Eduard Hanslick

Eduard Hanslick (11 September 1825 – 6 August 1904) was an Austrian music critic, aesthetician, and historian. He was one of the most important critics of his time. He worked as the chief music critic of the Neue Freie Presse from 1864 until he died.

His most well-known book, Vom Musikalisch-Schönen (On the Musically Beautiful), talked about his ideas on what makes music special and beautiful. It was very important for the aesthetics of music.

Hanslick had strong feelings about music. He liked absolute music, which is music that stands alone without telling a story. He did not like programmatic music, which is based on stories or ideas. He supported composers like Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms. He often disagreed with the works of composers such as Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner.

Life and career

Eduard Hanslick was born in Prague, Bohemia, which was part of the Austrian Empire. His father was a music teacher, and his mother learned piano from her grandfather, a merchant from Vienna. When he was eighteen, Hanslick studied music with Václav Tomášek, a famous musician in Prague. He also studied law at Prague University and later wrote music reviews for newspapers, eventually becoming the music critic for the Neue Freie Presse, where he worked until he retired.

In 1854, Hanslick published his famous book On the Beautiful in Music. He was interested in the music of Mozart, Beethoven, and Johannes Brahms, and wrote about these composers. He also taught music history and aesthetics at the University of Vienna and served on juries for music competitions. Hanslick continued writing about important new music until he passed away in 1904 in Baden.

Views on music

Eduard Hanslick liked music that followed traditional rules. He thought the best music started with Mozart and reached its peak with Beethoven, Schumann, and Brahms. He strongly supported Brahms and often wrote about him, sometimes comparing him to another famous composer named Wagner.

Hanslick believed that music should express itself through its form, not through stories or dramatic effects. He was a close friend of Brahms and sometimes heard new music before anyone else. His ideas about music were explained in a book he wrote in 1854. He also wrote about other composers, sometimes with strong opinions.

Works (German editions)

Eduard Hanslick wrote many books about music. His most famous book, Vom Musikalisch-Schönen, was published in 1854. He also wrote about concerts in Vienna, modern opera, his life, and essays about musicians. His books helped people learn more about music.

• Eduard Hanslick, "Vom Musikalisch-Schönen". Leipzig 1854 online version
• Eduard Hanslick, "Geschichte des Konzertwesens in Wien", 2 vol. Vienna 1869–70
• Eduard Hanslick, "Die moderne Oper", 9 vol. Berlin 1875–1900
• Eduard Hanslick, "Aus meinem Leben", 2 vol. Berlin 1894
• Eduard Hanslick, "Suite. Aufsätze über Musik und Musiker". Vienna 1884