Raimund Pechotsch

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Raimund Pechotsch

Raimund Leo Pechotsch (June 1864 – 20 January 1941) was a composer of romantic and incidental musical theatre pieces. He was a Roman Catholic who also conducted liturgical music [1] His elder son, also named Raimund Pechotsch (1 August 1886 – March 1915) was a violin virtuoso. His younger son Eric (later known as Eric Mareo) was an orchestra conductor controversially convicted of his wife's poisoning.

Life[]

Pechotsch was born in Vienna to parents of Czechoslavakian origin, his father Adalbert Pechotsch being a composer of some note.[1] He studied at the Vienna Conservatoire and privately under Eduard Remenyi. He was one of three brothers who were members of the Austrian Strauss Band in 1880: Raimund on first violin; Adolf and Rupert both on contra-bass and trumpet.[2] The band had been contracted to perform at the of 1881.[3] He remained in Australia, but moved to Sydney.

He was in Brisbane then left for New Zealand 1889.[4]

Pechotsch was musical director for Australian stage producer Oscar Asche.[5] Raimund also worked for music publisher Palings and taught violin and piano in Sydney for many years.[6]

Pechotsch wrote incidental music for 's 1910 play The Prince and the Beggarmaid[7] which was very successful in London and Australia.[8] He also wrote music (orchestrated for ensemble of twenty) to accompany "Pete" a Lewis Parker stage adaptation of Hall Caine's novel The Manxman.[9]

Later in life he remarried Alice McCarthy, the daughter of fellow Australian composer Dr .[10]

Works[]

  • The cycling schottische
  • A lost love with words by Frederick Augustus Packer
  • Emu waltz (1896)
  • For thee : song with violin obligato with words by Ernest Glanville-Hicks (father of Peggy Glanville-Hicks)
  • Fire a shot for the Empire with foreign journalist Dulcie Deamer[11]
  • To a butterfly with Australian poet Agnes Littlejohn (1865-1944)[12][13]
  • Sympathy Waltz
  • Gem Waltz
  • Cradle song : Chant du berceau, written for Hall Caine's Pete[1]
  • Romance
  • Liebslied (1915), written after the death of his son[1]
  • My love and I (boat song) with lyrics by Marie Van Brakkel
  • Tears and pearls with lyrics by Henry C. de Witt
  • Monsieur Peaucoire waltz

Family[]

On 17 September 1885 Pechotsch married Mary Elizabeth Curtis (born 1858 – 23 December), née Dolman, widow of Peter Campbell Curtis and mother of William John Curtis, KC.(1 September 1881 – 24 May 1940)[1]

  • Raimund Adalbert Pechotsch, aka Jan Rudenyi, (born 1 August 1886 – February 1915) was feted as a violin prodigy,[14] having received his entire musical training from his father.
He had ten years education in Europe and returned to Australia in his twenties.[15]
  • Eric Joachim Pechotsch, aka Eric Mareo (30 September 1891 – 1958), as a boy was a charming singer of humorous songs[16] and later as musical director of the Revue and in 1935 of his own orchestra, a dandy who affected a long white cigarette holder and conducted with a tinsel-covered baton.[17] He was convicted in Auckland, New Zealand, of the murder of his second wife Thelma née Trott, who died 15 April 1935 by Veronal poisoning. Thelma's lesbian lover Freda Stark was a key witness at the trial.[18]

Around 1938 he married again, to the widow O'Hara, née MacCarthy, daughter of Dr Charles MacCarthy, an Irish Home Rule activist.[1] MacCarthy was frequently written M'Carthy.

He had two brothers in Australia:

  • Rupert Joseph Pechotsch ( –1941) married Ada Euphemia Norris (c. 1863 – 15 March 1944) on 28 February 1882[19] lived Numurkah, Victoria, later Highett, Victoria insolvent 1916
  • Adolf Pechotsch (c. 1856 – October 1902) married Matilda Eppin (c. 1861 – 13 March 1885); and a second time to the widow Waldock c. 1896.[20]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "All About People: Tittle Tattle". The Catholic Press (2080). New South Wales, Australia. 30 January 1941. p. 14. Retrieved 16 March 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ "The Austrian Strauss Band". The Argus (Melbourne) (10, 706). Victoria, Australia. 11 October 1880. p. 6. Retrieved 9 February 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "Herr Pechotsch". The Daily Telegraph (5967). New South Wales, Australia. 29 July 1898. p. 5. Retrieved 9 February 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "Pechotsch Farewell". The Telegraph (Brisbane) (5, 285). Queensland, Australia. 20 September 1889. p. 2. Retrieved 9 February 2021 – via Trove.
  5. ^ "Return of Herr Raimund Pechotsch". The Sunday Sun (304). New South Wales, Australia. 24 January 1909. p. 1. Retrieved 16 March 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "Mr Raimund Pechotsch". The Sydney Morning Herald (28, 365). New South Wales, Australia. 1 December 1928. p. 10. Retrieved 16 March 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ Pechotsch, Raimund, -1941, The prince and the beggar maid [music] : patrol march / by Raimond Pechotsch, Stanley MullenCS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ "The Prince and the Beggar Maid". The Register (Adelaide). XCI (26, 557). South Australia. 29 September 1926. p. 13. Retrieved 16 March 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ https://trove.nla.gov.au/version/8584098
  10. ^ "Of General Interest". The Advocate. LXXIV (4564). Victoria, Australia. 6 February 1941. p. 6. Retrieved 16 March 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ^ Pechotsch, Raimund, -1941; Deamer, Dulcie, 1890-1972 (1914), Fire a shot for the Empire [music] / words by Dulcie Deamer ; music by Raimund PechotschCS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ "The Lost Emerald" (Agnes Littlejohn)". The World's News (1204). New South Wales, Australia. 10 January 1925. p. 14. Retrieved 16 March 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ Pechotsch, Raimund, -1941; Littlejohn, Agnes, To a butterfly [music] : song / words by Agnes Littlejohn ; music by Raimund Pechotsch, Nicholson & CoCS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ "Raimund Pechotsch". Truth (366). New South Wales, Australia. 1 August 1897. p. 2. Retrieved 22 November 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ^ "Fine Composer". The Sunday Times (2235). New South Wales, Australia. 26 May 1929. p. 6. Retrieved 16 March 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. ^ "Sydney Shows". . Victoria, Australia. 13 June 1901. p. 24. Retrieved 9 February 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. ^ "Ch. 4 — Who was Eric Mareo?". The Trials of Eric Mareo. Retrieved 10 February 2021 – via New Zealand Electronic Text Collection.
  18. ^ "Ch. 1 — Introduction". The Trials of Eric Mareo. Retrieved 10 February 2021 – via New Zealand Electronic Text Collection.
  19. ^ "Family Notices". (20, 852). Victoria, Australia. 16 March 1944. p. 4. Retrieved 10 February 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  20. ^ "Professor Adolf Pechotsch". . 20 (1026). Victoria, Australia. 17 October 1902. p. 2. Retrieved 9 February 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
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