Romantic Period - post 1848

As a young (Illustration: Wolf at 24) and fellow student with Mahler, Hugo Wolf (1860 Windischgraz/Slovenia - 1903 Vienna) acted out the role of the "wild" Wolf to make himself heard in Vienna's musical circles. One of his early works is the Feuerreiter, which he composed on 10 October 1888: the story of a mysterious rider, who loses a battle against the element fire: Wolf as an artist was probably more attracted to the clear, southern European theme than to the mysticism of his idol Wagner (1813 - 1883). His style is determined by a convincing representation of the situation described in the text, an accompaniment with gripping rhythmic, declamatory melodies and unexpected harmonies (musical example: the beginning of the song), which made him a model for the New Viennese School. (M. Saary)