BODANZKY, ARTHUR

BODANZKY, ARTHUR (1877–1939), conductor. Born in Vienna, Bodanzky made his debut in 1900 conducting Jones' The Geisha with the 18-man orchestra in České Budějovice. In 1903 he became assistant to gustav mahler at the Vienna Opera and subsequently conducted operas in Berlin, Prague, and Mannheim. In 1915 he was engaged by the Metropolitan Opera, New York, as conductor of their German repertory and held this position until his death. His repertory included Gluck, Richard Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Meyerbeer, Suppé and the American premieres of Weinberger's Švanda the Bagpiper and Krenek's Jonny spielt auf. He excelled in conducting Wagner but was also a symphony conductor. He was music director of the Society of Friends of Music in New York from 1916 until 1931. -ADD. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Grove online; MGG2. (Israela Stein (2nd ed.)