Ernst von Schuch

Ernst Edler von Schuch, born Ernst Gottfried Schuch (23 November 1846, Graz – 10 May 1914, Niederlößnitz/Radebeul Dresden) was an Austrian conductor, who became famous through his working collaborations with Richard Strauss at the Dresden Court Opera.

Schuch first studied for Law, and later turned to music, being trained at first by E. Stolz. He studied in Graz and later in Vienna, briefly with Felix Otto Dessoff, and began in 1867 as Kapellmeister at Lobe's Theatre in Breslau. There followed engagements in Würzburg (1868–1870), Graz (1870/1871) and Basle, until he was employed in 1872 by Pollini's Italian Opera for Dresden. There in 1872 he became Music director at the Court Opera, from 1873 Royal Kapellmeister with Julius Rietz, later with Franz Wüllner. In 1878 he became a Royal Professor. In 1882 he undertook the direction of the Court Opera as Privy Councillor, and in 1889 he became General Music Director. He took up residence in 1882 in Niederlößnitz in the Weintraubenstraße (in 1883 on his own suggestion renamed as Schuchstraße 15/17). In 1898 Schuch was ennobled by the Austrian emperor and in 1899 was appointed to the Saxon Confidential Privy Council. His period of influence is known as the Schuch Era in Opera history.

With tours as guest conductor in Berlin, Munich, Vienna and Paris he remained committed to Dresden until 1914, and made the opera house there into one of the leading musical stages of Europe, he created a surpassing ensemble and enlarged the orchestra to one of the greatest in the world. Beside the operatic repertoire of Richard Wagner he also led the original productions of the Richard Strauss operas "Feuersnot" (1901), "Salome" (1905), "Elektra" (1909) and "Der Rosenkavalier" (1911) as well as the first German productions of Puccini and Mascagni. Hence he was also highly valued as an orchestral director and took on that role particularly for the orchestral works of Felix Draeseke and Strauss.

Schuch married the coloratura soprano Clementine von Schuch-Proska (Klementine Procházka) (1850-1932). She was an Honorary Member of the Royal Theatre Company. Their daughter Liesel von Schuch sang in Dresden (from 1914) and Vienna.

References

* A. Eaglefield-Hull, "A Dictionary of Modern Music and Musicians" (Dent, London 1924)
* P. Sakolowsky, "E. Schuch" (1901).
* Gerhard M. Dienes (Ed.), „mit mir...“ Ernst von Schuch (1846–1914). Ein Grazer als Generalmusikdirektor in Dresden. Exhibition Catalogue 1999. (Graz City Museum, Graz 1999), ISBN 3-9007-6420-4
* E. Krause, "Richard Strauss, Ernst von Schuch und Dresden." In: Blätter der Staatstheater Dresden, 1963/64
* "Richard Strauss/Ernst von Schuch: Richard Strauss - Ernst von Schuch. Ein Briefwechsel" (An exchange of letters). Edited by Gabriella Hanke Knaus. (= Veröffentlichungen der Richard-Strauss-Gesellschaft (Offerings of the Richard Strauss Society); Band 16). (Henschel-Verlag, Berlin 1999). ISBN 3-89487-329-9
* Große Kreisstadt Radebeul (Ed.), "Stadtlexikon Radebeul" (Historisches Handbuch für die Lößnitz, 2005). ISBN 3-938460-05-9

External links

* Literature of and about Ernst von Schuch in the Catalogue of the German National Library [http://dispatch.opac.d-nb.de/DB=4.1/REL?PPN=117117153]