composer educator musician pianist
Robert Goldbeck was born at Potsdam, Prussia. There is no record of his parentage, except that his mother was a sister of the eminent teacher and composer, Louis Kohler, who, recognizing the boy’s musical precocity, began early to give him thorough training in piano and harmony.
After Robert had acquired a local reputation, some influential townspeople, notably Alexander von Humboldt, enlisted the interest of the King of Prussia by giving the fourteen-year-old lad a concert appearance, graced by the King’s presence.
In this way, funds were provided for sending him to Brunswick to study advanced piano playing and composition with Litolff, with whom he remained four years. He then went to Paris, and though not yet nineteen years old, he was admitted into the most exclusive society by the aid of letters of introduction from von Humboldt.
Among the distinguished people who took an interest in him was Alexandre Dumas, the elder, who introduced him to Berlioz, Halevy, Auber, and other musicians. He remained in Paris three years enjoying considerable popularity, not only because of his pianistic achievements but because of his ingratiating manner.
Through Humboldt’s influence again he made his London debut at Devonshire House, Piccadilly, under the patronage of the Duke of Devonshire. In 1861, he established himself in New York, but in 1867, he went to Boston to assist Eben Tourjee in founding the New England Conservatory, remaining there until 1868, when he took up his abode in Chicago.
There, in 1873, he began to publish Goldbeck's Monthly Journal of Music but gave up its publication to go to St. Louis as director of the Harmonic Society and co-director and teacher in the Beethoven Conservatory.
In 1880, he founded his own school, the St. Louis College of Music. Evidently, for the purpose of enlarging his sphere as a teacher, he began to publish another monthly journal, Goldbeck’s Musical Instructor, which was really a course of instruction in piano, harmony, and voice.
Later, it became Goldbeck’s Musical Art, and in 1893 was revived as the Musical World.
In 1885, he went to New York, but as Köhler died in 1886 and had willed him his Conservatory at Königsberg, Goldbeck went abroad to take charge of it.
He remained only until 1891 when he returned to St. Louis, and there, after many wanderings, he died in 1908. He was an indefatigable worker.
Three of his orchestral works, “Mexican Dances, ” “Forest Devotion, ” and “Leaping Marionettes, ” were played by Theodore Thomas in Chicago, St. Louis, and on tour.
Several operas were not performed, though an early operetta, The Soldier’s Return, and one of his best operas, Newport, were performed in London in 1856 and 1889 respectively.
Most of his compositions are now almost forgotten.
Goldbeck was a restless individual, not long contented in one place, though he lived in St. Louis four different times.
Goldbeck was three times married. His third wife, Elise F. Haenschen, who survived him by several years, was an excellent pianist, who appeared often in recital and with an orchestra.
