Goldschmidt, Berthold

views updated

Goldschmidt, Berthold (b Hamburg, 1903; d London, 1996). Ger.-born composer and conductor (Brit. cit. 1947). Ass. cond. Berlin State Opera 1926–7. Cond. Darmstadt Opera 1927–9. Guest cond. Leningrad PO 1931. Artistic adviser Berlin State Opera 1931–3. His opera Der gewaltige Hahnrei (The Mighty Cuckold) was successfully prod. in Mannheim 1932, but plans for further prods. were forbidden by the Nazis. (It was perf.—and recorded—in Berlin in Dec. 1992.) Settled in Eng. 1935. Cond. Glyndebourne co. in Verdi's Macbeth at first Edinburgh Fest. 1947. Aided and adv. Deryck Cooke in preparing perf. version of Mahler's 10th sym., and cond. f. complete p. London 1964. His second opera, Beatrice Cenci (1949–50), won a Fest. of Britain prize but was not perf. until a concert perf. in London in 1988. Visited USA 1983, returning there 1985 when his cl. qt. had its f.p. at Univ. of Pasadena. Simon Rattle cond. his Ciaconna Sinfonica (1936) at 1987 Berlin Fest. (its f.p. was Vienna 1960). Both operas, as well as other works, were perf. in Germany in 1994. Works incl.:OPERAS: Der gewaltige Hahnrei (1930–1); Beatrice Cenci (1949–50).BALLET: Chronica (1938).ORCH.: ov., The Comedy of Errors (1925); Passacaglia (1925); Marche militaire (1932); vc. concertino (1933); vn. conc. (1933, rev. 1955); Ciaconna Sinfonica (1936); Sinfonietta (1945); hp. conc. (1949); vc. conc. (1953); cl. conc. (1954); Intrada, wind. orch. (1985).CHAMBER MUSIC: str. qts.: No.1 (1925), No.2 (1936), No.3 (1988–9), No.4 (1992); pf. sonata (1926); cl. qt. (1983); pf. trio (1985); Berceuse, vn., vc. (1990), str. trio (Retrospectrum) (1991); Fantasy, hp., ob., vc. (1991); Capriccio, vn. (1992); Rondeau, vn., pf. (1994).SONGS: Mediterranean Songs (1958); Les petits adieux, bar., orch. (1994).

About this article

Goldschmidt, Berthold

Updated About encyclopedia.com content Print Article