Carl Goldmark

The young Károly (he later changed his name to "Carl") showed his exceptional musical talent already at an early age. In view of the poverty of his family (he was one of 20 children), however, a systematic early musical education was not possible. It was thus a matter of luck that his father was able to send him to Vienna in 1844.

Initially, he began studies at the Technical University of Vienna. Later, he studied violin at the conservatory of the Vienna Friends of Music Society under the then famous teacher Leopold Jansa and theory of harmony under Gottfried Preyer.

Following the closing of the conservatory due to political uprisings, he was forced to earn his living as a violinist in various provincial theatres, until returning to Vienna in 1851. He continued his education auto-didactically, much in the way of Mussorgsky or Charles Ives. Nevertheless, for his creative freshness and power of invention, this was not a disadvantage. He himself stated that he had only learned to read and write at the age of 12 and was only able to attend school for half a year. Yet he compensated for this apparent disadvantage even at an advanced age with intensive study and strict discipline. For five decades, he composed one or more fugues every day and, in spite of his hard times as a young boy, he studied philosophy, the natural sciences and languages - and intensively pursued the study of music theory and the classical masters.

Goldmark finally ventured a decisive step, which proved to be the turning point in his life. He gave up his position as violinist in order to concentrate completely on composing. With his String Quartet, Op. 8 he achieved his first significant success. In 1862 he was then awarded a national scholarship.

In 1865, with the Sakuntala Overture, came his lasting breakthrough as a composer. In 1875, further success came his way with the performance of his opera Die Königin von Saba at the Vienna State Opera. Goldmark suddenly stood at the height of his fame. He was celebrated throughout all of Europe. His friend Johannes Brahms expressed
admiration for him - and his students included the young Jean Sibelius.

His second opera, Merlin, to a text of Siegfried Lipiner, premièred in 1886. Other operas followed with Das Heimchen am Herd (1895), Die Kriegsgefangene (1898), Götz von Berlichingen (1901) and Ein Wintermärchen (1907).

Well versed in the practical aspects of the stage, Goldmark wrote not only six operas, but symphonies as well (the first symphony, with the title "Rustic Wedding Symphony", is one of his most  popular works). He also composed chamber music, songs and concert overtures to stage works, such as the Sakuntala Overture already mentioned, the overture Prometheus Bound and such illustrative overtures as In Italy or In the Spring. His violin concerto has held its place in the modern concert repertoire to this day.

Numerous distinctions, such as honorary membership in the Friends of Music Society in Vienna (1866), the Knight's Cross of the Order of Leopold (1896), an honorary doctorate from the University of Budapest (1910) and honorary membership in the Accademia Santa Cecilia in Rome (1914), speak for the great respect which Goldmark enjoyed.

His autobiography "Aus meinem Leben" was published posthumously in 1922.