Carl (or Karl) Wilhelm Drescher (12 December 1850 – 8 December 1925) was an Austrian violinist and composer. In Vienna he founded and led a successful salon orchestra, which followed the tradition of the

Strauss orchestra Strauss, Strauß or Straus is a common Germanic surname. Outside Germany and Austria ''Strauß'' is always spelled ''Strauss'' (the letter " ß" is not used in the German-speaking part of Switzerland). In classical music, "Strauss" usually re ...

Career

Drescher was born in Vienna, son of Johann Wilhelm Drescher, a painter, and his wife Anna. As a boy he was in the chorus of the

Vienna Court Opera The Vienna State Opera (, ) is an opera house and opera company based in Vienna, Austria. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road. It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans by August Si ...

; he later studied singing and violin at the Vienna Conservatory. Aged 16 he was a first violin with the orchestra of , and from 1868 he played in the Strauss orchestra."Drescher, Familie"
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Oesterreichisches Musiklexikon The ''Oesterreichisches Musiklexikon'Oesterreichisch'' with ''Oe'' is the spelling of the print and online output. is a five-volume music encyclopedia founded by the Austrian Academy of Sciences' Commission for Music Research. It was officiall ...

Online''. Retrieved 14 April 2022. From 1869 to 1872 he did military service; afterwards he returned to the Strauss orchestra. Later he was a first violinist in the

salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...

orchestra of Carl Margold, which played classical music and dance music. Drescher was in the orchestra of the

Ringtheater The Ringtheater was a popular theater in Vienna, Austria. In 1881, it was destroyed in the Ringtheater fire that killed 384 people. The site now houses the federal headquarters of police for Vienna. Construction The Ringtheater was built between ...

at its opening in 1874."Margold, Carl (Karl)"
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Online''. Retrieved 19 April 2022. From September 1874, he led his own salon orchestra, Capelle Amusement, which followed the tradition of the Strauss orchestra. It became very popular, playing in many venues in Vienna, and also playing in

Baden-Baden Baden-Baden () is a spa town in the states of Germany, state of Baden-Württemberg, south-western Germany, at the north-western border of the Black Forest mountain range on the small river Oos (river), Oos, ten kilometres (six miles) east of the ...

, Berlin and London. In 1900 Drescher was awarded the Salvatormedaille. He retired in 1920, but made a last appearance in 1925 as conductor at the celebration of 40 years since the composition of the " Fiakerlied", a popular Viennese song. Drescher died in 1925, and was buried at the

Vienna Central Cemetery The Vienna Central Cemetery (german: Wiener Zentralfriedhof) is one of the largest cemeteries in the world by number of interred, and is the most well-known cemetery among Vienna's nearly 50 cemeteries. The cemetery's name is descriptive of its ...

. Drescher wrote Viennese songs, marches and polkas.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Drescher, Carl Wilhelm 1850 births 1925 deaths Musicians from Vienna 19th-century Austrian male musicians Burials at the Vienna Central Cemetery Composers from Vienna 19th-century Austrian composers