minor concerto by Hans Bronsart von Schellendorff. We come across his name (in fact: a part of his name) in several other topics.
Such a beautiful concerto, but it seems that this is all there is. Is there a member who has heard anything else, e.g. his Piano Trio in G minor, op. 1? Is it recorded?

His double surname is difficult for Brilliant Classics. They write on the sleeve 'Hans Von Bronsart', and in the Booklet Notes 'Hans von Bronsart' or 'Bronsart' only. Actually that is incorrect and sloppy.

[Alan Howe]

Isn't he generally known as (von) Bronsart, though?

[Peter1953]

I think so. However, actually it is not correct. I'm in the same situation, because I have also a double surname. This is how people write my family-name: Storm, van Storm, Van Leeuwen, Van Leeuwen Storm, but it is Storm van Leeuwen. Comparable with Bronsart von Schellendorff. However, it's just a detail and not that important.

[Mark Thomas]

Bronsart's Piano Trio is his op.1 and dates from 1856, so it's early. It's also very impressive. In four movements, it's probably as close to a trio by Liszt as you're going to get and lasts around half an hour. Fiery, passionate, lyrical, it's just what you'd expect from the composer of the Piano Concerto. It's only been recorded once, in the LP era by The Canadian Trio. He didn't write much, mores the pity, but his oeuvre included a couple of programme symphonies which have been lost apparently. In the old Forum I posted a partial work list for Bronsart, but unfortunately I can't locate it now.

[eschiss1]

Bronsart's Piano Trio is his op.1 and dates from 1856, so it's early. It's also very impressive. In four movements, it's probably as close to a trio by Liszt as you're going to get and lasts around half an hour. Fiery, passionate, lyrical, it's just what you'd expect from the composer of the Piano Concerto. It's only been recorded once, in the LP era by The Canadian Trio. He didn't write much, mores the pity, but his oeuvre included a couple of programme symphonies which have been lost apparently. In the old Forum I posted a partial work list for Bronsart, but unfortunately I can't locate it now.

If you go to http://www.hofmeister.rhul.ac.uk/2008/content/database/search/do-basic and do a search for Bronsart, you'll find about 12 works of his- it's a start on reconstituting it, anyway
Eric

[Peter1953]

IMSLP presents also a list, see http://imslp.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Hans_Bronsart_von_Schellendorff
Is the key of his Piano Trio op. 1 C minor (IMSLP) or G minor (Wikipedia)?

BTW, there is also a photo of the composer, and it looks like his signature is Hans von Bronsart....
See http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Bronsart_von_Schellendorff,_Hans

[Gareth Vaughan]

Fleisher has the score and parts for the Fruhlings-Phantaisie (as well as the Piano Concerto). The Trio Op. 1, incidentally, is most definitely in G minor.
I do not know the whereabouts of Bronsart's surviving MSS. If anyone does, I'd be grateful if he or she could let me know.

[giles.enders]

Hans von Bronsart  Born 11.2.1830  Berlin  died  3.11.1913 Munich

His correct full name is Hans Bronsart von Schellendorf.  He was one of ten children. He was initially educated in Danzig and subsequently at Berlin University.  He studied piano under Theodor Kullack, and for harmony under Siegfried Wilhelm Dehn and later in Weimar with Franz Lizst.  He had a career as a concert pianist , a conductor and a theatre manager.

In 1861 the composer and pianist Ingeborg Starck  1840-1913 They has two children¹

Orchestral

Fruhlings - Fantasia  Op.11  1857
'Manfred' dramatic tone poem
Programme symphony for choir and orchestra 'In die Alpen'   believed lost
Programme symphony in C minor 'Schicksalsgewalten'  believed lost
Piano Concerto in F sharp minor  Op.10  1873   pub. by E W Fritzsch

Chamber

Piano Quintet 1897
Piano Trio in Gminor Op.1  1856   pub. by Jos. Albi
Piano Trio in C
Septet  1884
Sextet for strings

Piano

Nachklange aus der jugendzeit; Book 1. Feeneigen, Siciliano, Polonaise, Trauermarsch.  Book 2. Elegie, Bergesquell, Feldblumenstrauss, Vision.  Op.2   pub. by Breitkopf & Hartel
Three mazurkas: in F minor, E minor & D major  Op.4  pub. by J. Albi
Ballade in E flat major  Op.5
Fantasie in C sharp minor  Op.6  pub. by Breitkopf & Hartel
'Melusine' fairytale for piano Op.9
Polonaise in C minor

Song

Thirty lieder: Dubist wie eine Blume  No.4,  Was will die einsame Trane No.8,  Gedicht von Heine  No.13.
Three Gediche von Peter Cornelius:  Zur Drossel Sprach der Fink, Eh'ich dich sah,  Durft ich zeigen durft'ich.   pub. by Thuringer Musichaus

Choral 

'Christnacht'  cantata for double choir and orchestra
Hymnus 'An die Konigin'  for female chorus and orchestra
'Bella Napoli' suite for soloist and chorus.  lost

Opera

'Der Corsair'

Organ

Fantasiestuck for violin and organ  Op.3


I haven't been able to attribute the following Opus numbers: 7 & 8

1
Klara Wilhelma von Bronsart  1864-1937
Fritz George Heinrich Konstanz von Bronsart  1868-1918

[Mark Thomas]

Judging by his Piano Concerto and Piano Trio op.1, he was no mean composer. It's a huge shame that the two programme symphonies are lost, but it would be a treat to hear the two surviving orchestral works and the other five chamber works. However, if we don't know where the scores of anything but the Spring Fantasy are..

[FBerwald]

Is his Piano concerto in the pipeline for Hyperions RPC?

[eschiss1]

Did Hans or Ingeborg write Manfred? Or did one contribute the libretto (based on Byron, one guesses) and the other the music? (I'm guessing it's for voices and orchestra.) I see it attributed to either in different library catalogs listing the 1901 publication (Druck von R. Wagner Sohn). (The program symphonies may be missing, but Manfred isn't, according to Worldcat  - there are copies- in vocal or in some sort of reduced score only? (hrm... )... hrm... 60 pages-- at Landesbibliothek Mecklenburg-Vorpommern im Landesamt für Kultur und Denkmalpflege , at the Anna Amalia Bibliothek Weimar, at the US Library of Congress, and at the University of Virginia. (Libretto project- maybe this is just the libretto for a now-missing vocal work after all, not a score. Hrm. My mistake. Not glad to be mistaken, either. Ah, wait. Here we are. Ah!

RISM --- Manfred, incidental music, short score and orchestral (non-vocal parts) by Hans von Bronsart, premiered 1901, at Weimar (Liszt Hochschule).

[Gareth Vaughan]

Well done, Eric. Hmm! It's not underscored, is it?!!

[Mark Thomas]

Bronsart's Spring Fantasy is available as a study score from Musikproduktion Höflich. It is a tantalising prospect: a substantial five movement programmatic orchestral work, described in the foreword to the MpH score here.

[eschiss1]

Actually, i think the RISM description says that the incidental music to Manfred is not quite exactly the 5-part symphonic work "Manfred" published in 1901, but my German is not good and I am guessing...

[semloh]

I wonder if we would ever have heard any Hans Bronsart if it were not for that old Vox recording of the Piano Concerto. It was certainly my only recording of his music. When you think about it, those 'Vox boxes' and Turnabout LPs included a remarkable selection of neglected music and little-known composers.