Unsung Composers

The Music => Digital Realisations => Topic started by: tpaloj on Friday 09 January 2026, 20:32

Title: Paul Umlauft's Symphony in E major
Post by: tpaloj on Friday 09 January 2026, 20:32
The composer Paul Umlauft's (1853–1934) name came up recently in a thread on a 1893 opera competition (https://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,9909.0.html). Known mainly for his choral work Agandecca and the prize-winning opera Evanthia, it seems that he also composed a Symphony to which an autograph full score is preserved alongside a set of performance parts at SLUB. I have no more info on the work beyond this.

As a sample, you can listen to the Scherzo of the symphony here. I still have the finale to type out and do some more proofreading on all the movements, but I'll be sure to update here once I've managed to upload the full work on Youtube. Stylistically, the symphony on the whole is mellow rather than forceful and its musical focus is on melody. Quite a bit of Brahms and Draeseke (but not nearly as biting as the latter).

DROPBOX LINK: link (https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/0557hrkyqdbuapo7vj9qe/Paul-Umlauft-Symphony-in-E-Scherzo-Noteperformer-work-in-progress.mp3?rlkey=ivv1a8igrmizic77mv8ne9rkg&st=jj6kbzn5&dl=0)
Title: Re: Paul Umlauft's Symphony in E major
Post by: Reverie on Saturday 10 January 2026, 11:53
This is great stuff thank you.

I started this a few years ago but gave up on it for some reason. I might have inputted the notes for a lot of it if it's of any use to you?
Title: Re: Paul Umlauft's Symphony in E major
Post by: tpaloj on Saturday 10 January 2026, 20:29
Thanks, that's very kind of you  :) I've inputted everything until the finale, so if you have something beyond that, it might help.

It's a bunch of work, this symphony, compared to many others. A lot of notes. Umlauft was certainly gifted as an orchestrator, though, so it's been a pleasure studying this piece so far.
Title: Re: Paul Umlauft's Symphony in E major
Post by: Reverie on Saturday 10 January 2026, 21:46
Check your email
Title: Re: Paul Umlauft's Symphony in E major
Post by: tpaloj on Wednesday 14 January 2026, 05:54
Much obliged!
Title: Re: Paul Umlauft's Symphony in E major
Post by: tpaloj on Wednesday 28 January 2026, 18:13
Here is Paul Umlauft's entire E-major symphony! A rather long but rewarding work, with some very accomplished melodic writing throughout its duration. The idiom is traditional with regards to form and tonality. According to a note on the symphony's entry on RISM, it was apparently composed in 1899 and premiered in 1901 at Glachau.

A special thanks to Reverie for providing me with his files for the finale, which helped me with the note entry part on quite a lot of pages there.

YOUTUBE LINK: https://youtu.be/B24t_nak2cw (https://youtu.be/B24t_nak2cw)
Title: Re: Paul Umlauft's Symphony in E major
Post by: Reverie on Friday 30 January 2026, 12:11
Well done Tuomas. That's a lot of notes, all 40 odd minutes of it.

Very Brahmsian of course but still an accomplished work. My personal favourite is the 2nd movement, a sumptuous intermezzo which I have listened to twice and enjoyed very much.

I'd take the scherzo a bit quicker if it were me. The Finale is a tad too long perhaps but the last pages are marvelous.

Thank you.