The Allgemeiner Deutscher Musikverein (ADMV, "General German Music Association") was a German musical association founded in 1861 by Franz Liszt and Franz Brendel, to embody the musical ideals of the New German School of music.
Background
At the Tonkünstler-Versammlung (Musicians Assembly) of 1859 in Leipzig, the organisers, Liszt and Brendel, wanted to open the path for the foundation of a "Allgemeiner Deutscher Musikverein" (General German Music Association), to embody what they thought of as the core principles of the New German School (q.v.) of music. The proposal was introduced by Louis Köhler on the afternoon of 3 June 1861. It was supported in speeches by prominent persons, among them Liszt, and then accepted.See: Pohl (1859) p. 296. On 7 August 1861, at the next Tonkünstler-Versammlung, for this time in Weimar, the foundation of the ADMV took place. The association started with 202 members, 37 of them from abroad.Lucke-Kaminiarz: Der Allgemeine Deutsche Musikverein, p. 224.
The ADMV Liszt left Weimar on 18 August, travelling to Silesia, where, from 22 August until 19 September, in Löwenberg he was guest of the Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen. In a letter to Brendel of 16 September 1861, he wrote: His Highness adheres always firmly and faithfully to the endeavors of the "New German School," and is desirous of supporting it still further. On this account I think it would be desirable to elect SeifrizMax Seifriz (1827–1885) was conductor of the Prince's Court Orchestra in Löwenberg. Under his direction, the orchestra frequently played works by Liszt; see: Walker (1989) p. 299. as a member of the Committee of the Allgemeiner Deutscher Musikverein. I also vote especially for Stein (of Sondershausen), Eduard Liszt, Herbeck, Ambros, David – without a word against the rest of the names which you have proposed.La Mara (ed.): Liszts Briefe, Band 1, No. 260.
The letter shows that, according to Liszt's wishes, the endeavors of the "New German School" and those of the ADMV were to be very close, not to say identical. For the purpose of reaching this aim, the steering committee of the ADMV should consist solely of persons with his confidence.
The main initiatives which led to the foundation of the ADMV had nearly all been Liszt's. In 1835 he had published in the Parisian Gazette musicale an article series De la situation des artistes ("On the situation of artists"). In his first articles, he had taken a critical look at contemporary Parisian musical life which he found wanting in all aspects. In his last article he had made suggestions for a reorganisation of musical life.
In October 1842 Liszt had been nominated in Weimar as "Kapellmeister in außerordentlichen Diensten" ("Conductor in extraordinary services"). At that time he was travelling virtuoso, touring with concerts through Europe. In the beginning of 1848 he had settled in Weimar. Since 1849 he had tried to install a "Goethe-Stiftung" ("Goethe Foundation") for the purpose of supporting the arts as suggested in his article series of 1835. During the 1850s it became clear that the project could not be realized.For details concerning the "Goethe-Stiftung" see: Raabe (1931), pp. 201ff. The foundation of the ADMV was Liszt's next attempt, and this attempt was a success.
In their version of 1861, the statutes of the ADMV were formulated by Liszt together with Brendel. They resembled those of the projected "Goethe-Stiftung".Lucke-Kaminiarz, p. 223. In the early 20th century, there were attempts to rename the ADMV as "Liszt Verein" or "Neudeutscher Musikverein" ("New German Music Association").Raabe (1931), p. 229.
Until the end of his life, Liszt was the intellectual rector of the ADMV,Kaminiarz: Richard Strauss, Briefe, p. 12. but did not want to be its president.See his letter to Brendel of 16 September 1861 in: La Mara (ed.): Liszts Briefe, Band 1, No. 260. The first president was Franz Brendel, until his death in 1868. Brendel's successors were Carl Riedel, until 1888, Hans Bronsart von Schellendorff, until 1898, Fritz Steinbach, until 1901, Richard Strauss, until 1909, Max von Schillings, until 1919, Friedrich Rösch, until 1925, Siegmund von Hausegger until 1935, and Peter Raabe. In 1937, the ADMV was closed on order of the German National Socialist regime.
Aims of the ADMV Supporting aims The ADMV aimed at both musical performance and practical support. Absence of funds delayed support initiatives. In the course of time the ADMV became trustee of several foundations. The earliest was a "Beethoven-Stiftung" (Beethoven Foundation), (1871) funded by the assets of Sophie and Robert Pflughaupt, and enlarged by gifts of Liszt and Karl Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. Artists supported by the "Beethoven-Stiftung" included Robert Franz, August Göllerich, Felix Draeseke, Max Reger, Hans Pfitzner and others.
After Liszt's death on 31 July 1886, Marie Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, daughter of Princess Wittgenstein, founded in 1887 a "Franz Liszt Stiftung" (Franz Liszt Foundation). The funds were destined for editing a complete edition of Liszt's musical works, as well as for stipends. Amongst artists supported by the "Franz Liszt Stiftung" were Robert Franz and Claudio Arrau. In 1903 and 1904, when Richard Strauss was president of the ADMV, Arnold Schoenberg was supported with an annual sum of 1,000 Marks, the maximum grant of the foundation.
Further foundations were a "Mansouroff-Stiftung", founded 1889, a "Hermann-Stiftung", founded 1893, and a "Richard-Wagner-Stiftung", founded 1915 and dedicated to supporting performances of music dramatic works. In 1937, when the ADMV was closed, the foundations still existed, although there had been losses of considerable amounts due to World War I and subsequent economic crisis. Traces of the foundations can be found until 1943, but are lost thereafter.Lucke-Kaminiarz, p. 224f.
Artistic aims As part of the artistic aims of the ADMV, annual Tonkünstler-Versammlungen at different locations were to be arranged, with performances of important, rarely heard, and especially new musical works of all kinds. However, older works that were only seldom or not at all heard, but of interest because of their importance, were also to be performed. In addition, new works, either musical or scholarly ones, were to be printed. The ADMV was to have an own library, and to edit an annual almanac. Of the almanac, only volumes for the years 1868, 1869 and 1870 were realized. Until 1892, the main organ of the ADMV was the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik. Afterwards, until 1933, members of the ADMV received "Mitteilungen" (Communications).
The ADMV had a literary and a musical department; the former decided about lectures to be given at the Tonkünstler-Versammlungen, the latter selected musical works to be performed. Until his death in 1886, Liszt was the head of the musical department. Other prominent members over the years were Hans von Bülow, Carl Friedrich von Weitzmann, Louis Köhler, Carl Riedel, Bronsart von Schellendorff, Felix Draeseke, Eduard Lassen, Eugen d'Albert, Richard Strauss, Engelbert Humperdinck, Felix Weingartner, Max von Schillings, Siegmund von Hausegger, Hans Pfitzner, Alexander von Zemlinsky, Peter Raabe, Jean Louis Nicodé, Emil von Reznicek, Heinz Tiessen, Joseph Haas, Paul Hindemith, Alban Berg, Ernst Toch and others.See: Lucke-Kaminiarz, p. 225f, and: Walter (2000), p. 317. During Liszt's lifetime, the musical department received about 20 scores each year from composers who wished their works to be performed. In the beginning of the 20th century this became an annual amount of about 130, and in the 1920s an annual amount of up to 700 scores; see: Kaminiarz (1995), p. 25.
The musical department also decided at which places the Tonkünstler-Versammlungen should be arranged. After the Tonkünstler-Versammlung of 1861 in Weimar, there was a break of three years. In 1864 a Tonkünstler-Versammlung in Karlsruhe took place. After that, with exception of the years 1866, 1875 and 1915–18 (World War I), annual Tonkünstler-Versammlungen were arranged.See the list in: Kaminiarz (1995), p. 20. The list is incomplete, since the Tonkünstler-Versammlungen of 1859 in Leipzig and of 1919 in Berlin are missing. In several cases, 1903, 1910 and 1932, places in Switzerland, Basel, Zürich, and once again Zürich, were chosen. The Tonkünstler-Versammlung of 1905 took place in Graz.
Concert repertoire of the ADMV until 1886 During Liszt's lifetime, he was himself by a long way the most frequently performed composer at the concerts of the Tonkünstler-Versammlungen.See the table in: Lucke-Kaminiarz, p. 234f. In 135 performances 96 of his works were played. The second place was held by J. S. Bach with 30 performances of 24 works. Many of his works were new discoveries after they had for the first time been published in the complete edition of the "Bach-Gesellschaft" (Bach-Society). After Liszt the most frequently performed contemporary composer was Brahms with 25 performances of 16 works.In Lucke-Kaminiarz, p. 234, erroneously "26 Werke" is printed, while "16 Werke" was meant. Of Berlioz, 14 works were performed in 23 performances, and of Wagner 12 works in 22 performances. In places 6 to 12 were Raff, Cornelius, Lassen, Schumann, Draeseke, Beethoven and Bülow.
The strong position of Brahms in the concert programs of the ADMV may at first sight be surprising, as he had been often characterized by reference to the "Manifesto" he wrote with Joachim against the New German School. But an artist's career can hardly be reduced to a single event. Even in 1864, in connection with the Tonkünstler-Versammlung in Karlsruhe, it was Liszt who suggested a performance of Joachim's Violin Concerto in Hungarian style. After a dispute with Bülow, who vehemently voted against, Liszt's suggestion was accepted.Lucke-Kaminiarz, p. 230. After 1869, Brendel having died the previous year, works by Brahms were regularly performed; and 1887, after Liszt's death, Brahms became himself a member of the ADMV. Shortly afterwards he was elected as member of the steering committee.Lucke-Kaminiarz, pp. 229f.
During 1861–1886, among the works on Liszt's suggestions were: Felix Draeseke – Germania-Marsch (1861) as well as songs and the Requiem in B minor (1883) Hans von Bülow – song cycle Die Entsagende op.8 (1861) Bronsart von Schellendorff – Piano Concerto, Op. 10 Peter Cornelius – Terzet from the opera Der Barbier von Bagdad (1861) Leopold Damrosch – Serenade for violin and orchestra (1861) Eduard Lassen – Symphony in four movements (1867) and the music to Hebbel's Nibelungen-Trilogy (1872) Heinrich Herzogenberg – Deutsche Liederspiel (1879) Carl Müller-Hartung – Psalm 42 for solo, chorus and orchestra (1872), Psalm 84 for baritone, solo-quartet and threesome male chorus (1878), a Fest-Ouverture in C major (1884), and soprano songs (1886) Xaver Scharwenka – 2nd Piano Concerto (1881) Heinrich Schulze-Beuthen – Psalms 42 and 43 (1870), Carl Stöhr – Pastoral-Ouverture (1861), Camille Saint-Saëns – Die Hochzeit des Prometheus (1870) as well as a Cello Sonata (1874).Lucke-Kaminiarz, p. 228f.
Frequently Liszt also suggested works by Russian composers such as César Cui, Alexander Borodin, Alexander Glazunov, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, all of them members of the ADMV.Kaminiarz (1995), p. 14. In 1876, 1880 and 1883, the Symphony in E-flat major of Borodin was played. However, not all of Liszt's suggestions regarding Russian composers found acceptance. For example, in 1885 it was Liszt's suggestion to perform the Symphony in C major by Mily Balakirev, dedicated to him himself. Instead, Balakirev's Overture King Lear and some of his piano pieces were played.Lucke-Kaminiarz:, p. 229.