Anton Seidl (1850–98) was a Hungarian conductor renowned for his interpretations of Richard Wagner’s operas and his contributions to American classical music. His work with the Metropolitan Opera and New York Philharmonic shaped the late 19th-century musical landscape.
Born in Pest, Austria-Hungary, Seidl studied at the Leipzig Conservatory before joining Wagner’s circle in Bayreuth. He helped prepare the first complete score of Der Ring des Nibelungen and later conducted Wagner’s works across Europe. In 1885, he moved to New York, becoming principal conductor of German opera at the Metropolitan Opera House.
Seidl’s tenure at the New York Philharmonic (1891–98) brought artistic success and innovation. He conducted the world premiere of Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World” (1893,) a milestone in American classical music. His interpretations of Beethoven, Liszt, and Berlioz were widely praised.
His musical papers and orchestrations are preserved in collections such as the Anton Seidl Collection at Columbia University. Henry Theophilus Finck’s Anton Seidl: A Memorial by His Friends (1899) offers insights into Seidl’s life and musical contributions.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Anton Seidl
It always makes me sad when I think of how I saw Wagner wasting his vitality, not only by singing their parts to some of his artists, but acting out the smallest details, and of how few they were who were responsive to his wishes.
—Anton Seidl
Topics: Wishes
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