Hugo Wolf
Austrian composer (1860–1903) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hugo Wolf (born Windischgraz (now Slovenj Gradec, Slovenia) 13 March, 1860; died Vienna, 22 February 1903) was an Austrian composer of Slovene origin. He is famous for his Lieder (German art songs). He found new ways of expressing poetry in music. He used the song forms that had been made by Schubert and Schumann, but his harmonies bring something very new and personal to German song. He was particularly fond of the music of Richard Wagner and his tonal writing is influenced by him. He belongs to the late Romantic period.
Although he wrote other kinds of music besides Lieder, the only other piece of his which is played regularly is his Italian Serenade.
At times Wolf worked very hard and composed a lot of music. At other times he felt unhappy and had depression. Towards the end of his life he went mad and had to go to an asylum. He died of syphilis.
His name is pronounced “Hoo-go Volf” (rhyming with “golf”).