Eduard Hanslick - Icon Profile | Alexandria
Eduard Hanslick (1825-1904) stands as one of music criticism's most formidable and controversial figures, whose aesthetic philosophy fundamentally shaped the discourse of classical music and continues to provoke debate in contemporary musicology. As the preeminent music critic of 19th-century Vienna, Hanslick championed absolute music while waging an intellectual war against the programmatic works of the "New German School," particularly those of Wagner and Liszt.
Born in Prague to a bibliophile father and pianist mother, Hanslick's early exposure to both literature and music would profoundly influence his later theoretical works. His 1854 treatise "Vom Musikalisch-Schönen" (On the Musically Beautiful) emerged as a watershed moment in musical aesthetics, challenging the prevailing Romantic notion that music's primary purpose was to express emotions. Instead, Hanslick proposed that music's beauty resided in its purely musical forms—its "tonally moving forms"—a perspective that would later influence both formalist criticism and modernist composers.
Hanslick's career as Vienna's most powerful music critic spanned nearly half a century, during which he wielded enormous influence through his position at the Neue Freie Presse. His sharp wit and uncompromising standards made him both respected and feared, particularly evident in his complex relationship with Brahms (whom he championed) and Wagner (whom he opposed). The latter even caricatured Hanslick as the pedantic critic Beckmesser in "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg," a testament to the critic's cultural impact and the passionate debates he inspired.
Today, Hanslick's legacy resonates beyond music criticism, touching on fundamental questions about art's purpose and meaning. His insistence on musical autonomy and formal analysis continues to influence modern musicology, while his role in the Wagner-Brahms debates illuminates ongoing discussions about tradition versus innovation in classical music. Whether celebrated as a defender of musical purity or criticized as overly dogmatic, Hanslick's ideas remain remarkably relevant to contemporary discussions about musical meaning, criticism, and the relationship between form and expression in art.