Born Erich Landauer, the name etched on the Erich Leinsdorf Plaque marks a maestro’s journey. This plaque commemorates Erich Leinsdorf. He was born in this very house on February 4, 1912. Leinsdorf, an Austrian-born American conductor, rose to international fame. He was celebrated as a champion of European musical understanding.
Let’s delve into the life of this remarkable figure. Leinsdorf’s early life was steeped in music. He received his first music lessons from his mother at the tender age of five. From eleven, he honed his piano skills with Paul Emerich and Hedwig Kammer-Rosenthal. At thirteen, he began cello studies with Lilly Kosz. He also had private lessons in theory and composition with Paul Pisk. Pisk was a student of Arnold Schoenberg. Leinsdorf attended the University of Vienna. He earned his diploma from the State Academy of Music in Vienna in 1933.
His career began to blossom. In 1933, Leinsdorf served as rehearsal and solo pianist for Anton von Webern’s choral group. A successful audition led him to become Bruno Walter’s assistant at the Salzburg Festival in 1934. Arturo Toscanini recognized his talent. He invited Leinsdorf to be his assistant the following year. Leinsdorf worked for both Walter and Toscanini at Salzburg from 1935 through 1937.
By 1937, Leinsdorf had made a name for himself in Italy as an opera conductor. Toscanini and soprano Lotte Lehmann recommended him. He was invited to be an assistant conductor to Artur Bodanzky. Bodanzky was the director of German repertoire at the New York Metropolitan Opera.
Leinsdorf debuted at the Metropolitan Opera on January 21, 1938. He conducted Richard Wagner’s Die Walküre. The performance was a success. Simultaneously, he worked as assistant to Fritz Reiner of the San Francisco Opera. His San Francisco debut was on October 19, 1938. Leinsdorf conducted the San Francisco Opera’s first performance of Claude Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande.
The Anschluss in Austria in 1938 changed everything. It prevented Leinsdorf from returning home. In 1942, he became an American citizen. Leinsdorf took charge of the Wagner repertoire. This was after Bodanzky fell ill. Upon Bodanzky’s death in 1939, Leinsdorf was named his successor. He became principal conductor of German operas.
He left the Metropolitan Opera in 1943. He succeeded Artur Rodzinski as music director of the Cleveland Orchestra. His time there was cut short. He was inducted into the U.S. Army in December 1943. He returned to the Metropolitan Opera as a guest conductor from 1944 to 1945. In 1962, Leinsdorf accepted the post of music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He replaced Charles Munch.
Leinsdorf expanded the Boston Symphony’s repertoire. He introduced less traditional programs. Tired of managerial duties, Leinsdorf retired from the Boston Symphony in 1969. He devoted himself to guest conducting. He appeared with major orchestras in the United States and Europe. From 1978 to 1980, he was principal conductor of the Radio Symphony Orchestra of West Berlin.
Leinsdorf published “The Composer’s Advocate: A Radical Orthodoxy for Musicians” in 1981. He urged conductors to study all the works of a composer. This should happen before performing any.
His last concert appearance was with the New York Philharmonic in January 1993. Leinsdorf died of cancer at the age of eighty-one. He left behind a legacy of recordings. They include Ariadne auf Naxos, Salome, and complete symphonies of Mozart.
This Erich Leinsdorf Plaque serves as a reminder. It honors a conductor whose life was dedicated to music. He bridged European tradition with the American stage. His contributions continue to resonate today.