Richard Schmidt (cantor)

Richard Schmidt (16 June 1877 – 1958 in Dresden^[1]) was a German cantor and organist.

Life

Schmidt was born in 1877 as the son of the cantor Wilhelm Schmidt (1851–1896) and his wife Auguste Helbig in Oderwitz, Amtshauptmannschaft Löbau [de], Saxony.^[2] After attending the Dresden Kreuzschule (1888–1896), he worked as an assistant organist at the Trinitatiskirche.^[1] From 1896 to 1900, he studied piano and organ^[3] at the Königlichen Konservatorium Dresden.^[2]

From 1900 to 1902 he worked as répétiteur at the Semperoper Dresden.^[2] From 1901 to 1916, he was cantor and organist at the Jakobikirche and from 1903 to 1928 a teacher at the Dresden Conservatory.^[1] From 1913 to 1928, he was a music teacher at the Dresden Kreuzschule.^[1] From 1916 to 1945 he was cantor and organist at the Erlöserkirche,^[1] where he was substituted by Cantor Reiche during his military service.^[4] From 1928, he was a lecturer in piano, organ and music theory^[2] at the orchestral school of the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden.^[1] After the destruction in World War II, he participated in countless cantatas and oratorios under Cantor Johannes John at the Herz-Jesu-Kirche [de].^[1]

He was a member of the Deutscher Tonkünstlerverband, the Neue Bachgesellschaft and the Tonkünstlervereins Dresden.^[2]

Schmidt, Protestant, was married to Elsa Röber from 1904 and father of a son.^[2]

Further reading

• Paul Frank, Wilhelm Altmann: Kurzgefaßtes Tonkünstlerlexikon. Für Musiker und Freunde der Tonkunst. 12th, very enlarged edition. Carl Merseburger, Leipzig 1926.
• Erich H. Müller (ed.): Deutsches Musiker-Lexikon. W. Limpert-Verlag, Dresden 1929.