Hugo Leichtentritt

Hugo Leichtentritt (1 January 1874, Pleschen, , nearby Posen, Province of Posen13 November 1951, Cambridge, Massachusetts) was a German-Jewish musicologist and composer who spent much of his life in the USA. His pupils include composers Leroy Robertson and Erich Walter Sternberg. Early life Leichtentritt was born to a family of Jewish merchants in Pleschen, German Empire. His German father, Gerson Leichtentritt, was a successful distillery owner. Leichtentritt was a thesis reader for Leonard Bernstein. Bernstein had cited Leichtentritt in his reasons to attend Harvard, writing, “I would probably attempt a Harvard training because of the superb musical department there. Several German professors, such as Leichtentritt, who have left their native land for obvious reasons, are now giving instruction there.” However, Leichtentritt was displeased with Bernstein’s senior thesis, writing of its “arrogant attitude and air of superiority.” With his retirement looming, Leichtentritt branched out into other musical-related endeavors. He edited Oscar Thompson’s The International Cyclopedia of Music and Musicians (New York, 1939), wrote for The Musical Quarterly, and had four books published by