George Henschel

Background

Henschel was born at Breslau, in Silesia, now part of Poland, then part of Germany, of Polish-Jewish parentage, and educated as a pianist, making his first public appearance in Berlin in 1862.

Education

Studied at Saint Magdalene College Breslau. Royal Conservatory, Leipzig. First appearance as a pianist, Weber’s Concerto, 1862.

As a singer, 1866.

In England, 1877 (Monday popular.). Settled in England, 1878. 1st conductor of Boston Symphony Orchestra, United States.

Career

He subsequently took up singing, initially and briefly as a basso profundo but developing a fine baritone voice. In 1868, he sang the part of Hans Sachs in a concert performance of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg at Munich. With one minor and unplanned exception, he never sang on stage, confining himself to concert appearances.

Henschel"s very highly developed sense of interpretation and style made him an ideal concert singer, while he was no less distinguished as accompanist.

In fact he sometimes combined both functions. He can be heard on records made as late as 1928 for the Columbia Graphophone Company, singing Lieder by Schubert and Schumann to his own accompaniment.

Henschel was also a prominent conductor, in America and England. He became the first conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1881 (he used the name "Georg Henschel").

On his appointment, he sent his ideas for an innovative seating chart to Brahms, who replied and commented in an approving letter of mid-November 1881.

In 1886, he started a series known as the London Symphony Concerts (no connection with the later London Symphony Orchestra), and in 1893 became the conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. His compositions include instrumental works, a fine Stabat Mater (Birmingham Festival, 1894), an opera, Nubia (Dresden, 1899), and a Requiem (Boston, 1903). In 1907 he published a collection of his journals and correspondence in Personal Recollections of Johannes Brahms and in 1918 Musings and Memories of a Musician.

A Mass in eight parts a cappella was first sung in 1916.

He was knighted in 1914 and at a farewell concert that year, was presented with a lute engraved with "A token of gratitude for forty years" song". He is buried in the churchyard overlooking Loch Alvie, nearby.

Achievements

• George Henschel has been listed as a notable musician, singer, composer. by Marquis Who's Who.

Works

• book

  • Personal Recollections Of Johannes Brahms: Some Of His Letters To And Pages From A Journal Kept By George Henschel... - Scholar's Choice Edition

    ( This work has been selected by scholars as being cultur...)

  • Personal recollections of Johannes Brahms

    (This book was digitized and reprinted from the collection...)

  • Personal Recollections Of Johannes Brahms: Some Of His Letters To And Pages From A Journal Kept By George Henschel...

    ( This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923....)

  • Personal recollections of Johannes Brahms, some of his letters to and pages from a journal kept by George Henschel, with portraits.
  • Personal Recollections of Johannes Brahms, Hid Letters to and Pages from a Journal Kept by George Henschel

Connections

Married Lillian Bailey, March 9, 1881 (died 1901). Married second, Amy Louis, 1907.

Father:

Moritz Henschel

Mother:

Henriette Henschel

Spouse:

Amy Louis

Spouse:

Lillian Bailey