Eduard Hanslick

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

His most famous work, the 1854 book Vom Musikalisch-Schönen (On the Musically Beautiful), was very important for the aesthetics of music. In this book, he shared his ideas and beliefs about what makes music special and beautiful.

Hanslick had strong opinions about music. He believed in absolute music, which is music that stands on its own without telling a story, rather than programmatic music, which is inspired by stories or ideas. Because of this, he supported composers like Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms. He often spoke against the works of other composers such as Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner, during a time known as the "War of the Romantics".

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 father, 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 important books about music. His most famous book, Vom Musikalisch-Schönen, came out in 1854. He also wrote about concerts in Vienna, modern opera, his own life, and essays about musicians. All of these works helped people understand music better.

• 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