Wilhelm Mauke (1867-1930)

[Wheesht]

Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Mauke (born 25 February 1867 in Hamburg; died 25 August 1930 in Wiesbaden) was a German composer and writer on music.

Here is the main body of his German wikipedia entry in translation:

Family and education
Wilhelm Mauke came from a Hamburg publishing family on his father's side; his mother, née Dreyer, died in 1882. At the age of four, he moved with his family to Leipzig, where he attended the Königliche Gymnasium from Easter 1880 to Easter 1888, graduating with his school leaving certificate. At his father's request, he then studied medicine in Munich, but failed the Physikum (first part of the medical degree). After a falling out with his father, he decided to give up medicine and study musicology instead. From 1891 to 1892, he studied with Hans Huber and cantor Oskar Löw in Basel. He then returned to Munich, where he became a student of Ludwig Abel, Max Hieber and Josef Gabriel Rheinberger at the Akademie für Tonkunst (Academy of Music).
Work as a writer on music
During this time, he was close to the circle of Munich naturalists. Under the influence of his friend Michael Georg Conrad, he began to publish essays in various magazines, including the Leipziger Tageblatt, Die Gesellschaft and the Revista musicala svizra, in addition to his compositional activities.
His reviews, which he wrote for various daily newspapers, particularly in his role as music correspondent for the Münchner Post and the Münchner Zeitung, earned him much recognition but also hostility. His heart belongs to his musical works, not to the role of critic, which he nevertheless performs with great skill, vigour and wit, drawing on his rich knowledge of literature to serve the truth as he sees and understands it and to fight unreservedly against what is bad and false.
Richard Strauss, whom he at times preferred to Richard Wagner, was the subject of various pieces in which he analysed Strauss' symphonic compositions, as he did with Max von Schilling's opera Ingwelde.
Work as a composer
Due to his enthusiasm for Hugo Wolf, he initially studied song composition in theory and practice. Alongside and before Richard Strauss, he was the first to set contemporary lyric poetry and social poetry to music. His songs, which reveal Mauke as a melodist who cared little for traditional rules and prescribed patterns, therefore demand not only great vocal power and expressiveness from the performer, but also intellectual insight. The highlights of his song compositions are considered to be Detlev von Liliencron's Aus einem Raubzug and Richard Dehmel's Venus primitiva. From 1908 onwards, he increasingly set poems by Goethe and Heine to music. Between 1894 and 1925, he composed a total of around 150 songs and choral works for piano or orchestra.
His symphonic poems are strongly influenced by Wagner, Richard Strauss and Anton Bruckner. His symphony Einsamkeit (Loneliness) from 1904 is considered a self-confession of an artist struggling with himself and the world.
His operas are considered his magnum opus, with Die letzte Maske (The Last Mask) enjoying the greatest stage success.
At the end of his life, Mauke, for whom art had remained an unfruitful pursuit, looked back on his work with resignation and spoke self-deprecatingly of his megalomania. On 28 July 1926, the Wilhelm Mauke Association was founded in Munich with the aim of helping the master to gain the public recognition he deserved, brightening his twilight years as far as possible and giving him the strength to continue his work. Michael Georg Conrad was elected honorary president and Wilibald Nagel was chairman.
Wilhelm Mauke had been married to his second wife, the writer Ida Vees, since 1898.

His literary estate, including correspondence with Otto Julius Bierbaum, Michael Georg Conrad, Max Halbe, and Detlev von Liliencron, as well as manuscripts, travel diaries, photos, and a death mask, is kept at the Monacensia Literary Archive. Twenty-nine musical autographs that were left at the time of his death are in held the music department of the Munich City Library.


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In "Signale für die musikalische Welt" (4 February 1920) there is a detailed review of the premiere of his Symphony 'Gold' [German original at the bottom]:

Gold.
Choral symphony by Wilhelm Mauke.
(Premiere in Munich on 18 November 1919.)

Motto: Obedient to Satan as to Angel, Almighty God Gold!

Wilhelm Mauke's 'Gold' symphony is a product of war, composed between 1913 and 1915. At a time when greed for gold had driven people mad, when money, both accursed and yet so necessary, influenced all artistic endeavours and paralysed many idealistic aspirations and activities, a composer boldly and honestly took on this gold-hungry monster of the times and lit a torch for the exasperated human race, whose light must penetrate even the most hidden chambers of the heart – if there is still a spark of feeling and honesty left in those hearts. Wilhelm Mauke's strength as a composer and, at the same time, the greatest ethical value of his large-scale Gold Symphony lies in this honesty of conviction, often carried through to the point of bitterness, and in a truly German musical way of thinking that keeps it refreshingly away from the 'verbosity' of modern crowd-pleasing music. Like the symphonic poem 'Einsamkeit' (Loneliness), the 'Memento vivere' dedicated to the memory of [the poet] Liliencron, and the tone poem 'Sursum corda', it too has the idealisation of humanity as its basic idea.
Despite the titles of the individual movements, which are marked with words, 'Gold' is not programme music in the Berlioz-Liszt sense; the work could be described as music of ideas, for the idea is rooted in treating the world-conquering power of gold in its immense impact on the human race in epic form, as Wagner, to whom Mauke pays homage in the scherzo with two quotations, did in dramatic form (Der Ring des Nibelungen).
The first movement presents the original theme of the power of gold in all its majestic grandeur, followed by the second theme, which expresses the happiness of possession.
A tightly conducted wind choir symbolises the victory of gold, for whose possession millions of creatures of various kinds and dispositions have struggled. With sharply characterised instrumentation, the second movement (scherzo) depicts the dance around the golden calf, at the same time a satanic orgy in which Fafner's quote 'I lie and possess' flashes up. The third movement (Adagio) addresses the generous human being, the genius, with a noble string melody and leads into the realm of the blessed, where artists and heroes do not crave glittering gold, for the truth of all possessions dwells in their hearts. Finally, the last movement, which deals with the redemption of the cursed metal through compassion and love, brings in the mixed choir with two solo voices, tenor and soprano, to join the large orchestra. The text is taken from the verses of the Spanish poet Sâr Peladan (translated into German by Emil Schernig), who placed this hymn as a lyrical preface before his novel 'Die Allmacht des Goldes' (The Omnipotence of Gold).
In the finale, Mauke first prepares a great inner gathering through the characterisingly conducted choir, accompanied only by the orchestra, before concluding with a moving, triumphant crescendo. It is no surprise that Bruckner's spirit shines through in the adagio and in the conducting of the wind sections.
 It is precisely in such a powerfully conceived musical profession of faith that a great spirit inspires emulation and elevates judgement to a higher level. It is characteristic of Mauke that his subject matter contains a ruthlessly honest idiosyncrasy that serves only idealism and spurns any kind of pleasing, outwardly effective manner. From a purely technical point of view, even greater skill and broader experience in all that pleases the ear would probably have made an even more powerful impression; but Mauke wants to go his own way, and significant details of his music compel us to follow him. The fact that this powerful "golden symphony", born of an unshakeable belief in music, was nevertheless properly appreciated and evaluated was proven by its heartfelt, unusual success, and – since Mauke, as an upright critic (Wilhelm Mauke is an opera and music critic for the Münchener Zeitung), has hardly made only good friends in the musical world, this success speaks all the more clearly for the artistic values of the work. Heinrich Laber from Gera, who always stands up for creative contemporaries, gave such a fiery, clear and purposeful performance despite the truly unfavourable rehearsal conditions and the still undisciplined concert association orchestra that one wonders why such a musical personality is not offered more opportunities to conduct in Munich.
Munich's jealously guarded isolation in the matter of conductors has already led to inbreeding; are they perhaps afraid that there might be other conductors out there?
Ferdinand Keyfel

Original German text of the review:

Das Gold.
Chorsymphonie von Wilhelm Mauke.
(Uraufführung München, den 18. November 1919.)

Motto: Fügsam dem Satan wie dem Engel, Allgottheit Gold!

Wilhelm Mauke's ,,Gold"-Symphonie ist ein Kriegskind, entstanden 1913-1915. Zu einer Zeit, als die Gier nach Gold die Menschen zu Rasenden gemacht hatte, als das verruchte und doch so notwendige Geld alle künstlerischen Unternehmungen beeinflusste und manches ideelle Wollen und Wirken lahmlegte, ist ein Komponist frisch und ehrlich diesem goldgierigen Zeitungeheuer an die Gurgel gefahren und hat der entnervten Menschheit eine Fackel angezündet deren Leuchten bis in die verborgensten Herzenskämmerlein dringen muss, – wenn überhaupt noch ein Funken Gefühl und Ehrlichkeit in den Herzen steckt. In dieser oft bis zur Erbitterung durchgeführten Ehrlichkeit der Gesinnung und in einer wahrhaft deutschen musikalischen Denkungsart, die sich wohltuend von der ,,Redeseligkeit" neuzeitlicher Gefälligkeitsmusik fern hält, liegt Wilhelm Mauke's Stärke als Tonsetzer und zugleich der grösste, ethische Wert seiner gross angelegten Goldsymphonie. Auch sie hat wie die symphonische Dichtung ,,Einsamkeit", das dem Andenken Lilieneron's geweihte ,,Memento vivere", die Tondichtung ,,Sursum corda", die Idealisierung
des Menschentums zum Grundgedanken.
Trotz der mit Worten gekennzeichneten Überschriften der einzelnen Sätze stellt das ,,Gold" keine Programmmusik in Berlioz-Liszt'schem Sinne dar; man könnte das Werk als Ideen-Musik bezeichnen, denn die Idee wurzelt darin, die weltbezwingende Macht des Goldes in seinen ungeheuren Einwirkungen auf das Menschengeschlecht in epischer Form zu behandeln, wie etwa Wagner, dem Mauke im Scherzo mit zwei Zitaten huldigt, in dramatischer Form (Nibelungenring) getan hat.
Der erste Satz bringt in wuchtiger Grösse das Urthema der Goldmacht, dem sich als zweites Thema das Glück des Besitzes anreiht.
Ein eng geführter Bläserchor versinnbildet den Sieg des Goldes, um dessen Besitz Millionen von Geschöpfen verschiedenster Art und Gesinnung gerungen haben. Mit scharf charakterisierter Instrumentation bringt der zweite Satz (Scherzo) den Tanz um das goldene Kalb, zugleich eine satanische Orgie, in der das Fafner-Zitat ,,Ich lieg und besitz" aufblitzt. Der dritte Satz (Adagio) wendet sich mit einem edlen Streichergesang an den grosszügigen Menschen, an das Genie, und führt in die Gefilde der Seligen, wo Künstler und Helden nicht nach gleissendem Golde lechzen, da ihnen die Wahrhaftigkeit allen Besitzes im Herzen wohnet. Der Schlusssatz endlich, der die Entsühnung des verfluchten Metalls durch Mitleid und Liebe zum Inhalt hat, lässt zum grossen Orchester noch den gemischten Chor treten mit zwei Solostimmen, Tenor und Sopran. Als Text dienen die Verse des spanischen Dichters Sâr Peladan (verdeutscht von Emil Schernig), der diesen Hymnus als lyrisches Vorwort seinem Roman ,,Die Allmacht des Goldes" vorangestellt hat. Im Finale bereitet Mauke zunächst durch den charakterisierend geführten Chor, vom Orchester nur umkleidet, eine grosse, innere Sammlung vor, um dann mit ergreifender, triumphaler Steigerung abzuschliessen.
Dass im Adagio und in der Führung der Bläsergruppen Bruckner'scher Geist niederstrahlt, darf nicht verwundern. Weckt doch gerade bei solch mächtig angelegtem musikalischen Glaubensbekenntnis ein grosser Geist Nacheiferung und gibt dem Urteil höhere Gesetze. Dabei ist es für Mauke bezeichnend, dass in seiner Thematik eine rücksichtslos ehrliche Eigenart steckt, die nur dem Idealismus dient und jegliche gefällige, äusserlich wirksame Art verschmäht. Rein technisch betrachtet, hätte ein noch grösseres Können und eine erweiterte Erfahrung in all dem, was dem Ohre gefällt, wohl noch mächtigere Eindrücke erzielt; aber Mauke will nun einmal eigene Wege gehen, und bedeutende Einzelheiten seiner Musik zwingen uns, ihm zu folgen. Dass diese aus unerschütterlichem Glauben an die Musik geborene gewaltige Goldsymphonie dennoch richtig gewürdigt und eingeschätzt wurde, bewies der herzliche, ungewöhnliche Erfolg, und, – da Mauke als aufrechter Kritiker (Wilhelm Mauke ist Opern- und Musik-Kritiker an der ,,Münchener Zeitung") nichts weniger als gute Freunde in der musikalischen Welt sich gemacht hat, spricht dieser Erfolg wohl umso deutlicher für die künstlerischen Werte des Werkes. Heinrich Laber aus Gera, der stets unentwegt für schaffende Zeitgenossen eine Lanze bricht, bot trotz der ungünstigsten Probeverhältnisse und des noch wenig disziplinierten Konzertvereins-Orchesters eine derart feuerige, klare und zielbewusste Dirigentenleistung, dass man sich verwundert fragt, warum einer solchen Musiker-Persönlichkeit nicht öfters Gelegenheit zum Dirigieren in München geboten wird.
Die peinlich gehütete Abgeschlossenheit Münchens in der Dirigentenfrage hat bereits schon zur Inzucht geführt; fürchtet man sich vieleicht, dass es noch andere Dirigenten geben könnte?!
Ferdinand Keyfel

[Alan Howe]

How fascinating. Yet another composer worthy of investigation.