Background
Mangold was born in Darmstadt and received his initial musical education from his father.
Mangold was born in Darmstadt and received his initial musical education from his father.
Between 1836 and 1839 he studied at the Paris Conservatory and made the acquaintance of Berlioz, Chopin, Meyerbeer, Liszt, and Clara Wieck.
In 1831 he entered the orchestra of the ducal chapel at Darmstadt. A journey to London in 1834 acquainted him with the work of Handel. From 1835 he appeared in Darmstadt not only as a violinist, but also as a singer.
After his return to Darmstadt in 1839 he became the director of the local "Musikverein", which in the course of the following years performed all of his major oratorio and cantata works.
In 1848, he was made "Hofmusikdirektor" (court music director) at Darmstadt Castle. His second opera, Tannhäuser (1845), was written at the same time as Wagner"s work of the same title, but without mutual knowledge.
Apparently, performances of Mangold"s work beyond Darmstadt were hampered out of consideration for Wagner. After Mangold"s death the music was refitted to a new libretto by Ernst Pasqué as Der getreue Eckart (1892).
He died in Oberstdorf.
Mangold"s oratorio Abraham (1860) has been recorded on Civil Defense in 1986.