Szell, Georg (1897–1970)

Hungarian-born US conductor and pianist. Szell was one of the last of a generation of composers who dominated orchestras with iron discipline and sarcastic humour. He conducted at the Berlin Staatsoper 1924–30. In 1939 he settled in the USA, and conducted the Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra from 1946 until his death. Bartók and Janáček were among the few modern composers in his programmes.

A child prodigy, he studied with Richard Robert (1861–1924) in Vienna, playing a work of his own with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra at the age of 11. He studied composition with Josef Foerster, Eusebius Mandyczewski, and Max Reger, and then, through the influence of Richard Strauss, he obtained a conducting post in Strasbourg, which he held 1917–18, having already made his debut in Berlin in 1914. After further posts in Prague, Darmstadt, and Düsseldorf he was first conductor at the Berlin Staatsoper 1924–30, also teaching at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik 1927–30. From 1930 to 1936 he again conducted in Prague, and took over the Scottish National Orchestra 1937–39.

Szell then went to the USA, where he was guest conductor with the National Braodcasting Company (NBC) Symphony Orchestra 1941–42, and conductor at the New York Metropolitan Opera. His performances of Wagner's works were much admired. From 1942 to 1945, and from 1943 to 1956, he was a frequent guest conductor with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1946 he became permanent conductor of the Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra. He conducted Der Rosenkavalier at Salzburg in 1949, returning for the first performances of Liebermann's Penelope in 1954 and Egk's Irische Legend in 1955.