Schilling, Gustav

1805-1880

Well-known German writer, theorist and teacher, who was born at Schwiegershausen, Hanover, and studied theology at Gottingen and Halle Universities, graduating from those institutions before he turned his attention to music. He became director of a music school at Stuttgart in 1830, and then left Germany, coming to America. Schilling settled first in New York, where he was appointed director of a music school in 1857. He next went to Montreal, where he taught, and finally located in Burlington, Neb., where he died. He was the author of a large number of theoretical works, including an encyclopaedia; a handbook of music; Esthetics of Music, in two volumes; a collection of biographical sketches; Dictionary of Musical Words; Polyphonomios, a book relating to harmony; a work on acoustics; and others. He also rewrote Philip Emanuel Bach's Piano School. The work by which Schilling will be chiefly remembered is his Encyclopaedia of General Musical Knowledge, in seven volumes. This book is much esteemed in Germany. Many of his works called forth much criticism. Schilling's life was filled with adversity and his was a restless spirit, never content for any length of time in one place.