Ludwig Karpath


Ludwig Karpath was an Austrian musicologist.

Life

Born in Pest, Karpath, son of Moritz Karpath and his wife Johanna, née Goldmark, was a nephew of the composer Karl Goldmark. He graduated from high school in Budapest and studied violin, composition and music history at the conservatory there. He also took singing lessons and trained as a bass-baritone.
In 1885 he moved to Vienna. In 1886 he undertook a study trip to America, where he worked as a musician and opera singer. In 1888 he finally settled in Vienna and worked for various Viennese newspapers as music critic. From 1894 to 1921 he was permanent music consultant for the and from 1914 to 1917 editor of the music magazine Der Merker. He advocated the nationalization of the Konservatorium Wien Privatuniversität, the founding of the Volksoper and the construction of the Konzerthaus and was a well-known promoter of young talent. From 1923 he worked in the Bundestheater administration as a consultant for musical matters.
Karpath worked with numerous composers, including Johannes Brahms, Pietro Mascagni, Giacomo Puccini, Gustav Mahler and his wife Alma, Max Reger and Siegfried and Cosima Wagner as well as musicians, such as Arthur Nikisch, Hans Richter and Felix Mottl. Richard Strauss dedicated his ballet Schlagobers to him in 1924. In several publications he dedicated himself to these persons. As gourmet he also published a cookbook.
Karpart died in Vienna at age 70. On 10 September 1936, Karpath was buried in an honorary tomb at the Wiener Zentralfriedhof.

Awards

3., neuerlich erweiterte Auflage. Knorr & Hirth, Munich 1930.
Editions and forewords
Posthumous publications