Expert: David Froom - 1/15/2006

Question
David,

Do you know about F Seitz?   Late 19th century composer I think.   Wrote a number of concertos for violin.   Suzuki uses his work.

Nothing in the directories.   What do you know about him?

Thanks

Gaynor

Answer
I don't know much about him.  He was German, and his dates were 1848-1918.  He lived and worked in Sonderhausen, Magdeberg, and Dessau.  He was, in his life, known, I believe, more as a violinist than as a composer.  His employment was mostly as a violinist.  I have heard a piece or two over the years.  Perfectly respectable composer.

If you want to find out about him, you should visit a library and consult the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (either the 1st or the 2nd edition).  There will certainly be an article on him in there, written by someone who cares about Seitz, and it will include a bibliography. a list of works, and maybe a discography.  Some libraries have this as an online resource, but it is not a free resource, so you can't just navigate to it over the web from your home.  Any college library will have the Dictionary as an online resource from their own computers, or the print version (actually a 29-volume collection) on the shelf in the reference area (maybe if the college is large enough, it will be in a separate music library).  

Best wishes,

David Froom