Robert Kratz (1851 – 1897)

[tpaloj]

Robert Kratz  (b. 1851 Leinefelde-Worbis-Breitenholz - d. 1897 Düsseldorf)

As I was examining the materials of Moszkowski's unfinished Quintet*, a workbook which also includes several dozen pages of study exercises in counterpoint, fugues and canons, there were a few student works attributed to "Kratz". Intrigued, I started researching this fellow student of Moszkowki's but not much information is readily found. I did not even find a picture, but... funnily enough, scribbled in the margins of this workbook are sketched caricatures of Moszkowki's fellow pupils, Kratz among them.

He was a composer, conductor and a choir and music director. From 1875 he was the director of Stettiner Musikschule, music director in 1886 at Elberfeld and from 1888 in Düsseldorf. The March 1897 issue of Musical Times gives him a short obituary: "On January 26, at Düsseldorf, ROBERT KRATZ, highly popular musical director, aged fifty-five." His catalogue of published works consists entirely of chamber and piano pieces and songs of short length. I have not seen or heard a page of his music and cannot give any opinions beyond that. If any members here have more info, I'd be happy to include it here.

I compiled this worklist based on the publication information on Hoffmeister, as well as from titles of holdings attributed to Kratz in the Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Düsseldorf. There also exists a digitized libretto to "Mädchenstreiche", a three-act Spieloper perhaps also composed by Kratz, but I found no other information about this work.

A caricature of Kratz from Moszkowki's sketchbook:
https://ibb.co/mFRnCWR


List of works

   Works with opus number

Op. 10 - Wander-Skizzen für Pianoforte, Violine und Violoncello
1. Das Wandern, 2. Im Thale, 3. Unter fremden Musikanten, 4. Gruss an die Heimath, 5. Heimkehr
publ. Bremen Praeger & Meier (1881)

Op. 11 - Trauermarsch, ein Gedenkblatt für Pianoforte
publ. Bremen Praeger & Meier (1881)

Op. 12 - Sechs Stücke für kleine Hände
1. Wächterruf, 2. Mazurek, 3. Gedenkblatt, 4. Schlummerlied, 5. Burla, 6. Ständchen
publ. Leipzig Siegel (1882)

Op. 13 - Sechs lyrische Stücke
1. Gruß, 2. Melodie, 3. Mazurka, 4. Waldlied, 5. Abendgebet, 6. Irrlichter Etude
publ. Leipzig Siegel (1882)

Op. 14 - Jagdstück (in Es)
publ. Leipzig Siegel (1882)

Op. 15 - Drei Lieder ohne Worte für Pianoforte
publ. Leipzig Kahnt (1883)

Op. 16 - Capriccio (in D) für Pianoforte
publ. Leipzig Kahnt (1883)

Op. 17 - Musette, Sarabande und Gigue für Pianoforte
publ. Leipzig Kahnt (1883)

Op. 18 - Tanzdichtung für Pianoforte, Violine und Violoncello
publ. Leipzig Siegel (1884)

op. 19 - Sonata pro organo pleno (in Cm)
publ. Leipzig Kahnt (1885)

op. 20 - Suite für Streichorchester
Andante, Scherzo & Finale. "Herrn Bildhauer Ludwig Brunow freundschaftlichst gewidmet."
publ. Elberfeld Küpper (ca.1900)

Op. 21 - Drei Gesänge für vierstimmigen Männerchor
1. Frühlings-Symphonei, 2. Käferlied, 3. Abendfrieden
publ. Leipzig Eulenburg (1888). Texts by Rudolf Baumbach, Heinrich Heine, Johann Gabriel Seidl.

Op. 22 - Ruhmreiche Berge für Männerchor
publ. Elberfeld Küpper (1888). Text by Otto Hausmann.

Op. 23 - Drei Lieder im Volkston für Männerchor
1. Zaunkönig, 2. Der Scheerenschleifer, 3. Aufforderung zum Tanz
publ. Leipzig Kistner (1890). Text by Otto Hausmann.

Op. 24 - Kirmeß im Dorf für Männerchor
publ. Hamburg Thiemer (1888). Text by Otto Hausmann & Carl Gramm.

Op. 25 - Bacchuszug für Männerchor
publ. Leipzig Siegel (1888). Text by Otto Hausmann.

Op. 30 - Hymne in Marschform für Männerchor und Orchester
publ. Düsseldorf Bayrhoffer (1888) [arr. für pianoforte]. Text by Theodor Groll.

Op. 36 - Triumphmarsch für Pianoforte
publ. Düsseldorf Bayrhoffer (1890)

   Works without opus number

Kuckuck, Nachtigall und Wachtel heiteres Intermezzo
publ. Hannover Oertel (1893)

Beim Tanz für eine Singstimme und Pianoforte = Dancing!
publ. Berlin Simrock (1897). Text by Otto Hausmann. English words by Paul England.

Vorsicht! Lied für eine Singstimme und Pianoforte = Beware!
publ. Berlin Simrock (1897). Text by Otto Hausmann. English words by Paul England.

   Other works

"Schmiedelied". Performed at a concert in Düsseldorf in 1891, opus or publication status unknown.

Mädchenstreiche, a Spieloper in drei Acten
Libretto by Robert Kratz & Otto Hausmann (?). Composition status needs more evidence/info.


* ...which is a dreary student work. To quote Moszkowki's own words as provided by Assenov: "Inzwischen  componierte  ich  im  Geheimen  -- auch  ein Pianoforte-Quintett,  was  meinem  Harmonie-Lehrer  denunciert  wurde  und  mir  seitens des  letzteren  ebenso  begreiflich  als  gerecht  Vorwürfe  eintrug,  denn  er  konnte  nach  den miserablen Arbeiten die ich ihm in die Stunde brachte in der That kein Compositionstalent bei mir vermuthen."

[Mark Thomas]

A fascinating piece of detective work. Thanks.

[eschiss1]

At least one work, his Hymne Op.30 to a text by Theodor Groll, has been digitized by U. Dusseldorf. Hrm. Correction- only the text is available. The work itself (neither the original for men's chorus and orchestra nor a reduction) has not been. (Similarly the handwritten text for an operetta for which he provided the music but not yet, I think, the music itself...)

[tpaloj]

Thanks, I'll take a look at that Hymne. Too bad no score but thanks for checking, eschiss1. No problem and thank you, Mark. Also, apparently the Scherzo from his organ sonata op. 19 was performed in Düsseldorf in 2015 by the organist Oscar Blarr.

Isn't that "Die Nacht vor der Hochzeit" by some Franz Kratz?

[eschiss1]

I should have noticed the "Nur Textausg." (Düsseldorf has a fair number of his works including a piano reduction with inserted text of the hymne, but not digitized. My mistake.)