Goldschmidt, Berthold (1903–1996)

German-born English conductor and composer. He left Germany in 1935 and settled in England. He did not compose for many years, and the music he had written went through a long period of neglect. However, following a revival of his music in the mid-1980s, he returned to composing and produced several notable chamber works before his death.

He studied in Berlin, became assistant conductor of the Staatsoper there in 1926, and conducted at the Darmstadt Opera in 1927. In 1931–33 he conducted on Berlin Radio and was artistic adviser to the municipal opera there, but the Nazi régime drove him to England. In 1964 he conducted the first performance of Deryck Cooke's performing version of Mahler's tenth symphony. His clarinet quintet (1983) was premiered in Pasadena, California, in 1985.

Works Stage operas Der gewaltige Hahnrei (after Crommelynck, produced Mannheim, 1932) and Beatrice Cenci (after Shelley, 1949–50); ballet Chronica; overture to Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors.

Orchestral symphonies and other orchestral works, including Ciaconna Sinfonica (1936, premiered in Vienna, 1960, performed under Simon Rattle in Berlin, 1987, and heard at the 1993 London Proms); violin, cello, and harp concertos.

Chamber four string quartets (1925, 1936, 1989, 1992), clarinet quintet (1983), piano trio (1985), string trio (Retrospectum, 1991), Capriccio for violin (1992), and others.