Eduard van Beinum
Encyclopedia
Eduard van Beinum (ˈɛdu̯ɑrd ʋɑn ˈbɛi̯nəm) (September 3, 1901 – April 13, 1959, Amsterdam
) was a Dutch conductor.
, Netherlands
, where he received his first violin and piano lessons at an early age. He joined the Arnhem Orchestra as a violinist in 1918. His grandfather was conductor of a military band. His father played the double bass in the local symphony orchestra, the Arnhemse Orkest (later Het Gelders Orkest). His brother Co van Beinum was a violinist, and the two brothers performed as a violin-piano duo in concerts. As a student at the Amsterdam Conservatoire, he gained conducting experience with several concerts by amateur ensembles in Schiedam and Zutphen. He also conducted concerts by the choir of the church of St. Nicholas in Amsterdam.
. In 1938 he was named co-principal conductor, alongside Mengelberg. After World War II, Mengelberg was dismissed as principal conductor because of controversy over his (still-disputed) behavior and attitude towards the Nazi occupiers in the Netherlands. According to Kees Wisse, Van Beinum "detested the Nazis and kept himself as aloof as he could." Van Beinum did receive a reprimand after the post-war de-Nazification activities, but this was not so severe as to keep him from his post with the Concertgebouw. Van Beinum remained as sole principal conductor of the orchestra after the war.
In 1947 he took over the leadership of the London Philharmonic Orchestra
(LPO), but left after two successful seasons. According to Michael Kennedy
in his biography of Sir Adrian Boult, van Beinum was "not well," which led the LPO to seek Boult as a successor to him. In general, van Beinum suffered from health problems, including a heart condition, which left him unable to conduct for much of the 1950-1951 season of the Concertgebouw Orchestra.
Van Beinum made his US guest conducting debut in 1954, with the Philadelphia Orchestra
. He took the Concertgebouw Orchestra on its first U.S. tour later in 1954. In 1956, the year of van Beinum's 25th anniversary with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, he was invested as a Grand Officer of the Order of Orange Nassau, and also received an honorary doctorate from the University of Amsterdam. Outside of the Netherlands, he also served as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic
from 1956 to 1959.
Van Beinum suffered a fatal heart attack on April 13, 1959 on the Concertgebouw podium while rehearsing the orchestra for a performance of Johannes Brahms
' Symphony No. 1
. He was buried in Garderen
, located in the Veluwe
region, where he maintained a residence. After his death, the Eduard van Beinum Foundation was established in 1960.
Van Beinum was married to Sepha Jansen, a violinist with the Concertgebouw Orchestra. In 2000, their son, Bart van Beinum, published a book about his father, Eduard van Beinum, over zijn leven en werk. Van Beinum's recordings with the Concertgebouw Orchestra are available on Philips Records
and Decca Records
labels.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
) was a Dutch conductor.
Biography
Beinum was born in ArnhemArnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, where he received his first violin and piano lessons at an early age. He joined the Arnhem Orchestra as a violinist in 1918. His grandfather was conductor of a military band. His father played the double bass in the local symphony orchestra, the Arnhemse Orkest (later Het Gelders Orkest). His brother Co van Beinum was a violinist, and the two brothers performed as a violin-piano duo in concerts. As a student at the Amsterdam Conservatoire, he gained conducting experience with several concerts by amateur ensembles in Schiedam and Zutphen. He also conducted concerts by the choir of the church of St. Nicholas in Amsterdam.
Concertgebouw Orchestra
Van Beinum was the conductor of the Haarlem Orchestral Society from 1927 to 1931. He first conducted the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam in 1929. He became second conductor of the Concertgebouw Orchestra in 1931, under the supervision of Willem MengelbergWillem Mengelberg
Joseph Willem Mengelberg was a Dutch conductor, famous for his performances of Mahler and Strauss with the Concertgebouw Orchestra.- Biography :...
. In 1938 he was named co-principal conductor, alongside Mengelberg. After World War II, Mengelberg was dismissed as principal conductor because of controversy over his (still-disputed) behavior and attitude towards the Nazi occupiers in the Netherlands. According to Kees Wisse, Van Beinum "detested the Nazis and kept himself as aloof as he could." Van Beinum did receive a reprimand after the post-war de-Nazification activities, but this was not so severe as to keep him from his post with the Concertgebouw. Van Beinum remained as sole principal conductor of the orchestra after the war.
In 1947 he took over the leadership of the London Philharmonic Orchestra
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
(LPO), but left after two successful seasons. According to Michael Kennedy
Michael Kennedy (music critic)
Dr. George Michael Sinclair Kennedy CBE is an English biographer, journalist and writer on classical music. He joined the Daily Telegraph at the age of 15 in 1941, and began writing music criticism for it in 1948...
in his biography of Sir Adrian Boult, van Beinum was "not well," which led the LPO to seek Boult as a successor to him. In general, van Beinum suffered from health problems, including a heart condition, which left him unable to conduct for much of the 1950-1951 season of the Concertgebouw Orchestra.
Van Beinum made his US guest conducting debut in 1954, with the Philadelphia Orchestra
Philadelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
. He took the Concertgebouw Orchestra on its first U.S. tour later in 1954. In 1956, the year of van Beinum's 25th anniversary with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, he was invested as a Grand Officer of the Order of Orange Nassau, and also received an honorary doctorate from the University of Amsterdam. Outside of the Netherlands, he also served as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic
Los Angeles Philharmonic
The Los Angeles Philharmonic is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California, United States. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from July through September...
from 1956 to 1959.
Van Beinum suffered a fatal heart attack on April 13, 1959 on the Concertgebouw podium while rehearsing the orchestra for a performance of Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
' Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 1 (Brahms)
The Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68, is a symphony written by Johannes Brahms. Brahms spent at least fourteen years completing this work, whose sketches date from 1854. Brahms himself declared that the symphony, from sketches to finishing touches, took 21 years, from 1855 to 1876...
. He was buried in Garderen
Garderen
Garderen is a village in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is located in the municipality of Barneveld, in the forests of the Veluwe. The village has 1,994 inhabitants ....
, located in the Veluwe
Veluwe
The Veluwe is a forest-rich ridge of hills in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. The Veluwe features many different landscapes including woodland, heath, some small lakes and Europe's largest sand drifts....
region, where he maintained a residence. After his death, the Eduard van Beinum Foundation was established in 1960.
Van Beinum was married to Sepha Jansen, a violinist with the Concertgebouw Orchestra. In 2000, their son, Bart van Beinum, published a book about his father, Eduard van Beinum, over zijn leven en werk. Van Beinum's recordings with the Concertgebouw Orchestra are available on Philips Records
Philips Records
Philips Records is a record label that was founded by Dutch electronics company Philips. It was started by "Philips Phonographische Industrie" in 1950. Recordings were made with popular artists of various nationalities and also with classical artists from Germany, France and Holland. Philips also...
and Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
labels.