George Szell
Built the Cleveland Orchestra into a world-class symphonic instrument.
George Szell, born György Endre Széll in Budapest and raised in Vienna, was an Austro-Hungarian-born American conductor, composer, and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the twentieth century's greatest conductors. Szell began his formal training as a pianist, studying under Richard Robert alongside his lifelong friend and collaborator Rudolf Serkin. As a child prodigy, he toured Europe as both pianist and composer, making his London debut at age eleven and being hailed as "the next Mozart." By seventeen, he was performing with major orchestras in all three roles. Realizing he preferred the artistic control of conducting, he made an unplanned public debut at seventeen when he substituted for an injured conductor, and quickly turned to conducting full-time. In 1915, at eighteen, he won an appointment at Berlin's Royal Court Opera, where he was befriended by Richard Strauss. Strauss, impressed by Szell's mastery of his music, became a major influence on Szell's baton technique, orchestral sound, and approach to building an ensemble. Szell later worked in Strasbourg, Prague, Darmstadt, and Düsseldorf, becoming principal conductor of the Berlin State Opera in 1924. He also directed the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra and taught at the Berlin Academy of Music. From 1936 to 1939, he led the Scottish National Orchestra and the Resident Orchestra of The Hague. In 1939, while returning from an Australian tour via the United States, war broke out in Europe, and Szell settled in New York City. He taught at the Mannes College of Music, made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1942, and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1946. That year, he took over the Cleveland Orchestra, a respected but undersized ensemble struggling after World War II. By the time of his death, he had transformed it into what many critics considered the world's keenest symphonic instrument. Through his extensive recordings, Szell remained a powerful presence in classical music long after his death, his name forever linked with the Cleveland Orchestra.
- field
- Conductor, composer, pianist
- nationality
- Austro-Hungarian-born American
Lore & Background
György Endre Széll was born in Budapest but grew up in Vienna. His family was of Jewish origin but converted to Catholicism. He began formal music training as a pianist, studying with Richard Robert, and at age eleven toured Europe as a pianist and composer, making his London debut. He made an unplanned public conducting debut at seventeen when the Vienna Symphony's conductor injured his arm, and Szell was asked to substitute. He quickly turned to conducting full-time. Strauss recognized Szell's talent and was impressed with how well he conducted Strauss's music. Szell credited Strauss as a major influence on his conducting style. Szell worked with opera houses and orchestras in Berlin, Strasbourg, Prague, Darmstadt, Düsseldorf, and served as principal conductor of the German Opera in Prague and conducted the orchestra of the German Philharmonic Society of Prague. for a tour with the NBC Symphony Orchestra and decided to stay, settling in New York City. citizen and was named music director of the Cleveland Orchestra. He devoted his energy to exacting his will on musicians, releasing some and hiring others to achieve his desired sound. He expected technical perfection and total commitment.
Reader's Guide
When he arrived, the orchestra was respected but undersized and struggling after World War II. Through rigorous standards and complete artistic control over personnel, programming, and recording, Szell built it into an ensemble that critic Donal Henahan called 'what many critics regarded as the world's keenest symphonic instrument.' His recordings have kept him a presence in classical music long after his death, and his name remains synonymous with the Cleveland Orchestra. As later music director Christoph von Dohnányi remarked, 'We give a great concert, and George Szell gets a great review.' Szell's legacy includes his influence on orchestral sound—lean and transparent—and his role as an orchestra builder, both shaped by Richard Strauss. He also taught composition at Mannes College, with students including George Rochberg and Ursula Mamlok.
Did You Know?
- Szell made his London debut as a pianist and composer at age eleven.
- He credited Richard Strauss as a major influence on his conducting style.
- Szell was a member of the Prague Masonic Grand Lodge 'Lessing of the Three Rings' under the name 'Georg Szell.'
- During his Cleveland years, he occasionally demonstrated to guest pianists how he thought they should play a certain passage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is George Szell?
He was a Hungarian-born American conductor, pianist, and composer, widely regarded as one of the top-tier conductors of the twentieth century.
Why is George Szell important to classical music?
His nearly quarter-century tenure with the Cleveland Orchestra raised that group's technical and tonal standards to a level that redefined what a symphonic instrument could achieve, influencing generations of conductors and players.
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