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Parent Issue
Day
31
Month
March
Year
1893
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Antón Seidl. Mr. Seidl, now a naturalized American eitizen, was born in Buda-Pesth forty-two years ago, played the piano with remarkable expertness at the age of six, and at twelve was performing in public charitable concerts. He was ambitious f or the priesthood, but while at the University of Pesth hisyouthful soprano voice was heard in the masses of the college choir; he became the organist of the college. He began to read musical literatura, to study harrnony and counterpoint under various leaders of the opera orchestra. At the age of twenty he entered his name at the Conservatory oL Leipzig. ïhis progressive spirit was thoroughly imbibed by Mr. Seidl, and the foundation was laid of one of his most notable characteristics. He wrote to Dr. Hans Richter, then director of the opera at Buda-Pesth, reminded him that they were compatrióts, and asked to be permitted to study under him the art of orchestral conducting. Eiehter had already heard of the taleuted student in his native city. He wrote, "Come to Buda-Pesth," and Seidl left Leipzig as soon as his trunk eould be packed. Wagner wrote to Richter in tuis year asking for a eapable young man to act as musical secretary, a relation that Richter himself had held; under his advice Seidl set out for Bayreuth with I the celerity of his previous departure. I There, one of several secretarles and a member of Wagner's household, he SDent the busiest and happiest years of his life amid duties of the most diverse character. "When the year (1876) of the first production of the Nibelung drama approached, it feil toMr. Seidl torehearse the singers in their parts, and he became also the chief , director of the wonderful stage mechanism. After accompanying Wagner to Lon" don in 1877, Mr. Seidl took up the bjjjon as conductor of the musical society of Bayreuth, with the author of the celebrated essay "On Conductingfrequently at his elbow to impart all that he himself knew of that art. In short, Wagner had become to Mr. Seidl a second father, and had already made him a responsible executor of his ideas, for in this year he sent the young man to Leipzig to supervise the singers and the scena of the first Nibelung production given outside of Bayreuth, and had him repeat what had been a triumph at Vienna in the year following. Uut, af ter two years, during which he visiteds and labored with Wagner every summer, so indispensable had he become that the Master had him go to Berlín to organizo the notable production of 1881. After being engaged to conduct the London performances of the Nibelung tiranía in 1883, Mr. Seidl joined the Wagner theatre of Angelo Neumann, whieh not only toured most of thA European countries, but had the hartlitiood to carry the works of the icouoclastic New School into the very heart of Italy itself. There the success of Wagner's works was universal and prodigious. It was in the latter year tbat he was summoned to the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, on the death of Dr. Darnrosch. During his stupendous and unequaled artistic work there, he became the idol of the Wagneritea of the metropolis, but mucli more besides Mr, Seidl has a face of remarkable strength and nobility. In his tempera ment he preseuts a striking exampleot some frequent national characteristics - strong emotional susceptibility and a certain brilliant nervous viiility almost magnetic in its transmissibility - qualities which make him a truly remarkable conductor of orchestras. Mr. Seidl will bring with him his celebrated o. diestra, and a corps o first class vocalists headed by Miss Emma Juck. They will give the choicest numbers i'roin the whole lis of Wagner operas. Kemeniber the date, April 6, and crowd the house fo Ann Arbor should show her apprecia tion of such a treat. Tickets, one dol lar. On sale at usual places.

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News