Weingartner, Felix

Weingartner, Felix

(fā`lĭks vīn`gärtnər), 1863–1942, Austrian conductor and composer, b. Dalmatia, studied at the Leipzig Conservatory and with Liszt. After holding several appointments in Germany, including those of conductor (1891–98) of the Royal Opera in Berlin and conductor (1898–1903) of the Kaim Orchestra in Munich, he conducted (1908–10) at the Vienna State Opera, where he was successor to Mahler. He was music director (1912–14) at Hamburg and conductor from 1919 to 1924 of the Vienna Volksoper and from 1919 to 1927 of the Vienna Philharmonic. Afterward he directed the Basel Conservatory until 1934, when he returned to the Vienna State Opera for two seasons. He composed, among other works, six symphonies, three symphonic poems, and several operas. His writings on music include an important essay on conducting, and he edited (1899) the complete works of Berlioz.

Bibliography

See his Lebenserinnerungen (1928, tr. Buffets and Rewards, a Musician's Reminiscences, 1937).