Hellmesberger
Hellmesberger
Hellmesberger, family of famous Austrian musicians:
(1) Georg Hellmesberger Sr. , violinist, conductor, and composer; b. Vienna, April 24, 1800; d. Neu-waldegg, near Vienna, Aug. 16, 1873. His father, a country schoolmaster, gave him his first instruction in music. He succeeded Schubert as a chorister in the Hofkapelle. After making his concert debut on Dec. 9, 1819, he studied violin with Böhm and composition with E. Forster at the Vienna Cons. He then was made assistant to Böhm in 1821, and subsequently was titular prof. (1826–33) and prof. (1833–67). He became concert-master of the Hofoper in 1830, and also a member of the Hofkapelle. He served as conductor of the Vienna Phil, with Nicolai (1845–47), and then was its sole conductor (1847–48). He made appearances as a violinist in London in 1847, and was also active as a teacher. In addition to his sons, he taught Ernst, Auer, and Joachim. He composed 2 violin concertos, some chamber music, and some pieces for solo violin. His 2 sons became musicians of distinction:
(2) Joseph Hellmesberger Sr. , violinist and conductor; b. Vienna, Nov. 3, 1828; d. there, Oct. 24, 1893. He studied violin with his father at the Vienna Cons. He was named soloist in the orch. of the Hofoper when he was 17. He was artistic director and conductor of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde concerts (1851–59), and concurrently taught violin at the Vienna Cons. (1851–77), where he then was director until 1893. He was also concertmaster of the Vienna Phil. (1855–77) and the Hofoper (1860–77), and was named Hofkapell-meister in 1877. In 1849 he founded the renowned Helmesberger Quartet, in which he played 1st violin, retiring in 1891.
Bibliography
A. Barthlme, Vom alten H. (Vienna, 1908); R. Prosi, Die H.: Hundert Jahre aus dem Leben einer Wiener Musikerfamilie (Vienna, 1947).
(3) Georg Hellmesberger Jr. , violinist and composer; b. Vienna, Jan. 27, 1830; d. Hannover, Nov. 12, 1852. He studied violin and music theory with his father and composition with Rotter, then toured Germany, and subsequently accompanied his father to London in 1847. He was named Hofkonzertmeister in Hannover in 1850. Among his 9 operas were Die Burgschaft and Die beiden Kniginnen. He also wrote syms., chamber music, violin pieces, and songs. His promising career was tragically cut short by tuberculosis.
(4) Joseph Hellmesberger Jr. , violinist, conductor, and composer, son of Joseph Hellmesberger Sr.; b. Vienna, April 9, 1855; d. there, April 26, 1907. He studied with his father, making his debut at a Vienna Cons, concert when he was 8 and becoming 2nd violinist in his father’s quartet when he was 15. He was concertmaster of the Vienna Phil. (1870–84); was also made solo violinist of the Hofkapelle and the Hofoper in 1878, and prof, of violin at the Cons. He became conductor of the new Ringtheater in 1881, but his tenure was cut short by a disastrous fire (Dec. 8, 1881), which destroyed the building. He then became conductor of the Carltheater in 1882, and subsequently (1884) was made concertmaster and music director of the ballet at the Hofoper. He was named Vizehofkapellmeister in 1889, and then Hofkapellmeister in succession to Richter in 1890. He also succeeded his father as lst violin in the Hellmesberger Quartet in 1891, and later served as conductor of the Vienna Phil. (1901–03) and of the Stuttgart Opera (1904–05). He wrote 10 operettas, the most celebrated being Das Veilchenmadel (Vienna, Feb. 27, 1904).
(5) Ferdinand Hellmesberger , cellist and conductor, son of Joseph Hellmesberger Sr.; b. Vienna, Jan. 24, 1863; d. there, March 15, 1940. He studied at the Vienna Cons. He became a member of the Hofkapelle in 1879, and also played in his father’s quartet (from 1883). He taught cello at the Vienna Cons. (1884–1902), and was solo cellist in the orch. of the Hofoper (1886–1902). He then was conductor of the Volksoper (1902–5), and subsequently ballet conductor at the Berlin Hofoper (1905–10). He later conducted various spa orchs.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire