Rudolf Dittrich
Encyclopedia
Rudolf Dittrich was an Austrian musician. He is noted for his role in bringing western music to Japan during the late 19th century.
, Czech Republic
). He attended the Vienna Conservatory, where he specialized in violin, piano, organ, and music composition. His teachers included Anton Bruckner
, who later became one of his sponsors.
In November 1886, Dittrich married a singer named Petronella Josefine Leopoldine Lammer (September 15, 1860 to January 4, 1891).
Dittrich was hired by the Meiji government of Japan
as a foreign advisor on a three-year contract and arrived in Tokyo
in 1888 as the first Art Director of the Tokyo School of Music (now the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music
). Dittrich and his wife both worked at the school, and also gave performances at the Rokumeikan
. Dittrich was fluent in English
, and also taught his students English conversation along with violin, piano, organ, theory, and composition. However, he was known as a very severe teacher, and at one point his students marched out on strike against him. However, many of his students went on to distinguished careers.
Near the end of Dittrich's first term in 1891, his wife died from a pulmonary embolism
. Furthermore, the school faced financial difficulties as the government withdrew its support to divert funds for the upcoming First Sino-Japanese War
. In spite of his school's difficulties, Dittrich's contract was renewed in 1891 for another three year period.
Sometime in 1891 or 1892, Dittrich formed a relationship with a Japanese shamisen
performer and instructor, Mori Kiku, with whom he had a son out of wedlock named Otto Mori. Mori Kiku also assisted Dittrich in translating the lyrics and transposing the music for the Japanese songs which appeared in his 1894 and 1895 publications.
Dittrich left Japan one month before the expiration of his contract in August 1894, abandoning his common-law family, but leaving provisions to provide financial support for his son, who later became a professional violinist. His grandson was the movie actor Jun Negami
.
After returning to Vienna
in 1894, Dittrich had to struggle to find a position. In the first years after his return he performed as a chamber music
violinist and violist. In 1901, he was appointed as one of three organist to the Hapsburg court organists, succeeding his mentor Anton Bruckner. In 1906 Dittrich became a professor at the Vienna Conservatory, and designed for the organ in the Musikverein auditorium, where the Vienna Philharmonic plays its New Year's concerts.
On July 10, 1900, Dittrich married his second wife, Katharina Kriegle, who bore him two sons.
Dittrich collapsed while performing in a concert on October 18, 1916, and never fully recovered. He died in Vienna on January 16, 1919.
Biography
Dittrich was born in Biala, Galicia (modern Bielsko-BiałaBielsko-Biała
-Economy and Industry:Nowadays Bielsko-Biała is one of the best-developed parts of Poland. It was ranked 2nd best city for business in that country by Forbes. About 5% of people are unemployed . Bielsko-Biała is famous for its textile, machine-building, and especially automotive industry...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
). He attended the Vienna Conservatory, where he specialized in violin, piano, organ, and music composition. His teachers included Anton Bruckner
Anton Bruckner
Anton Bruckner was an Austrian composer known for his symphonies, masses, and motets. The first are considered emblematic of the final stage of Austro-German Romanticism because of their rich harmonic language, complex polyphony, and considerable length...
, who later became one of his sponsors.
In November 1886, Dittrich married a singer named Petronella Josefine Leopoldine Lammer (September 15, 1860 to January 4, 1891).
Dittrich was hired by the Meiji government of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as a foreign advisor on a three-year contract and arrived in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
in 1888 as the first Art Director of the Tokyo School of Music (now the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music
Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music
or is one of the oldest and most prestigious art schools in Japan. Located in Ueno Park, it also has facilities in Toride, Ibaraki, Yokohama, Kanagawa, and Kitasenju, Adachi, Tokyo...
). Dittrich and his wife both worked at the school, and also gave performances at the Rokumeikan
Rokumeikan
The was a large two-story building in Tokyo, completed in 1883, which was to become a controversial symbol of Westernisation in the Meiji period. Commissioned for the housing of foreign guests by the Foreign Minister Inoue Kaoru, it was designed by Josiah Conder, a prominent Western architect...
. Dittrich was fluent in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, and also taught his students English conversation along with violin, piano, organ, theory, and composition. However, he was known as a very severe teacher, and at one point his students marched out on strike against him. However, many of his students went on to distinguished careers.
Near the end of Dittrich's first term in 1891, his wife died from a pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary embolism is a blockage of the main artery of the lung or one of its branches by a substance that has travelled from elsewhere in the body through the bloodstream . Usually this is due to embolism of a thrombus from the deep veins in the legs, a process termed venous thromboembolism...
. Furthermore, the school faced financial difficulties as the government withdrew its support to divert funds for the upcoming First Sino-Japanese War
First Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
. In spite of his school's difficulties, Dittrich's contract was renewed in 1891 for another three year period.
Sometime in 1891 or 1892, Dittrich formed a relationship with a Japanese shamisen
Shamisen
The , also called is a three-stringed, Japanese musical instrument played with a plectrum called a bachi. The Japanese pronunciation is usually "shamisen" but sometimes "jamisen" when used as a suffix . -Construction:The shamisen is a plucked stringed instrument...
performer and instructor, Mori Kiku, with whom he had a son out of wedlock named Otto Mori. Mori Kiku also assisted Dittrich in translating the lyrics and transposing the music for the Japanese songs which appeared in his 1894 and 1895 publications.
Dittrich left Japan one month before the expiration of his contract in August 1894, abandoning his common-law family, but leaving provisions to provide financial support for his son, who later became a professional violinist. His grandson was the movie actor Jun Negami
Jun Negami
was a Japanese actor.- Filmography :Played in 128 films:* 猛獣使いの少女 Mōjū tsukai no shōjo * * The Loyal 47 Ronin -References:...
.
After returning 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...
in 1894, Dittrich had to struggle to find a position. In the first years after his return he performed as a chamber music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
violinist and violist. In 1901, he was appointed as one of three organist to the Hapsburg court organists, succeeding his mentor Anton Bruckner. In 1906 Dittrich became a professor at the Vienna Conservatory, and designed for the organ in the Musikverein auditorium, where the Vienna Philharmonic plays its New Year's concerts.
On July 10, 1900, Dittrich married his second wife, Katharina Kriegle, who bore him two sons.
Dittrich collapsed while performing in a concert on October 18, 1916, and never fully recovered. He died in Vienna on January 16, 1919.
Publications
After returning to Europe in 1894, Dittrich published two collections consisting of piano arrangements of traditional Japanese songs.- Nippon Gakufu ("Six Japanese Popular Songs collected and arranged for the Pianoforte"), Breitkopf and Härtel, Leipzig, 1894.
- Nippon Gakufu, Second Series ("Ten Japanese Songs collected and arranged for the Pianoforte"), Breitkopf and Härtel, Leipzig, 1895.