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Benjamin Bilse (17 August 1816 – 13 July 1902) was a German conductor, composer, and violinist.
From 1867 he regularly performed with the "Bilse's Band" (''Bilse'sche Kapelle'') at the ''Concerthaus'' on
Biography
Bilse was born inLiegnitz
Legnica (; , ; ; ) is a city in southwestern Poland, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the Kaczawa River and the Czarna Woda. As well as being the seat of the county, since 1992 the city has been the seat of the Diocese of Legnica. L ...
(present-day Legnica) in the Prussian Silesia Province
The Province of Silesia (; ; ) was a province of Prussia from 1815 to 1919. The Silesia region was part of the Prussian realm since 1742 and established as an official province in 1815, then became part of the German Empire in 1871. In 1919, as ...
. As a teenager, he had an apprenticeship with Scholz alongside 11 other boys. Through this apprenticeship, Bilse was able to accustom himself with all instruments commonly found in a choir as well as gain conducting experience conducting the town pipers. Later on, he obtained a rich musical education at the Vienna Conservatory under violinist Joseph Böhm, and played in the orchestra of Johann Strauss I
Johann Baptist Strauss I (; ; 14 March 1804 – 25 September 1849), also known as Johann Strauss Sr., the Elder or the Father (), was an Austrian composer of the Romantic music, Romantic Period. He was famous for his light music, namely waltzes, ...
. He returned to Liegnitz and became municipal ''Kapellmeister
( , , ), from German (chapel) and (master), literally "master of the chapel choir", designates the leader of an ensemble of musicians. Originally used to refer to somebody in charge of music in a chapel, the term has evolved considerably in i ...
'' in 1842.
From 1867 he regularly performed with the "Bilse's Band" (''Bilse'sche Kapelle'') at the ''Concerthaus'' on Leipziger Straße
Leipziger Straße, or Leipziger Strasse (see ß), is a major thoroughfare in the central Mitte district of Berlin, capital of Germany. It runs from Leipziger Platz, an octagonal square adjacent to Potsdamer Platz in the west, to Spittelmar ...
in Berlin. Although initially facing trouble gaining traction, the orchestra became increasingly popular by targeting the middle class as its audience through offering food and drink during concerts. Bilse ignited the music scene in Berlin through this method, the effects of which are still felt today. This concept of a laid-back experience aimed at the middle class also spread across the Atlantic where it inspired Promenade Concerts in Boston, Massachusetts
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
.
Bilse toured Europe and gave guest concerts in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
, Riga
Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...
, Warsaw
Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
, Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
, Vienna
Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
, as well as at the 1867 '' Exposition Universelle'' in Paris, where his band performed ''The Blue Danube
"The Blue Danube" is the common English title of "An der schönen blauen Donau", Op. 314 (German for "By the Beautiful Blue Danube"), a waltz by the Austrian composer Johann Strauss II, composed in 1866. Originally performed on 15 Februar ...
'' together with Johann Strauss II
Johann Baptist Strauss II (; ; 25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger or the Son (), was an List of Austrian composers, Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas as well ...
. In 1873 Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...
conducted the orchestra in the presence of Emperor Wilhelm I
Wilhelm I (Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig; 22 March 1797 – 9 March 1888) was King of Prussia from 1861 and German Emperor from 1871 until his death in 1888. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he was the first head of state of a united Germany. ...
.
After a fierce quarrel with Bilse about another fourth-class concert trip to Warsaw, around 50 musicians in 1882 split to form the "Former Bilse's Band" under conductor Ludwig von Brenner. Shortly afterwards, it was renamed to Berlin Philharmonic
The Berlin Philharmonic () is a German orchestra based in Berlin. It is one of the most popular, acclaimed and well-respected orchestras in the world.
Throughout the 20th century, the orchestra was led by conductors Wilhelm Furtwängler (1922â ...
, which is now one of the world's leading orchestras. Bilse retired a few years later and returned to Liegnitz where he also died.
See also
* Joachim Andersen *Eugène Ysaÿe
Eugène-Auguste Ysaÿe (; 16 July 185812 May 1931) was a Belgian virtuoso violinist, composer, and conductor. He was regarded as "The King of the Violin", or, as Nathan Milstein put it, the "tsar".
Early years
Born in Liège, Ysaÿe began ...
References
External links
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bilse, Benjamin German Romantic composers Composers from the Kingdom of Prussia Conductors (music) from the Kingdom of Prussia German conductors (music) German male conductors (music) 1816 births 1902 deaths 19th-century German musicians 19th-century German male musicians