Anton Seidl
Encyclopedia
Anton Seidl was a Hungarian
conductor
.
, Hungary
. He began the study of music at a very early age, and when only seven years old could pick out at the piano melodies which he had heard at the theatre. At 15, he became a student of harmony in counterpoint under Nicolitsch at the Hungarian national musical academy, of which Liszt
was director. He attended the normal school at Pest for three years, the gymnasium
eight years, and afterward attended the university for two years. At 16, he had been thinking of becoming a priest, but his love for music prevailed, and he entered Leipzig Conservatory
in October 1870, remaining there until 1872, when he was summoned to Bayreuth as one of Richard Wagner
's copyists.
At Bayreuth, he assisted in making the first fair copy of Der Ring des Nibelungen
. Wagner treated him as one of the “chosen few,” and it was natural that he should take a part in the first Bayreuth Festival
in 1876. Wagner also sent him to Vienna
to place Siegfried
and Die Götterdämmerung on the stage.
His chance as a conductor came in 1879 when, on Wagner's recommendation, he was appointed to the Leipzig State Opera. In May 1881, he introduced at the Victoria Theatre, Berlin
, the complete Nibelungen Ring trilogy
for the first time. In 1882, he went on tour with Angelo Neumann's Nibelungen Ring company. The critics attributed much of the artistic success that attended the production of the Trilogy at Her Majesty's Theatre
in London in June of that year to his conducting.
In 1883 Seidl went with Neumann to Bremen, but two years later was appointed as a conductor of the Metropolitan Opera
in New York City
, and in the same year he married Auguste Kraus, the distinguished singer. He became conductor of the New York Philharmonic
in 1891 where he remained until is death in 1898. While in New York, he conducted the premiere performance of Antonin Dvořák
's New World Symphony, which would have great significance to American classical music.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
.
Biography
He was born at PestBudapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. He began the study of music at a very early age, and when only seven years old could pick out at the piano melodies which he had heard at the theatre. At 15, he became a student of harmony in counterpoint under Nicolitsch at the Hungarian national musical academy, of which Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
was director. He attended the normal school at Pest for three years, the gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
eight years, and afterward attended the university for two years. At 16, he had been thinking of becoming a priest, but his love for music prevailed, and he entered Leipzig Conservatory
Felix Mendelssohn College of Music and Theatre
The University of Music and Theatre "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" Leipzig is a public university in Leipzig . Founded in 1843 by Felix Mendelssohn as the Conservatory of Music, it is the oldest university school of music in Germany....
in October 1870, remaining there until 1872, when he was summoned to Bayreuth as one of Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
's copyists.
At Bayreuth, he assisted in making the first fair copy of Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen is a cycle of four epic operas by the German composer Richard Wagner . The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied...
. Wagner treated him as one of the “chosen few,” and it was natural that he should take a part in the first Bayreuth Festival
Bayreuth Festival
The Bayreuth Festival is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of operas by the 19th century German composer Richard Wagner are presented...
in 1876. Wagner also sent him to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
to place Siegfried
Siegfried (opera)
Siegfried is the third of the four operas that constitute Der Ring des Nibelungen , by Richard Wagner. It received its premiere at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus on 16 August 1876, as part of the first complete performance of The Ring...
and Die Götterdämmerung on the stage.
His chance as a conductor came in 1879 when, on Wagner's recommendation, he was appointed to the Leipzig State Opera. In May 1881, he introduced at the Victoria Theatre, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, the complete Nibelungen Ring trilogy
Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen is a cycle of four epic operas by the German composer Richard Wagner . The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied...
for the first time. In 1882, he went on tour with Angelo Neumann's Nibelungen Ring company. The critics attributed much of the artistic success that attended the production of the Trilogy at Her Majesty's Theatre
Her Majesty's Theatre
Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre, in Haymarket, City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art at the theatre...
in London in June of that year to his conducting.
In 1883 Seidl went with Neumann to Bremen, but two years later was appointed as a conductor of the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and in the same year he married Auguste Kraus, the distinguished singer. He became conductor of the New York Philharmonic
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
in 1891 where he remained until is death in 1898. While in New York, he conducted the premiere performance of Antonin Dvořák
Antonín Dvorák
Antonín Leopold Dvořák was a Czech composer of late Romantic music, who employed the idioms of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia. Dvořák’s own style is sometimes called "romantic-classicist synthesis". His works include symphonic, choral and chamber music, concerti, operas and many...
's New World Symphony, which would have great significance to American classical music.
Further reading
- Finck, Henry TheophilusHenry Theophilus FinckHenry Theophilus Finck was an American musical critic, born at Bethel, Missouri, and raised in Portland, Oregon, where he was taught piano and violincello. He taught himself Latin and Greek so thoroughly that he was able to enter Harvard as a sophomore in 1872...
and Krehbiel, Henry EdwardHenry Edward KrehbielHenry Edward Krehbiel was an American music critic and musicologist.-Biography:Krehbiel was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He received a general education from his father, a German clergyman of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and began in 1872 the study of law in Cincinnati, Ohio...
. Anton Seidl; a memorial by his friends. New York, C. Scribner's Sons, 1899. Reprinted New York : Da Capo Press, 1983. ISBN 0-306-76144-0.