August Wilhelm Ambros

August Wilhelm Ambros
August Wilhelm Ambros
    August Wilhelm Ambros
     Catholic_Encyclopedia August Wilhelm Ambros
    Historian of music and art critic, one of the greatest in modern times, b. at Mauth, near Prague, in Bohemia, 17 November, 1816; d. in Vienna, 28 June, 1876. Although destined for the profession of law, in which he obtained the doctor's degree, and advanced to the point of becoming Councillor of State, he studied music seriously and under the best auspices. He was soon appointed a member of the board of governors of the Royal Conservatory at Prague, and became active as a musical critic. At this period of his career Ambros wrote several overtures for orchestra and a "Stabat Mater." As a composer he reflected very strongly the influence of Robert Schumann. Lacking the vital spark of originality, his compositions have not survived him. He became generally known as an art critic through his book "Die Grenzen der Musik und Poesie," written in reply to Edward Hanslick's treatise "Vom Musikalisch-Schönen." The latter assumed a materialistic basis for the art of music, defining musical forms as being nothing more than "sounding arabesques." Ambros's work defines what can be expressed by means of music, and what needs one of the other arts for its manifestation. In this remarkable book the author not only lays down the principles of Catholic philosophy in the light of which he judges the art works of the past and present, but he also displays that extensive knowledge of the architecture, the sculpture, the painting, and the literature of all schools and nations, their inter-relation and common origin which at once attracted the attention of the scientific world. With every new work of Ambros, such as "Kulturhistorische Bilder aus dem Musikleben der Gegenwart," "Bunte Blätter" and numerous magazine articles, his reputation increased, until the Breslau publisher Leuckart (now in Leipzig) induced him to write a complete history of music. Ambros embraced with alacrity this great opportunity for, as he put it, "rendering a service to science and art." The result was the greatest historical work on the art of music in existence. Beginning with the music of antiquity in the first volume, the second is devoted to the Middle Ages, the third to the Netherland school, and the fourth deals with Palestrina and the transitions to the moderns. This history, revealing the great artistic past of the Church, appeared at the time of the revival brought about by the publication of Proske's "Musica Divina," and gave tremendous impetus to the movement. Proske made the treasures of polyphonic art accessible, and Ambros told of their origin. Aside from the permanent historical value of his work, Ambros has rendered the Catholic cause untold service by vindicating the past, and by proclaiming with a powerful pen and with vast erudition sound philosophic principles in the midst of a well-nigh all-pervading pantheism. Ambros died before completing the fourth volume of his history. Otto Kade published, in 1882, a fifth volume consisting of musical illustrations collected from the historian's literary remains, and W. Langhans has brought the history up to date, without, however, showing Ambros's acumen or soundness. It should be mentioned that Ambros, while holding his official positions in Prague and, after 1872, in Vienna, as an officer of the Department of Justice, professor at the Conservatory, and private tutor to Prince Rudolf, was given leave of absence six months in the year, and provided with the means to enable him to visit the principal libraries of Europe in search of material for his great work.
    REIMANN, Musiklexikon; KORNMUELLER, Lexikon der kirchlichen Tonkunst.
    JOSEPH OTTEN
    Transcribed by John Fobian In memory of Joseph Gimler

The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume VIII. — New York: Robert Appleton Company. . 1910.


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  • August Wilhelm Ambros — (* 11. November 1816 in Mauth; † 28. Juni 1876 in Wien) war ein österreichischer Musikhistoriker (u.a. „Geschichte der Musik“, 1862 1868), Musikkritiker und Komponist …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • August Wilhelm Ambros — (November 17, 1816 ndash; June 28, 1876)Blom, Eric. (2005) Everyman s Dictionary of Music , Kessinger Publishing. p. 15. ISBN 1 4179 8918 1.] was an Austrian composer and music historian of Czech descent.LifeHe was born at Vysoké Mýto near… …   Wikipedia

  • August Wilhelm Ambros — Photographie de 1862. August Wilhelm Ambros, né le 11 novembre 1816 à Mauth et mort le 28 juin 1976 à Vienne, est un critique musical, un compositeur et un historien autrichien de la musique et de l histoire de la musique entre 1862 et 1868 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Ambros, August Wilhelm — • Historian of music and art critic (1816 1876) Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006 …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Ambros, August Wilhelm — ▪ Czech musicologist born Nov. 17, 1816, Vysoké Mýto, near Prague died June 28, 1876, Vienna       musicologist, author of Geschichte der Musik, a comprehensive history of music.       Ambros studied law, entered the civil service in 1840, and… …   Universalium

  • Ambros — ist der Familienname mehrerer Personen: August Wilhelm Ambros (1816–1876), österreichisch tschechischer Musikhistoriker, Musikkritiker und Komponist Emerich Ambros (1896–1933), ungarischer Antifaschist Gerhard Ambros (1928–2007), deutscher SED… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Ambros Rieder — Ambros Rieder, Ölporträt von Wilhelm August Rieder. Ambros Rieder (* 10. Oktober 1771 in Döbling bei Wien; † 19. November 1855 in Perchtoldsdorf, Niederösterreich) war österreichischer Komponist und Organist …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Ambros — Ambros, August Wilhelm, Musikschriftsteller und Komponist, geb. 17. Nov. 1816 zu Mauth in Böhmen, gest. 28. Juni 1876 in Wien, studierte in Prag die Rechte, trat 1835 in den Staatsdienst und wurde 1850 Staatsanwalt beim Prager Landgericht.… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Ambros — Ạmbros,   August Wilhelm, österreichischer Musikforscher, * Myto (bei Prag) 17. 11. 1816, ✝ Wien 28. 6. 1876; zunächst Jurist, wurde 1869 Professor der Musik in Prag, 1871 am Konservatorium in Wien. Seine »Geschichte der Musik« (5 Bände, 1862 82 …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Wilhelm August Rieder — (mit Pfeil markiert) im Kreis weiterer Schubert Freunde auf einer „Schubertiade“. Zeichnung von Moritz von Schwind, 1868 aus der Erinnerung gezeichnet …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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