Friedrich Seitz


Friedrich Seitz was a German Romantic Era composer. He was a violinist who served as a concertmaster, who wrote chamber music and eight student concertos for the violin.

Life

Seitz was born in Frankfurt in 1848 and began studying music at a young age. He received his musical education at the Frankfurt Conservatory, where he studied with some of the leading musicians of the day. Seitz studied violin under Karl Wilhelm Uhlrich in Sondershausen, Germany; he later married Uhlrich's daughter. He became a student of in 1874. He became music director at Sondershausen and thereafter became a concertmaster at Magdeburg. In 1884 he was the Hofkonzertmeister at Dessau.
Seitz was also a highly respected violinist and taught at several music academies during his career. He was known for his technical proficiency and expressive playing style, and many of his students went on to become successful musicians in their own right. He wrote all his violin concertos for his students, to help them improve their technique.
Seitz was a prolific composer and wrote a wide range of music, including operas, symphonies, chamber music, and solo works for various instruments. However, it is his violin concertos that are perhaps his most enduring works. Movements from Seitz's student concerti have become more widely known by virtue of their inclusion in the Suzuki violin method instructional material.

Selected compositions

  • Schüler-Konzert Nr. 1 in D major for violin and piano, Op. 7
  • Schüler-Konzert Nr. 2 in G major for violin and piano, Op. 13
  • Schüler-Konzert Nr. 3 in G minor for violin and piano, Op. 12
  • Schüler-Konzert Nr. 4 in D major for violin and piano, Op. 15
  • Sechs leichte Vortragsstücke in Form einer Suite f. V. od. Vcello m. Pfte. Magdeburg, Rathke. 1896.
  • Schüler-Klaviertrio Nr. 1 in C major for violin, cello and piano, Op. 18
  • Romanze und Intermezzo, Op. 21
  • Schüler-Konzert Nr. 5 in D major for violin and piano, Op. 22
  • Konzert in einem Satz zum Studium und Konzertgebrauch in A minor for violin and piano or orchestra, Op. 25
  • Drei Grabgesänge für gefallene Krieger for mixed chorus, Op. 28; poetry by August Sieghardt
  • Schüler-Konzert Nr. 6 in G major for violin and piano, Op. 31
  • Schüler-Konzert Nr. 7 in D minor for violin and piano, Op. 32
  • Quartet in G Major for 2 violins, cello and piano, Op. 35
  • Konzertstück in A major for violin and piano, Op. 36
  • Schüler-Konzert Nr. 8 in G major for violin and piano, Op. 38
  • Short works for violin and piano
  • Ungarische Rhapsodie for violin and piano, Op. 47
  • Schüler-Konzert Nr. 8 in A major for violin and piano, Op. 51
  • Die Passion, Oratorio for soloists, chorus, orchestra and organ
  • Zwei neue Vortragsstücke for violin and piano
  • Schüler-Klaviertrio Nr. 2 for violin, cello and piano
  • Schüler-Klaviertrio Nr. 3 for violin, cello and piano