William von Sachs

Tchaikovsky Research
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American music critic and journalist of Austrian descent [1], also known as Willy von Sachs (b. 30 May 1856 [N.S.] in New York; d. 15 February 1917 [N.S.] in Vienna).

Sachs was the music critic of the Commercial Advertiser in New York, and he hosted a musical soirée for Tchaikovsky during his visit to the city in 1891. The composer described him as "a very likeable and refined gentleman" [2], noting also that "This refined little gentleman, who speaks French fluently, has excellent knowledge of music, and is very considerate to me, is perhaps the only person in New York whose company I do not find onerous, and even pleasant" [3].

Correspondence with Tchaikovsky

5 letters from Tchaikovsky to William von Sachs have survived, dating from 1891 to 1893, all of which have been translated into English on this website:

9 letters from William von Sachs to Tchaikovsky, dating from 1891 to 1893, are preserved in the Tchaikovsky State Memorial Musical Museum-Reserve at Klin (a4, Nos. 3869–3876).

External Links

Notes and References

  1. On his five passport applications between 1890 and 1916 he asserts that he is born in New York city, and that his father was a naturalized American citizen. On two of these applications his date of birth was mistakenly recorded as 3 May and 13 May. See: U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925, Nos. 344/12300 (1890), 42/278 (1900), 98/17674 (1909), 303/22130 (1914), 229/46002 (1916) — http://www.ancestry.com (accessed 25 April 2015).
  2. Diary entry for 17/29 April 1891.
  3. Diary entry for 21 April/3 May 1891. Sachs's passport applications all concur that his height was 5 feet and 7½ inches (1.7 metres).