Leopold Damrosch

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Leopold Damrosch

Leopold Damrosch (October 22, 1832 – February 15, 1885) was a German American orchestral conductor.

[edit] Biography

Damrosch was born in Posen (Poznań), Kingdom of Prussia, and began his musical education at the age of nine, learning the violin against the wishes of his parents (who wished him to become a doctor). Capitulating to the wishes of his parents he entered the University of Berlin and completed his PhD in medicine but during his spare time he studied violin under Ries, and thorough bass with Dehn and Bohmer. After he completed his degree Damrosch decided to dedicate his life and energy to music. He gained fame as a violinist and began to play to large audiences in many major German cities including Berlin and Hamburg. He went to Weimar, and was received by Franz Liszt, who appointed him solo-violinist in the Ducal orchestra. Liszt dedicated a symphonic poem (Le Triomphe Funebre de Tasse) to Damrosch (one of only three dedications Liszt gave, the other two were to Berlioz and Wagner).

Damrosch first appeared as a conductor during the season of 1859 where he conducted the Philharmonic concerts in Breslau. He continued to conduct the Philharmonic for three years due to the success of this season. In 1862 Damrosch founded a symphonic society in Breslau with an orchestra of eighty performers, modeled after the Gewandhaus concerts of Leipzig.

This society gained fame throughout Germany and Damrosch invited Liszt to conduct several of the performances, an invitation which he accepted. Wagner also accepted the invitation to conduct his own manuscript compositions in the winter of 1867.

In 1871 Damrosch emigrated to the United States of America at the invitation of the Arion society in New York. He first conducted in the U.S.A. on the 6th of May 1871, at Steinway hall, as conductor, composer, and violinist. He participated in many concerts over this period and in 1873 he founded the Oratorio Society of New York. The first concert of this society was later that year and consisted of a programme of selections from Bach, Handel, Palestrina and other great Baroque composers. In 1874 Damrosch gave another concert at the Oratorio Society, this the first with a full orchestra, consisting of a Handel's "Samson". For Christmas that year The Messiah was performed.

In 1877 Damrosch, in connection with a number of persons interested in the cultivation of orchestral music, established the Symphony society. This society became closely identified with the Oratorio Society and several joint performances were organized. The co-operation of these societies reached its climax in the great "musical festival" which was held in the armory of the 7th regiment in New York, from 3 till 7 May 1881. The chorus numbered 1,200, the main body being the Oratorio Society, which was augmented by various choral societies from neighboring towns. An additional chorus of 1,000 young ladies from the Normal College and 250 boys from the Church choirs took part in the afternoon concerts. The orchestra was composed of 250 pieces, and Dr. Damrosch selected a large number of artists for soloists. Among the choral works performed were Handel's "Dettingen Te Deum" and "Messiah" ; Rubinstein's "Tower of Babel" (first time); Berlioz's "Grande Messe des Mortes" (first time); and Beethoven's "Ninth Symphony." The audience numbered from 8,000 to 10,000 at each concert, and the enthusiasm for the projector of this enterprise resulted in an ovation on the last night. The degree of Doctor of Music was conferred upon him by Columbia in 1880.

After a tour of the west in 1883 Dr. Damrosch died in New York City. His sons Frank Damrosch and Walter Johannes Damrosch, both born in Breslau on 22 June 1859 and 30 January 1862 respectively, both succeeded him as conductors of the Oratorio Society of New York.