A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Reichardt, Alexander

REICHARDT, Alexander, a tenor singer, was born at Packs, Hungary, April 17, 1825. He received his early instruction in music from an uncle, and made his first appearance at the age of 18 at the Lemberg theatre as Rodrigo in Rossini's 'Otello.' His success there led him to Vienna, where he was engaged at the Court Opera, and completed his education under Gentiluomo, Catalani, etc. At this time he was much renowned for his singing of the Lieder of Beethoven and Schubert, and was in request at all the soirées; Prince Esterhazy made him his Kammersänger. In 1846 he made a tournée through Berlin, Hanover, etc., to Paris, returning to Vienna. In 1851 he made his first appearance in England, singing at the Musical Union, May 6, and at the Philharmonic May 12, at many other concerts, and lastly before Her Majesty. In the following season he returned and sang in Berlioz's 'Romeo and Juliet,' at the new Philharmonic Concert of April 14, also in the Choral Symphony, Berlioz's 'Faust,' and the 'Walpurgisnight,' and enjoyed a very great popularity both in songs and in more serious pieces. From this time until 1857 he passed each season in England, singing at concerts, and at the Royal Opera, Drury Lane, and Her Majesty's Theatre, where he filled the parts of the Count in 'The Barber of Seville,' Raoul in 'The Huguenots,' Belmont in 'The Seraglio,' Florestan in 'Fidelio,' Don Ottavio in 'Don Juan,' etc. etc. His Florestan was a very successful personation, and in this part he was said 'to have laid the foundation of the popularity which has so honourably earned and maintained in London.' He also appeared with much success in oratorio. In the provinces he became almost as great a favourite as in London. In 1857 he gave his first concert in Paris, in the Salle Erard, and the following sentence from Berlioz's report of the performance will give an idea of his style and voice. 'M. Reichardt is a tenor of the first water—sweet, tender, sympathetic and charming. Almost all his pieces were redemanded, and he sang them again without a sign of fatigue.' Shortly after this he settled in Boulogne, where he is now residing. Though he has retired from the active exercise of his profession, he is not idle. He has organised a Philharmonic Society at Boulogne; he is President of the Académie Communale de Musique, and his occasional concerts for the benefit of the hospital—where one ward is entitled 'Fondation Reichardt'—are not only very productive of funds but are the musical events of the town. M. Reichardt is a composer as well as a singer. Several of his songs, especially 'Thou art so near,' were very popular in their day. [App. p.770 "date of death, May 14, 1885."]

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