Dutch conductor of international renown.

Mengelberg was conductor of the Amsterdam Concertgebouw orchestra from 1895 to 1945, noted especially for his interpretations of late Romantic music, including that of Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Richard Strauss, and Gustav Mahler. He conducted regularly in Germany, Britain, America and elsewhere, and was music director of the New York Philharmonic 1922–28. Because of his conciliatory attitude towards the Nazis during the occupation of the Netherlands between 1940 and 1945, he was forbidden to conduct in Holland after 1945 and spent his last years in Switzerland.

Correspondence

Genovefa Violin wrote to Mengelberg in early summer 1938 seeking his help in finding a suitable position in the USA for her father, Moriz Violin; he responded to her on June 23, 1938 (OJ 70/26, [1]).

Contributor