Heinrich Grünfeld (21 April 1855, Prague – 26 August 1931, Berlin) was a

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

n-Austrian

cellist The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...

; a brother of Alfred Grünfeld. He published his autobiography, 'In Dur und Moll' in 1923, an historically important source for Brahms, Joachim, and Richard Strauss.

Early life

Heinrich Grünfeld was born into an affluent Jewish family in Prague, the son of merchant Moritz Grünfeld (1817, Kolín – 1882, Vienna) and his wife Regina, née Pick (1826, Dobruška – 1881, Vienna). After the discovery of his elder brother Alfred’s musical talent, the family home became a key part of Prague’s music scene. Grünfeld thus became acquainted with many of the prominent Czech musicians of the time, including

Bedřich Smetana Bedřich Smetana ( ; ; 2 March 1824 – 12 May 1884) was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style that became closely identified with his people's aspirations to a cultural and political "revival". He has been regarded ...

Antonín Dvořák Antonín Leopold Dvořák ( ; ; 8September 18411May 1904) was a Czech composer. He frequently employed rhythms and other aspects of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia, following the Romantic-era nationalist example of his predec ...

and David Popper, with the latter of whom he became close friends. Popper later dedicated two Spanish dances to Grünfeld. Grünfeld studied the cello from the age of fourteen, first with

Alois Neruda Alois Neruda (baptized Alois Jan; 20 June 1837 – 25 January 1899) was a Czech cellist. Life Neruda was born on 20 June 1837 in Kostelec nad Labem. His father was the composer and singing teacher Josef Neruda (1804–1876). He won a demanding ...

and then with Frantisek Hegenbarth at the Prague Conservatory, graduating in 1873, where he was a contemporary of

Hanuš Wihan Hanuš Wihan (5 June 1855 – 1 May 1920) was a Czech cellist. Some considered him the greatest of his time. He was strongly associated with the works of Antonín Dvořák, whose Cello Concerto in B minor, Rondo in G minor, and the short pie ...

, Karel Halíř,

Otakar Ševčík Otakar Ševčík (22 March 185218 January 1934) was a Czechs, Czech violinist and influential teacher. He was known as a Solo (music), soloist and an Musical ensemble, ensemble player, including his occasional performances with Eugène Ysaÿe. ...

and Florián Zajíc. Three of Grünfeld's four brothers also went on to have careers in the music industry: Alfred as a famous pianist in Vienna, Siegmund as a repetiteur at the Royal Court Opera, and Ludwig as an agent.

Life

After graduation, Grünfeld toured Bohemia before taking a job in Vienna at the Komische Oper (later known as the Ringtheater). He remained in Vienna for two years, living with his two elder brothers, until leaving the Komische Oper following the appointment of Wilhelm Hasemann as director. In December 1875, Grünfeld moved to Berlin. His first job was with the Berliner Symphoniekapelle under the direction of Ludwig von Brenner, and he also took an engagement with the

Kroll Opera House The Kroll Opera House () in Berlin, Germany, was in the Tiergarten district on the western edge of the '' Königsplatz'' square (today ''Platz der Republik''), facing the Reichstag building. It was built in 1844 as an entertainment venue for th ...

. Grünfeld taught at Theodor Kullak's Neue Akademie der Tonkunst from 1876-1884, and in 1878 he founded a popular series of subscription concerts in the Singakademie, initially with

Xaver Scharwenka Theophil Franz Xaver Scharwenka (6 January 1850 – 8 December 1924) was a German pianist, composer and teacher of Polish descent. He was the brother of Ludwig Philipp Scharwenka (1847–1917), who was also a composer and teacher of music. Life ...

and Gustav Hollaender. Hollaender was subsequently replaced on the violin by

Émile Sauret Émile Sauret (22 May 1852 – 12 February 1920) was a French violinist and composer. Sauret wrote over 100 violin pieces, including a famous cadenza for the first movement of Niccolò Paganini's First Violin Concerto, and the "Gradus ad Parna ...

and then Florián Zajíc, and Scharwenka by a series of rotating pianists. Grünfeld celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of these concerts in 1928. In 1886 Grünfeld was appointed court violoncellist to King William of Prussia. Grünfeld can be heard in an arrangement of Mendelssohn's

Song Without Words ''Song Without Words: A Book of Engravings on Wood'' is a wordless novel of 1936 by American artist Lynd Ward (1905–1985). Executed in twenty-one wood engravings, it was the fifth and shortest of the six wordless novels Ward completed, produc ...

op. 53, no. 2, together with violinist Alfred Wittenberg and pianist Moritz Mayer-Mahr, on acoustic Parlophon P 1736-I. These three artists toured widely as members of an established piano trio.

Personal life

Grünfeld met Adleheid Zimmermann, the daughter of

Richard Andree Richard Andree (26 February 1835 – 22 February 1912) was a German geographer and cartographer, noted for devoting himself especially to ethnographic studies. He wrote numerous books on this subject, dealing notably with the races of his own c ...

the German geographer and cartographer, at Bayreuth. They remained married until his death.

References

Bibliography

Hugo Riemann Karl Wilhelm Julius Hugo Riemann (18 July 1849 – 10 July 1919) was a German musicologist and composer who was among the founders of modern musicology. The leading European music scholar of his time, he was active and influential as both a mus ...

, '' Musik-Lexikon''; **

Theodore Baker Theodore Baker (June 3, 1851"Passed Away," ''Musical America'' (Nov. 10, 1934), p. 32."Dr. Theodore Baker," ''Musical Courier'' (Nov. 3, 1934), p. 20. – October 12, 1934)Biographical Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Gruenfeld, Heinrich 1855 births 1931 deaths 19th-century classical composers 20th-century classical composers Musicians from Prague Czech Jews Jews from Austria-Hungary 19th-century Austrian people Jewish songwriters Jewish classical composers Austrian classical cellists Austrian classical composers Czech classical cellists Czech male classical composers Austrian male classical composers Czech Romantic composers 20th-century Czech male musicians 19th-century Czech male musicians 20th-century cellists Prague Conservatory alumni Musicians from Austria-Hungary