Karl Weigl

[1881-1949]

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"Few Jewish émigré composers can be identified with the spirit of fin-de-siecle Viennese Romanticism in the way that Karl Weigl can. He studied piano as a young man with Alexander Zemlinsky, was taught composition by Robert Fuchs and served as a repetiteur under Gustav Mahler. His early works were regularly performed throughout Europe and broadcast on the radio and were praised by traditionalists and modernists alike. Arnold Schoenberg said:

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I always considered him as one of the best composers of this older generation, one who continued the dignified Viennese tradition… he truly preserves this old culture of a musical spirit which is one of the best parts of

Viennese culture.

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How, then, did such an established torchbearer of Viennese music go from being a household name in Europe to working temporary teaching positions in the United States? Karl Weigl’s story is yet another example of how the Nazis altered the musical canon of early 20th century classical music through their misguided attempts to reshape the ‘racial’ landscapes of Europe."

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-Excerpt from "Karl Weigl (1881-1949)" by Dr Ryan Hugh Ross, ORT Music and the Holocaust website

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For more information, please visit: 

https://holocaustmusic.ort.org/resistance-and-exile/karl-weigl/