Hermann Zopff: Septet ‘Jünglingsträume’
(‚Dreams of a young man’)
Hermann Zopff (* June 1,1826 in Glogau; † July 12,
1883 in Leipzig) is a nearly forgotten German
musicologist and composer. Already in his youth he
showed a strong inclination to music and he started
composing. But his father urged him to study
agriculture, and only after the successful performance
of an ouverture, one of his first compositions, he was
allowed to devote himself completely to music. In
Berlin in 185...(+)
Hermann Zopff: Septet ‘Jünglingsträume’
(‚Dreams of a young man’)
Hermann Zopff (* June 1,1826 in Glogau; † July 12,
1883 in Leipzig) is a nearly forgotten German
musicologist and composer. Already in his youth he
showed a strong inclination to music and he started
composing. But his father urged him to study
agriculture, and only after the successful performance
of an ouverture, one of his first compositions, he was
allowed to devote himself completely to music. In
Berlin in 1850 he became private pupil of Adolf
Bernhard Marx. At the “Sternsches Konservatorium”
he was educated on the piano by Theodor Kullak. He
founded an opera academy and composed music for the
stage. In 1856 he was promoted to Dr. phil. Then he
became teacher and professor for music theory and
singing at the Konservatorium Leipzig. He became well
known as music reviewer. He was announced as editorial
member and responsible editor of the ‘Neue
Zeitschrift für Musik’. He was active member and
member of the board of the 'Allgemeiner deutscher
Musikverein’.
Zopf has written important mucic theoretical works and
he has composed music of different kind. We were able
to show the following compositions:
- Several religious songs with accompaniment of piano
or several other instruments
- Ouverture for Schillers „Wilhelm Tell“ for
orchestra
- Oratorium „Totenfeier Alexanders des Großen“
- Several never performed operas, among them
„Mohammed“, „Wilhem Tell“, „Karaman“,
„Proteus“, „Judas Maccabäus“ op. 46
(1879)
- Music for chorus: Alexandrea. – Anbetung Gottes.
– Astraea. – Brauthymne.
- Arrangement from Richard Wagner‘s opera
„Parsifal“
- Septet for wind instruments and piano
„Jünglingsträume“
This septet in the extraordinary instrumentation for
flute, oboe, clarinet in A and B, basset horn, french
horn, bassoon and piano was composed in 1862 for the
‘Dresdener Musikverein’. We do not know if it has
been performed there. The autograph of this
comprehensive romantic composition is preserved in the
‘Sächsische Landes- und Universitätsbibliothek
Dresden SLUB (Sign. Mus. 6565-Q-500) and is digitally
available there. I am grateful to the musical
department of the SLUB for their consent to
publication.
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