Louis Charles Elson

Louis Charles Elson (April 17, 1848 – February 14, 1920) was an American music historian, music critic, writer on music, journalist, and professor of music theory at the New England Conservatory. He was influential editor of American music magazines, and along with William Foster Apthorp and Philip Hale was a leading music critic in Boston in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was also a singer and composer, but only had modest success in these two aspects of his career. His son, Arthur Elson (1873–1940), was also an editor and writer on music.

Early life, education, and early career

The son of Julius and Rosalie Elson, Louis Charles Elson was born in Boston, Massachusetts on April 17, 1848. He was educated in his native city at the Brimmer School on Common St. and the Mayhew School on Hawkins Street. His parents were of German descent. His mother was a talented amateur musician, and he began his music education at home with his mother when he was seven years old. He continued his music studies in Boston with organist and horn player Carl August Hamann (piano) and tenor August Kreissmann (singing). From Kreissmann he received a thorough grounding in the German lieder repertoire.

By the early 1870s Elson was teaching his own private music students in Boston, and his students gave a piano recitals at Wesleyan Hall in 1872 and at Mechanics Hall in 1874 and 1875. He arranged Franz Abt's Lark's Rejoicing for a performance at the 1872 World's Peace Jubilee and International Musical Festival in Boston. It was performed by Minna Peschka-Leutner. He married Bertha Lissner in Boston in 1873. His son Arthur was born later that year.