Carl Reinecke

Carl Heinrich Carsten Reinecke (June 23, 1824 – March 10, 1910) was a German composer, conductor, and pianist.


Reinecke was born in Altona, Hamburg, Germany, at that time a Danish town. He studied with his father, Johann Peter Rudolph Reinecke, a music teacher. Carl began to compose at the age of seven, and his first public appearance as a pianist was when he was twelve years old.
He undertook his first concert tour in 1843 which eventually led, in 1846, to his appointment as Court Pianist for Christian VIII in Copenhagen. There he remained until 1848. Overall he wrote four concertos for his instrument (and many cadenzas for others' works, including a large set published as his Opus 87), as well as concertos for violin, cello, harp and flute.


Carl Reinecke (ca. 1860)


In 1851 he became a professor at the Cologne Conservatory. In ensuing years he was appointed musical director at Barmen, and became the academic, musical director and conductor of the Singakademie at Breslau.
In 1860, Reinecke was appointed director of the Gewandhaus Orchestra concerts in Leipzig, and professor of composition and piano at the Conservatorium. He led the orchestra until 1895. There he conducted such premieres as the full seven-movement version of Brahms's German Requiem (1869).
In 1865 the Gewandhaus-Quartett premiered his piano quintet, and in 1892 his D major string quartet.

Reinecke is best known for his flute sonata "Undine", but he is also remembered as one of the most influential and versatile musicians of his time. He served as a teacher for 35 years, until 1902. His students included Edvard Grieg, Basil Harwood, Christian Sinding, Leoš Janáček, Isaac Albéniz, August Max Fiedler, Johan Svendsen, Richard Franck, Felix Weingartner, Max Bruch, Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis and Felix Fox among many others.

At the age of 80, Reinecke recorded his playing on piano roll for the Welte-Mignon company, making him the earliest-born pianist to have his playing preserved in any format.

After his retirement he devoted his time to composition and an output that contains almost three hundred published works. He wrote several operas (all unperformed today) including König Manfred. Reinecke died, at 85, in Leipzig.

Selected works

König Manfred, comic opera, 1867
Ein Abenteuer Händels, operetta, 1874
Auf hohen Befehl, comic opera, 1886
Der Gouverneur von Tours, comic opera, 1891
Symphony no. 1 in A major, Op. 79, 1858
Symphony no. 2 in C minor, Op. Op. opus 34, 1844
A piano quartet in light style, Op. 272, 1904
Piano quintet in A, Op. 83, 1866
Violoncello concerto in D minor, Op. 82, 1864
Violin concerto in G minor, Op. 141, 1876
Concerto for harp and orchestra in E minor, Op. 182, 1884
Flute concerto in D major, Op. 283 (1908)
Piano concerto no. 1 in F-sharp minor, Op. 72, 1860
Piano concerto no. 2 in E minor, Op. 120, 1872
Piano concerto no. 3 in C major, Op. 144, 1877
Piano concerto no. 4 in B minor, Op. 254, 1900
Serenade for strings in G minor, Op. 242, around 1898
Trio for piano, oboe and horn in A minor, Op. 188, 1886
Trio for piano, clarinet and viola in A, Op. 264
Trio for piano, clarinet and horn in B-flat, Op. 274, 1905
Octet for winds in B-flat, Op. 216, 1892
Sextet for flute, oboe, clarinet, 2 horns and bassoon in B-flat, Op. 271
Five string quartets (Op. 16 in E-flat, 1843, Op. 30 in F, 1851, Op. 132 in C, 1874, Op. 211 in D major, 1890, and Op. 287)
an organ sonata, Op. 284
a piano sonata for the left hand, Op. 179, 1884
a string trio in C minor, Op. 249
Sonata for flute (Sonata Undine), Op. 167, 1882
Sonatas for violin, cello (three, in A minor, Op. 42 1847-8, D major, Op. 89 1866 and G major, Op. 238, recorded on cpo)
Three light piano trios, Op. 159a
Piano trio, Op. 230
Drei Fantasiestücke für Viola und Klavier, Op. 43 (Three fantasy pieces for viola and piano)
Harp Concerto in E minor, Op. 182 (1884)