Einstein, Alfred (1880–1952)

German musicologist. He revised Hugo Riemann's Musiklexicon in 1912, 1922, and 1929, and Ludwig von Köchel's Mozart catalogue in 1937. He also wrote works on German viola da gamba music, on Gluck and Mozart, a short history of music, and in particular specialized in the study of the Italian madrigal, on which he wrote a monumental book in 1949. He also published Schubert (1951).

A pupil of Adolf Sandberger, he took his doctor's degree in 1903. He became editor of the Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaft in 1918, and was music critic of the Berliner Tageblatt from 1929. In 1933 he went into exile from Germany, settling first in London, then Florence, and lastly in Northampton, Massachusetts, USA, where he was professor at Smith College.