The contribution of each nation to the development of the culture of mankind is evaluated not by artificially kindled and hyped "stars" and "stars", the memory of which is short-lived even in one generation. And by the number of geniuses, whose names for centuries cause people to associate with entire trends in art. And if in relation to painting and sculpture Italy became famous for its achievements, then in the field of music the undoubted superiority belongs to the "miniature" in terms of area and population of Austria. The list of the most talented Austrian composers and musicians is not just impressive, but amazes with the number of world-class names. And in front of a dozen names, the most skillful masters of our time take off their “hats” with reverence.
The leading position among the geniuses “donated” by Austria to mankind is undoubtedly occupied by one of the representatives of the Vienna classical school of composition Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart), who lived a short but bright life of a genius (born January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, and died December 5 1791 in Vienna). The genius of the composer is so great that the surviving records of his abilities border on unreality, and the music he wrote has no limits on perception. Mozart was listened to with pleasure in the 18th century. XIX, XX centuries, regardless of social status and level of development of the intellect. The same admiration causes his music and now. The main theme of the 40th Symphony in G minor sounds from mobile phones and is performed by highly professional orchestras in philharmonics. Today Mozart is “hummed”, sometimes without even knowing the name of the genius himself. Countless "reworkings" of his works in a modern way by many musical groups, in fact, blasphemous, but very popular today, are not able to drown out the genius and beauty of Mozart's music. And although they are perceived by many true connoisseurs of art as a desecration of the great works of genius, they give their effect of aesthetic education of young people in the modern period of decline and “rollback” of culture. By the age of 17, Mozart had composed four operas, 13 symphonies, 24 sonatas and a host of smaller compositions. And by the time of the mysterious death, the number of works written by Mozart was simply enormous. The most significant and famous were the six famous string quartets dedicated to Joseph Haydn, the operas The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, Cosi fan tutte, The Magic Flute, The Abduction from the Seraglio, Symphony No. 39 in E flat major , No. 40 in G minor, No. 41 in C major (“Jupiter”) and a majestic requiem, not completed due to the sudden death of the composer.
No less significant contribution to the development of classical music was made by Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809), whose instrumental works and symphonies brought up more than one generation of bright talented musicians. 104 symphonies composed in an insanely short time, 83 quartets, 52 piano sonatas, 14 masses and operas were left behind by this genius, an optimist in music, striking with his irrepressible energy and positive. Haydn's oratorios The Creation of the World (1798) and The Seasons (1801) became the standard of classical writing for many composers.
The "elite" of classical music of the world deservedly includes:
- composer, pianist, teacher and conductor Franz Liszt (October 22, 1811 - July 31, 1886), rightfully considered the greatest pianist of the 19th century, who left 647 works as a legacy to his descendants. The most significant of them are 63 for orchestra, about 300 arrangements for piano, 14 symphonic poems, symphonies "Faust" and "Divina comedia";
- the creator of the opera direction Christoph Willibald Gluck (July 2, 1714 - November 15, 1787), who wrote more than 50 operas, interludes and ballets, the most significant of which are the operas Semiramide (1748), Orpheus, Alceste, Paris and Helena "(1761-1764), "Iphigenia in Aulis" (1774), "Armida" (1777) and "Iphigenia in Tauris" (1779);
- Franz Peter Schubert (January 31, 1797 - November 19, 1828), recognized after death thanks to 6 masses, 7 symphonies, 15 operas, etc., unforgettable in thoughtfulness and skill;
- Leopold de Meyer (December 20, 1816 - March 6, 1883), who wrote and performed virtuoso plays. His “contribution” to world art is the “Moroccan March”, fantasies on the themes of popular operas (“Norma” and “Puritanes” by Bellini, “Love Potion” and “Lucia di Lammermoor” by Donizetti, “Semiramide” by Rossini), the cycle “Russian Songs” ”, piano compositions and arrangements;
- Karl Czerny (February 21, 1791, Vienna - July 15, 1857), known to any pianist, without whom neither beginners nor experienced masters can do without etudes. 
It would be a sin not to remember the waltz king Johann Strauss (October 25, 1825 - June 3, 1899), who, together with his father and brothers, raised dance music to the level of symphonic music. Strauss left behind 168 waltzes, 117 polkas, 73 quadrilles, 43 marches, 31 mazurkas, 15 operettas, comic opera and ballet. And the composer's waltzes are simply the limit of perfection. Love Songs (Liebeslieder, 1852), On the Beautiful Blue Danube (An der schönen blauen Donau, 1867), An Artist's Life (Künstlerleben, 1867), Tales from the Vienna Woods (G'schichten aus dem Wienerwald, 1868 ), “Wine, Women and Songs” (Wein, Weib und Gesang, 1869), “A Thousand and One Nights” (Tausend und eine Nacht, 1871) and many others have been heard in many countries of the world for the second century and do not lose their popularity.
After the origin of his own surname, a person is usually interested in the surnames of various prominent figures - politicians, scientists, cultural figures, etc. On this page, I suggest that you familiarize yourself with the etymologies of the surnames of a number of famous German and Austrian composers.
Let me explain one term that occurs in almost every article about the surname. This - Middle High German(German mittelhochdeutsch, abbreviated mhd.). This is how the period in the history of the German language is designated - from about 1050 to 1350. The formation of German surnames during this period was already actively taking place, therefore, for the basics of surnames, they give the form of the word that it had at that time. This is, as it were, the starting point in the history of the surname. As a rule, the phonetic form of surnames has changed quite a lot since that time, in accordance with the patterns of development of the sound structure of the German language. Sometimes the identified lexical sources of the stems of surnames are no longer found in the modern language. Thus, the surnames serve as a "museum" of their storage. Since there was no linguistic unity in the Middle High German period (numerous dialects were the main form of existence of the language), one can also come across such a term as, for example, Middle Low German, indicating that we are talking about the Low German area (mainly the north of Germany). The Middle High German period was preceded by the Old High German (abbr. OE, German ahd.). Onomasts usually refer to this period when etymologizing personal names.
Johann Sebastian Bach / it. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) - German composer and organist, representative of the Baroque era. One of the greatest composers in the history of music. The most famous musician from the Bach family, known for its musicality.
German onomasts offer two versions of the origin of this surname. From German Bach translates as 'stream'. Accordingly, this surname could come from a nickname indicating the place of residence - by the stream. Further from the common noun Bach there were many names of settlements. It is not difficult to guess that they all arose on the banks of some stream. Therefore, the surname Bach may also indicate people from the locality Bach. Such a surname was given in the event that a person moved to a new place. After all, in Bach himself there is no point in giving a surname Bach since it will not be able to perform the function of distinguishing people normally.
In Germany and Austria, there are quite a few namesakes of the great composer. As of December 31, 2002, there were 8876 Bachs in German telephone directories. In terms of the entire population of the country, it ranks 239th in the frequency list of surnames. At the same time, modern Thuringia, where the hometown of Bach Eisenach is located, occupies only 9th place in terms of the proportion of carriers of this surname. In the first place - the land of North Rhine - Westphalia. In Austria, there are less Bachs - 205 (as of December 31, 2005) and in terms of the entire population, it occupies 2199th place.
Ludwig van Beethoven / it. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) was a great German composer, conductor and pianist.
His ancestors were peasants and artisans from the Flemish Mechelen (now in the Netherlands), from where they moved to the Westphalian Bonn. Pretext van– Low Frankish dialect variant of the preposition von'from'. The composer's biographers believe that the surname comes from a toponym Betuwe- the name of a locality in the modern province of Gelderland in the east of the Netherlands. At the same time, onomasts link the composer's surname with the toponyms of the same name in Belgian Flanders. In addition, onomasts offer to explain this surname from vom Rubenhof‘from a beet yard’ (i.e. a peasant farm engaged in the cultivation of beets). At the same time, they point to a borrowing from the Latin beta, which first meant ‘chard root’ and then ‘beetroot’.
Judging by telephone directories, the composer's surname is unique for modern Germany and Austria - there are no other bearers of it.
Johannes / German Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) - German composer and pianist, one of the main representatives of the Romantic period.
German onomasts offer several etymologies for this surname.
1. Patronym (strong genitive) from a short form of a male name Abraham/Abraham.
2. Patronym (strong genitive) to Brahms:‘the son of one who lives by the gorse or blackberry bush’.
3. From Middle High German bramhus‘house by the gorse or blackberry bush’. In this case, the nickname from which the surname arose indicated the place of residence.
Surname Brahms quite rare in Germany - 190 carriers in telephone directories (as of December 31, 2002).
Wilhelm Richard/ it. Wilhelm Richard Wagner (1813-1883) - German composer, conductor, playwright (author of the libretto of his operas), philosopher. The largest reformer of opera music.
The etymology of his surname is transparent and is not difficult to disclose. It is based on the name of the profession: from Middle High German wager‘carriage maker, carriage master’. In the modern literary language, this profession is indicated by the words Wagenbauer, Wagenmacher. family form Wagner- South German (oberdeutsch) and in Germany ranks 7th in its frequency (as of December 31, 2002 - 82,074 carriers (data from telephone directories). It is most densely represented in Bavaria. In the Low German (niederdeutsch) area, i.e. in the north of Germany, its variants are common Wegener and Wegner. Other territorial modifications: Wahner, Wähner, Wehner, Weiner. In different regions of Germany, other words were used to designate the carriage-maker profession, from which surnames were also formed: Rademacher, Rademaker(northwest), Stellmacher(northeast), Ass(en)macher(from Middle High German asse‘axis’, in the Rhineland).
Carl Maria Friedrich August (Ernst) background/ it. Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826) - German composer, conductor, pianist, music writer, founder of German romantic opera. His last name is semantically transparent. Dating back to Middle High German wëbaere'weaver'. In modern German, the word for this profession is also used Weber.
This is one of the most common surnames in Germany. As of December 31, 2002, there were 88,544 Webers in telephone directories. In terms of the entire population of the country, this surname occupied the 5th place. It is most densely represented in the land of North Rhine - Westphalia (composer Weber, we recall, was born just in Westphalia).
Franz Josef / German Franz Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) was an Austrian composer, a representative of the Viennese classical school, one of the founders of such musical genres as the symphony and string quartet.
haydn- regional variety of surname Heiden. According to German onomasts, the surname Heiden. may be one of the following etymologies.
1. Nickname from Middle High German and Middle Low German heiden‘pagan, idolater’, Middle High German heiden'pagan'. Perhaps such a nickname was given to a participant in the crusades to the country of "infidels", to the "holy" land.
2. From a homonymous toponym (such is, for example, in North Rhine-Westphalia).
3. From the short form to the male personal name Heidenrich / Heidenrich: dr.-v.-n. heit‘creature’ + richi'powerful'.
Surname in Austria haydn As of December 31, 2005, it was found in 161 people and occupied the 2995th place in the frequency list of surnames. In Germany, this surname was found in 208 people (as of December 31, 2002). In terms of the total population of Germany and Austria in Austria, the surname haydn is more common. At the same time, it should be noted that in Germany itself, this surname gravitates to the south, to the border with Austria - about 80% of all German citizens with this surname live in Bavaria. Another situation with the surname heiden, with which the surname haydn common lexical sources. In Germany, it is represented more widely than in Austria: 1858 and 92 speakers, respectively. Moreover, in Germany it gravitates towards the northwest - more than 35% of its carriers live in North Rhine-Westphalia. Considering the above, from the ethmologies of the surname Haydn, it should obviously be excluded the second version (from the toponym in the north-west of Germany).
Georg Friedrich/ it. Georg Friedrich Händel (1685–1759) was a German Baroque composer known for his operas, oratorios and concertos.
Specialists in German onomastics offer four etymologies for this surname.
1. Derived word hand‘hand’ + diminutive suffix -l.
2. Surname option Hanel/Hänel(from name Johannes/Johannes) with an additional intervocalic consonant -d-(or directly from the indicated derivatives of this personal name).
3. In the southeast of Germany, this can be a variant of the surname Heindel(from a diminutive form of a male name Heinrich/Heinrich).
4. From a nickname from Middle High German handel‘trade, action, activity, event, legal proceedings, object of trade, commodity that is at hand’.
The surname Händel appears 1023 times in telephone directories in Germany (31.12.2002). In terms of the entire population of the country, this is relatively common. In Austria, it is very rare - only 6 carriers (as of December 31, 2005).
Wolfgang Amadeus(full name Johann Chrysostom Wolfgang Theophilus Mozart) / German. Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgang Theophilus Mozart(1756-1791) - Austrian composer, instrumentalist and conductor, virtuoso violinist, harpsichordist, organist.
/ it. Strauß, Srtauss Surname of a dynasty of Austrian musicians.
The most famous: Johann (senior) (1804-1849) - composer, conductor and violinist. His sons: Johann Strauss (junior) (1825–1899) - composer, conductor and violinist; Joseph Strauss (1827-1870) - composer; Eduard Strauss (1835–1916), composer and conductor.Although the surname Strauss in modern reference books is often written with ß at the end, most representatives always wrote their last name with two ss. At the same time, the first and second were recorded with different typographic signs (the so-called long and round s) – Strauss. And only Eduard Strauss wrote with ß.
Regarding the surname put forward four versions.
1. From a nickname from Middle High German struz, strus‘ostrich bird’. Such a nickname could be given by the ostrich feather that adorned the helmet. Or, according to a characteristic look - in the early knightly epic "Titurel" (circa 1270) there is a comparison din ougen sullen dem struze gelichen(‘your eyes are like those of an ostrich’). The earliest mention of the surname is from a resident of Magdeburg (circa 1162: Heinric Struz.
2. Among the German surnames there is a group of surnames dating back to the so-called. household names. They could be given for various reasons, for example, on the subject of a coat of arms or a sign. The name of the household goes back to the second part in the naming of a resident of the Lower Saxon Eschede - Heyne vamm Strause (circa 1428/38)
3. From a nickname from Middle High German struz‘resistance, discord, conflict, duel’, which a scandalous, quarrelsome person could receive.
4. By place of residence from from Middle High German struz'bush'.
It is easy to see that the ambiguity of etymology in this case is explained by the ambiguity of the supposed original word struz.
The surname Strauss is found in both Austria and Germany. And in Germany more often. As of December 31, 2002, there were 1193 Strauss in German telephone directories, which, in terms of the entire population of the country, gives 316th place in the frequency list of surnames. As of December 31, 2005, there were 643 Strauss in Austria, which allows this surname to take 383rd place.
Franz Peter / German Franz Peter Schubert (1797–1828) is a great Austrian composer, one of the founders of romanticism in music.
The surname Schubert has a fairly transparent semantics. It goes back to the Middle High German schuochwürhte, schuochworhte, schuchwarte'shoemaker'. That is, it is included in the group of surnames from the names of professions. As of December 31, 2005, 989 Schuberts lived in Austria. In the frequency list, she occupied 276th place there. In Germany it is much more frequent. As of December 31, 2002, there were 27,558 Schuberts in telephone directories. In terms of the entire population of the country, it ranked 50th.
Robert / German Robert Schumann (1810-1856) - German composer, conductor, music critic, teacher.
Surname belongs to the group of professional surnames (Berufsfamiliennamen), that is, it is based on the name of the profession. It's Middle High German schuochman'shoemaker'. It is curious that the basis of the surname of the composer Franz Schubert is also translated as ‘shoemaker’. In the German literary language, the profession of a shoemaker is indicated primarily by the word Schuster, rarely used noun Schuhmacher. From these two words, the Germans also formed surnames. It is interesting to look at the ratio of these three surnames related to the name of the shoemaker's profession in Germany.
If we turn to telephone directories (as of December 31, 2002), it turns out that the most frequent of this trinity is Schuster– 22377 carriers and 64th place in the frequency list of German surnames. Surname Schumann is somewhat less common and with 13632 carriers it ranks 137th. The rarest of the three Schuhmacher(total 2981 subscribers and 988th place). But the differences concern not only the frequency, but also the regions of distribution. Yes, surname Schuster most often found in Bavaria (about 40% of all Schusters). Surname Schuhmacher most often found in Baden-Württemberg (more than 40% of all Schumachers). And here is the last name Schumann prevails in Saxony (about 20% of all Schumanns). It is worth recalling that the hometown of Robert Schumann - Zwickau - is located just in Saxony. That is, it is quite natural that the distant ancestor of the composer became Schumann, and not Schuster or Schumacher.
© Nazarov Alois
Austria has a rich cultural past and present. Its inhabitants honor their traditions, hold many festivals and other events. The Austrian classics made a great contribution to the development of human culture. The musical world of this country is especially famous. However, in the field of literature there are very popular names.
Classical writers and poets of the 19th century: a list
- Adalbert Stifter.
- Johann Nepomuk Nestroy.
- Carl Emil Franzoz
- Ludwig Anzengruber.
- Leopold von Sacher-Masoch.
- Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach.
- Nikolaus Lenau.
- Peter Rosegger.
- Ferdinand Raymond.
- Franz Grillparzer.
- Ferdinand von Zaar.
- Charles Silsfield.
Features of Austrian culture
Austrian poetry is peculiar and unusual. It has its own unique language and style, special ways and means of conveying the meaning of life.
It was in the 19th century that an internal ideological and moral unity of culture developed in Austria. The Austrian classics of this century reached extraordinary heights in all spheres of art.
It is impossible to understand the culture of such an amazing country if you read or listen to the works of these creators superficially and indifferently. It is very important to understand their essence, deep meaning. Only then will the creations open from an amazing side.
If you “break through” the dryish and rough surface of Franz Grillparzer’s poetry, then you can get inside his world.
If you overcome the length of descriptions by Adalbert Stifter, then each word will be perceived as inexpressibly expressive and quiveringly subtle. Deep meaning lies in the poetry of Georg Trakl. If you overcome the external incoherence of his lines, then this poet will become extremely interesting for many.
The Austrian classics, as if on purpose, surround their world with a protective layer from the bad taste, insipidity and vulgarity common in the 19th century (and not only).
A true creator will not leave his work to the mercy of fate. It is easier for him to be misunderstood today. Let it happen later. But he does not want to be misunderstood at all.
Austrian literature of the 19th century
The 19th century for Austria is a "bourgeois" era. Especially in the second half of this century there is a split in the cultural life of the country. Entertainment is the main focus. No wonder why it is the Viennese operetta that conquers the whole world. In the second half of the 19th century, the concept of "Viennese folk theater" loses its former meaning. It is quite obvious that in such conditions literature arose on behalf of the people. It was a literature in which German and Slavic cultural elements were closely intertwined.
The Slavic theme was of great concern to Austrian writers. The historical tragedy "The Happiness and Death of King Ottokar" is an outstanding work of its time. It was written by the Austrian writer Franz Grillparzer. He also owns the wonderful drama "Libusha". In the work of Adalbert Stifter, the Slavic theme occupies a significant place.
Maria von Ebner-Eschenbach is another outstanding writer. She was directly related to the Slavs: she came from the aristocratic family of Dubsky.
The great writers of Austria in such a difficult time dreamed of friendship and peace between peoples. All this is directly reflected in their excellent works.
Brief information about Austrian poets
Austrian poets have made a great contribution to the development of the culture of their country. Their wonderful writings are loved by those readers who have understood and appreciated their work.
Georg Trakl (1887-1914) lived, as we see, very little. Only 27 years old. He was born in Salzburg on February 3, 1887. Poems began to write from the gymnasium years. He owns such plays: "Day of Obedience", "Fata Morgana", "Mary Magdalene", "Dreamland". From 1910 to 1911 he served in the army. Since 1912 he has been a member of the literary community "Pan". A year later, his first collection of poems was published. In 1914 he was drafted into the army. He saw with his own eyes the horror of war. His psyche could not stand it, and he committed suicide.
René Carl Maria Rilke lived 1875-1926. Since 1894, his first stories have been published, as well as the collection Life and Songs. 
Two years later, his second collection, Victims of Larams, came out. In 1897 he visited Venice and then Berlin, where he settled. Here he creates three more poetry collections. He was greatly influenced by the writer Lou Andreas-Salome. In 1899 he came to Russia. Here he met Leonid Pasternak, Ilya Repin, Leo Tolstoy, Boris Pasternak and many other artists.
Since 1901 he moved to Paris. Until his death, he corresponded with Marina Tsvetaeva, whom he never met. Died in 1926.
Stefan Zweig
The writer Stefan Zweig (1881-1942) is an outstanding Austrian classic. Born in Vienna. In 1905 he went to Paris. From 1906 he travels to Italy, Spain, India, USA, Cuba. In 1917-1918 he lived in Switzerland. After the war, he settled near Salzburg. In 1901, his first book, Silver Strings, was published. He was friends with such prominent cultural figures as Rilke, Rolland, Maserel, Rodin, Mann, Hesse, Wells and many others. During the war years, he wrote an essay about Rolland - "The Conscience of Europe". The author became widely known for his short stories "Amok", "Confusion of feelings", "Chess novel". Zweig often created interesting biographies, masterfully worked with historical documents. In 1935 he wrote the book The Triumph and Tragedy of Erasmus of Rotterdam. On February 22, 1942, he and his wife took a large dose of sleeping pills and died. He categorically did not accept this world.
Composers of Austria
Austrian classical composers cause many people to associate with entire areas of art. The very list of the most talented composers and musicians in Austria is staggering in its scope. This:
Franz Joseph Haydn
Austrian composer, the brightest representative of the Viennese classical school. He was subject to different genres. He wrote 104 symphonies, 83 quartets, 52 piano sonatas, as well as oratorios, operas and masses in his legacy. He was born on March 31, 1732 in Rorau. He mastered playing several instruments at once. In the period 1759-1761. served with Count Mortsin, and then took up the position of vice-kapellmeister at the court of Prince Esterhazy. At the beginning of the service, he composed mainly instrumental music. This is a triptych of the symphonies "Morning", "Noon", "Evening and Storm". In the late 1660s and early 1670s, he wrote serious and dramatic symphonies. “Complaint”, “Mourning”, “Suffering”, “Farewell” stand out in particular. During this period he wrote eighteen string quartets. Haydn Joseph also wrote operas. The most famous are "Pharmacist", "Deceived infidelity", "Lunar world", "Rewarded loyalty", "Roland the paladin", "Armida". In 1787 he wrote six quartets. Researchers note that they were created under the influence of the concertos of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. After the death of Prince Esterhazy (1790), Haydn received creative freedom and the opportunity to travel to other cities. In London, he created the last twelve symphonies. He died in Vienna on March 31, 1809.
Conclusion
Thus, the Austrian classics made a great contribution to the development of human culture. Austrian poetry is distinguished by its unusual language and style. In order to understand the culture of this amazing country, you need to read or listen to the works of art of its classics thoughtfully and carefully, trying to capture their essence. And creations will open from an unexpected side.
