Page 4 - GC-July-August-24

4 • The German Citizen • July - August 2024

Victor Herbert: English, Irish, German, or all of the above?

By Martin Ederer The realities are a whole lot and orchestral player, as a composer months later they were on the way
ictor Herbert, who lived different. For starters, Herbert was of serious works such as operas and to America. Walter Damrosch (also
from 1859 to 1924, is best not born in Ireland, although even concertos, and as a conductor of German) and Anton Seidl (from
Vknown as an Irish-American he thought he was. He was born in major U.S. orchestras, many of Hungary) had hired them both for
composer of light works as the New the British Channel Island of which had origins in German Amer‐ the Metropolitan Opera in New
York City entertainment industry Guernsey. He never knew his actual ican communities. York, Herbert as principal cellist,
was in its infancy. We associate father. Then his stepfather divorced Already in 1859, Herbert was and Förster as a leading soprano.
him with Tin Pan Alley and op‐ his mother after he had learned that baptized a Lutheran in Freiburg im After two successful seasons at
erettas as Broadway was just be‐ he was not Herbert’s real father. Breisgau, thanks to the fact that his the Met, Förster moved on to the
coming Broadway. Most people Then there’s the German stuff – stepfather Frederic Muspratt had German Thalia Theatre, still to rave
probably remember him best for a lot of it – that shaped his life and studied chemistry in Germany, and reviews, but from there her career
Babes in Toyland. his career as a serious cello soloist stagnated. Growing family respon‐
sibilities seemed to be responsible.
Thanks to the enthusiastic promo‐
tion of Seidl, however, Herbert’s ca‐
reer was just beginning to take off.
He became a celebrated soloist in
New York after his debut to rave re‐
views with the New York Sym‐
1896 sketch of Victor Herbert in phony Society in 1887.
the Philadelphia Inquirer. He continued to be a cello
subsequently spent much time soloist with major U.S. orchestras
there. into the 1910s. In 1887, Herbert
After Herbert’s mother’s di‐ also established the New York
vorce, he lived with her for a time in String Quartet and his very own 40-
Kent, but then she married Carl piece orchestra, which he con‐
Theodor Schmid, a German physi‐ ducted. In 1888, Seidl made Her‐
cian, and returned to Germany. bert his assistant conductor at the
Herbert joined her soon after. New York Philharmonic.
Thanks to the influence of Schmid, Herbert went on to serve as cello
Herbert dreamed of studying soloist, assistant conductor and
medicine, but family finances guest conductor at the New York
would not permit it. After having Philharmonic for eleven seasons.
studied piano, flute and piccolo, Herbert increasingly received offers
Herbert decided on the cello as his from major U.S. orchestras not only
main instrument, and subsequently to perform as cellist, but also to con‐
went off to study at the Stuttgart duct.
Conservatory. He graduated in In 1898 Herbert became princi‐
1879. pal conductor of the Pittsburgh
Over the next five years Herbert Symphony, making it into one of
worked as a musician in Stuttgart, the premier orchestras in the United
spent a year as a soloist in Vienna States. He was also a guiding figure
with the Eduard Strauss Orchestra, in the creation of the American So‐
and finally landed a solid position in ciety of Composers, Authors and
the Stuttgart Court Orchestra. By Publishers (ASCAP) which sought
that time he had become well- to protect the (copy)rights of com‐
known all over Germany. Major or‐ posers and publishers. ASCAP con‐
chestras offered him invitations as a tinues to exist in that capacity.
cello soloist. He received an invita‐ Despite all the serious musical
tion from Johannes Brahms to be abilities and accolades thanks to his
part of a chamber group that German training and contacts, and
Brahms had assembled to celebrate his serious compositions (which in‐
the life and work of Franz Liszt in cluded two major operas) he is best
1883. At the same time, Herbert remembered for his numerous
had begun to compose serious lighter works that both paid his bills
works for cello. handsomely and shaped American
In 1885 Herbert met Therese popular entertainment ever since.
Förster, a soprano whom the Stutt‐ Herbert played a major role in
gart Court Orchestra had hired; defining the character of American
there she became a celebrated opera music…a career built largely on
star. In 1886 they married. Two German education and upbringing.