Max Josef Beer

Max Josef Beer (25 August 1851 – 25 November 1908 in Vienna) was an Austrian composer.

Max Josef Beer studied with Felix Otto Dessoff and at a very young age received a commission from the Austrian government for the compositions Ariadne auf Naxos, Die Auferweckung des Lazarus, and a number of songs.

On 15 February 1871, his opera seria in four acts, Elizabeth of Hungary, premiered at Milan's La Scala, starring Elisabetta Sternberg (soprano), Louis Auguste Arsandaux (tenor), Jean-Louis Lasalle (baritone) and Joseph-Victor Warot (bass).

Beer also wrote Der Streik der Schmiede, a verismo one-act opera, which unsuccessfully premiered at Augsburg, 1897.

He died in Vienna at age 57 and was buried at the Vienna Central Cemetery.

Other compositions

Fünf Minnelieder for pianoforte Sechs Lieder für eine Singstimme for voice with piano accompaniment Eichendorffiana, 9 piano pieces Ghazals, 6 piano pieces Lyrisches Intermezzo, four impressions for piano Sturm und Stille, 6 songs based on poems by C. Stögmann, Oskar von Redwitz, Heinrich Heine, Friedrich Rückert Des Sängers Fluch, after Ludwig Uhland, for declamation with piano accompaniment Ein Fastnachtsmärchen, 8 Carnival pieces for piano Aus lichten Tagen, 4 clavier-poetry Abendfeier, three fantasy pieces for piano, four hands Liebesleben, for soprano, tenor, bass and piano Haidebilder aus Ungarn, 3 piano pieces for four hands Die schöne Kellnerin von Bacharach und ihre Gäste [The beautiful waitress from Bacharach and their guests], five poems by N. Müller for a deeper voice with piano accompaniment Aus der Minnezeit, Op. 31, song cycle for women's choir and piano accompaniment Sweet Evening comes with a softer air, Op. 25, solo and chorus for male voices, texts by A. J. Foxwell