A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Nohl, Carl

NOHL, Carl Friedrich Ludwig, a well-known writer on music and musical subjects, was born at Iserlohn in Westphalia, on Dec. 5, 1831. His father is a legal functionary, and it was intended that the son should follow the same profession, although his taste for music showed itself while he was still a child. He was educated at the Gymnasium of Dinsburg, and in 1850 entered the University of Bonn. From Bonn he proceeded to Heidelberg, in order to pursue his legal studies, which were however neglected for musical and literary pursuits. At Heidelberg he determined to make music his profession, but this idea was abandoned in accordance with his father's wishes, and he continued the study of jurisprudence at Berlin, at the same time receiving instruction in the theory of music from Professor Dehn. In 1853 Nohl entered the Prussian Civil Service as Referendarius, but in 1856 his health broke down, and he had to undertake a journey to France and Italy. He returned to Berlin in 1857, and continued his musical studies under Professor Kiel. In 1858 he finally abandoned the legal profession, and settled at Heidelberg, the University of which place conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (1860). In the following year he went to Munich, where, in 1865 King Ludwig II appointed him an Honorary Professor in the University. In 1872 he returned to Heidelberg, where he has since resided, and where he teaches musical history and aesthetics. Space will not allow of our inserting a complete list of Nohl's works: many of them have been translated into English, and are known in this country. His 'Mozart's Letters' (1865), 'Beethoven's Letters' (1865 and 1870 [App. p.732 "1867"]), 'Letters of Musicians' (1866), 'Gluck and Wagner' (1870), 'Die Beethoven Feier' (1871), 'Beethoven according to the representations of his Contemporaries' (1877), 'Life of Beethoven' (1877), and other works on Mozart and Beethoven, are valuable contributions to the musical literature of the century, and have gone through many editions. [App. p.732 "date of death, Dec. 16, 1885."]

[ W. B. S. ]