Kloffel, Arno

1840-

Conductor and composer; born at Possneck, Thuringia. Studied theology at Meiningen, then turned his attention to music and for a short time attended the Leipsic Conservatory, but most of his musical training he received as the private pupil of Moritz Hauptmann. In 1863 he became conductor of the musical society at Riga, remaining in that position for four years, was then chapelmaster at Cologne, Detmold, Breslau, Amsterdam, Stettin and Gorlitz. Between 1873 and 1880 he was chapelmaster of the Friedrichs-Wilhelmstadt Theatre at Berlin and afterward he held similar positions at Augsburg and Magdeburg, and from 1886 to 1892 at Cologne. Soon after this he obtained the position of teacher of theory at Stern's Conservatory in Berlin, and in 1895 was made professor. In 1898 he became chapelmaster at Hamburg. He has written music to the Christmas legend, Die Wichtelmannschen; Goethe's Faust; overtures; the opera, Des Meermanns Horfe; choral works; songs; and a string quartet.