Maurice Strakosch (probably 15 January 1825 – 9 October 1887) was an American musician and impresario of Czech origin.Maurice Strakosch: ''North American Theatre Online''
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Biography

Strakosch was born in Gross-Seelowitz (today Židlochovice),

Moravia Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. Th ...

. He made his debut as a pianist at the age of 11 in Brno performing a piano concerto by

Hummel Hummel may refer to: People * Hummel (surname), origin and list of people with the surname Hummel Companies * Hummel International, a Denmark-based sporting goods and apparel company * Hummel figurines * Hummel Aviation, American aircraft man ...

. Because his parents weren't satisfied with his career choice, he ran away to Vienna at the age of twelve, where he studied under Simon Sechter. He also studied singing under

Giuditta Pasta Giuditta Angiola Maria Costanza Pasta (née Negri; 26 October 1797 – 1 April 1865) was an Italian soprano opera singer. She has been compared to the 20th-century soprano Maria Callas. Career Early career Pasta was born Giuditta Angiola Maria C ...

for some time. In 1843, he met tenor

Salvatore Patti Salvatore may refer to: * Salvatore (name), a given name and surname, including a list of people with the name * "Salvatore" (song), by Lana Del Rey, 2015 * Salvatore (band), a Norwegian instrumental rock band * '' Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams' ...

(1800–1869) at a music festival in

Vicenza Vicenza ( , ; ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region at the northern base of the '' Monte Berico'', where it straddles the Bacchiglione River. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and east of Milan. Vicenza is a t ...

. Five years later, he was tour manager of Patti group in New York. These performances started his successful career as a manager in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

and his long-standing friendship with the Patti family. In 1852, Strakosch married Patti's daughter

Amalia Patti Amalia may refer to: People * Amalia (given name), feminine given name (includes a list of people so named) *Princess Amalia (disambiguation), several princesses with this name Films and television series * ''Amalia'' (1914 film), the first ...

. He was also the first manager of the youngest and most successful daughter,

Adelina Patti Adelina Patti (19 February 184327 September 1919) was an Italian 19th-century opera singer, earning huge fees at the height of her career in the music capitals of Europe and America. She first sang in public as a child in 1851, and gave her la ...

, from her debut in 1859 until her marriage in 1868. It is believed that Strakosch was her most important teacher. Besides the Pattis, he and his brother Max (born in

Brunn Brunn or Brünn is a common German place-name or place-name element which originally references a well, fountain, or source of a stream. It may refer to: Places * Bad Fischau-Brunn, Lower Austria * Brünn, the German form of the Moravian city Brno ...

, Moravia, 27 September 1835; died in New York City, 17 March 1892) worked as impresario with Teresa Parodi, Christine Nilsson, Marie Heilbronn, Euphrosyne Parepa-Rosa,

Carlotta Patti Carlotta Patti (c. 1840 – 27 June 1889) was a nineteenth-century Italian operatic soprano and older sister to famed soprano Adelina Patti. Various sources list her birth year as 1835, 1840, and 1842. Born Florence, Italy into a musical family, ...

, Karl Formes, Pasquale Brignoli, Italo Campanini, Pauline Lucca, Thérèse Tietjens, Louis M. Gottschalk,

Clara Louise Kellogg Clara Louise Kellogg (July 9, 1842 – May 13, 1916) was an American operatic soprano. Biography Clara Louise Kellogg was born in Sumterville, South Carolina, the daughter of Jane Elizabeth (Crosby) and George Kellogg. She received her musica ...

, Marie Roze and

Marietta Alboni Maria Anna Marzia (called Marietta) Alboni (6 March 1826 – 23 June 1894) was a renowned Italian contralto opera singer. She is considered "one of the greatest contraltos in operatic history". Biography Alboni was born at Città di Castello, i ...

, as well as

Nellie Melba Dame Nellie Melba (born Helen Porter Mitchell; 19 May 186123 February 1931) was an Australian operatic dramatic coloratura soprano (three octaves). She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian era and the early 20th century ...

. Strakosch occasionally performed as a pianist, e.g. he played duet with

Ole Bull Ole Bornemann Bull (; 5 February 181017 August 1880) was a Norwegian virtuoso violinist and composer. According to Robert Schumann, he was on a level with Niccolò Paganini for the speed and clarity of his playing. Biography Background Bull wa ...

during his tour in America. In 1857, his opera ''Giovanna of Naples'' (Regina Giovanna di Napoli) was performed in New York. His compositions for the piano were at one time very popular, and among them the music of one of

Bayard Taylor Bayard Taylor (January 11, 1825December 19, 1878) was an American poet, literary critic, translator, travel author, and diplomat. As a poet, he was very popular, with a crowd of more than 4,000 attending a poetry reading once, which was a record ...

's songs. In 1886, he published a memoir book ''Souvenirs d'un impresario'' (Souvenirs of an Impresario). Strakosch died in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

in 1887.

Notes

References

* Russian Wikipedia article * This source gives Butschowitz as his place of birth. The 1891 edition lists two additional artists under the management of the brothers.

External links

*
Obituary from The New York Times
1825 births 1887 deaths 19th-century American musicians American classical musicians American people of Czech descent Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery Impresarios People from Židlochovice {{US-classical-musician-stub