The Symphony in E major, composed by Hans Rott between 1878 and 1880, stands as the primary artifact of an Austrian musician whose career concluded before his twenty-sixth birthday. Despite receiving high praise from Anton Bruckner and Gustav Mahler, his scores were largely ignored by contemporaries, leaving his creative output to be rediscovered over a century after his death.
Formative Years and Education
Born in 1858 in Braunhirschen, Hans Rott was the son of a comic actor, Carl Mathias Rott, and an actress, Maria Rosalia. After his father died in 1876, the student faced financial instability but gained tuition waivers at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. His instruction included piano with Leopold Landskron and Josef Dachs, harmony with Hermann Graedener, and composition with Franz Krenn. He excelled under Anton Bruckner, who taught him organ and praised his improvisational skill.
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While serving as organist at the Piarist church Maria Treu, Rott encountered harsh professional rejection. In 1880, suffering from persecutory delusions, Rott experienced a breakdown on a train where he claimed Brahms was sabotaging him with explosives. By 1881, he was committed to a mental hospital with a diagnosis of hallucinatory insanity and died of tuberculosis in 1884.
Posthumous Recognition
Rott’s musical legacy relies on manuscripts housed in the Vienna national library. Mahler noted that the Symphony in E major anticipated his own style and referred to Rott as the founder of the new symphony. While the work remained unperformed during his lifetime, the Cincinnati Philharmonia Orchestra finally premiered it in 1989. Subsequent recordings by various labels have since revived interest in his surviving Lieder, orchestral overtures, and chamber works.
Fast facts
- Born: 1858, Braunhirschen
- Died: 1884, Vienna
- Burial site: Vienna Central Cemetery
- Primary instrument: Organ
- Education: University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna
- Notable mentors: Anton Bruckner
- Symphony in E major completion date: 1880
- Symphony No. 1 premiere date: 1989
Questions readers ask
Why was Rott's music largely forgotten?
Rott lacked professional support during his lifetime; his works were rejected by prominent figures like Brahms, and his early death left him with little opportunity to build a reputation.
What is the relationship between Rott and Mahler?
Mahler and Rott were fellow students and roommates. Mahler viewed Rott as a genius and maintained that their music shared stylistic similarities, even incorporating references to Rott in his own compositions.
Achievements
- Instruments: pipe organ and organ
- Genres: Romantic music and classical music
