Eugen d'Albert

Eugen Francis Charles d'Albert (April 10 1864 – March 3 1932) was a pianist and composer of Scottish birth who lived primarily in Germany.

D'Albert was born in Glasgow to a French/Italian father, Charles d'Albert, a composer of ballet music, and an English mother. He never spoke English fluently and considered himself to be German.

A self-taught musician, he won a scholarship to the Royal College of Music in London and moved to Vienna as a youth. He was a pupil of Franz Liszt, and can be heard in an early recording of that composer's works. His output includes a symphony, two string quartets, two piano concertos, a cello concerto, and many operas, lieder and piano works. He was married six times, one of his wives being the Venezuelan pianist/singer/composer Teresa Carreno.

Works

Operas

• Der Rubin (1893)
• Ghismonda (1895)
• Gernot (1897)
• Die Abreise (1898)
• Kain (1900)
• Der Improvisator (1902)
• Tiefland (1903)
• Flauto solo (1905)
• Tragaldabas (1907)
• Izëyl (1909)
• Die verschenkte Frau (1912)
• Liebesketten (1912)
• Die toten Augen (1916)
• Der Stier von Olivera (1918)
• Revolutionshochzeit (1919)
• Scirocco (1921)
• Mareike von Nymwegen (1923)
• Der Golem (1926)
• Die schwarze Orchidee (1928)
• Die Witwe von Ephesos (1930)
• Mister Wu (1932)

Orchestral works

• Piano Concerto No. 1 in B minor Op. 2 (1884)
• Symphony in F major Op. 4 (1886)
• Esther Op. 8 (1888)
• Piano Concerto No. 2 in E major Op. 12 (1893)
• Cello Concerto in C major Op. 20 (1899)
• Aschenputtel. Suite Op. 33 (1924)
• Symphonic Prelude to Tiefland Op. 34 (1924)

Chamber works

• Suite in D minor for piano Op. 1 (1883)
• Eight Piano pieces Op. 5
• String Quartet No. 1 in A minor Op. 7 (1887)
• Piano sonata in F sharp minor Op. 10 (1893)
• String Quartet No. 2 in E flat major Op. 11 (1893)

Vocal music

• Der Mensch und das Leben Op. 14 (1893)
• Seejungfräulein Op. 15 (1897)
• Wie wir die Natur erleben Op. 24 (1903)
• Mittelalterliche Venushymne Op. 26 (1904)
• An den Genius von Deutschland Op. 30 (1904)
• d'Albert also wrote total of 58 lieder for voice and piano, published in 10 volumes

Books

Raupp, Wilhelm. Eugen d'Albert. Ein Künstler- und Menschenschicksal. Leipzig : Koehler und Amelang. 1930.

Pangels, Charlotte. Eugen d'Albert : Wunderpianist und Komponist : eine Biographie. Zürich ; Freiburg i Br. : Atlantis Musikbuch-Verlag. 1981. ISBN 3761105959.