Victor Herbert

composer/conductor/cellist

 

Born on February 1, 1859 in Dublin, Ireland. At age 7 young Victor's mother was remarried to a German doctor and the family moved to Stuttgart, Germany. While Herbert's stepfather was connected to the German royal family through blood, his financial connections were weak. By the time Victor was a teenager, family financial conditions forced him to abandon the idea of any expensive medical education and Victor turned to music, quite possibly simply to make some quick money. The teenager studied piano, flute and piccolo before turning finally and brilliantly to the cello. Interestingly, it was the flute and piccolo which landed him his first orchestra position. It was also a major embarrassing fluff of a piccolo solo during a concert which helped push Herbert toward the cello and his first major achievement in music. To put it succinctly, Victor Herbert became a virtuoso cellist without peer, soloing by age 19 with major orchestras in Germany.

By 1880 at the age of 21, Herbert had spent several years as a member of Baron Paul von Derwies' (Russian) private orchestra in Lugano as well a year with the Eduard Strauss Orchestra in Vienna and was well on his way to a renown which won him a position in the Royal Court Orchestra of Stuttgart. He remained with this orchestra for five years during which he flourished as a soloist although never achieving the principal chair. He decided to continue his formal education by enrolling in the Stuttgart Conservatory of Music in serious pursuit of theory, harmony, and composition. It was here that he came under the tutelage of Max Seifriz (1827-1885), one of the major composing teachers of the 1800s. During this period with the Court Orchestra, he was chosen to be among 30 hand picked members recommended by Brahms to play at a special celebration of the life of the 72 year old Franz Liszt. Musicians and honored guests assembled at an estate near Zurich for a special weekend of activities among which was a piano concert by Liszt himself which included Liszt's "Mephisto Waltz" for four hands which the great piano master played himself with the composer, Saint Saens. Brahms, Liszt, Saint Saens -- a thrilling first hand influence on the young Herbert and a day that he numbered as one of his grandest memories throughout his entire life.

In 1883, at the age of 24, Victor Herbert served as both soloist and composer of his own earliest know work, "Suite for Cello and Orchestra, Op.3. With this composition, he established himself as a finished composer of skill and substance as well as an extraordinary instrumental artist. His career was well underway.

In 1885, the Royal Court Orchestra added a soprano, Therese Forster to it's roster of soloists and thus introduced Victor Herbert to his future life long companion. True to his romantic leanings, Herbert fell in love at first sight although the lady in question did not return his attentions without some major pursuit on the young man's part. Eventually, Therese agreed to listen, softened to the idea and the couple became engaged. The young soprano landed a position with the Stuttgart Opera, quickly becoming a major presence with the company and attracting the notice of Frank and Walter Damrosch of the Metropolitan Opera Company of New York City as they toured Europe looking for new talents to add to their four year old company. The gentlemen determined to hire Therese Forster and when they found they could also add the youngest cello virtuoso of Germany in the same package, the deal was sealed. Victor and Therese married on August 14, 1886 and sailed for American on October 24 of the same year. The American music landscape would never be the same.

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