The above photograph by Leipzig photographer Georg
Brokesch, is stamped 1911 in the lower right corner of
the portrait. The horn player is not identified but is
probably a member of the prestigious Gewandhaus
Orchestra of Leipzig. In 1911 there were seven members
of the horn section:
Max Otto Bruder (1868 – 1962), 1894 –
1932
Albin
Frehse (1878 – 1973), 1903 – 1939
Oscar Frei (18?? – 19??), 1904 – 1931
Oswald Fritsche (1866 – 19??), 1889 – 1929
Bernhard
Eduard Müller (1842 – 19?? ), 1876 – 1920
Arno
Rudolf (1866 – 1928), 1884 – 1924
Richard Schaller (1886 – 1951), 1911 – 1944
Of these Richard Schaller
is the most likely candidate since his long tenure with
the orchestra began in the same year as the photograph.
Mr. Schaller was born on September 9, 1886 in
Markneukirchen. He received his education first in
Markneukirchen, then in Bitterfeld (near Leipzig) where
a Mr. Lux was the Stadmusikdirektor. From 1904
to 1910 he was a military musician in Wittenberg and
then a became a student of Arno Rudolph, principal
hornist of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. A yeear
later he joined the orchestra as third horn on May 1,
1911. Although performing as the orchestra's third horn
Mr. Schaller was selected as the horn player for
the Leipzig Gewandhaus Wind Quintet with which he made
several recordings:
Hindemith "Kleine Kammermusik" op.24
(Polydor 66376/7, recorded in October 1924)
Klughart: Quintet, (Polydor 65796/7)
Laurischkus: Lethonia, Suite for Five Wind
Instruments, Op. 33 and Ambrosius: Suite for Five Wind
Instruments, Op. 57 (Polydor 66373/5A)
In 1944 Mr. Schaller retired from the horn section but
continued playing in the second violin section until his
death on May 4, 1951 in Leipzig.
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