Anton Seidl

Anton Seidl ( Pest born May 7, 1850, † March 28, 1898 in New York ) was a Hungarian- American conductor and orchestra leader.

Life and work

After his schooling Seidl studied 1870-1872 at the Leipzig Conservatory. He then returned to his hometown and was trained by Hans Richter as conductor. Subsequently, he joined first the so-called "Nibelungen - firm" in Bayreuth, a grouping to Felix Mottl, Hans Richter, Hermann Zumpe, Adolf Wallnoefer and others who were concerned with the interpretation and especially with the marketing of the various Wagner operas and were allowed to be present at the rehearsals for this purpose. Through these contacts, Seidl was appointed on the recommendation of Richard Wagner at the Leipzig Opera House as a theater conductor at the opera director Angelo Neumann, who had acquired there, especially by his Wagner productions a nationally recognized reputation. In the years 1882 and 1883 Seidl also was a member of the ensemble of the so-called " Migratory Wagner Theater " founded by Neumann. This traveling Wagner ensemble, which included a full orchestra, an opera chorus and stage equipment and stage technician, he entered the next few years in several cities in Europe and was present mainly in the performance of a total of 135 ring performances and more than 50 other Wagner concerts involved.

After this tour, phase and various intermediate exposures among others in Bremen ( 1883-85 ) and in August 1885 at the German State Theatre in Prague, each always with Angelo Neumann, he broke in the same year ( October 1885 ) on his first tour to New York on. On November 23, 1885, he celebrated with Wagner's opera Lohengrin at the Metropolitan Opera and a year later with Tristan and Isolde with Lilli Lehmann and Albert Niemann in the lead roles a sensational success. In subsequent years, Seidl moved then his main focus completely to New York, worked as co-conductor Leopold Damrosch of and after his death by Walter Damrosch at the New York Symphony Society. Until 1891 he brought there more until then in America still partially unknown Wagner operas for performance, the thus achieved a triumph not predictable. In 1891 he finally moved yet to the New York Philharmonic, but was invited to give guest performances at the "Met " in New York and in other cities, such as in 1891 at the request of Benjamin Johnson Lang on the premiere of Parsifal to Boston. Overall Seidl had 471 times held the overall lead, which is 291 conductorships employed by more than 35 operas alone with the works of Wagner. Until his death Seidl remained faithful to the Philharmonic, sat down beside it but also for the promotion of so-called " American music " European composers and led, for example, the acclaimed world premiere of Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 " From the New World " on September 16, 1893 at Carnegie Hall.

In addition, in 1889, founded culture-loving women, " Seidl Society ," a group of musicians, compiled from the orchestras of the "Met" and the Philharmonic, called " Seidl Orchestra" on the beach of Brighton Beach numerous summer concerts as " Wagner Nights" was for the best. Seidl's relationship with the Wagner family in particular to Cosima Wagner, Siegfried less, he had practically raised with, but became increasingly distant from his days in New York, as he interpreted the Wagner opera tighter and more modern and easier to understand for Americans. Therefore Seidl only once appeared in Bayreuth, when he led the 1897 Parsifal at the Bayreuth Festival. In the same year he entered once more on to a stint in London before he died already a year later on March 28, 1898 at the age of only 48 years.

Anton Seidl, who since 1891 had U.S. citizenship, was married to the singer coming from Austria Auguste Kraus ( 1853-1939 ). To him, the " Anton Seidl Award" ( Anton Seidl Award ) of the " Wagner Society of New York " for excellent Wagner interpretations was done at the "Met" to commemorate. This prize has been awarded, among others, James Levine, Otto Schenk, Günther Schneider- Siemssen, Birgit Nilsson and Jon Vickers.

Work

  • Anton Seidl (eds.): The Music of the Modern World. 2 vols, Appleton & Company, New York 1895.

Literature and sources

  • H. Reitterer: Anton Seidl. In: Austrian Biographical Encyclopaedia 1815-1950 ( ÖBL). Volume 12, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 2001-2005, ISBN 3-7001-3580-7, pp. 119 f ( direct links on S. 119, S. 120).
  • Volker Mertens: Without counsel in foreign land - Tristan and Isolde in America: Seidl, Mahler, Toscanini and Vaget in focus Tristan and Isolde. In: Wagner Spectrum. Issue 1/2005, King & Neumann, ISBN 978-3-8260-2786-4, pp. 164ff. ( Google books)
  • Henry Theophilus Finck; Henry Edward Krehbiel: Anton Seidl, a memorial by his friends. New York, Scribner, 1899. Reprint New York, Da Capo Press, 1983. ISBN 0-306-76144-0.
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