Builder of the Concertgebouw Orchestra

Willem Mengelberg served as chief conductor of the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra for nearly 50 years. He took up the post in 1895 at the age of 24, succeeding Willem Kes, and conducted his final concert in 1944. From the outset, Mengelberg proved to be an autocratic leader who strove for strict discipline – a perfectionist constantly in pursuit of the ideal. While this approach did not always endear him to others, it was of inestimable value to the development of the Concertgebouw Orchestra. That process of development was not always smooth. Mengelberg was domineering and demanding; he set high artistic standards – both for himself and for his orchestra members, with whom he frequently clashed – and often held idiosyncratic musical views. He sometimes expressed these views by deviating markedly from the original score during performances, for instance through cuts or changes to the instrumentation. In doing so, he would sometimes claim to be relying on information from the composer himself or from someone who had known the composer well, such as Tchaikovsky’s brother Modeste. He maintained close ties with Strauss, Mahler, and other modern composers like Stravinsky, ensuring that their music became a fixture of the orchestra’s repertoire. He was a true pioneer who dared to challenge the established tastes of his own audience. Out of gratitude, Richard Strauss dedicated *Ein Heldenleben* to Willem Mengelberg and his Concertgebouw Orchestra.

His involvement was particularly significant regarding Gustav Mahler. Mahler made his first appearance in Amsterdam in 1903, conducting his own Third Symphony. Mengelberg formed a personal friendship with this fellow conductor. When visiting Amsterdam, Mahler was not permitted to stay in a hotel; instead, he had to stay with the Mengelbergs. During Mahler’s rehearsals with the orchestra, Mengelberg noted down much of what the composer told the orchestra members to explain his music. In this way, Mengelberg’s scores became a guide for later generations regarding the interpretation of Mahler’s music. Mahler died in 1911. In 1920, the now-legendary Mahler Festival took place in Amsterdam, organized to mark Mengelberg’s silver jubilee as the orchestra’s conductor. Between May 6 and May 21, Mengelberg conducted Mahler’s complete symphonic works, including the nine symphonies. It was an unparalleled achievement – artistically, certainly, but also physically.

From 1898 onwards – starting with a tour of Norway at the invitation of Edvard Grieg – Mengelberg led the orchestra on numerous tours abroad. These tours met with great international acclaim and recognition, permanently establishing the orchestra’s international reputation. Mengelberg himself frequently appeared as a guest conductor with renowned orchestras in countries such as Germany, Belgium, France, Austria, Italy, Russia, and – notably – the United States.

Recordings

In the late 1920s, a survey named Mengelberg the most popular Dutchman. It is hard to imagine a classical music conductor achieving such status today. People took pride in his international successes. By then, he had also made his breakthrough in America, serving as the permanent conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra from 1922 to 1930. From 1922 onwards, recordings of his performances were made (in New York), and the subscription concerts he conducted could also be heard in people’s homes via the AVRO broadcasting service. This led to even greater public renown. These broadcasts were sometimes captured on glass transcription discs. Fortunately, this meant that parts of these performances were preserved for posterity (see ‘His music’). According to some, Mengelberg’s true heyday as a builder and innovator was already on the wane by the time he reached the peak of his fame – partly thanks to the new media of the era. Nevertheless – as is clearly audible on the numerous surviving recordings – he was still regarded as one of the world’s greatest conductors, particularly in the ‘Romantic’ repertoire: Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Strauss, and, of course, Mahler. His dramatic interpretation of Johann Sebastian Bach’s *St Matthew Passion* – albeit in a heavily abridged version – became world-famous. The surviving 1939 recording showcases the brilliant performances of soprano Jo Vincent and tenor Karl Erb, serving as a late echo of Mengelberg’s interpretive artistry.

Mengelberg in Disgrace

The sometimes excessive adulation Mengelberg enjoyed before the Second World War likely had a disastrous effect on his grasp of international political realities and, possibly, on his capacity for self-criticism. It was primarily his decision to continue performing in Germany and German-occupied territories during the war that led to his disgrace following the liberation. People had expected a figure of his stature – a celebrated hero and national icon – to set a clearer example. In 1947, a denazification body known as the Central Council of Honor (*Centrale Ereraad*) imposed a six-year ban on his conducting, set to expire in July 1951.

However, on March 22, 1951, Mengelberg died at his Swiss country home – the Chasa Mengelberg in the Lower Engadine – without ever having conducted an orchestra again. Having long been held in such high esteem, his fall from grace was perhaps all the more profound. His remains rest alongside those of his wife, Tilly (who died in 1943), at the Friedental Cemetery in Lucerne. Shortly before the 50th anniversary of his death, Riccardo Chailly – then the conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra – arranged for the restoration of the grave monument in Lucerne.

Looking Back

Now, more than 70 years later, the fierce divisions surrounding the Mengelberg affair – which once so deeply split the Dutch music-loving public – have faded. What remains is a nuanced picture: admiration for his exemplary role as a disciple of Mahler and Strauss, and as a champion of composers such as Diepenbrock, Reger, Stravinsky, Milhaud, Respighi, and many others. Painful astonishment regarding his conduct during the Second World War, alongside sincere gratitude for the historic role Mengelberg played over many decades in the development of the (now ‘Royal’) Concertgebouw Orchestra. This applies all the more to the many fascinating performances we can still enjoy today. This website stands as living proof of that.

Frederik Heemskerk