Gothelf, Felix

Felix Gotthelf ( German: Félix Gotthelf ; October 3, 1857 , Mönchengladbach - April 21, 1930 , Dresden ) - German composer.

He began to study music in his hometown with the music director Julius Lange (1829-1898). Then he received a medical education, defended a thesis on the materials for the treatment of cleft palate in a Heidelberg university clinic ( German Die Hasenscharten der Heidelberger Klinik, 1877-1883. Mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der Mortalitätsstatistik und einem Beitrag zur Odontologie ; 1885). Returning to music, he studied in Cologne counterpoint with Gustav Jensen and piano with James Kwast , in Berlin he studied music theory from Otto Tiersch , finally in 1891-1894. he devoted himself to composing in Dresden from Felix Dreseke (he also took vocal lessons from Karl Scheidemannel ).

For a short time he worked as a tutor in Cologne and Kolberg , in 1893-1894. He lived in Bonn , then in Munich , in 1898 he settled in Vienna . In addition to practicing composition, he wrote about music and philosophy, especially being interested in the legacy of Arthur Schopenhauer and the connections between European and Indian philosophy. Of interest is Gothelf’s article “Schopenhauer and Richard Wagner ” (1915), although modern experts do not agree with Gothelf’s desire to smooth out the aesthetic contradictions between them ^[1] . Gothelf’s fascination with India brought to life a series of articles, including “Indian Renaissance” ( German Indische Renaissance ; 1911), “On Indian and German Philosophy” ( German Über indische und deutsche Philosophie ; 1914), “The Indian Spirit in German Art "( German: Indischer Geist in der deutschen Kunst ; 1917).

In the musical work of Gothelf, his Indian passion led to the appearance of the opera ("Mystery") "Mahadeva" (1908). In addition, Gothelf owns the symphonic poem "Spring Festival" ( German: Ein Frühlingsfest ; 1894), dedicated to his teacher Dresek, string quartet (1891), piano and vocal compositions.