- George Henschel
Sir George Henschel (Ismoa Georg Henschel) (
18 February 1850 –10 September 1934 ), was an Englishbaritone ,pianist , conductor, andcomposer . He was knighted in 1914.Henschel was born at
Breslau of Polish-Jew ish parentage, and educated as apianist , making his first public appearance in Berlin in 1862. He subsequently took up singing, initially and briefly as a "basso profundo " but developing a finebaritone voice. In 1868, he sang the part ofHans Sachs in "Meistersinger" atMunich . In 1877, he began a successful career in England, singing at the principal concerts and, in 1881, he married the Americansoprano ,Lilian June Bailey (1860-1901), who was associated with him in a number of vocal recitals. 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 theColumbia 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 and founder of the
Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1881, theRoyal Scottish National Orchestra in 1893, and later started a series known as the London Symphony Concerts (no connection with the laterLondon Symphony Orchestra ) in 1886, taking a leading role in the advancement of the art. His compositions include instrumental works, a fine "Stabat Mater" (Birmingham Festival, 1894) and an opera, "Nubia" (Dresden, 1899). In 1907 he published a collections of his journals and correspondence in "Personal Recollections of Johannes Brahms" and "Musings and Memories of a Musician" in 1918. A Mass in eight parts a cappella was first sung in 1916. [cite book | last=Henschel | first=George |title=Personal recollections of Johannes Brahms | location=Boston | publisher=R G. Badger | year=1907 | oclc=1328613] [cite book | last=Henschel | first=George | title=Musings and Memories of a Musician | location=London | publisher=Macmillan | year=1918 | oclc=59873131 ]Henschel taught at the
Institute of Musical Art , New York, where he met his second wife Amy Louis, who was one of his students. [cite web | url=http://jssgallery.org/Paintings/George_Henschel.htm | title=John Singer Sargent's George Henschel | publisher=John Singer Sargent Gallery | accessdate=2007-05-21]His daughter, Georgina “Georgie” Henschel, was a noted breeder of Highland ponies and
Norwegian Fjord ponies , and author of several equestrian books.Henschel died in
Aviemore ,Scotland , where he maintained his holiday-home "Alltnacriche" with his wife. He is buried in the churchyard overlookingLoch Alvie , nearby.References
*
Dictionary of National Biography
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.