Eduard Hanslick

Born in Prague on September 11, 1825, he became one of the most important music critics of his era. He studied law before turning fully toward music writing, and he later taught the history and aesthetics of music at the University of Vienna.

He wrote for the Neue Freie Presse for decades and became widely known for his clear, often combative opinions. His best-known book, On the Musically Beautiful (1854), argues that music should be understood through its musical form itself, a view that made him a central figure in debates about Romantic music.

Remembered as both a critic, historian, and aesthetician, he remained a major presence in Vienna’s musical life until his death on August 6, 1904. His work still matters today because it asks a basic question that never really goes away: what, exactly, gives music its meaning?