Mengelberg, Kurt Rudolf

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Mengelberg, Kurt Rudolf

Mengelberg, Kurt Rudolf, German-born musicologist and composer of Dutch descent, nephew of (Josef) Willem Mengelberg; b. Krefeld, Feb. 1, 1892; d. Beausoleil, near Monte Carlo, Oct. 13, 1959. He studied piano with Neitzel in Cologne and musicology with Hugo Riemann at the Univ. of Leipzig, receiving his doctorate in 1915. He then went to Amsterdam, where he studied theory with his uncle; in 1917, through his uncle’s intervention, he became artistic assistant of the Concertgebouw Orch. in Amsterdam; then was artistic manager there (1925–35), and finally director (1935–54). Among his publications were the valuable program book Das Mahler-Vest, Amsterdam Mai 1920 (Vienna, 1920), a biography of Mahler (Leipzig, 1923), Nederland, spiegeleener beschaving (The Netherlands, Mirror of a Culture; Amsterdam, 1929), a commemorative publication on the semicentennial of the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam, 1938), Muziek, Spiegel des tijds (Music, Mirror of Time; Amsterdam, 1948), and a biography of Willem Mengelberg. His compositions were mainly liturgical and included Missa pro pace (1932), Stabat Mater (1940), and Victimae Paschali laudes (1946). He also composed Symphonic Variations for Cello and Orch. (1927), Violin Concerto (1930), Capriccio for Piano and Orch. (1936), Concertino for Flute and Chamber Orch. (1943), piano pieces, and songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire