Scan 66
Groves Dictionary Of Music And Musicians,vol.3, 1907
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11841). After his death Hauptmann edited the 'Canons et fugues' (Breitkopf & Härtel, 1854), with a preface, in which he says:
3'Klengel was brought up on Sebastian Bach, and knew his works thoroughly. It must not be supposed, however, that he was a mere imitator of Bach's manner; it is truer to say that he expressed his own thoughts in the way in which Bach would have done had he lived at the present day.'
5He left several concertos, and many other works. His visit to London was commemorated by the composition of a quintet for piano and strings for the Philharmonic Society, which was performed Feb. 26, 1816, he himself taking the pianoforte. There is a pleasant little sketch of him in a letter of Mendelssohn to Eckert, Jan. 26, 1842.
7KLENGEL, (1) JULIUS (b. Leipzig, Sept. 24, 1859), violoncellist and composer. He came of a musical family, his father, a Professor of Law, being the son of a professional musician, and himself an excellent amateur player. Moreover, his sister and brothers were all skilled performers on either piano or strings, so that the family circle was in a position to provide a full pianoforte quintet. Julius showed exceptional musical gifts at a very early age, and when still quite a small boy was intimate, through these family performances, with all the best chamber-music, an experience to which he constantly refers with gratitude both for its educational value and its sheer musical delight. He studied the violoncello with Émile Hegar, and theory and composition with S. Jadassohn. In 1874, at the age of 15, he became a member of the famous Gewandhaus Orchestra, and in 1881 was appointed its principal violoncellist, a post which he held until his resignation in 1924. He was appointed, also in 1881, teacher at the Leipzig Conservatorium, with the title of 'Royal Professor,' and he still carries on his duties there.
9Klengel began his career as soloist in 1875, since when he has travelled repeatedly over the greater part of Europe, including the British Isles, both as soloist and with the Gewandhaus Quartet, of which he is still a member. On his leaving the orchestra in 1924 after fifty years' service, his 'Jubiläum' was celebrated with great enthusiasm. At the first Gewandhaus Concert of that season, on Oct. 9, with Furtwängler conducting, he played the violoncello part in a fine double concerto for violin and violoncello, which he had specially composed for the occasion. It is an interesting coincidence that his grandfather had also played, as a first violin, for 50 years in the Gewandhaus Orchestra, without missing a single concert.
11As a performer Klengel ranks very high on the musical as well as on the purely technical side. He makes his effects by subtlety of accent and emphasis rather than by violent contrasts or emotional climaxes. He is a fine and scholarly musician, with an admirable taste and sense of style, and nowhere is this more conspicuous than when he is taking part in chamber-music or interpreting such music as the Beethoven sonatas or the Bach solo-suites. On the technical side there is probably no one who has surpassed him. His least strong point is in the matter of tone, which, though clear and effective, is a little lacking in beauty of quality. He is an admirable teacher and has trained many hundreds of pupils, of whom Mme. Suggia, Paul Grümmer and Emanuel Feuermann are probably the best known. He has composed a great deal of excellent music, without perhaps any pronounced individuality of idiom but showing a fine gift of melody and finished workmanship. He has also edited many works of other composers—concertos, sonatas, Bach suites, etc.—and has written a large number of first-rate technical exercises. Amongst his best compositions are the second concerto for violoncello in D minor, the double concerto for two violoncellos in E minor, the 'Caprice in the form of a Chaconne' for violoncello alone, and the double concerto, already referred to, for violin and violoncello. Mention should also be made of the beautiful 'Hymnus' for 12 violoncellos, which was performed at Nikisch's funeral service and has been repeated many times since.
13(2) PAUL (b. Leipzig, May 13, 1854), violinist, pianist and composer, elder brother of the above, was a pupil of the Leipzig Conservatorium from 1868–72 and afterwards graduated at Leipzig University, and in 1876 took the degree of Doctor of Philosophy with a dissertation on 'Aesthetic in Music.' He conducted the 'Euterpe' Concerts at Leipzig, 1881–86; was second Hofkapellmeister in Stuttgart, 1887–91; conducted the 'Arion' and 'Singakademie' choral Societies at Leipzig, 1892–98; was conductor of the 'Deutsche Liederkranz' in New York from 1898–1903, and then returned to Leipzig as conductor of the 'Arion' Society. He is now (1925) on the teaching staff of the Leipzig Conservatorium.
15He is a man of wide general culture and an admirable example of the good all-round musician. As a violinist he possesses a sound and competent technique, especially of the left hand, but he is not the 'born violinist,' and it is probably unfortunate that he did not concentrate in his youth on the piano, for which he has very high natural qualifications, including an exquisite touch, which makes him an ideal accompanist. He is a gifted composer, especially of songs and pieces in small form. His compositions, without any marked originality, are beautifully finished in their workmanship, and deserve to be better known than they are. In particular, his two suites for violin would make a pleasant addition to the repertory of any violinist, for they are both attractive as music
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