Perfall, Karl, Freiherr von

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Perfall, Karl, Freiherr von

Perfall, Karl, Freiherr von , German composer and conductor; b. Munich, Jan. 29, 1824; d. there, Jan. 14, 1907. He took music lessons with Hauptmann in Leipzig (1848–49). He became conductor of the Munich Liedertafel (1850), and founded the Oratorio Society (1854). In 1864 he was appointed Intendant of the court music and abandoned his activities as a conductor. From 1867 to 1893 he was Intendant of the National Theater in Munich. Of his operas (all produced in Munich), Raimondin (March 27, 1881; rev. as Melusine, 1885) and Junker Heinz (April 9, 1886; rev. as Jung Heinrich, 1901) were successful. He publ. 25 Jahre Münchener Hoftheater-Geschichte (1892; covering the period from 1867), Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte des königlichen Theaters in München 25 November 1867–25 November 1892 (1894), and Die Entwickelung des modernen Theaters (1899).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kaun/Dennis McIntire