Stefan Stocker

Stefan Stocker was born on 10 May 1845 in Budapest (Hungary). His father was a music teacher and so Stefan Stocker received his first lessons from his father (just as his brother Eduard Stocker (1842-1913), who became a renowned pianist). Later Stefan Stocker continued his studies under Robert Volkmann in Budapest, and then moved to Vienna to complete his studies under Gustav Nottebohm and Felix Otto Dessoff.

After his studies Stefan Stocker first focused on composing and created several works, mostly piano compositions. At this time he became a close friend to Johannes Brahms.

Brahms, Stocker and other composers made often hikes and picnics together and Brahms appreciated Stefan Stocker. In a letter from 02.08.1891 Brahms wrote: "Grüßen Sie auch Hrn. Stocker, der, wie Sie wißen, als Mensch u. Musiker mir so sympathisch ist" (Send also Mr. Stocker my regards, who, like you know, is such a likeable person and musician to me).

In 1888 Stefan Stocker composed a violin concerto which was premiered with Arnold Rose and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra under Hans Richter.
 

Since 1883 Stefan Stocker also lectured harmony in part-time at the Vienna Conservatory, and in 1898 was finally appointed professor. Notable students of Stefan Stocker are Gian Francesco Malipiero, Joseph Gustav Mraczek, Margarethe Mikusch, Hans Rosensteiner, Eduard Madenski and Simon Bucharoff.
 

In his last years he suffered from kidney disease. Stefan Stocker died on 17 April 1910 in Vienna (Austria).



The work catalogue of Stefan Stocker includes a symphony (1868), a violin concerto (1888), several works for choir and orchestra like "Gesang der Geister über den Wassern", "Ganymed" (1899), "Der Zug des Todes" or "Gesang der Parzen". Stocker composed 2 string quartets, a piano trio, a violin sonata, two cello sonatas and several piano compositions. In these chamber works Stefan Stocker often used the compositional form of the "Ländler". And finally he composed dozens of songs and works for chorus.

Stefan Stocker Archive

In my possession are a large number of autograph manuscripts of compositions by Stefan Stocker, several of them are not part of the work catalogue compiled by Elvira Sinkowitz.

Most of the works are not dated, therefore I decided to list them in groups of instrumentation. All of these compositions are unpublished. For that reason I typeset a few of these works. The scores can be downloaded at the end of this page.

Chamber music:

• 12 Ländler, for violin and piano (1896)
• 12 Ländler in kanonischer Form, for 2 violins and piano (1897)
• Albumblatt, for piano (1906)
• 2 pieces for violin and piano (1909)
• 3-Königs-Marsch, for piano (1910)
• 6 pieces for violin and piano
• 17 violin pieces
• Vergeiner Tänze, for string quartet

lieder (all for voice and piano):

• Wenn ich ein Vöglein wär‘
• Tretet ein hoher Krieger (text by Gottfried Keller)
• Mir glänzen die Augen (text by Gottfried Keller)
• Recht im Glücke (text by Gottfried Keller)
• Minnelied (from: Karl Stielers Hochlandsliedern)
• Im stillen Grunde (text by Robert Reinick)
• Mühlenrad (text by Anna Amadei)
• Das verlassene Mädchen (text by Eduard Mörike)
• Wie viel schläft unter dem Schnee (text by Johannes Trojan) (1905)
• Jägerlied (text by Eduard Mörike)
• Hold Traum (text by Emanuel Geibel)
• Schlummerlied (text by Georg Scheurlin) (1876)
• Weißt du noch (text by Otto Roquette) (1876)
• Lasst mich ruhen (text by Hoffmann von Fallersleben) (1867)
• Die Liebende schreibt (text by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
• Nacht (text by Ferdinand Wittenbauer)
• Einsam (text by Ferdinand Wittenbauer)
• Ich lag am frühlingsgrünen Rain (text by Ferdinand Wittenbauer)
• Waldrath (text by Ferdinand Wittenbauer)
• Herbstgesang (text by A. Rothaug)
• Nachtklang (text by Emanuel Geibel)
• Seeliger Tod (text by Friedrich Rückert)
• Abschied (text by Emanuel Geibel)
• 5 Bodensdorfer G‘sangeln – ohne Jodler und nicht im Volkston (1906):
• 1. Es ist eine alte Stadt (text by Karl Bülcke)
• 2. Die Mutter ruft (text by Paul Barsch)
• 3. Über den Bergen (text by Karl Busse)
• 4. Unruhige Stunde (text by Hans Bethge)
• 5. Schöne Nacht (text by Karl Busse)
   

chorus works:

• Frau Nachtigall (from „Des Knaben Wunderhorn“) (1873)
• Der Donaustrudel (1873)
• Die schöne Braut (from „Des Knaben Wunderhorn“) (1873)
• Trotziges Entsagen (1873)
• Auftrag (from: Uhland deutsche Volkslieder) (1873)
• Warnung (Steyrisch) (1873)
• Rosmarin (folksong) (1873)
• Nachtigall und Rose (Friedrich von Sallet) (1873)
• Wecke nicht den Schlafenden
• Wehe dem der zum Sterben geht
• In einer Welt Besitz für dich zerronnen (Anwari Soheili)
• Hüte dich (Hermann Lingg) (1876)
• Blätterrauschen (Moritz Hartmann) (1876)
• Lieb und stirb (Geibel) (1876)
• Das Todtenhemdchen (Eduard von Bauernfeld) (1876)
• Wanderer Nachtlied (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe) (1876)
• Gesang der Wandervögel (Otto Roquette) (1876)
• Blätterlispeln (Moritz Hartmann) (1876)
• Gebet (Theodor Körner) (1893)
• Sommer im Korn (F. Bochazer)
• Schweigen (Gustav Falke)
• In der Stille (Hedwig Gräfin Rittberg)
• Schall der Nacht (from „Des Knaben Wunderhorn“)
• Spruch (Anwari Soheili)
   

In addition there are two published compositions part of the archive:

• Austria, for voice and piano (text by Lenz von Steyer). Published in: "Christliche Schul- und Eltern-Zeitung", Editor: Josef Moser. Volume 13, issue 1, p. 2-3. 1910
• Song of Fates, for chorus and orchestra. Piano reduction. Novello 1898.

12 Ländler, for violin and piano (1896)

Robert Fuchs, composer and close friend of Stefan Stocker, wrote about this composition to his former student Anton Mayr on 30.09.1897: "Diese Ländler müssen gedruckt werden und wenn's Graz gilt!" (These Ländler have to be published at all costs!). (in Anton Mayr: Erinnerungen an Robert Fuchs. Leuschner & Lubensky, 1934, page 51). But the publishing house Lienau refused a publication and so the Ländler remained unpublished until now:

6 pieces for violin and piano (~1900)



Vergeiner Tänze, for string quartet

5 Bodensdorfer G'sangln, for voice and piano (1906)

Lasst mich ruhen, for voice and piano (1867)