Harold C. Schonberg

Harold C. Schonberg
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Name	Harold C. Schonberg
Birth date	March 29, 1915
Birth place	Brooklyn, New York City
Death date	July 26, 2003
Death place	New York City
Occupation	Music critic, author, journalist
Employer	The New York Times
Notable works	The Great Pianists
Awards	Pulitzer Prize for Criticism

Harold C. Schonberg Harold C. Schonberg was an American music critic, journalist, and author known for his tenure at The New York Times and his influential book The Great Pianists. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism and shaped public perception of performers such as Artur Rubinstein, Glenn Gould, Vladimir Horowitz, Arthur Rubinstein, and Claudio Arrau. Schonberg's critiques intersected with institutions and figures across the worlds of Carnegie Hall, Metropolitan Opera, New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein, and Herbert von Karajan.

Early life and education

Schonberg was born in Brooklyn and raised in New York City, where he attended local schools before matriculating at City College of New York. He pursued graduate studies at Columbia University and then studied piano and music theory, engaging with repertoires by Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Sebastian Bach, Franz Schubert, Frédéric Chopin, and Sergei Rachmaninoff. Schonberg's early formation connected him with teachers and institutions linked to Curtis Institute of Music, Juilliard School, and pedagogues associated with Artur Schnabel and Alfred Cortot.

Career as a music critic

Schonberg joined the staff of The New York Times where he served as chief music critic, covering performances at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Metropolitan Opera House. His reviews addressed conductors like Leonard Bernstein, Herbert von Karajan, Otto Klemperer, Sir Georg Solti, and Pierre Boulez as well as soloists including Vladimir Horowitz, Glenn Gould, Arthur Rubinstein, Sviatoslav Richter, Claudio Arrau, Maurizio Pollini, and Martha Argerich. Schonberg wrote about ensembles such as the New York Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, and Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He covered festivals like Tanglewood Music Festival, Aldeburgh Festival, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, and events such as the BBC Proms. Schonberg's critiques often referenced composers Richard Wagner, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Igor Stravinsky, Gustav Mahler, Johannes Brahms, Franz Liszt, and Claude Debussy.

Writings and major works

Schonberg authored The Great Pianists, a survey of virtuosi including Franz Liszt, Vladimir Horowitz, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Alfred Cortot, and Ignaz Friedman. He wrote books and essays on figures such as Leonard Bernstein, Artur Rubinstein, Glenn Gould, Sviatoslav Richter, and wrote program notes for organizations like Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. Schonberg's output included criticism of recordings released by labels such as Deutsche Grammophon, RCA Victor, Columbia Records, EMI Classics, and Philips Classics. He evaluated historic recordings by artists associated with Sergei Prokofiev, Dmitri Shostakovich, Antonín Dvořák, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Felix Mendelssohn.

Editorial and broadcast activities

Schonberg contributed to broadcasting and editorial projects with media outlets including CBS, NBC, BBC, and cultural programs connected to The New York Times and The New Yorker counterparts. He lectured at venues and institutions such as Juilliard School, Columbia University, Harvard University, Yale School of Music, and presented commentary at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. Schonberg participated in panel discussions with critics and musicians associated with The Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Royal Opera House, and music societies like the American Musicological Society and International Musicological Society.

Awards, honors, and influence

Schonberg was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism and received recognition from organizations such as ASCAP affiliates, music conservatories including Curtis Institute of Music and Juilliard School, and arts foundations tied to National Endowment for the Arts. His influence extended to critics and writers at outlets like The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, The Times (London), and Le Monde; he shaped discourse about performers such as Arthur Rubinstein, Vladimir Horowitz, Glenn Gould, Sviatoslav Richter, Maurizio Pollini, and Martha Argerich. Schonberg's judgments affected programming at institutions including Metropolitan Opera, New York Philharmonic, Vienna State Opera, La Scala, and managers at agencies such as IMG Artists.

Personal life and legacy

Schonberg's personal connections included friendships and professional interactions with musicians and cultural figures like Leonard Bernstein, Artur Rubinstein, Vladimir Horowitz, Glenn Gould, Sviatoslav Richter, and administrators at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. His legacy is preserved in archives at institutions such as Columbia University, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, and the collections of Juilliard School and Curtis Institute of Music. Schonberg's name remains invoked in histories of criticism, studies of performance practice for works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Sebastian Bach, Franz Schubert, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and in surveys of recording history by companies like Deutsche Grammophon and RCA Victor.

Category:American music critics Category:1915 births Category:2003 deaths