Walter Rabl

Walter Rabl (1873 – 1940) was a Viennese composer, conductor, and teacher of vocal music. Largely forgotten today, Rabl left only a small number of works, all of them early ones, from the twilight of the Romantic era. At the age of 30, he stopped composing entirely and devoted himself to conducting and vocal coaching the rest of his life. Walter Rabl was born in Vienna. He graduated with honours from the Kaiserlich und Königlich Staatsgymnasium in Salzburg in 1892. He returned to Vienna to study with Karl Navratil (1836-1914) and then enrolled in the doctoral program at the German University in Prague as a student of the musicologist Guido Adler. At 25, he completed his doctorate and soon after accepted a position at the Royal Opera of Dresden as coach and chorus master. Beginning in 1903, Rabl conducted throughout Germany and championed works by progressive composers such as Gustav Mahler, Franz Schreker, Erich Korngold, and Richard Strauss. In 1905, Rabl married the soprano Hermine von Kriesten and conducted her in major roles such as Brünnhilde and Elektra. After his retirement from conducting in 1924, he continued to use his impressive piano skills in accompanying and coaching many notable singers. He wrote Quartet for Clarinet, Violin, Cello, and Piano, Violin Sonata, Symphony, Piano pieces and songs. Most of Rabl's work was in the tradition of Brahms and Robert Schumann. But his opera, Liane (1903) took a different turn in the direction of Richard Wagner. Although the reception of the opera was highly favourable, Liane was Rabl’s last work.