Ernst Mielck 1877-1899

[giles.enders]

Ernst Leopold Christian Mielck  24.10.1877-22.10.1899  Born Viipuri, Finland (now in Russia) Died Locarno, Switzerland
The son of German immigrants, he studied piano with Albert Tietze and later from the age of fourteen at The Stern Conservatory in Berlin and from 1895 with Max Bruch

Orchestral

Symphony in F minor 'A Fairy Tale Symphony'  Op.4  1897
Overture 'Macbeth'  Op.2  1896
'Finnish Suite' in D minor Op.10  1899
Piano Concerto in C minor  Op.27  1895
Konzertstuk for piano and orchestra in E minor Op.9  1898
Konzertstuk for violin and orchestra in D major Op.8  1898
Dramatic Overture  Op.6  1898

Chamber

Piano Trio  1892
String quartet in G minor  Op.1  1895   pub. by Hofmeister
String quintet in F major  Op.3 1896   pub. by Hofmeister
Romance for cello and piano  1894

Piano

Novelle  1895
Reminiscens  1895
Suite for piano  1895
Three fantasy pieces  1895   pub. by Breitkopf & Hartel
Ceremonial March for Viborg Bicycle Club  1898
Intermezzo  1898
Sarabande in G minor  1899   pub. by K F Wasenius, Helsinki
Two Impromptus 1899   pub. by Frazer & Westerland, Helsinki

Songs

Auf der Wanderschaft words by Theodor Fontane
Das Fischermadchen  words by Theodor Fontane
El blommer (A Flower)  words by Viktor Rydberg
Letzter Wunsch  words by Julius Sturm
Morgenlied
Stjarmorna (The Stars)
Frage  words by Julius Wolff
Vallkullans sang  words by F Hedberg
Wanderlied  words by Adelbert Von Chamisso
Heimath  words by Theodor Fontanefor voice & piano 1898   pub. by Frazer & Westerland, Helsinki

There are 12 songs in total

Choral

Cantata - Alt bomisches Weihnachtslied for baritone, choir and orchestra  Op.5  1898
Alt Germanisches Julfest for baritone, men's choir and orchestra  Op.7  1898
'En blomma' (A Flower) for male choir words by Viktor Rydberg 1897   pub. by Viipuri Laulu-Veikot
'Morgenlied'  for male choir  words by Wilhelm Muller   pub. by Viipuri  Laulu-Veikot
'Stjarnorna' (The Stars) for male choir  words by Josef Julius Wicksell   pub. by Viipuri Laulu-Veikot
'Wanderlied' for male choir  words by Adelbert Von Chamisso   pub. by Viipuri Laulu-Veikot

[anssik]

Dramatic overture, op. 6 (1898)

[alberto]

Enrst Mielck died in Locarno, Switzerland (not Italy).

[giles.enders]

Duly noted.

[FBerwald]

Any idea about this Piano Concerto in C minor or should we file this too under lost compositions?

[britishcomposer]

Finnish Radio Yle Klassinen does broadcast the Concertstück for piano and orchestra regularly, sometimes under that title, sometimes titled Pianokonsertto, Finnish for piano concerto. Strange indeed...

[FBerwald]

but if you notice the Concertstück is dated 1898 and the Concerto 1895 implying they are 2 different pieces. Also the key...

[adriano]

His Symphony in F Minor (coupled with his Konzertstück for Violin) is available on Ondine. The version on Sterling is coupled with the Konzertstück for Piano. Toccata published various orchestral and choral works.

[matesic]

A number of years ago I uploaded my rendition of the 1895 string quartet to IMSLP. Quite pretty, particularly for a teenager, and with some distinctly Scandinavian (Griegian) touches in the Finale.

[tpaloj]

Yes, these are different works. The Piano Concerto was a very early work, just predating his first Opus. Mielck presented it to his teacher Max Bruch in 1895. No idea whether it was ever performed then or now.

I'll see what I can find out. Being Finnish myself, for once there's a home field advantage to having each of the few manuscript libraries we have just a short walk's away


EDIT: I found the online ref for the PC. Its manuscript is located in Turku city. Three movements, 92 pages. So not a lost work, but apparently unfinished. I'll post here when I learn more later...

[Ilja]

Monju, curious to learn just how unfinished the concerto is. A few years ago I remember there suddenly was a lot of attention for Mielck (a bit like we experienced with Rott in the 1990s), but he seems to have gone (even more) out of fashion since (unlike Rott). A shame, because there is much of interest there, for multiple reasons.

[jimsemadeni]

Interesting thread. Have always been interested in these composers who died young, not only for their precocious (and good) compositions, but also for "what might have been". Karl Filtsch, Lili Boulanger, Heikki Suohlati, Guillaume Lekeu, Viteszlava Kapralova et al. Nowadays a couple of kids seem to be developing into fine composers: Emily Bear, Graham Cohen, good music (if not for this thread) but tonal and enjoyable. I'm sure there are others from the 19th century at least since the diseases that took them away so young were rampant and uncurable. Would be interested in others' knowledge of other composers whose lives were sadly so short.

[eschiss1]

Well, there's Julius Reubke who lived only a little longer (24 years) for example, Grieg's friend Rikard Nordraak (a bit under 24 years), Hugo Staehle (21 years?), etc. I'd agree that this should be a separate thread and that more than a list of names is needed though...

[Alan Howe]

Enough, already! We don't do lists (of composers - see above) here. Back to Mielck, please.

[giles.enders]

Alan's remark; 'we don't do lists' is one of the reasons that I now rarely look at this web site.  If one likes a particular composer it can be helpful to see who their contemporaries were. We don' all have an encyclopedic knowledge of 19th century composers. These lists may prompt readers to investigate other composers who they may have never heard of.