Albert Becker

Albert Ernst Anton Becker was a German composer and conductor born in Quedlinburg in 1834. He studied under Siegfried Dehn in Berlin between 1853 and 1856, receiving a thorough grounding in counterpoint and composition that shaped his later work. His early career was marked by growing recognition within German musical circles, particularly for his orchestral writing.

Becker achieved his first major success in 1861 when his Symphony No. 1 in G minor won second prize in a symphonic competition organized by the Musikverein. This accomplishment helped establish his reputation as a capable composer, though he ultimately became best known for his sacred and choral music. Among his most notable contributions in this area was the Mass in B-flat minor, completed in 1878.

Beyond sacred works, Becker composed a piano quintet, several pieces for violin and orchestra, songs, and an unfinished opera titled Lorelei. His compositional output displayed a mastery of traditional forms and counterpoint, reflecting the lineage of his academic training. His music remained rooted in the stylistic aesthetics of the German Romantic tradition.

Becker was also a respected teacher. Beginning in 1881, he taught at the Scharwenka Conservatory, and later at the Berlin Academy of Arts, where he became a professor in 1884. Among his students were several figures who went on to significant careers, including Jean Sibelius, Oskar Merikanto, and Karl Krebs. He taught Sibelius counterpoint between 1889 and 1890, contributing to the early formation of the composer who would later become a central figure in Finnish music.

In 1890 Becker was appointed head of the Royal Court Choir, further solidifying his standing within Berlin’s musical institutions. His influence extended into the next generation as well through his grandson, the composer Günter Raphael. Becker died in Berlin in 1899, leaving behind a body of work respected for its craftsmanship and its contribution to the German choral tradition.

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