Reinecke, Carl (Heinrich Carsten)

Reinecke, Carl (Heinrich Carsten) , renowned German pianist, composer, conductor, and pedagogue; b. Aitona, June 23, 1824; d. Leipzig, March 10, 1910. He was a pupil of his father, a music teacher. His first concert tour was to Denmark and Sweden in 1843. He then went to Leipzig, where he learned much through meetings with Mendelssohn and Schumann. He made a second tour through North Germany, and was from 1846 to 1848 court pianist to Christian VIII at Copenhagen. After spending some years in Paris, he became a teacher at the Cologne Cons. in 1851. He was music director at Barmen (1854–59) and Breslau (1859–60), and (1860–95) conductor of the Gewandhaus Concerts in Leipzig. At the same time, he was a prof. of piano and composition at the Leipzig Cons., where he taught from 1860; was its director from 1897 until his retirement in 1902. An eminent pianist, Reinecke excelled as an interpreter of Mozart. He made concert tours almost yearly, and was enthusiastically welcomed in England, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Switzerland, and throughout Germany; among his pupils were Grieg, Riemann, Sinding, Arthur Sullivan, Karl Muck, and Cosima Wagner. As a conductor, composer, and teacher of composition, he was the leader in Leipzig for over 35 years. His numerous works, in every genre, are classic in form and of refined workmanship. Altogether he wrote some 300 opus numbers.

Works

DRAMATIC: KÖnig Manfred, opera (Wiesbaden, July 26, 1867); Ein Abenteuer Händeis oder Die Macht des Liedes, Singspiel (Schwerin, 1874); Auf hohen Befehl, comic opera (Hamburg, Oct. 1, 1886); Der Gouverneur von Tours, comic opera (Schwerin, 1891); also 5 musical fairy tales for Soloists, Chorus, and Piano: Nussknacker und MausekÖnig, Schneewittchen, Dorn-rÖschen, AschenbrÖdel, and Die wilden Schwäne, and the oratorio, Belsazar. ORCH.: 3 syms.; overtures; smaller works; 4 piano concertos; Violin Concerto; Cello Concerto; Harp Concerto; Flute Concerto. CHAMBER: Octet for Wind Instruments; Sextet for Wind Instruments; 5 string quartets; Piano Quintet; 2 piano quartets; 6 piano trios; Trio for Piano, Oboe, and Horn; Trio for Piano, Clarinet, and Horn; Violin Sonata; 3 violin sonatinas; 3 cello sonatas; Sonata for Flute and Piano. Pi-ano: Numerous character pieces; Sonata for Piano, Left-Hand; suite, Biblische Bilder; 3 sonatas for 2 Pianos. OTHER: Cadenzas to 42 movements of piano concertos by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Weber.

Writings

Was sollen wir spielen? (1886); Zur Widerbelebung der Mozartschen Clavier-Concerto (1891); Die Beethovenschen Clavier-Sonaten: Briefe an eine Freundin (1895; Eng. tr., 1898; 9^th Ger. ed., 1924); Und manche liebe Schatten steigen auf: Gedenkblätter an berühmte Musiker (1900; 2^nd ed., 1910); Meister der Tonkunst (1903); Aus dem Reich der Tone (1907).

Bibliography

W. von Wasielewski, C. R.: Ein Künstlerbild (Leipzig, 1892); E. Segnitz, C. R. (Leipzig, 1900); M. Steinitzer, Das Leipziger Gewandhaus im neuen Heim unter C. R. (Leipzig, 1924); N. Topusov, C. R.: Beiträge zu seinem Leben und seiner Symphonik (Sofia, 1943); M. Wiegandt, Vergessene Symphonik?: Studien zu Joachim Raff, C. R. und zum Problem der Epigonalität in der Musik (Sinzig, 1997); K. Seidel, C. R. und das Leipziger Gewandhaus (Hamburg, 1998).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

Reinecke, Carl (Heinrich Carsten) (b Altona, 1824; d Leipzig, 1910). Ger. pianist, violinist, composer, conductor, and teacher. Début as violinist 1835. Orch. violinist but then devoted himself to pf., making int. reputation. Court pianist, Copenhagen, 1846–8. After teaching in Cologne, Barmen, and Breslau, settled in Leipzig, becoming cond. of Gewandhaus Orch. 1860–95 and prof. of pf. and comp. at Cons. 1860–97, dir. 1897–1902. Wrote 5 operas; oratorio; cantatas; 3 syms.; 4 pf. concs.; hp. conc.; much chamber mus.; and pf. pieces. Wrote over 40 cadenzas for pf. concs. by other composers.