Otto Erich Deutsch

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox person Otto Erich Deutsch (5 September 1883 – 23 November 1967) was an Austrian musicologist. He is known for compiling the first comprehensive catalogue of Franz Schubert's compositions, first published in 1951 in English, with a revised edition published in 1978 in German. It is from this catalogue that the D numbers used to identify Schubert's works derive.

Life

Deutsch was born in Vienna on 5 September 1883 in a Jewish family.<ref name=UV>"Otto Deutsch", profile at the University of Vienna</ref>

Following his studies of art history and literature in Vienna and Graz, he worked as an assistant at the Department of Art History of the University of Vienna. His specialization was the Biedermeier period, which led naturally to his interest in Schubert, whose life took place during this cultural era.<ref name=Jones>Template:Harvnb</ref> His scholarly career was interrupted by World War I when he served in the Austrian Army.<ref name=Jones /> Following the war Deutsch worked for a time as a bookseller.<ref name=Jones /> He also shifted his scholarly interests to historical musicology, eventually becoming music librarian, working in the archives of Anthony van Hoboken.<ref name=Jones /> In 1938, when Austria was taken over by Nazi Germany in the Anschluss, Deutsch decided to flee the country, as he was a Protestant of Jewish origin. He lived in Cambridge, England, from 1939 to 1951, returning to Vienna after the war.

Deutsch was a close friend of music theorist Heinrich Schenker,<ref>Federhofer, Hellmut (1985), Heinrich Schenker, nach Tagebüchern und Briefen in der Oswald Jonas Memorial Collection, (Hildesheim: Georg Olms Verlag, Template:ISBN), pp. 97–102.</ref> and of the British musicologist and Schubert scholar Maurice J. E. Brown.<ref>'About SIUK', The Schubert Institute UK</ref>

Deutsch's grave in the Vienna Central Cemetery

Deutsch died in Baden bei Wien on 23 November 1967 at the age of 84.<ref name=UV /> He is interred in an honorary grave of the Vienna Central Cemetery (group 40, no. 12).

Scholarship

According to David Wyn Jones, Deutsch's work was based on "an abiding belief that historical documents and iconographic<ref>i.e., pictorial</ref> evidence constituted the essential ingredients of biographical exposition."<ref name=Jones /> Hence, Deutsch composed "documentary biographies" of Schubert, Mozart and Handel; in them, the texts of the old documents are placed in chronological order, strung together with narration and commentary by Deutsch. In these biographies, Deutsch lets the documents speak for themselves, with his supplementary remarks providing clarifications, corrections, and context.Template:Original research inline

Deutsch also prepared conventional scholarly articles on these composers as well as on Joseph Haydn.<ref name=Jones /> He also edited and published musical texts, in particular Haydn's output of canons.<ref name=Jones />

He was awarded the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class in 1959.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Works

Deutsch Catalogue, first edition 1951

• Template:Cite book<ref>Template:Cite journal Template:Subscription required</ref>
• Template:Cite book (English translation of Deutsch's German original. Eric Blom provided many translations for this work)
• Template:Cite book

Films

• Template:Lang, film by Claus Spahn, ARD 1983, 60 min.<ref>Library record, Template:Ill</ref>

See also

• List of compositions by Franz Schubert
• List of compositions by Franz Schubert by genre

References

Notes Template:Reflist

Sources

• Template:Cite book

External links

• Template:Commons category-inline