Fahrbach, Philipp

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Fahrbach, Philipp

Fahrbach, Philipp, Austrian conductor and composer; b. Vienna, Oct. 26, 1815; d. there, March 31, 1885. He joined the orch. of Johann Strauss Sr., when he was 10. At age 20, he organized his own orch., which proved popular until it was overshadowed by the orch. of Johann Strauss Jr. In later years, Fahrbach conducted a military band. He publ. about 400 dances and marches, many of which were popular in his day. M. Singer ed. his memoirs as Alt-Wiener Erinnerungen (Vienna, 1935). His son, Philipp Fahrbach (b. Vienna, Dec. 16, 1843; d. there, Feb. 15, 1894), was also a conductor and composer. He studied violin with Jakob Dont. After conducting his father’s orch., he became a successful conductor and composer in his own right. He publ. some 350 dances and marches.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire