Fritz Cassirer German conductor and musicologist Date of Birth: 29.03.1871 Country: Germany

1. The Early Years
2. Education and Musical Beginnings
3. Triumphs in Elberfeld and Berlin
4. A Shift to Musicology
5. Family Life
6. Later Years and Legacy

The Early Years

Paul Cassel was born on June 10, 1871, in Breslau, Germany, to Julius and Jülcher (née Cassel) Cassel. He came from a prominent Jewish merchant family, with his grandfather, Marcus Cassel, establishing a successful textile business and his other grandfather, Siegfried Cassel, operating a distillery.

Education and Musical Beginnings

Cassel studied music in Munich and Berlin under renowned teachers Hans Pfitzner and Gustav Holländer. His early career took him to opera houses in Lübeck, Posen, and Saarbrücken.

Triumphs in Elberfeld and Berlin

Cassel's most significant achievement as a conductor was his tenure at the Elberfeld Opera from 1903 to 1905. There, he embraced the music of Frederick Delius, conducting the premiere of his opera "Koanga" in 1904. He also assisted Delius in selecting texts from Nietzsche's "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" for his planned "Mass of Life," dedicated to Cassel. In 1907, while working at the Metropol-Theater in Berlin, Cassel facilitated the premiere of Delius's opera "A Village Romeo and Juliet."

A Shift to Musicology

Following a tour with the Komische Oper to London, Cassel decided to retire from conducting and settle in Munich. He dedicated himself to musicological research, producing his most notable work, "Beethoven und die Gestalt" (1925).

Family Life

Cassel married his distant cousin, Lilly Carolina Dispecker, and they had a daughter, Eva Charlotte. Eva died tragically from the Spanish Flu in 1921.

Later Years and Legacy

Cassel continued his studies and writings until his death on December 23, 1926. His contributions to the understanding of Beethoven's music and his close collaboration with Frederick Delius left a lasting mark on the musical landscape. His son, Claude (Klaus Wolfgang) Cassel, gained notoriety in later years for his successful legal battle against the Spanish government for the return of Nazi-looted artworks.