Anton Urspruch
5 Fantasiestücke, Op.25 Morceaux, Op.196 Männerchöre8 Lieder, Op.23Ave maris stella, Op.24Cello Sonata, Op.29Der SturmDeutsche Tänze, Op.7Piano Quintet, Op.21Piano Trio, Op.12Präludium und Capriccio, Op.22Rosenlieder, Op.5Variationen über ein eigenes Thema, Op.10WikipediaAnton Urspruch (17 February 1850 – 11 January 1907) was a German composer and pedagogue who belonged to the late German Romantic era.
In 1878 he was appointed one of the first teachers at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt when it opened there, teaching piano and composition and had friendly communication with
Clara Schumann and
Johannes Brahms. After the death in 1882 of the Conservatory director
Joachim Raff, Urspruch moved to the newly founded Raff-Konservatorium in Frankfurt, where he taught until his death.
In 1883 Urspruch married Emmy Cranz, daughter of the music publisher August Cranz.
In addition to his teaching, he produced a wide variety of compositions from piano solo, solo voice, choir, chamber music up to large orchestral works as well as two operas. Many of his works had successful performances in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Leipzig and Frankfurt.
In the last years of his life Urspruch was part of the revival of Gregorian Chant, having contact with the Beuron Archabbey and the cloister at Maria Laach Abbey.
In his lifetime Urspruch was highly recognised internationally as an advocate of the late romantic period. After his early death he was soon forgotten.
Few of Urspruch's works are commercially available. Some of his songs have been released by the German label MDG (opp. 6, 8, 23 & 25), whilst the E flat major Symphony and the Piano Concerto have been recorded and released on CPO 555194. The pianist Ana-Marija Markovina has been recording his complete piano music for the label Genuin. Volume I has been released. His opera Das Unmöglichste von Allem was recorded live in 2012, conducted by Israel Yinon and released by the Naxos label in 2013. In September 2018, Urspruch's Piano Concerto in E flat major, opus 9, was released on Hyperion's 'The Romantic Piano Concerto' series (volume 77).