Richard Heuberger

Full biography Richard Heuberger

Richard Franz Joseph Heuberger was an Austrian composer of operas , operettas, ballets, choral works, and songs. He was born on June 18, 1850, in Graz, Austria, and had his education at Vienna's Technical University. His fame grew during his lifetime as a composer, conductor, and writer of music criticism for Neues Wiener Tagblatt. He also worked as a professor of music at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna.

Heuberger's work as a composer includes operas, ballets, and choral pieces like "Psalm 150." Heuberger was a significant figure in Viennese musical life at the turn of the 20th century , and much of his work was still performed decades after his death. He is known for his operetta "Der Opernball" (The Opera Ball) which premiered in Vienna in 1898, and its subsequent performance became popular across Europe.

He started his career as an engineer, but he later switched to music. Heuberger's music was mostly influenced by the traditional Viennese style, and some influences from Wagner can be found in his later works. He also wrote music criticism and collaborated with other significant figures in the music industry. Brahms, for example, made use of Heuberger's arranger abilities during Brahms' stay in Vienna.

Richard Heuberger died on October 28, 1914. His contributions to the Viennese music scene helped shape the sound of the era, and his works continue to be performed and enjoyed by music lovers around the world.