Hanns Wolf

Hanns Wolf (sometimes incorrectly called Hans Wolf; June 7, 1894 – July 2, 1968) was a post-romantic and modern composer, pianist and music professor. Nearly all his works were destroyed after World War II, and Wolf was nearly forgotten until 1996 when he was rediscovered by Karl Urlberger.

Biography

Hanns Wolf was born in Bamberg, Germany. Little is known about his childhood, however from 1908 to 1912, he studied under Max Meyer-Olbersleben for composition and Henryk van Zeyl (who was a student of Liszt) for piano in the Würzburg Music Conservatory. to 1924. organized many concerts that can be date backed as early as 1917. Wolf taught piano to Ottmar Geißler (Geissler).

After 1924, Wolf was a professor in the Augsburg Musikhochschule, now known as Leopold Mozart Centre of the University of Augsburg. (who was an organ virtuoso), Piechler was the student of Heinrich Kaspar Schmid who was the director of the music school. Wolf also played piano around Europe, playing the works of Dobrowen and Wladigeroff. However, the outbreak of World War II forced him to stay in Germany. He continued to hold his position as a professor in the university until the war ended in 1945, when he resigned as a professor and lived as an independent composer and pianist.

He died at the age of 74 on July 2, 1968, in Füssen, Germany.

Compositions, works and performances A majority of his work has been destroyed or lost, most likely for political reasons, but it is still uncertain. As a pianist, he performed with Otto Klemperer, Georg Ludwig Jochum, and Eduard van Beinum. Ernst und Scherz (Serious and Joking) 10 piano pieces (1930) Leichte Spielmusik (Light music) 10 small piano pieces for youth Étude in E minor Springbrunnen Paraphrase for the piano on "Wiener Blut" by Johann Strauss II 5 Franconian Dances for four hands (~1935) Schottisch Polka Polka Walzer Galopp Vier Bauerntänze (Op. 7, 4 Peasant Dances for strings) (pub. Anton Böhm & Sohn, Augsburg, 1937) Piano arrangement of a minuet by Leopold Mozart (1937) Piano arrangement of 3 German Dances by Wolfang Amadeus Mozart (K. 605; 1971) (pub. Anton Böhm & Sohn, Augsburg, 1933) Prof. Mannheim (1934) Twelve variations on a minuet by Johann Christian Fischer KV 179, (A rewrite of the original variations by Mozart, this work was originally started by Alfred Hoffmiller of the Augsburg music school; 1940s?)

Rediscovery and recordings In 1996, Karl Urlberger reintroduced Hanns Wolf to the world, recording five of Wolf's pieces (listed below) in 1997 under the •K•U• Classics (Aschaffenburg) label.

PieceInstrumentationPerformer(s)Additional informationPiano Concerto in C-sharp minor Piano and orchestra Dana Borsan (pianist), National Radio Orchestra of Romania conducted by Composed in 19294 Peasant Dances for strings Strings National Radio Orchestra of Romania conducted by Ludovic Bács Étude in E minor Springbrunnen Piano Dana Borsan Piano rearrangement of a Minuet by Leopold Mozart Piano Dana Borsan In D majorParaphrase for the piano on "Wiener Blut" Piano Dana Borsan

Piano concerto The piano concerto was probably composed in 1929; it is known to be performed as early as 1935 in Coburg by the Coburg Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde. Another performance was given on 21 July 1938, in a music program including Hector Berlioz's Roman Carnival overture, and Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony, in this performance Hanns Wolf was the pianist. In 1939, under the baton of (1903–1968) in the Flensburg Grenzlandtheater the piano concerto was performed again with Wolf as the pianist; the work was celebrated and was very successful in this performance. That same year, Wolf's 5 Franconian Dances for Four hands was published by .

On 8 September 2011, in the 2011 George Enescu Festival, Dana Borsan again performed the piano concerto, but with the "Moldova" Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Sébastian Rouland. This performance was recorded, and was published on YouTube on 25 April 2013, thus making Wolf more well-known.

Other In Box 16 (1927) of the Ernst Henschel collection, there might be a recording of Hanns Wolf's piano recital dated 1 October 1927.

Wolf was recognized in Peter Hollfelder's Lexikon Klaviermusik in 2005.

Wolf's piano concerto was mentioned in Paul D. Escudero's Pluto II: Voyage to the End of the Universe when Greg listened to it to achieve a "Hemi-Sync Reality" during meditation.