Enrique Fernandez Arbos
Encyclopedia
Enrique Fernández Arbós (24 December 1863 – 2 June 1939) was a Spanish
violin
ist, composer
and conductor who divided much of his career between Madrid and London
. He originally made his name as a virtuoso violinist and later as one of Spain’s greatest conductors.
Fernández Arbós was born in Madrid
. After studying violin at the Madrid Conservatory under Jésus Monasterio, he continued his studies in Brussels
under Henri Vieuxtemps
and later in Berlin
under Joseph Joachim
. While in Berlin he also studied composition under Heinrich von Herzogenberg
. After teaching at the Madrid Conservatoire and in Hamburg
, and spells as leader of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and Boston Symphony Orchestra
, he became professor of violin at the Royal College of Music
, London in 1894, a post he occupied until 1916. In 1904, he was offered the position of principal conductor of the Madrid Symphony Orchestra
, a position he held for nearly 35 years. He conducted the first Spanish performance of The Rite of Spring
.
He enjoyed a considerable solo career but was also engaged as concertmaster of several orchestras including those of Berlin, Boston, Glasgow and Winnipeg. He was also credited for the invention of the electric triangle. He died in San Sebastián
in 1939.
As a composer he is probably best known for his piano trio Tres Piezas Originales en Estilo Español. His violin pieces also enjoyed considerable popularity. In addition to these works, he wrote a comic opera
, El Centro de la Tierra (1895), which, for a brief period after its publication, was regularly performed in Spain. His orchestral arrangements of several pieces from Isaac Albéniz
's Iberia
are well known.
His many pupils included Maud MacCarthy
(later Omananda Puri), the wife of the composer John Foulds
.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and conductor who divided much of his career between Madrid and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He originally made his name as a virtuoso violinist and later as one of Spain’s greatest conductors.
Fernández Arbós was born in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. After studying violin at the Madrid Conservatory under Jésus Monasterio, he continued his studies in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
under Henri Vieuxtemps
Henri Vieuxtemps
Henri François Joseph Vieuxtemps was a Belgian composer and violinist. He occupies an important place in the history of the violin as a prominent exponent of the Franco-Belgian violin school during the mid-19th century....
and later in 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...
under Joseph Joachim
Joseph Joachim
Joseph Joachim was a Hungarian violinist, conductor, composer and teacher. A close collaborator of Johannes Brahms, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant violinists of the 19th century.-Origins:...
. While in Berlin he also studied composition under Heinrich von Herzogenberg
Heinrich von Herzogenberg
Heinrich Picot de Peccaduc, Freiherr von Herzogenberg was an Austrian composer and conductor descended from a French aristocratic family....
. After teaching at the Madrid Conservatoire and in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, and spells as leader of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and Boston Symphony Orchestra
Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Boston Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays most of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at the Tanglewood Music Center...
, he became professor of violin at the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
, London in 1894, a post he occupied until 1916. In 1904, he was offered the position of principal conductor of the Madrid Symphony Orchestra
Madrid Symphony Orchestra
The Madrid Symphony Orchestra , founded in 1903, is the oldest existing Spanish symphony orchestra not linked to an opera house in Spain.-History:...
, a position he held for nearly 35 years. He conducted the first Spanish performance of The Rite of Spring
The Rite of Spring
The Rite of Spring, original French title Le sacre du printemps , is a ballet with music by Igor Stravinsky; choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky; and concept, set design and costumes by Nicholas Roerich...
.
He enjoyed a considerable solo career but was also engaged as concertmaster of several orchestras including those of Berlin, Boston, Glasgow and Winnipeg. He was also credited for the invention of the electric triangle. He died in San Sebastián
San Sebastián
Donostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
in 1939.
As a composer he is probably best known for his piano trio Tres Piezas Originales en Estilo Español. His violin pieces also enjoyed considerable popularity. In addition to these works, he wrote a comic opera
Comic opera
Comic opera denotes a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending.Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a new operatic genre, opera buffa, emerged as an alternative to opera seria...
, El Centro de la Tierra (1895), which, for a brief period after its publication, was regularly performed in Spain. His orchestral arrangements of several pieces from Isaac Albéniz
Isaac Albéniz
Isaac Manuel Francisco Albéniz y Pascual was a Spanish Catalan pianist and composer best known for his piano works based on folk music idioms .-Life:Born in Camprodon, province of Girona, to Ángel Albéniz and his wife Dolors Pascual, Albéniz...
's Iberia
Iberia (Albéniz)
Iberia is a suite for piano composed between 1905 and 1909 by the Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz. It comprises four books of three pieces each; a complete performance lasts about an hour and a half....
are well known.
His many pupils included Maud MacCarthy
Maud MacCarthy (Omananda Puri)
Maud MacCarthy , was an Irish violinist, singer, Theosophist, writer, poet, esoteric teacher and authority on Indian music....
(later Omananda Puri), the wife of the composer John Foulds
John Foulds
John Herbert Foulds was a British composer of classical music. Largely self-taught as a composer, he was one of the most remarkable and unjustly forgotten figures of the "British Musical Renaissance"....
.