Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- List of Plates
- List of Figures
- Foreword
- Preface to the New Edition
- Chronology
- Chapter 1 1843–1865: Childhood and Years of Study
- Chapter 2 1866–1867: Tribschen
- Chapter 3 1868–1869: Munich
- Chapter 4 1870–1871: Brussels; Tribschen
- Chapter 5 1871–1874: Budapest
- Chapter 6 1874–1875: Budapest and Bayreuth
- Chapter 7 1875: Vienna
- Chapter 8 1876: Bayreuth
- Chapter 9 1877: London
- Chapter 10 1878–1879: Vienna
- Chapter 11 1879–1880: Friends and Enemies
- Chapter 12 1880–1881: London and Vienna
- Chapter 13 1881–1882: Richter and d'Albert
- Chapter 14 1882: Richter and d'Albert
- Chapter 15 1882–1883: The Master's Death
- Chapter 16 1884: More Opera in London
- Chapter 17 1885–1886: Vienna, London and Birmingham
- Chapter 18 1887–1888 Return to Bayreuth
- Chapter 19 1889–1900: Vienna
- Chapter 20 1897–1900: Richter and Mahler
- Chapter 21 1889–1890: England
- Chapter 22 1891–1895: England
- Chapter 23 1895–1900: England
- Chapter 24 1890–1899: Bayreuth
- Chapter 25 1894–1899: Richter's Diary
- Chapter 26 1899–1900: Hallé Orchestra
- Chapter 27 1900–1902: England
- Chapter 28 1903–1904: England
- Chapter 29 1904–1906: England
- Chapter 30 1906–1908: England
- Chapter 31 1908–1909: England
- Chapter 32 1909–1911: England
- Chapter 33 1911–1914: Retirement
- Chapter 34 1914–1916: The Last Years
- Chapter 35 Finale
- HANS RICHTER'S CONDUCTING BOOKS
- Appendix 1 Works conducted by Hans Richter
- Appendix 2 Cities and towns where Richter conducted
- Select Bibliography
- Index
Chapter 34 - 1914–1916: The Last Years
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 April 2017
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- List of Plates
- List of Figures
- Foreword
- Preface to the New Edition
- Chronology
- Chapter 1 1843–1865: Childhood and Years of Study
- Chapter 2 1866–1867: Tribschen
- Chapter 3 1868–1869: Munich
- Chapter 4 1870–1871: Brussels; Tribschen
- Chapter 5 1871–1874: Budapest
- Chapter 6 1874–1875: Budapest and Bayreuth
- Chapter 7 1875: Vienna
- Chapter 8 1876: Bayreuth
- Chapter 9 1877: London
- Chapter 10 1878–1879: Vienna
- Chapter 11 1879–1880: Friends and Enemies
- Chapter 12 1880–1881: London and Vienna
- Chapter 13 1881–1882: Richter and d'Albert
- Chapter 14 1882: Richter and d'Albert
- Chapter 15 1882–1883: The Master's Death
- Chapter 16 1884: More Opera in London
- Chapter 17 1885–1886: Vienna, London and Birmingham
- Chapter 18 1887–1888 Return to Bayreuth
- Chapter 19 1889–1900: Vienna
- Chapter 20 1897–1900: Richter and Mahler
- Chapter 21 1889–1890: England
- Chapter 22 1891–1895: England
- Chapter 23 1895–1900: England
- Chapter 24 1890–1899: Bayreuth
- Chapter 25 1894–1899: Richter's Diary
- Chapter 26 1899–1900: Hallé Orchestra
- Chapter 27 1900–1902: England
- Chapter 28 1903–1904: England
- Chapter 29 1904–1906: England
- Chapter 30 1906–1908: England
- Chapter 31 1908–1909: England
- Chapter 32 1909–1911: England
- Chapter 33 1911–1914: Retirement
- Chapter 34 1914–1916: The Last Years
- Chapter 35 Finale
- HANS RICHTER'S CONDUCTING BOOKS
- Appendix 1 Works conducted by Hans Richter
- Appendix 2 Cities and towns where Richter conducted
- Select Bibliography
- Index
Summary
Richter's letters, written after his retirement, were primarily domestic in content, though occasionally he would comment on or reminisce about music and musicians. In February 1914 he replied to several questions from Sydney Loeb.
Miss Fanny Davies is an excellent artist whose attainments I remember with pleasure. After many years lying in the archives, where it was forgotten by artists and public alike, I revived Joseph in Egypt and performed it in Vienna to great effect. This opera by Méhul is a masterpiece; the Master also loved it very much, which fact can be found in his letters and writings. For today's public, whose ears have been ruined by the motor car and other noises, this music is too refined. Even in Vienna the opera house remained empty despite an excellent performance and it soon vanished from the repertoire once again. In this case – as so often in others – it is the public which fails, not the opera. Brodsky plays everything superbly, but if you want a special treat, hear him and his quartet playing Schubert, in that he is unique; his warmth, his feeling, his fire resulted in a great success in Vienna. Send him and his splendid colleagues my warmest greetings. Borwick is a refined and stylish artist. Listen to Mengelberg as much as you can, I think very highly of him. Sir Villiers’ Irish Rhapsody is certainly a solid piece of work, just like the earlier ones. Watch out for the boring parts. I have already heard of Albert Coates, but I never saw him. Those reviews of him which I saw were not unfavourable.
Richter's friendship with Stanford had been soured by an unfortunate episode in April 1908. The quick-tempered Irishman had, as on so many occasions, sent a pupil to Richter for help. The young man in question was the pianist and composer James Friskin who was to attend Richter at the Queen's Hall after a morning orchestral rehearsal. The session finished early to enable the players to fulfil another musical engagement elsewhere later that day and Richter had to wait half an hour before Friskin arrived punctually at the arranged time. He was shy and nervous in the presence of the great conductor and, when asked if he was presenting himself as a pianist or composer, replied with the former.
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- Hans Richter , pp. 441 - 451Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2016