Willem Mengelberg

Born on March 28, 1871, in Utrecht to German parents, Willem Mengelberg was the fourth oldest of fourteen siblings. His father worked successfully as a sculptor and architect who concentrated on church furniture and interiors. Early lessons in Utrecht came from Richard Hol, Henri Wilhelm Petri, and Anton Averkamp, after which he studied with Franz Wullner, Adolf Jensen, and Isidor Seiss at the Cologne Conservatory.

His first post, beginning in 1891, placed him as General Music Director in Lucerne, Switzerland, where he conducted, administered the music school, and taught piano. In 1895 he became principal conductor of the Concertgebouw Orchestra, retaining the post until 1945, and simultaneously served as chief conductor of the Amsterdam Toonkunst Choir. Starting in 1899 he instituted the yearly presentation of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion by the choir and orchestra together.

The Concertgebouw under his direction became a favored ensemble of Richard Strauss, who dedicated Ein Heldenleben to the players in 1898; Strauss later remarked that the orchestra’s abilities freed him from hesitation in writing difficult music. Gustav Mahler noticed the orchestra as well and formed a friendship with Mengelberg in 1902 that brought Mahler to the podium on numerous occasions, while Mengelberg in turn became recognized as one of the foremost interpreters of Mahler’s scores. From 1907 to 1920 he led the Frankfurt Museum concerts, and in 1921 he took charge of the New York International Symphony Orchestra until 1929. He also directed the New York Philharmonic from 1922 but departed in 1929 after artistic disagreements with co-conductor Arturo Toscanini.

Committed to contemporary works, Mengelberg led world premieres by Paul Hindemith, Darius Milhaud, Béla Bartók, and other leading composers. His standing declined in the 1940s because of his public support for the Nazis during World War II. Once the war ended in 1945, he was forbidden to perform in the Netherlands, terminating his association with the Concertgebouw Orchestra and his recording activities. Exiled to Switzerland, he remained in retirement until his death in 1951.