Era: Late Romantic

STENHAMMAR, Wilhelm

Born in Stockholm, Feb 7, 1871
Died in Stockholm, Nov 20, 1927

Stenhammar was a Swedish conductor, organist, and pianist. He studied organ and theory with private teachers, but as a composer, he was mostly self-taught.
Fun fact: Stenhammar came from an artistic family that included and architect and composer (his father) a visual artist (his mother), singers (his uncle and aunt), and a choral conductor (his cousin). As a child he was part of a family choir that sang for upper-class families.
Stenhammar was a conductor who held posts directing the Stockholm Philharmonic Society, the Swedish Royal Opera, the New Philharmonic Society, and the Göteborg Orchestral Society.¹

Biography and works list from Swedish Musical Heritage

Pieces

Late Romantic Austrian

STRAUS, Oscar

Born in Vienna, March 6, 1870
Died in Bad Ischl, Jan 11, 1954²

Pieces

20th Century Late Romantic German

STRAUSS, Richard

Born in Munich, June 11, 1864
Died in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Sept 8, 1949³

Biography

Pieces

20th Century Late Romantic Czech

SUK, Josef

Born in Křečovice, Jan 4, 1874
Died in Benešov, nr Prague, May 29, 1935

Josef Suk was the child of a choirmaster/ schoolmaster, from whom he learned to play piano, violin, and organ. In 1885 (age 11), Suk entered the Prague Conservatory. He stayed on an extra year after graduation to study composition with Antonín Dvořák, becoming the composer’s favorite pupil.
- Fun fact: in 1898, Suk married Dvořák’s daughter, Otilie (Otilka).
- In 1922, Suk himself became a professor of composition at the Prague Conservatory.
As a composer, Suk was most at home with instrumental music. He was seen by many as Dvořák’s musical successor. His earlier works display qualities of sensuous late romanticism. Following the deaths of his father-in-law in 1904 and his wife in 1905, Suk’s music took a dramatic turn towards more complexity, introspection, and even polytonality.
Unlike many of his Czech predecessors, Suk almost never drew on folk music or literary sources for inspiration.
In addition to composition, Suk led a distinguished international career as a violinist in the Czech Quartet until he retired from performing in 1933.⁴

Learn More

Biography from Seattle Chamber Music Society

Pieces

Tale of a Winter’s Evening, Op. 9

Late Romantic Estonian

TOBIAS, Rudolf

Born in Käina, Hiiumaa Island, May 29, 1873
Died in Berlin, Oct 29, 1918⁵

Rudolf Tobias was an extremely important figure in the founding of an Estonian classical music tradition. His “Julius Caesar” Overture is considered to be a foundational symphonic work in the emergence of a distinct classical music culture in the country.⁶
Tobias’s compositional output includes works for orchestra, chamber ensemble, choir, solo piano and organ, and solo voice.⁷

Biography (translated)

Pieces

“Julius Caesar” Overture

20th Century Late Romantic English

WARLOCK, Peter

Born in London, Oct 30, 1894
Died in London, Dec 17, 1930¹

“Peter Warlock” was a pseudonymn. He was born Philip Arnold Heseltine.

Biography from Boosey & Hawkes

Sources

Barry Smith, “Warlock, Peter,” Grove Music Online (2001), accessed February 23, 2021, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000029912.

Pieces

20th Century Late Romantic Italian

WOLF-FERRARI, Ermanno

Born in Venice, Jan 12, 1876
Died in Venice, Jan 21, 1948⁸

Biography

Pieces

Late Romantic Austrian

ZEMLINSKY, Alexander

Born in Vienna, Oct 14, 1871
Died in Larchmont, NY, March 15, 1942

Alexander Zemlinsky was a composer, conductor, and educator whose contributions to classical music at the turn of the century have largely been overshadowed by his Austrian contemporaries.
The composer’s earlier works reflect the influence of Brahms and Wagner. Coincidentally, one of Zemlinsky’s earliest advocates was Johannes Brahms, who was impressed by the young composer’s music.
Unlike his contemporaries of the Second Viennese School, Zemlinsky rejected atonality. Rather, his music is known for its emotional intensity.
Zemlinsky had a lifelong friendship with Arnold Schoenberg. The two met in 1895 when Schoenberg joined an amateur orchestra that Zemlinsky was conducting at the time called the Polyhymnia. Zemlinsky would go on to instruct Schoenberg in composition. And in 1901, Schoenberg married Zemlinsky’s sister, making the two brothers-in-law.
Fun fact – Zelminsky was involved in a passionate love affair with Alma Schindler, one of his composition students, shortly before she married Gustav Mahler.⁹

Biography

Pieces

Die Seejungfrau (The Mermaid)