Anthony Philip Heinrich

Though Heinrich was born in Bohemia, he did not begin his musical career until he had eventually settled in the United States in 1817. A number of failed attempts to do so had occurred previously. Essentially self-taught, Heinrich traveled from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh and then down the Ohio river to Kentucky, on foot. The experiences from this journey set the stage for his musical compositions. In 1817 he was the first conductor to present a symphony by Beethoven in the United States. He was also the chairman of the initial meetings for the founding of The New York Philharmonic Society. Romanticism dominates and informs his compositions. Most of the orchestral pieces, and other compositions as well, do not follow any strict formula and can be considered fantasias. Heinrich would arbitrarily combine one "movement" with another and borrow thematic devices from his own music, and, from familiar patriotic melodies as well. The enigmatic qualities of his music superceded the normative use of chromaticism of his time period; he was constantly attempting to, depict natural scenes, portray the American Indian as he understood them, and reflect the frontier spirit. Heinrich was a violinist and pianist giving a number of performances in the United States and in Europe. Genres were scored in many diverse forms by Heinrich but instrumental techniques and possibilites dominate even the vocal music demanding exceptional performers who found the floridness of his music difficult at best. ~ Keith Johnson