Leonard Liebling (February 7, 1874 – October 28, 1945) was an American

music critic '' The Oxford Companion to Music'' defines music criticism as "the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres". In this sense, it is a branch of m ...

, writer,

librettist A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major ...

, editor,

pianist A pianist ( , ) is a musician who plays the piano. A pianist's repertoire may include music from a diverse variety of styles, such as traditional classical music, jazz piano, jazz, blues piano, blues, and popular music, including rock music, ...

, and

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

. He is best remembered as the long-time editor-in-chief of the '' Musical Courier'' from 1911 to 1945.

Life and career

Born into a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

family in New York City, Liebling was the son of composer Max Liebling (1845–1927) and his wife Matilde née de Perkiewicz. His father and his three uncles, Emil, Sally, and Georg Liebling, were all pupils of

Franz Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic music, Romantic period. With a diverse List of compositions by Franz Liszt, body of work spanning more than six ...

and had successful careers as pianists and composers. His brother James Liebling was also a professional musician, and his sister

Estelle Liebling Estelle Liebling (April 21, 1880 – September 25, 1970) was an American soprano, composer, arranger, music editor, and celebrated voice teacher and vocal coach. Born into the Liebling family of musicians, she began her professional opera career ...

was a soprano with the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...

who became a famous voice teacher and coach. After graduating from the

City College of New York The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a Public university, public research university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York ...

in 1897, Liebling pursued music studies in Berlin where he was a pupil of

Leopold Godowsky Leopold Mordkhelovich Godowsky Sr. (13 February 1870 – 21 November 1938) was a virtuoso pianist, composer and teacher, born in what is now Lithuania to Jewish parents, who became an United States of America, American citizen in 1891. He ...

(piano),

Theodor Kullak Theodor Kullak (12 September 1818 – 1 March 1882) was a German pianist, composer and teacher. Background Kullak was born on 12 September 1818, in Krotoszyn. He began his piano studies as a pupil of Albrecht Agthe in Poznań. He progressed suf ...

(piano),

Karl Heinrich Barth Karl Heinrich Barth (12 July 1847 – 23 December 1922) was a German pianist and pedagogue. Life and early training Karl Heinrich Barth was born in Pillau, East Prussia (modern day Baltiysk, Russia). Little is known about Barth's early life, exc ...

(piano), and

Heinrich Urban Heinrich Urban (27 August 1837 – 24 November 1901) was a German violinist and composer. Life and career Heinrich Urban was born in Berlin, and studied with Ferdinand Laub, Hubert Ries and Friedrich Kiel. He sang alto in the Königliche Domchor ...

(composition). He then worked as a concert pianist and piano teacher in Europe before returning to the United States to join the staff of the '' Musical Courier'', a music journal published weekly, in 1902. He remained with that publication until his death 43 years later, first serving as a music critic, and then rising to post of editor-in-chief from 1911 to 1945. Liebling's column in the ''Musical Courier'' was entitled "Variations", and he was known for his insightful wit. He also concurrently served as music critic for the ''

New York Journal-American :''Includes coverage of New York Journal-American and its predecessors New York Journal, The Journal, New York American and New York Evening Journal'' The ''New York Journal-American'' was a daily newspaper published in New York City from 1937 ...

'' from 1923 to 1936. In 1904 he married Eda Baxter of Brooklyn. Outside of music criticism, Liebling wrote the libretti for at least four comic operas: ''The Glass Blowers'' (1909, music by

John Philip Sousa John Philip Sousa ( , ; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic music, Romantic era known primarily for American military March (music), marches. He is known as "The March King" or th ...

; revived in 1913 as ''The American Maid''); '' The Girl and the Kaiser'' (1910, with music by Georg Jarno); '' Vera Violetta'' (1911, with music by

Edmund Eysler Edmund Samuel Eysler (12 March 1874 – 4 October 1949), was an Austrian composer. Biography Edmund Eysler was born in Vienna to a merchant family. He was supposed to enter the engineering profession, but his acquaintance with Leo Fall led h ...

); and

Frederick Lonsdale Frederick Lonsdale (5 February 1881 – 4 April 1954) was a British playwright known for his librettos to several successful musicals early in the 20th century, including '' King of Cadonia'' (1908), '' The Balkan Princess'' (1910), '' Betty'' ...

and

Frank Curzon Frank Curzon (17 September 1868 – 2 July 1927) was an English actor who became an important theatre manager, leasing the Royal Strand Theatre, Playhouse Theatre, Avenue Theatre, Criterion Theatre, Comedy Theatre, Prince of Wales Theatre and W ...

's ''

The Balkan Princess ''The Balkan Princess'' is a musical theater, musical in three acts by Frederick Lonsdale and Frank Curzon, with lyrics by Paul Rubens (composer), Paul Rubens and Arthur Wimperis, and music by Paul Rubens (composer), Paul Rubens. It opened at Lond ...

'' (1911 Broadway version). As a composer he wrote an orchestral overture, a trio, several works for solo piano, and several art songs. He was an active member of the

Lotos Club The Lotos Club is a private social club in New York City. Founded primarily by a young group of writers and critics in 1870 as a gentlemen's club, it has since begun accepting women as members. Mark Twain, an early member, called it the "Ace of ...

and

The Lambs The Lambs, Inc. (also known as The Lambs Club) is a New York City social club that nurtures those active in the arts, as well as those who are supporters of the arts, by providing activities and a clubhouse for its members. It is America's old ...

. He also served as the arbiter for the nationally broadcast radio quiz show ''So You Think You Know Music'' from 1939 to 1941 on CBS Radio. Liebling died of a heart attack at the Hotel Buckingham, now The Quin, in New York City in 1945.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Liebling, Leonard 1874 births 1945 deaths American classical composers American classical pianists American male classical composers American male classical pianists American music critics American opera librettists City College of New York alumni Composers from New York City Jewish American classical composers New York Journal-American people