Otto Goldschmidt
Otto Moritz David Goldschmidt ( born August 21, 1829 in Hamburg, † February 24, 1907 in London ) was a German composer, conductor and pianist.
Biography and work
His parents were of Jewish businessman Moritz David Goldschmidt and his wife Johanna Goldschmidt. The couple had eight children who grew up in the protected space of the affluent and educated parents. The family belonged to the circle of the liberal Reform Judaism. Since the mother was very musically talented, she was an excellent singer, piano, violin and harp player, great emphasis was placed on the musical education of children. Otto Goldschmidt attended from 1843-1846 the Conservatory in Leipzig. There his teachers were, among others, Hans von Bülow and Felix Mendelssohn. The latter presented his students following testimony from: Mr. Goldschmidt has trained a fine talent for piano playing on fortunately, and even shown in Composition for his instrument not insignificant investments (quoted Marx 2003, p 158). In addition, he still took private piano lessons with Clara Schumann.
On 5 February 1852, the highly talented musician married in Boston (Mass. ), the older by eight years world-famous singer Jenny Lind. For her sake converted Otto Goldschmidt to the Protestant faith. The couple were born three children. After the death of his wife in 1887, the widower prompted the publication of her biography ( German, 2 vols Leipzig 1891).
Since 1858, the couple Goldschmidt- Lind lived in London, where Otto Goldschmidt in 1863 and later Vice Principal Professor at the Royal Academy of Music was. In 1876 he founded the Bach Choir, which he directed until 1886. In London, the couple belonged to a circle German - English intellectuals. These included, for example, the composer and musicologist Arthur Sullivan, the painter Rudolf Lehmann and the writer Charles Dickens.
Otto Goldschmidt created especially piano concertos and other piano pieces, songs, trios and the oratorio Ruth, in which Jenny Lind 1870 at the Lower Rhine Music Festival in Dusseldorf sang the soprano solo and her singing career decided.
Works
- Jenny Lind. Her career as an artist. Leipzig 1891