Krehbiel, Henry (Edward)

views updated Jun 08 2018

Krehbiel, Henry (Edward)

Krehbiel, Henry (Edward), noted American music critic; b. Ann Arbor, Mich., March 10, 1854; d. N.Y., March 20, 1923. He was music critic of the Cincinnati Gazette (1874–80), and subsequently of the N.Y. Tribune until his death. He also wrote the program notes for the N.Y. Phil., was American ed. of the 2nd edition of Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians (1904–10), and brought out the rev. and completed ed. of the Eng. version of Thayer’s Life of Beethoven (3 vols., 1921). He was a brilliant writer of music criticism, able to project his opinions (and prejudices) in vivid prose. He was an ardent champion of Wagner, and also wrote with warm admiration for the late Romantic composers; however, he deprecated the modern school of composition, hurling invectives on Stravinsky, Prokofiev, and Schoenberg (whose music he described as excrement).

Writings

(all publ. in N.Y): Notes on the Cultivation of Choral Music, and the Oratorio Society of New York (1884); Review of the New York Musical Season (5 vols., 1886-90); Studies in the Wagnerian Drama (1891); The Philharmonic Society of New York: A Memorial Published on the Occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Founding of the Philharmonic Society (1892); How to Listen to Music (1896); Annotated Biography of Fine Art (with R. Sturgis; 1897); Music and Manners in the Classical Period (1898); Chapters of Opera (1908; 2nd ed., 1911); A Book of Operas (1909); The Pianoforte, and Its Music (1911); Afro-American Folksongs (1914); A Second Book of Operas (1917); More Chapters of Opera (1919).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

Krehbiel, Henry (Edward)

views updated May 21 2018

Krehbiel, Henry (Edward) (b Ann Arbor, Mich., 1854; d NY, 1923). Amer. music critic, author, and editor. Mus. critic Cincinnati Gazette 1874–80, NY Tribune 1880–1923. Champion of Brahms, Dvořák, and Wagner. Bitterly attacked Strauss's Salome and was severely critical of Mahler as composer and cond. Wrote several books. Pubd. Eng. version of Parsifal. Rev. and completed Eng. text of Thayer's Life of Beethoven (3 vols. 1921).

More From encyclopedia.com

About this article

Henry Edward Krehbiel

All Sources -
Updated Aug 13 2018 About encyclopedia.com content Print Topic

You Might Also Like