Moór, Emanuel

Emanuel Moór

(b. Kecskemét, Hungary, 19. February 1863 – d. Chardonne, Switzerland, 20. October 1931)

 

Symphony in E minor, op.65

 

“Genie oblige”

His lifelong friend, Pablo Casals called Emanuel Moór a genius and supported his career with enthusiasm. His music partners and the performers of his pieces were the most well-known artists of the early twentieth century, like Alfred Cortot, Jacques Thibaud, Eugène Ysaÿe, Fritz Kreisler, Willem Mengelberg and Arthur Nikisch. Most of his scores were published by international music editors and performed from Barcelona to Saint Petersburg. How could the fame of his oeuvre fade away after his death?

 

Emanuel Moór was born in Kecskemét (Hungary) in 1863. His father was a professional opera singer, and a devoted cantor at the Kecskemét Synagogue. As a prodigy Emanuel Moór was associated with the German language, Hungarian culture and Jewish liturgical tradition. He studied in music academies at Budapest, Prague and finally Vienna, where is was the student of Anton Bruckner. At age of 22 Moór left for the US to pursue a prolific pianist career. Soon he fell in love with Anita Burke, the daughter of a wealthy company owner. After the wedding they moved to England to set off Moor’s composing career. England was a depressive period in their life due to the death of their children and the conditions of the music life. For a while they settled in Paris, but finally found a calm home in Lausanne.

 

His composing period lasted from 1884 until 1914. Moór wrote nine symphonies, four operas and violin concertos, three piano concertos, two cello concertos, a double and a triple concerto, furthermore many song cycle and pieces for piano, cello and violin. When the sorrow of their family tragedy eased, the couple adopted their nephew and niece. In 1913 Moór’s life and career seemed to be the most idyllic. However, in 1914 their adopted son decided to join the French army and died shortly after. Moór still completed a requiem for him and the concerto for string quartet and orchestra for his friends, but he never again composed a single note. At the end of the war his beloved wife also passed away.

 

Moór started a new life. He invented some new instruments, among them the Douplex-piano, which became the most known. He married the pianist Winifred Christie and made some tours with the Douplex around Europe. In 1931 he died in Mont Pélerin. Pablo Casals mourned him for a long time.

 

The Symphonic Oeuvre

 

Moór‘s Symphonic Style

Living in Hungary and studying Brahms’ scores, Moór was familiar with the „style hongrois“, which he usually used for heroic characters. From the Jewish liturgy he borrowed the tunes for praying, ceremony and shofar. Similarly to Karl Goldmark the Jewish sacred music played a significant, but not essential role in his music.

 

 

 

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