Iue Annual Review 2010

Where Music Meets the TU Vienna

Oil painting of Franz Schubert¹

Franz Schubert

The classical and romantic periods comprise of a considerable number of famous Austrian composers including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Josef Haydn, and Johann Strauss II. Franz Schubert (1797-1828), who lived in Vienna for most of his life, ranks among this circle of outstanding musicans. Contrary to his celebrated colleagues, he did not receive the amount of attention and appreciation that his work deserved. Already in his early years, Schubert exhibited his great talent in singing as well as in playing the violin and the piano. Furthermore, he attracted the attention of Antonio Saleri, one of Vienna's leading musical authorites, who decided to tutor him privately in musical composition and theory. Therefore, it is quite surprising that he was hardly able to assure a livelihood despite the support of family and friends. His numerous friends also included professors at the Wiener Polytechnikum, the predecessor of today's Technische Universität Wien. With one of them, namely Johann Philipp Neumann, Schubert even wrote the composition "Deutsche Messe". Nowadays however, he is highly respected for his musical legacy and deemed as the most underestimated genius of his epoch. His compositions encompass numerous, excellent pieces of music including approximately six hundred German art songs called "Lieder" ("Erlkönig", "Winterreise", "Schwanengesang"), nine symphonies ("Die Unvollendete", "Die Große"), and a wealth of chamber and solo piano music. The symphony "Die Tragische" can be heard on this year's Annual Review CD.

On the CD version of our Annual Review 2010:

Symphony No. 4, "Die Tragische", Performed by the TU Orchestra

1.	Adagio molto - Allegro vivace	[11:12]
2.	Andante	[9:25]
3.	Menuetto - Allegro vivace	[3:17]
4.	Allegro	[9:10]

¹ Author: Wilhelm August Rieder, Source: Wikipedia, Licensing: Public domain

Contributors

TU Orchestra

The Orchestra of the Vienna University of Technology was founded in 1984 by Gisela Kemmerling, the wife of the rector at that time. The goal of the orchestra is to promote musical activities at the university and to contribute significantly as a musical hallmark to the self-concept of its alma mater. As well as students and associates of the University of Technology, students from other universities in Vienna and other interested instrumentalists are warmly welcome as participants.
The orchestra has given concerts in every semester since its founding with both full symphonic instrumentation and chamber music ensembles of all sizes. The repertoire includes compositions from all stylistic epochs from J.S. Bach to Gottfried von Einem, as well as premier performances of works which have been especially composed for the orchestra. Tours have taken the orchestra to Budapest, Graz and Salzburg, as well as to Turkey, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Slovenia. Very soon, chamber music groups will be formed with various instrumentation to provide musical accompaniment for festive occasions and international congresses at the University of Technology.
In 1996 the orchestra broadened its musical spectrum and performed an opera for the first time at the Vienna University of Technology. This was "La Serva Padrona" by Pergolesi, which they also presented in a guest performance in Italy. This development was continued successfully in both Italy and Vienna with performances of Mozart's "Cosi fan tutte" (1998), Rossini's "Il Barbiere di Seviglia" (1999) and Haydn's "L'Infedeltà delusa" (2000). In 2003/2004 further opera projects were successfully realized: "Don Carlo" by Verdi and "Die Zauberflöte" and "Die Entführung aus dem Serail" by Mozart.
The orchestra's 15th anniversary was celebrated in 1999 in the Großer Musikvereinssaal (the concert hall of the Vienna Music Association, home to the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra) as a benefit concert for the charity "Menschen für Menschen" with a performance of Haydn's oratorio "Die Schöpfung".
The orchestra was on tour in Slovenia for New Year's Eve 2005/06. In May 2006 they were invited to travel to Istanbul, where they performed at a local German high school for the opening of a week of culture.
In December 2004 the orchestra celebrated its 20th anniversary with a gala concert in the Wiener Konzerthaus.
We will be celebrating the 25 year existence of our orchestra on December 13, 2009 with a gala concert in the Golden Hall of the Vienna Music Association. The program includes the 9th symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven.