Henry Reinhold (c. 1690 – 1751), also known as Thomas Reinhold, was a German opera singer.
He was born in
Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth larg ...
and showed an early aptitude for music, which his family apparently discouraged. But he secretly left Dresden to follow
Handel, a friend of his reputed father, to London. There, through Handel's good offices, he came under the protection of
Frederick, Prince of Wales
Frederick, Prince of Wales, (Frederick Louis, ; 31 January 170731 March 1751), was the eldest son and heir apparent of King George II of Great Britain. He grew estranged from his parents, King George and Queen Caroline. Frederick was the fa ...
, who ultimately stood sponsor to his eldest son.
In 1731 Reinhold, described as Reynholds, was singing at the
Haymarket Theatre. He sang in the first performance of Handel's
Arminio at
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...
on 12 January 1737, and created principal parts in many of Handel's operas and oratorios.
Reinhold was one of the founders, in 1738, of the
Royal Society of Musicians The Royal Society of Musicians of Great Britain is a charity in the United Kingdom that supports musicians. It is the oldest music-related charity in Great Britain, founded in 1738 as the ''Fund for Decay'd Musicians'' by a declaration of trust sig ...
. When vocal music was added to the other attractions of
Vauxhall Gardens
Vauxhall Gardens is a public park in Kennington in the London Borough of Lambeth, England, on the south bank of the River Thames.
Originally known as New Spring Gardens, it is believed to have opened before the Restoration of 1660, being ...
in 1745, Reinhold was one of the first singers engaged. He died in Chapel Street, Soho, on 14 May 1751, and on 20 May
Garrick Garrick may refer to:
* Garrick (name), for the name's origin and people with either the surname or given name, the most famous being:
** David Garrick (1717–1779), English actor
* Garrick Club, a London gentlemen's club named in honour of David ...
lent his theatre for a benefit performance for his widow and children.
According to some older sources including the
Dictionary of National Biography (1885–1900), Reinhold was reputed to be the natural son of the "archbishop of Dresden". However, Dresden was not the seat of a catholic archdiocese or diocese at that time.
His son,
Frederick Charles Reinhold, was a famed singer.
Various names
According to his burial registration, Reinhold's name was "Henry", but he was referred to as "Theodore" by the Royal Society of Musicians, and as "Thomas" by the
Dictionary of National Biography (1885–1900).
Further reading
*''Reinhold, Henry'' by Olive Baldwin and Thelma Wilson, in 'The
New Grove Dictionary of Opera', ed. Stanley Sadie (London, 1992)
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reinhold, Henry
17th-century births
1751 deaths
German opera singers
Operatic basses
Members of the Royal Society of Musicians