WINTERNITZ, EMANUEL

WINTERNITZ, EMANUEL (1898–1983), musicologist who specialized in organology, musical iconology, and art history. Born in Vienna, he studied piano, musicology (under his uncle, Oscar Kapp), and composition (under Franz Schmidt). After serving three years in the Austrian army during World War i, he studied law at the University of Vienna (earning an LL.D., 1922), and lectured on aesthetics and the philosophy of law at the Volkshochschule and at the University of Hamburg. From 1929 he practiced corporate law, while undertaking private studies in music and musical instruments. Fleeing Nazi-occupied Austria, he immigrated to the United States in 1938. There, he was lecturer at the Fogg Museum of Harvard University (1938–41), and in 1941 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York). In 1942 he was appointed Keeper of the museum's musical instruments. From 1949, until his retirement in 1973, he served as curator of musical instruments. His most successful concert series "Music Forgotten and Remembered," utilizing the museum's instruments, ran for 18 consecutive years. In 1972, both he and Barry *Brook established the Research Center for Music Iconography. He was a lecturer at Columbia University (1947–48) and taught as visiting professor at Yale, Rutgers, cuny, and suny at Binghamton. His publications include Musical Autographs from Monteverdi to Hindemith (1955), Musical Instruments of the Western World (1966) Musical Instruments and their Symbolism in Western Art (New York, 1967), and Leonardo da Vinci as a Musician (1982).

bibliography:

Grove Music Online; mgg.

[Israel J. Katz (2^nd ed.)]