George Henschel (1850 - 1934)

(Card 1904)

TRANSCRIPTION

 

Master Wendell Holmes Garrison
"The Cedars"
Pelham Road
Lexington, Mass
United States of America

Many thanks my dear young friend for your charming letter and splendid photo-
graph both of which have given me great pleasure. I am so glad you are learning
to sing and looking forward to hearing you some day.

My love to you dear father and mother and to yourself. This is a lovely picture,
is it not? And the sea is really as blue as this.

Affectionately yours,
Geo. Henschel

Algiers, March 13, 1904

ABOUT THE COMPOSER

Sir George Isidor Georg Henschel (b. February 18, 1850; d. September 10, 1934),  was a celebrated singer, composer and conductor. He entered the Leipzig Conservatory in 1867 and studied piano under Moscheles, theory with Reinecke and Richter for theory, singing with Goetze for singing, and organ with Papperitz. He quickly became a recognized singer in German and England. In 1881, Henschel was appointed conductor of the newly founded Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), which he conducted for its first three seasons. In 1883, Henschel, as conductor of the BSO, was sent the following curious and humorous Valentine by a fan of the then well known American composer John Knowles Paine (1839-1906):
            Oh, Henschel, cease thy higher flight
            And give the public something light;
            Let no more Wagner themes thy bill enhance
            And give the native workers just one chance.
            Don't give the Dvorak symphony again:
            If you would give us joy, oh give us Paine!
                                --Groves VI, Vol 14, p.95
    In 1884, he moved to England where two years later, in 1886, he established the London Symphony Concerts, which were an important part of musical life in London during the eleven years of their existence. He befriended Johannes Brahms in 1874 and in 1876 they spent a holiday together. Henschel’s diary holds many important remembrances of Brahms.
        "Later in 1874 Brahms first made the acquaintance of the young baritone singer and composer Georg Henschel...the Hans Sachs in Meistersinger, first conductor of the Boston Symphony, and an English knight and a Scottish Laird. [Brahms and Henschel] performed together on several occasions, and Brahms, greatly warming to him, suggested they spend a holiday together on the Baltic island of Rügen in the summer of 1876." - from Brahms by Malcolm MacDonald (New York:1990) pp.238-239.

After his wife’s death in 1901, Henschel lived in retirement in Scotland until 1907, when he married a pupil. Miss Amy Louis of New York. He returned to the concert platform in 1909, and for five years sang and gave recitals in England and on the Continent. In April 1914, the year in which he received knighthood, he gave a farewell recital in London.

As a composer his works include a Te Deum, a Stabat Mater, and a Requiem Mass ( in memory of his first wife); many songs, anthems and song cycles; 3 operas and several works for orchestra.

REV. 08/13/2004

 

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