A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Reinecke, Karl
REINECKE, Karl, composer, conductor, and performer, director of the Gewandhaus concerts at Leipzig, the son of a musician, born June 23, 1827 [App. p.770 "1824"], at Altona, was from an early age trained by his father, and at 11 performed in public. As a youth he was a first-rate orchestral violin player. At 18 he made a concert tour through Sweden and Denmark, with especial success at Copenhagen. In 1843 he settled in Leipzig, where he studied diligently, and eagerly embraced the opportunities for cultivation afforded by the society of Mendelssohn and Schumann, with a success which amply shows itself in his music. In 1844 he made a professional tour with Wasielewski to Riga, returning by Hanover and Bremen. He was already in the pay of Christian VIII. of Denmark, and in 1846 he again visited Copenhagen, and played before the court. On both occasions he was appointed court-pianist. In 1851 he went with Otto von Königslöw to Italy and Paris; and on his return Hiller secured him for the professorship of the piano and counterpoint in the conservatoire of Cologne. In 1854 he became conductor of the Concertgesellschaft at Barmen, and in 1859 Musikdirector to the University of Breslau. On Julius Rietz's departure from Leipzig to Dresden in 1860 Reinecke succeeded him as conductor at the Gewandhaus, and became at the same time professor of composition in the Conservatorium. Between the years 1867 and 1872 he made extensive tournées; in England he played at the Musical Union, Crystal Palace, and Philharmonic, on the 6th, 17th, and 19th of April, 1869 respectively, and met with great success both as a virtuoso and a composer. He reappeared in this country in 1872 and was equally well received.
Reinecke's industry in composition is great, his best works, as might be expected, being those for piano; his three PF. sonatas indeed are excellent compositions, carrying out Mendelssohn's technique without indulging the eccentricities of modern virtuosi; his pieces for 2 PFs. are also good; his PF. Concerto in F♯ minor is a well-established favourite both with musicians and the public. Besides other instrumental music—quintets, quartets, concertos for violin and cello, etc.—he has composed an opera in 5 acts, 'König Manfred,' and two in one act each 'Der vierjährigen Posten' (after Körner) and 'Ein Abenteuer Händel's'; incidental music to Schiller's 'Tell'; an oratorio, 'Belsazar'; a cantata for men's voices, 'Hakon Jarl'; overtures, 'Dame Kobold,' 'Aladin,' 'Friedensfeier'; 2 masses, and 2 symphonies; and a large number of songs and of pianoforte pieces in all styles, including valuable studies and educational works, numbering in all more than 160. His style is refined, his mastery over counterpoint and form is absolute, and he writes with peculiar clearness and correctness. He has also done much editing for Breitkopf's house. His position at Leipzig speaks for his ability as a conductor; as an accompanyist he is first-rate; and as an arranger for the pianoforte he is recognised as one of the first of the day. [App. p.770 "To the list of his works add 'Die Flucht nach Aegypten,' cantata for male voices; an opera, 'Auf hohem Befehl' (Schwerin, Mar. 13, 1887); an overture 'Zenobia,' and a funeral march for the late Emperor of Germany (op. 200). Of his settings of fairy tales as cantatas for female voices 'Schneewittchen,' 'Dornröschen' and 'Aschenbrödel,' are very popular."][ F. G. ]