Heinrich Picot de Peccaduc,Freiherr von Herzogenberg (an Austrian composer and conductor), was born

into a French aristocratic family in Graz, Austria on June 10th,1843.

He began his education at a Jesuit school in Feldkirch before moving on to one in Munich and then to
one in Dresden and Graz.

At age 18 he began his studies of law,philosophy, and political science at the University of Vienna but
after only one year there Herzogenberg then decided to turn to musical studies and began taking
composition classes under Feliz Dessoff,a german composer and conductor who was a professor at the
Vienna Conservatory. There he stayed and learned from Dessoff for two years before moving on in his
studies. It was during those two years learning from Dessoff that Herzogenberg met Johannes Brahms
and formed a close friendship with him.

In his early musical studies Herzogenberg was fascinated and interested in the music of Richard
Wagner but then turned to studying and using the music of J.S.Bach as a model for his own music which
is noticeable in some of his choral and sacred works.

It wasn't until after studying Bach and his music that Herzogenberg became an advocate for the classical
tradition and for the music of Brahms who largely influenced many of Herzogenberg's musical
compositions. Although Herzogenberg lived in the shadow of Brahms and his works are not so widely
known,Brahms still admired Herzogenberg though often harshly critiqueing his work and giving little to
no praise whatsoever,but before his death Brahms said of Herzogenberg, " Herzogenberg is able to do
more than any of the others".

In 1868,Herzogenberg married Elizabeth von Stockhausen, a pianist and composer,student of Johannes

Brahms. Around this time Herzogenberg would meet Clara Schumann,and having admired Robert
Schumanns works, he would imitate in style with some of his piano works.

After marrying, the Herzogenbergs moved to Graz but then moved again in 1872,to Leipzig where, only
two years later,Herzogenberg founded the Leipzig Bach Verein,its sole purpose to revive Bach's
cantatas. Herzogenberg became the artistic director there for 10 years before becoming a professor of
composition at the Hochschule für Music in Berlin,in 1885. He stayed a professor there throughout his
remaining years though struggling with poor health.

Herzogenberg composed many works,from concert works to sacred works,a few choral orchestral
pieces,quartets,symphonies, violin sonatas, piano duets, chamber music, a cantata,and the Legenden,a
piece not well known. The Legenden Herzogenberg wrote,he wrote for either cello or viola,the only
known work of his actually composed specifically for either of the instruments.

Herzogenberg composed the piece at age 47 while recovering from a bout of poor health.

Not much is know about the piece of music but Herzogenberg wrote it with the intended mood of the
past.
The first movement,the Andantino,shows more of the late romantic movement, and the final Andante a
more folk-like theme, but the middle movement,Moderato, he wrote,and it is this movement which calls
to mind,more so than the other two movements, an air of the past.

Even though Herzogenberg's musical contemporaries were so influential in his music career,
Herzogenberg still wrote with his own specific style,differentiating him and his works from the others of
that time period.

In 1900, not long after the death of his wife,Herzogenberg retired from his position as professor at the
Hochschule für Musik.

Later that same year on October 9th and now living in Wiesbaden,Germany,Herzogenberg,at age 57,and
suffering from severe necrosis and poor health in general,died.