Eichberg, Julius
Eichberg, Julius
Eichberg, Julius, German-American violinist, teacher, and composer; b. Düsseldorf, June 13, 1824; d. Boston, Jan. 19, 1893. He studied with his father, Eichler in Mainz, Frohlich in Würzburg, Rietz in Diisseldorf, and Meerts and Beriot at the Brussels Cons. (1843–45). After serving as prof, of violin at the Geneva Cons. (1845–56), he emigrated to N.Y. in 1857. In 1859 he settled in Boston and was director of the Museum Concerts until 1866. In 1867 he helped to found the Boston Cons., where he oversaw its violin dept. He also was superintendent of music in the public schools, for which he publ. singing books and music collections. Eichberg’s light stage work The Doctor of Alcantara (Boston, April 7, 1862) was the most successful score of its kind in America in its day. It was subsequently performed in various American cities and in Great Britain and Australia.
Works
OPERETTAS (all first perf. in Boston): The Doctor of Alcantara (April 7, 1862); A Night in Rome (Nov. 26, 1864); The 2 Cadis (March 5, 1866); The Rose of Tyrol (April 6, 1868). OTHER: Chamber music; many studies, duets, and characteristic pieces for Violin; vocal music, including To Thee, O Country Great and Free for Chorus (1872).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire