Gernsheim, Friedrich

1839-

Eminent Jewish pianist, composer and conductor, was born at Worms, Germany, the only son of a physician. He showed musical talent early and at five years of age began the study of the piano under his mother, who was a good musician. Next he became a pupil of Louis Liebe, director of music at Worms, and later went to Frankfort-on-Main, at that time the musical center of southern Germany, where his mother placed him under Rosenhain for piano, Heinrich Wolff for violin, and I. C. Hauff for theory. In 1850 he appeared for the first time in public, and two years later made a professional tour as a young prodigy through various parts of Germany. In the spring of 1852 he went to Leipsic, where for three years he studied at the Conservatory under Moscheles, Hauptmann, Rietz and Richter. His next move was to Paris, where he became an enthusiastic devotee of Wagner, and was intimate with Saint-Saens, Lalo, Stephen Heller and other celebrities, and won favor as a pianist and teacher. In 1861 he removed to Saarbnick to take the position of musical director, and four years later to Cologne, where he taught piano and composition at the Conservatory, and soon afterward was chosen director of the various musical societies in that city, receiving the title of professor in 1872. In 1874 he became director of the Rotterdam Conservatory, and from 1890 taught piano and composition at the Stern Conservatory, Berlin, where he conducted also the Stern Choral Society. In 1897 he was elected to membership in the senate of the Royal Academy of Arts, Berlin, of which he had been an honorary member since 1888; and in the spring of 1901 he became director of an Academic "Meisterschule" for musical composition.

His chamber-music compositions are best known; they include two quintets and three quartets for piano and strings; a quintet and four quartets for strings; Divertimento for flute and strings composed for the Philharmonic Club, New York; three sonatas for violin, and one for cello, all with piano. Other works are four symphonies; an overture, Waldmeister's Bridal Tour; a concerto for violin, which was played in Boston under Paur; a concerto for piano; and a number of choral works much in use in Germany, among which may be named, Salamis, for male voices, barytone solo, and orchestra; Roman Funeral; Odin's Ride on the Sea; The Grave in the River and Busento, all for male chorus and orchestra; Hafis, for solos, chorus and orchestra; Watch-Song, for male chorus and orchestra; Northern Summer-night; Cradle Song of the Nornen (the last two for mixed chorus and orchestra); Crossing of the Nibelungen; Agrippina, for alto solo, chorus and orchestra; Phoebus Apollo; A Song of Praise; Salve regina, for soprano solo and women's voices; a fantasie and fugue for organ; piano music, and songs. Gernsheim is much esteemed as both performer and composer, and has received many honors and decorations.

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