Scholz was born in Breslau and his first names and his year of birth are not known today. He was a pupil of Seyfried in Vienna.[2] In 1838 he was appointed Kapellmeister of the Prince zu Hohenlohe-Öhringen at the court in Schlawentzitz in Upper Silesia. Most of his compositions – autographs of his works, autographs of the arrangements and prints – are now in the Hohenlohe-Zentralarchiv Neuenstein [de].[3]
He composed overtures, symphonies, sonatas, instrumental concertos, masses, art songs and harmony music. He also arranged well-known works for the Hofkapelle in Schlawentzitz. For example Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Don Giovanni, Carl Maria von Weber's Oberon and Euryanthe, Gioachino Rossini's Guillaume Tell and Otello, Ludwig van Beethoven's Fidelio and Symphony No. 5, Giuseppe Verdi's Macbeth, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy's A Midsummer Night's Dream and Frédéric Chopin's Waltz in E-flat major.
During his lifetime several of his compositions were published by F. E. C. Leuckart Verlag [de] and Weinhold. The composer's main tenure dates back to the first half of the nineteenth century as evidenced by some autographs. In the 19th century the works of Scholz were acknowledged in the music magazines.[4][5][6]
The Musikalisches Conversationslexikon (1840) describes him as a talented composer.[7] He died in the city of his birth, Breslau.
Works (autographs, selection)
Ouvertura No 2 par Scholz 1832 (incomplete)
Fest Polonaise composed by W. E. Scholz Breslau, 12 January 1834. (incomplete)
Fest-Overture composed for a large orchestra, arranged for the Fürstlich Hohenlohe-Öhring'sche Hofkapelle by W. E. Scholz, no. 4; Slaventzitz, October 6, 1838; Opus 17; Ms. 1838/39 Scholz.[8]
No 4. Ouverture to the opera Comet by W. E. Scholz 02.03.1839 (incomplete)
Marsch 12 March 1839 (incomplete)
Concert für Posaune und Orchester
Concert für Oboe F major Schlawentzitz d 14: Debr 1842
Concert für Clarinett
Adagio and Rondo für Flöte und Orchester (incomplete)
Scherzo (incomplete)
Vier Lieder (Winternacht, Wanderlied, Wär' ich ein Nachtigall, Mein Reichtum) for voice and orchestra (incomplete)
Instrumental concertos
The scores of the composer's complete instrumental compositions (trombone, oboe and clarinet concertos) were prepared in 2016 by Stefan Antweiler from the instrumental parts and published as first editions by Are Musikverlag Mainz.[9]
Literature
Silke Leopold / Bärbel Pelker (Hg.): Süddeutsche Hofkapellen im 18. Jahrhundert. Eine Bestandsaufnahme (Schriften zur Südwestdeutschen Hofmusik 1). Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften. Online Publikation. http://www.hof-musik.de/PDF/SSH1.pdf
Heckl, Peter: W. A. Mozarts Instrumentalkompositionen in Bearbeitungen für Harmoniemusik vor 1840, Georg Olms Verlag, Hildesheim / New York 2014
Jon A. Gillaspie, Marshall Stoneham und David Lindsey Clark: The Wind Ensemble Sourcebook & The Wind Ensemble Catalog Westport Conn/London 1997 / 1998
^Rellstab, L. in: Iris im Gebiete der Tonkunst, vol. 11, no. 19, 8 May 1840, Berlin
^August Gathy (ed.): Musikalisches Conversations-Lexikon: Encyklopädie der gesammten Musik-Wissenschaft für Künstler, Kunstfreunde und Gebildete. 2nd edition. Niemeyer, Hamburg 1840, p. 408 at Google Books.
