Riemenschneider, (Charles) Albert
Riemenschneider, (Charles) Albert
Riemenschneider, (Charles) Albert , American organist, conductor, and educator; b. Berea, Ohio, Aug. 31, 1878; d. Akron, July 20, 1950. He began his musical training with his father, Karl Riemenschneider, president of the Methodist Episcopal Deutsches Wallace Kollegium in Berea, then studied piano, organ, and theory with James Rogers in Cleveland (1896–1902). He also taught piano and organ at his father’s school (from 1896), becoming director of its music dept. (1897). Subsequently he studied piano with Hugo Reinhold and composition with R. Fuchs in Vienna (1902–03), organ with Charles Clemens in Cleveland (1903), and organ with Guilmant and composition with Widor in Paris (1904–10). Throughout this period he continued to teach at his father’s school, which merged with Baldwin-Wallace Coll. in 1913 to form the Baldwin-Wallace Cons. of Music; thereafter he served as its president until his retirement in 1947; also conducted the Baldwin-Wallace Bach Festival from 1933. He amassed a valuable Bach collection, which was bequeathed to Baldwin-Wallace Coll. in 1951. The Riemenschneider Bach Inst. was founded in 1969; it publishes the journal Bach. He ed. several of Bach’s vocal works.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire