Hubbry Logo
Ernest SchellingErnest SchellingMain
Open search
Ernest Schelling
Community hub
Ernest Schelling
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Ernest Schelling
Ernest Schelling
Ernest Schelling
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia
Zygmunt Stojowski and Ernest Schelling on May 18, 1917, for the funeral of Guillaume Stengel

Key Information

Ernest Henry Schelling (July 26, 1876 – December 8, 1939) was an American pianist, composer, and conductor, and music director. He was the conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra from 1935 to 1937.[1][2]

Biography

[edit]

He was born in Belvidere, New Jersey, on July 26, 1876.[1][2]

Schelling was a child prodigy. His first teacher was his father. He made his debut at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at age 4. At age 7, Schelling traveled to Europe to study. He was admitted to the Paris Conservatoire. While in Europe he worked with many great masters including Percy Goetschius, Hans Huber, Karl Heinrich Barth, Moritz Moszkowski and Theodor Leschetizky.

At the age of 20 in 1896, he began studying with Ignace Paderewski and was his only pupil for three years. He toured Europe and North and South America, gaining a reputation as a remarkable pianist.[1]

His first wife was Lucie Howe Draper, whom he married on May 3, 1905, in Manhattan, New York City. She died on February 4, 1938, at their summer home in Lausanne, Switzerland.[3]

He married his second wife, Helen Huntington "Peggy" Marshall, on August 11, 1939, when she was 21 and he was 63. She was the stepdaughter of the philanthropist Brooke Astor, and a niece of Vincent Astor.[4]

He died of a cerebral embolism at his home in Manhattan, New York City, on December 8, 1939. His bride of four months was at his deathbed side.[2][5]

Composer

[edit]

Schelling wrote numerous works for piano, orchestra and chamber groups which were often performed during his lifetime, but have since fallen from the repertoire. His most popular work was A Victory Ball, a symphonic poem for orchestra based on an anti-war poem by Alfred Noyes. Willem Mengelberg and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra made an early electrical recording of the music for the Victor Talking Machine Company.

Honours

[edit]

He was elected an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity, the national fraternity for men in music, in 1917 by the fraternity's Alpha chapter at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.

Schelling was the first conductor of the Young People's Concerts of the New York Philharmonic. The first concert was held March 27, 1924. The concerts were designed to encourage the love of music in children. They combined the orchestra's performance with a lecture about one aspect or another of the orchestra or the music itself with a picture or demonstration, so that children were exposed to a variety of stimuli. The concerts were highly appreciated by children, as well as their parents. Schelling held these concerts in New York, and also took them on the road. Such cities as Philadelphia, London, Rotterdam and Los Angeles hosted them.[1]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Ernest Schelling

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
''Ernest Schelling'' is an American pianist, composer, and conductor known for his childhood success as a prodigy and his pioneering work in music education through the New York Philharmonic's Young People's Concerts, where he was affectionately known as "Uncle Ernest" for his engaging presentations to young audiences. Born on July 26, 1876, in Belvidere, New Jersey, Schelling gave his first public piano performance at age four at the Philadelphia Academy of Music and entered the Paris Conservatoire as its youngest pupil at age seven. He studied with distinguished teachers including Georg Mathias, Theodor Leschetizky, Moritz Moszkowski, and Ignacy Jan Paderewski, who accepted him as his only American student. Schelling overcame neuritis that temporarily crippled his hands to build a successful international career as a virtuoso pianist, performing across Europe and the Americas and appearing with major orchestras. As a composer, his notable works include ''A Victory Ball'', premiered by Leopold Stokowski with the Philadelphia Orchestra, a violin concerto written for Fritz Kreisler, and various piano pieces such as ''Suite Fantastique'' and ''Nocturne Ragusa''. During World War I, he served as a captain in the U.S. Army and later received the French Legion of Honor and the Distinguished Service Medal. From 1924 until his death, Schelling conducted the New York Philharmonic's children's concerts, developing innovative programs that featured orchestral demonstrations, audience participation, and large-format visual illustrations to captivate young listeners; he extended similar series to other American cities and European orchestras, reaching hundreds of thousands of children. He also served as conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra from 1936 to 1938. Schelling died suddenly on December 8, 1939, at age 63, leaving a lasting legacy in fostering musical appreciation among youth, commemorated by a bust in Carnegie Hall.

Early life and education

Birth and family background

Ernest Schelling was born on July 26, 1876, in Belvidere, New Jersey. His father, Dr. Felix Schelling, was a local physician of Swiss origin, while his mother was Rose White Wilkes, an English woman from Cambridge. Schelling's early home environment in Belvidere supported his emerging musical talent. This American upbringing in a small New Jersey town provided the initial context for his development as a child prodigy.

Childhood as a prodigy

Ernest Schelling demonstrated exceptional musical ability from a very early age and was widely regarded as a child prodigy in the United States. His father, Dr. Felix Schelling, a physician and musician, served as his first and primary teacher, providing all of his initial piano instruction. Trained exclusively by his father, Schelling made his first public appearance at the age of four and a half on March 8, 1880, at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, where he performed pieces learned solely from his father's guidance. The Philadelphia Enquirer hailed the performance, describing him as "a veritable musical phenomenon" who appeared "in the very diminutive person of Master Ernest H. Schelling" and likening him to "this Mozart of musical precocity" for his proper phrasing, strict time, and accurate fingering. This debut earned him immediate recognition in the American press as a remarkable child prodigy, and he continued to perform in the United States during the following years. His father's dedicated support and instruction laid the foundation for these early successes before any further studies abroad.

European studies and teachers

Ernest Schelling pursued advanced piano training in Europe as a child prodigy, studying in major musical centers including Paris, Vienna, and Berlin. In Paris, he became the youngest pupil ever admitted to the Paris Conservatoire at age seven, studying there with Georg Mathias, a pupil of Chopin, from 1882 until 1885. He later received instruction from Isidor Philipp in Paris and from Theodor Leschetizky in Vienna beginning around age ten. His European teachers also included Moritz Moszkowski, Hans Huber, Karl Barth, and Dionys Pruckner, whose pedagogical approaches contributed to his technical development and interpretive style rooted in the Romantic tradition. From 1898 to 1902, Schelling studied intensively with Ignacy Jan Paderewski at his residence in Morges, Switzerland, where Paderewski regarded him as his only disciple and oversaw his transition to mature artistry through rigorous daily practice.

Performing career as pianist

Early performances and tours

After completing his studies with Theodor Leschetizky and Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Ernest Schelling embarked on an active career as a virtuoso pianist. He made his London debut recital at Queen's Hall on November 25, 1900, where critics praised his "almost magical" technique, crystal-clear touch, and interpretive lucidity. He toured Europe in 1903, appeared with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1904, and made his adult North American debut on January 24–25, 1905. In the eighteen months following his Boston appearance, he gave 186 concerts. Shortly after his marriage in 1905, neuritis recurred, crippling his hands and forcing him to cease concert performances for several years. Despite this interruption, he resumed performing, introducing his Theme and Variations in F♯ minor at Queen's Hall in 1909 to acclaim for their originality, variety, and poetic depth. His repertoire emphasized Romantic works, reflecting his training in the Chopin-Liszt-Leschetizky-Paderewski lineage. A 1916 Duo-Art piano roll recording of Liszt's Sonata in B minor preserves his commanding approach, characterized by fantastic tempos and absolute technical control.

Peak years and notable appearances

Schelling's peak years as a concert pianist followed his successful debuts in major musical centers. His London and New York debuts brought significant acclaim, owing much to Paderewski's influence and training. Prior to World War I, he toured Europe and the Americas, appearing frequently with major orchestras and focusing on Chopin repertoire, though his career was affected by the health interruption after 1905. His performances were noted for refinement and elegance rather than flamboyance, solidifying his status among leading pianists of the era.

1919 accident and career transition

Circumstances of the injury

In 1919, while serving as assistant military attaché at the American Legation in Bern, Ernest Schelling was severely injured in an automobile accident in Switzerland. The accident, which occurred shortly before September 1919, left him with broken ribs, internal injuries, body lacerations, sprains, and general shock so grave that physicians initially despaired of his life. Schelling was traveling with Lieutenant Matlock of the American army, who sustained only minor injuries and left the hospital the day after the crash. Schelling himself was treated at a hospital in Gland before recovering sufficiently to return to his home in Celigny by late September. The accident also inflicted injury to his wrists, initially raising grave concerns that he might not be able to play piano again.

Impact on his performing career

The 1919 accident caused severe injuries that threatened Schelling's ability to continue as a concert pianist. However, he recovered fully, with his wrists regaining their former strength, and resumed public performances. He gave a piano recital in New York in November 1921, marking his return to the stage after a hiatus primarily attributed to his wartime service. He also appeared as piano soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in December 1922, performing Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major. Following these appearances, Schelling gradually shifted his musical activities toward conducting and composition in the early 1920s. By 1924, he had transitioned to leading the New York Philharmonic's children's concerts, embracing roles that did not rely on keyboard virtuosity. This change reflected a redirection of his career rather than an absolute physical impossibility for further piano performance.

Conducting career

Leadership of New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts

Ernest Schelling founded and conducted the New York Philharmonic's Young People's Concerts beginning on January 26, 1924. He led the series until his death in 1939, presenting a total of 295 concerts over the course of 15 years. Affectionately known to audiences as "Uncle Ernest," Schelling transformed the concerts into an engaging educational format designed to cultivate children's appreciation for classical music. Schelling introduced several innovations to enhance audience participation and understanding, including the use of color slides to accompany his explanatory talks from the podium. Concerts typically lasted 75 to 90 minutes and featured short orchestral pieces, demonstration solos by individual musicians, and sing-along segments where the young audience joined the orchestra. Schelling's charismatic and entertaining presentation style included unconventional piano demonstrations, such as playing with his back to the instrument or while holding an orange in one hand. To reinforce learning, students received notebooks with questions after each concert, and prizes were awarded at the end of each season for the best-completed notebooks. These efforts reached approximately 200,000 students and were noted for their vitality, scale, and remarkably low incidence of disruptions such as paper airplanes. Schelling also extended the series through CBS Radio broadcasts, further broadening their educational impact.

Other conducting activities

In addition to his leadership of the New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts, Ernest Schelling pursued other conducting engagements, including guest appearances and short-term positions with various orchestras in the United States and Europe. From 1935 to 1937 he served as regular conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Schelling also conducted additional youth-oriented concerts with other ensembles, presenting 179 such performances with 13 orchestras during the same period, among them the Boston, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, Philadelphia, New Haven, Baltimore, Utrecht, and Rotterdam orchestras. He further extended his educational outreach by conducting similar concerts for CBS Radio. His obituary described him as having conducted the leading orchestras of the United States and Europe.

Work as composer

Major compositions and premieres

Schelling's most famous composition is the symphonic poem A Victory Ball, completed in 1923 and inspired by Alfred Noyes's anti-war poem of the same name. It received its premiere that year with Leopold Stokowski conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra. The New York premiere followed on February 27, 1923, also with the Philadelphia Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. The work proved highly popular, with frequent performances in its day and a notable early recording by Willem Mengelberg and the New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra in 1925. Schelling's output also includes the piano suite Impressions from an Artist's Life and chamber works such as the Divertimento for Piano Quintet. He also composed a violin concerto for Fritz Kreisler. Following bouts of neuritis that affected his hands and his service in World War I, Schelling increasingly turned to composition.

Musical style and influences

Schelling's compositional style is firmly rooted in late-Romantic traditions, featuring expressive rhetoric, dramatic contrasts, and a thorough command of pianistic resources that demand an interpretive approach embracing the era's inherent drama and grandeur. His music combines remarkable inner strength with broadly arched voice leading over suspended harmonies, often incorporating ostinato figurations in counterpoint to generate modern sonorities while remaining within a late-Romantic harmonic framework. This approach enables gradual unfolding of ideas and the building of breathtaking climaxes, all infused with a buoyant, youthful freshness that radiates originality. Chromatic writing, including soft chromatics and descents, contributes to exotic lyricism and atmospheric depth in his works, while certain pieces display impressionistic elements through highly unusual tone colors, exploration of the keyboard's upper range in pianissimo, and shifting sonorities that approach orchestral textures in tone-poem fashion. His piano writing frequently evokes orchestral sonorities via glissandi, bell-like effects, bourdon resonances, and dramatic dynamic ranges from ppp to fff, creating haunting or brilliant moods with a sense of symphonic scope. Schelling's style carries post-Romantic implications, evident in comparisons to contemporaries such as Rachmaninoff and Busoni, and he often favored keys like F-sharp and C-sharp major and minor, which suited his large hands and long fingers for expansive reach. His compositional development was significantly shaped by studies with leading figures in late-Romantic pianism, including Theodor Leschetizky and Ignacy Jan Paderewski, the latter serving as his principal teacher from 1898 onward and maintaining a lifelong friendship marked by mutual dedication and performance of his works. These influences are reflected in Schelling's emphasis on virtuoso technique, poetic expression, and dramatic structural control, aligning his output with the grand Romantic tradition while incorporating subtle modern and impressionistic touches.

Personal life and final years

Family and relationships

Ernest Schelling was married twice during his lifetime. He wed his first wife, Lucie Howe Draper, in 1905. She passed away in February 1938 at their villa in Switzerland. On August 11, 1939, Schelling married Helen Huntington "Peggy" Marshall in Berne, Switzerland. At the time of their wedding, Schelling was 63 years old and Marshall was 21. Born Helen Huntington Marshall and nicknamed Peggy since childhood, she was the daughter of broker Charles H. Marshall and Mrs. Jan Juta (formerly Mrs. Charles H. Marshall), whose marriage ended in divorce in 1932. Marshall was a niece of Mrs. Vincent Astor (Helen Huntington Astor), after whom she was named, and she grew up closely connected to the Astor family. Peggy Marshall shared her husband's interest in music and philanthropy. She served on the committee for Schelling's Young People's Concerts at Carnegie Hall and contributed by writing the program notes for the series during the preceding season. No children are recorded from either of Schelling's marriages.

Health decline and death

In his later years, Ernest Schelling continued to engage actively in music, including leading concerts. He conducted the opening concert of the season shortly before his sudden illness. On December 7, 1939, Schelling was stricken with a cerebral embolism at his home in Manhattan, New York City; although his condition was not initially regarded as serious, he died the following day, December 8, 1939, at the age of 63. His death from the cerebral embolism was unexpected, following a period of continued professional activity without reported protracted illness.

Legacy

Influence on music education

Ernest Schelling founded the New York Philharmonic's Young People's Concerts in 1924, creating one of the earliest structured programs to introduce classical music to children through accessible orchestral performances combined with educational commentary. The series, which began at Aeolian Hall, established a pioneering format that paired live music with lectures, demonstrations, and interactive elements designed to foster appreciation and understanding among young listeners. Schelling conducted the concerts himself until 1939, personally leading hundreds of sessions and expanding the model to other orchestras and cities including Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and several European venues. Affectionately known to attendees as "Uncle Ernest," Schelling employed engaging techniques to connect with children, such as short orchestral pieces, solo demonstrations by musicians, audience sing-alongs, color slides illustrating composers and instruments, and virtuoso piano displays that incorporated playful elements like playing melodies while holding an object. Students received notebooks with questions about each concert, and prizes were awarded annually for the best submissions, encouraging active participation and retention of musical concepts. These methods created an inviting, conversational environment that prioritized enjoyment alongside factual learning about music and musicians. Schelling's initiative has exerted lasting influence on orchestral music education by establishing a durable model for youth concerts that emphasizes direct engagement and accessibility. The New York Philharmonic's Young People's Concerts, which he launched, became the world's longest-running family concert series and reached millions of young people over the subsequent century through evolutions including televised broadcasts and expanded inclusivity efforts. His foundational approach continues to inform educational programming by orchestras worldwide, demonstrating the effectiveness of combining performance with tailored instruction to build lifelong interest in classical music.

Recognition and posthumous reputation

Ernest Schelling received several high decorations for his distinguished service in the United States Army during and after World War I, where he served as a captain in military intelligence, advanced to major, and undertook diplomatic liaison duties in Europe and Poland. He was awarded France's Legion of Honor in 1919 for services to the French government, the United States Distinguished Service Medal in 1923, Poland's Order of Polonia Restituta, and additional decorations from Spain. In the arts community, Schelling was honored during his lifetime when a studio at the MacDowell Colony (originally Bark Studio, built in 1908) was renamed the Schelling Studio in 1933 to recognize his service as president of the Edward MacDowell Association from 1928 to 1933. Upon his sudden death from a cerebral embolism in December 1939, prominent musicians paid tribute to his multifaceted career as a pianist, composer, and conductor. Frederick Stock lamented the loss of "one of its most brilliant exponents, a remarkable pianist and composer of unquestionably high achievements," while Fritz Kreisler described him as "a great American composer" and predicted that his Violin Concerto and orchestral work A Victory Ball would endure. Howard Barlow emphasized the long-term impact of Schelling's efforts to instill a love of music in young audiences, noting that "the seeds he sowed in awakening a love and understanding of great music in the minds and hearts of thousands of our younger generation will in time yield a rich harvest." Posthumously, Schelling's name remains associated with the Schelling Studio at MacDowell, a continuing tribute to his leadership in supporting artists. His military decorations and other memorabilia are preserved in archival collections, including at the Hoover Institution, which documents his wartime intelligence and diplomatic role alongside his musical career. While his compositions receive occasional attention, his reputation endures primarily through these honors and the immediate tributes highlighting his contributions to American musical life.

References

  1. https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/c.asp?c=C531
  2. https://interlude.hk/the-distinguished-musical-career-of-uncle-ernest/
  3. https://www.nytimes.com/1939/12/09/archives/ernest-schelling-famed-pianist-dies-composer-who-led-childrens.html
  4. https://www.dramonline.org/albums/piano-music-by-ernest-schelling/notes
  5. https://pocketsights.com/tours/place/333-Water-37243:4407
  6. https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c86h4fvn/
  7. https://etudemagazine.com/etude/1909/04/the-story-of-musical-prodigies.html
  8. https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/schelling-ernest-heniy
  9. https://www.hoover.org/news/ernest-schellings-papers-and-memorabilia-come-hoover
  10. https://www.musicalamerica.com/mablogs/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/9-20-1919B_p3.pdf
  11. https://www.musicalamerica.com/mablogs/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/6-11B-1921_p15.pdf
  12. https://exhibitions.lib.umd.edu/piano-genealogies/pianist-bios/leschetizky-tradition
  13. https://www.nytimes.com/1921/11/30/archives/music-ernest-schellings-piano-recital.html
  14. https://archives.bso.org/Search.aspx?searchType=Performance&Soloist=Ernest%20Schelling
  15. https://www.nytimes.com/1954/01/24/archives/youth-concerts-thirty-years-old-tribute-paid-schelling-their.html
  16. https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/5005153
  17. https://www.yourclassical.org/episode/2024/02/23/composers-datebook-henry-martin
  18. https://collections.carnegiehall.org/archive/Complete-program-of-Philadelphia-Orchestra--February-27--1923-2RRM1TZ77DDB.html
  19. https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9C07E7DD1330E53ABC4850DFBE668382629EDE
  20. https://www.carnegiehall.org/Explore/Articles/2024/01/18/Leonard-Bernsteins-Young-Peoples-Concerts
  21. https://stringsmagazine.com/the-ny-philharmonics-young-peoples-concerts-program-marks-a-milestone/
  22. https://www.jerryhou.com/news/nyphil-ypc
  23. https://peabody.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/api/collection/p16613coll5/id/1710/download
  24. https://www.macdowell.org/studios/schelling
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.