Herman Rietzel

Herman Rietzel was an American pianist, born January 24, 1863 in New York City, who died by drowning at age 19 on May 26, 1882. He was the youngest son of Adine and Frederick Rietzell, the latter Vice-President and first flute of the New York Philharmonic Society.

Herman demonstrated musical ability from an early age. His first public performance was in December 1874 at New York's Stadt Theatre, where he conducted an adult orchestra and cast and chorus of children in Schneewittchen, a fairy tale opera by his elder brother John C. Rietzel, who was also concertmaster. Around this same time Herman played the part of Mozart at a high society costume ball at the Academy of Music, where he played a piano solo and also accompanied children dancing to a polonaise and minuet.

In July 1877, Rietel traveled to Europe to study. In the April preceding his departure, a gala farewell concert was held in his honor with Leopold Damrosch leading the orchestra. On this occasion Reitzel performed Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1. Other performers included singers Mme. Pappenheim and Adolph Sohst, violinist Hermann Brandt, and cellist Frederick Bergner. Sponsorship was by the matriarchs of several socially prominent families associated with the Philharmonic.

After studies in Stuttgart, Germany with Wilhelm Speidel, Herman returned to the United States; he made his debut at Steinway Hall in New York on May 10, 1877, and, beginning two years before his death, he performed as soloist with the New York Philharmonic on several occasions, enjoying particular success in one of the piano concerti of Hermann Goetz during the 1881-1882 season. According to an official of Steinway and Sons, Rafael Joseffy spoke highly of Rietzel's promise, and in fact Reitzel was chosen to substitute for Joseffy, who had incurred a hand injury, in Beethoven's Fourth piano concerto with the Staten Island Philharmonic Society on January 24, 1880.

Following the 1881-1882 Philharmonic season, Rietzel signed with a touring company headed by Clara Louise Kellogg. During a break in that company's tour of New England, on May 26, 1882 Rietzel and bass singer George Conly took a pleasure outing in a rowboat on Lake Spofford near Chesterfield, New Hampshire; later that day, the boat was found overturned, but Rietzel's body was not recovered until the following June 7. The accident precluded Reitzel's planned participation in a tour through the United States and to Australia and New Zealand in a company being organized by violinist Camilla Urso.

Memorial concert following death

A memorial concert for the two victims on June 10, 1882 at New York's Academy of Music lasted more than three hours and raised at least $4,000 (roughly $100,000 in 2017 money) for the benefit of Conly's wife and children. Among the participants was virtuoso pianist Teresa Carreño, who performed Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody no. 6 and, as an encore, music of Louis Moreau Gottschalk. Also participating was a young Emma Juch, of the same age Reitzel had been at his death, who had made her US debut in the same house only eight months before.