Mendel, Hermann

Music publisher and writer; born at Halle Aug. 6, 1834; died at Berlin Oct. 26, 1876. He received his musical education at Halle, Leipsic, and Berlin. In 1853 he entered the Berlin music-publishing house of Schlesinger, and later that of Bote & Bock. In 1862 he established a business of his own and conducted it until 1868, contributing at the same time to numerous periodicals, such as the "Echo," "Tonhalle," "Theater-diener," "Berliner Montagszeitung," and "Deutsche Musikerzeitung," which last-named he conducted from its inception in 1870 until his death. He is best known as the projector of the celebrated "MusikalischesKonversations-Lexikon," which he began in 1870 with a large and distinguished staff of collaborators. At the time of his death, however, it had reached only the letter "M." As completed under the editorship of Dr. Reissmann, it consists of eleven volumes, and is one of the most comprehensive works of its kind. Prominent among the other publications of Mendel are his well-known biographies of Nicolai and Meyerbeer, and his edition of Mode's "Opernbibliothek," consisting of about ninety opera-libretti, with preface, etc.

Bibliography:

  * Grove, Dictionary of Music and Musicians;
  * Riemann, Musik-Lexikon.



S. J. So.