George Washington Pittrich (22 February 1870 – 17 March 1934) was a German composer and Kapellmeister.
Life Born in Dresden, Pittrich attended the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber from 1884 to 1890, whose curriculum included theoretical subjects and keyboard, string and wind instruments. In addition, the students were taught oratory and singing. The curriculum also included stage training.Lexis, W.: Die Hochschulen für besondere Fachgebiete im Deutschen Reich, Berlin 1904, , section: "Königliches Konservatorium für Musik und Theater in Dresden", , . The conservatory was founded in 1856 as a private teaching institution and on its 25th anniversary in 1881 the King of Saxony awarded it the title of "Royal Conservatory". His teachers at the ConservatoireReports of the Royal Conservatoire of Music in Dresden. Studienjahre 1884/85 bis 1989/90. Dresden 1885–1890; Numbered SLUB Dresden were Ferdinand Braunroht (1856–1913)Hugo Riemanns Musik-Lexikon, 8th completely revised edition, Berlin/Leipzig 1916, , keyword: Braunroth, Ferdinand; for harmony, counterpoint and piano; Felix Draeseke (1835–1913) for theory of form and higher composition; Adolf Hagen (1851–1926), for orchestral, compositional and directorial theory and practice in direction; Emil Robert Höpner, (1846–1903)inscription of the grave cross at the Alter Annenfriedhof in Dresden; grave Höpner from 1885 (retired in 1902) and teacher at the ConservatoryReport of the Königl. Konservatorium für Musik zu Dresden, Schuljahr 1879/80, for piano since 1874 and since 1 November 1885 for organ,Report of the Königl. Konservatorium für Musik zu Dresden, Schuljahr 1885/86, Theodor Kirchner (1823 - 1903) for score-playing, Emil Naumann (1827–1888) for music history, and Bertrand Roth (1855–1938) for piano as a special subject.keyword: Pittrich, George Washington in Grande Musica – A Digital Library for Music Lovers (English), net/musical-biographies-p-3/pittrich-george-washington Short biography: Pittrich, George Washington Pittrich received an organ prize donated by the Dresden City Council in 1888 after six months of organ lessons with Emil Höpner."Georg Pittrich" in Roeder, Ernst: Das Dresdner Hoftheater der Gegenwart. Biographical-critical sketches of the members. E. Person's Verlag, Dresden/Leipzig, 1896, p. (271–280) 272
On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the assumption of patronage of the Dresden Conservatory by the Crown Prince of Saxony, in 1898, in the presence of the now King Albert of Saxony, two songs composed by Pittrich were performed at the festive event, among others: Hoffnung and Du allein.Der Klavier-Lehrer. Musikpädagogische Zeitschrift. Organ of the German Music Teachers' Associations and the Tonkünstler Associations of Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Hamburg and Stuttgart. Published by Prof. Emil Breslaur, No. 6, 15 March 1898, XXI volume, column 1
At a concert given by the Conservatoire in the autumn of 1888, Pittrich played the Prelude and Fugue for Organ in B minor by Johann Sebastian Bach and the Sonata for Organ, for Four Hands, in D minor by Gustav MerkelNeue Zeitschrift für Musik, 1 October 1888; at/cgi-content/anno?aid=nzm&datum=18881017&seite=8&zoom=33&query=%22Pittrich%22&ref=anno-search No. 42 together with his fellow pupil Paul Claußnitzer from , who had also attended Höpner's organ lessons and also received the school-leaving certificate as an organist.Bericht des Königl. Conservatoriums für Musik zu Dresden, 1888/89, (Clausnitzer) and (Pittrich) as well as p. 32 (both organists).
In July 1890, Pittrich took part in a song recital in Schandau. He played at the grand concert the Sonata in A flat major, Op. 110, 1st movement by Beethoven and an Etude in C minor by Chopin, as well as a work composed by himself, a nocturne in F sharp major.Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, Organ des Allgemeinen Deutschen Musikvereins, 57th year (vol. 86), Leipzig 1890,
After his musical training, which he completed with distinction, Pittrich obtained a position as répétiteur at the Semper Opera in Dresden in 1890. At theatre rehearsals, he had to accompany the actors by playing the piano instead of the orchestra. Outside of his full-time occupation, the young pianist was temporarily active in 1892 as director or conductor of the Dresden male choral society "Liedergruß""Georg Pittrich" in Roeder, Ernst: Das Dresdner Hoftheater der Gegenwart. Biographical-critical sketches of the members. E. Person's Verlag, Dresden/Leipzig, 1896, pp. (271–280) 279 in "Meinholds Säle" with practice hours once a week.Address Book Dresden 1892, 2nd Part, V. Section, Column 2; Numerized SLUB Dresden
He also filled the position of music teacher at the Saxon Court from 1895 to 1898.Hugo Riemann's Musik-Lexikon. 11th ed. vol. M–Z, edited by Alfred Einstein, Max Hesses Verlag, Berlin 1929, pp. 1398 f. Keyword: "Pittrich, George Washington" In this capacity, George Washington Pittrich was temporarily the teacher of the then Crown Princess at the Saxon Royal Court, Archduchess Louise of Austria.Deutsches Bühnen-Jahrbuch, vol. 46, [Theatergeschichtliches Jahr- und Adressenbuch]. Editor: Genossenschaft der deutschen Bühnen-Angehörigen, Berlin 1935: Nachruf für Georg Pittrich, Choral director, composer
Collaboration in the Tonkünstler-Verein Pittrich joined the Tonkünstler-Verein zu Dresden, founded in 1854, as a pianist and composer after completing his studies at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber in 1890,Record of G. Pittrich according to "Bericht über den Tonkünstler-Verein zu Dresden", vol. 1890/91, which also had members from outside.Reports on the Tonkünstler-Verein zu Dresden; Numeriized of the SLUB Dresden He became acquainted with musical works there that had not been rehearsed before, educated himself by making music together and presented his own compositions. The Fantasy for Pianoforte and String Orchestra, composed by him and at that time only available as a manuscript, was performed by Pittrich for the first time in 1893 at a practice session of the association.Pittrich at the practice session of 27 February 1893 according to the "Bericht über den Tonkünstler-Verein zu Dresden", vol. 1896/97, Songs composed by him were performed in 1898 with his participation at the piano. As a singer, Ernst Wachter (1872–1931) from the Semperoper in Dresden made himself available to the Tonkünstler-Verein as a singer."Bericht über den Tonkünstler-Verein zu Dresden", vol. , 1897/98, ; Numbered SLUB Dresden As Kapellmeister in Hamburg"Bericht über den Tonkünstler-Verein zu Dresden", vol. , and Frankfurt,"Bericht über den Tonkünstler-Verein zu Dresden", vol. 47] 1900/01, Pittrich is named in the reports on the Tonkünstler-Verein as a foreign member, after he was still listed as répétiteur and composer in the membership directory among the Dresden artists in the reporting year 1897/98."Bericht über den Tonkünstler-Verein zu Dresden", vol. ,
Awards Pittrich was awarded the certificate of maturity as a pianist, composer and conductor by decision of the teaching staff of the Conservatory on 16 March 1890,19th Report of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Dresden, 34. Studienjahr 1889/90, Dresden 1890, having already received the certificate as organist the year before.18. Bericht des Königl. Conservatoriums für Musik in Dresden, 33rd Academic year 1889/90, Dresden 1889, As a composition student from the class of the Conservatoire's teacher Felix Draeseke, he received an award from the Frederick Pudor Foundation in the 1889/90 school year for the sheet music of the Mass in B minor by Johann Sebastian Bach and the music A Midsummer Night's Dream by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy to William Shakespeare's eponymous play.19th Report of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Dresden, 34th academic year 1889/90, Dresden 1890, He received a prize certificate for excellent performance as a piano player from the piano class of Bertrand Roth.19. Bericht des Königl. Conservatoriums für Musik in Dresden, 34th academic year 1889/90, Dresden 1890,
In 1894, the composer and répétiteur at the Court Theatre was awarded the Royal Saxon Order of Merit, the Albert Order.Address Book. Wohnungs- und Geschäftshandbuch der Königlichen Haupt- und Residenzstadt Dresden für das Jahr 1895. Bearbeitet mit Unterstützung der Königlichen Polizei-Direction, vol. 41, Dresden , (printing started 5 November 1894, finished 24 December 1894); slub-dresden.de/werkansicht/dlf/75669/616/ 1 Part II. section under Pittrich, Gg. Washington It was the year in which the opera Marga,Marga : Oper in einem Aufzuge on Library of Congress composed by Pittrich, was performed in Dresden at the beginning of February and "achieved a complete success"."Georg Pittrich" in Roeder, Ernst: Das Dresdner Hoftheater der Gegenwart. Biographisch-kritische Skizzen der Mitglieder. E. Person's Verlag, Dresden/Leipzig, 1896, pp. (271–280) 275
Accident Pittrich was bitten by a poisonous snake on the Baltic Sea near Lohmen on Rügen in August 1894. This caused his hand and arm to swell dangerously up to the armpit. He had to travel to Greifswald, "where a university professor was able to counteract the blood poisoning with effective remedies", the German-language American newspaper the Indiana Tribune reported promptly from Saxony on 23 August about the "Correpetitor der Königl. Hofoper Georg Pittrich" in Dresden.Indiana Tribune, Published in Indianapolis, 17th volume of 23. August 1894, ; Deutsche Lokal-Nachricht aus Dresden "It would not have taken much for the young artist to meet an untimely end," wrote the Dresden writer and editor Roeder on the accident of Pittrich, then a member of the "Königliche musikalische Kapelle" and a young composer. Philipp Ernst Roeder (1862–1897) also mentioned in the biographical sketch that it was the bite of a viper on the island of Rügen, which the Greifswald University Hospital successfully treated."Georg Pittrich" in Roeder, Ernst: Das Dresdner Hoftheater der Gegenwart. Biographisch-kritische Skizzen der Mitglieder. E. Person's Verlag, Dresden/Leipzig, 1896, pp. (271–280) 280; Reprint 2010:
A year earlier, Pittrich was introduced to the newspaper readers of the Indiana Tribune as a "young composer" in connection with the announcement of his one-act opera "Mara"Memorised is the one-act opera Marga: Title page: Marga. Opera in one performance. Music by Georg Pittrich presented as the "first new production at the Dresden Court Opera". In doing so, the news from Dresden highlighted the first-class cast, e.g. with the Kammersängerin Therese Müller (1850–1930), called Malten.Indiana Tribune, 17th volume, No. 38, 26 October 1893, News headline: From Dresden one writes
At the piano, Pittrich accompanied Dresden singers at out-of-town performances, such as the Royal Saxon Court opera singer Maria Bossenberger (1872–1919) on 29 March 1898 when she performed Lieder in Leipzig as part of the Liszt-Vereinskonzerte.Signale für die musikalische Welt, 1898;
Kapellmeister at several German theatres