Pfitzner, Hans (1869–1949)

German composer and conductor. After the success of his opera Palestrina in 1917 he devoted himself mainly to composition, but wrote many essays and pamphlets attacking modern music, especially Busoni, and defending Romantic and Germanic ideals.

Pfitzner grew up in Frankfurt, where his father, a violinist, was music director of the municipal theatre. He studied piano with James Kwast (1852–1927) and composition with Iwan Knorr at the Frankfurt Conservatory. In 1893 he gave a first concert of his own works in Berlin, and after some teaching and conducting appointments he became professor at the Stern Conservatory there in 1897, and first conductor at the Theater des Westens in 1903. He also conducted the Kaim Orchestra at Munich and the Opera at Strasbourg. He was a political conservative and wrote Krakauer Begrüssung in honour of Hans Frank, the Nazi governor of Poland.

Works Opera and stage the operas Der arme Heinrich (1895), Die Rose vom Liebesgarten (1901), Christelflein (1906), Palestrina (1917), Das Herz (1931); incidental music to Ibsen's Feast at Solhaug (1890) and Kleist's Käthchen von Heilbronn (1905).

Choral with orchestra cantatas Von deutscher Seele (Eichendorff, 1922), Das dunkle Reich (1930), and others; ballads and songs for voice and orchestra.

Orchestral three symphonies, scherzo for orchestra, piano concerto (1921), violin concerto (1923), two cello concertos (1935–44).

Chamber four string quartets (1886–1942), piano quintet, piano trio, violin and piano sonata, cello and piano sonata, sextet (1945), 106 Lieder (1884–1931).