Search >> Strakosch, Max (1835-1892)

Theatrical Manager.

Max was the brother of Bohemian pianist, composer, and impresario, Maurice Strakosch, who was trained in Europe and came to New York in 1848 to work as a teacher. Max and Maurice worked together to organize a brief opera season at the Academy of Music in 1855; afterwards, Maurice began his own company and developed a partnership with Bernard Ullman, which lasted until 1860. Journalist Charles Godfrey Leland remembers Maurice in his memoir as “hard to deal with and irritable” (Memoirs 344).

Max’s role in this company is unclear, and he may have been confused with his brother on occasion; performers remember him as playing an important part in recruiting talent like Gottschalk and Racovita (G. Chase 296, Racovita 336). In January, 1862, Max wrote a letter to Gottschalk offering him the chance for a round of American concerts. Gottschalk accepted and began the concert series in New York in February (G. Chase 296). After Maurice left to tour Europe and manage his sister-in-law Adelina Patti’s concerts, Max remained in the United States and continued to put on operatic performances, including Don Pasquale, Norma, Il Trovatore, La Favorita, Don Giovanni, and Lucrezia Borgia (Tompkins and Kilby 156, 225).

References & Biographical Resources

Personne [Wilkins, Edward G. P.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New-York Saturday Press. 23 Jul. 1859: 2. [more about this work]

Personne mentions that Mr. Strakosch has departed for Europe and may bring back something for the next opera season. It is unclear which Mr. Strakosch he is writing about (2). [pages: 2]

Chase, Gilbert. America’s Music: from Pilgrims to the Present. Urbana: UP Illinois, 1987. 296. [more about this work]

In January, 1862, he wrote a letter to Gottschalk offering him the chance for a round of American concerts. Gottschalk accepted and began the concert series in New York in February, soon lending his sympathetic support to the Union cause. [pages: 296]

Figaro [Clapp, Henry Jr.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New York Saturday Press. 19 Aug. 1865: 40-41. [more about this work]

Figaro reports that Max Strakosch is forming a traveling operatic troupe and lists the performers expected to join (41). [pages: 41]

Illustrated New York. The Metropolis of To-day. NY: International Publishing Co., 1888. 80. [more about this work]

The text mentions that Gramercy Park between 20th and 21st streets and 3rd and 4th Avenues is the “abode of many old families” (80) including Max Strakosch. [pages: 80]

"In and about the City: Death of Charles I. Pfaff. Something about the Proprietor of the Once Famous "Bohemia."." New York Times. 26 Apr. 1890: 2. [more about this work]

The obituary identifies him as one of the "Knights of the Round Table" of the "lions of Bohemia." [pages: 2]

Kellogg, Clara Louise. Memoirs of an American Prima Donna. New York : G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1913. [more about this work]

[pages: 200-201,204-205,240,289,292,294-296,300,303,359]

Leland, Charles Godfrey. Memoirs. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1893. [more about this work]

Leland mentions Max's brother, with whom he collaborated in business, as "hard to deal with and irritable." [pages: 344]

Miller, Tice L. Bohemians and Critics: American Theatre Criticism in the Nineteenth Century. Metuchen, NJ: The Scarecrow Press, 1981. [more about this work]

Listed as Maurice Strakosch. Director of the American Company performance group. [pages: 45]

Odell, George C.D. Annals of the New York Stage: Volume VIII (1865-1870). New York:Columbia University Press, 1936. [more about this work]

In the 1866-67 season he assembled the Max Strakosch Alliance which put on a "grand inaugural concert" Oct. 1, 1866 at Cooper Institute (228).

Strakocsh and Maretzeck were the team with "wretched management" of the Academy of Music that could not bring Adelina Patti (diva) to their stage (374). Odell mentions that in the 1868-69 season they presented Clara Lousie Kellogg, who had had success in Europe, at the Academy of Music, in concerts ending with the third act of Faust. This was quite a popular concert series (471).

It is important to note that Max Strakosch is NOT Maurice Strakosch - they are brothers. Maurice was married to Amalia Patti and helped her sister Adelina get her very successful career started (653). [pages: 228,374,471,653,682]

Odell, George Clinton. Annals of the New York Stage: Volume VI (1850-1857). New York: Columbia University Press, 1931. [more about this work]

(Information here may also be for his brother, Maurice.) Strakosch served as pianist in a concert of Maretzke on Jan. 11, 1851, at Tripler Hall. He seems to have been a figure in the concert scene from 1850-56; his wife also played with him. At the Academy, in late January of 1857 (575), he conducted the opera, subsequently starting a new season of opera that February. He held concerts in Brooklyn in the 1856-57 season and also ran a series of 4 subscription concerts for which advertisments in the Star and the New York Herald stop around Jan 24 - the date of the first concert. Because of this, Odell is unsure whether the shows at the Athenaeum (scheduled for 1/24, 1/31, 2/5, 2/12 $1 admission + $0.50 for reserved seating) ever ran (601). [pages: 92,265,502,507,575,576,600,601]

Odell, George Clinton. Annals of the New York Stage: Volume VII (1857-1865). New York: Columbia University Press, 1931. [more about this work]

Strakosch brought distinguished instrumentalists to New York on Feb.13, 1865 for the 1864-65 musical season at Niblo's Saloon. [pages: 694]

Personne [Wilkins, Edward G. P.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New York Saturday Press. 5 Mar. 1859: 3. [more about this work]

Personne mentions the Strakosch Company (3). [pages: 3]

Personne [Wilkins, Edward G. P.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New York Saturday Press. 16 Apr. 1859: 2. [more about this work]

It is unclear which Mr. Strakosch Personne refers to as helping give a benefit at the opera house in Cincinnati. Personne mentions that the "Strakosch nightengales" are in Pittsburgh (2). [pages: 2]

Personne [Wilkins, Edward G. P.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New York Saturday Press. 23 Apr. 1859: 2. [more about this work]

Personne mentions an upcoming performance by the Strakosch company (2). [pages: 2]

Personne [Wilkins, Edward G. P.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New York Saturday Press. 30 Apr. 1859: 2. [more about this work]

It is unclear which Strakosch the Chicago critic refers to (2). [pages: 2]

Personne [Wilkins, Edward G. P.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New York Saturday Press. 28 May 1859: 3. [more about this work]

It is unclear which Strakosch Personne intends, but he makes a passing mention of a Strakosch. [pages: 3]

Personne [Wilkins, Edward G. P.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New York Saturday Press. 18 Jun. 1859: 2-3. [more about this work]

It is unclear which Strakosch Personne is writing about (2). [pages: 2]

Personne [Wilkins, Edward G. P.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New York Saturday Press. 25 Jun. 1859: 3. [more about this work]

Personne mentions a Mr. Strakosh, but it is unclear who he is referring to (3). [pages: 3]

Personne [Wilkins, Edward G. P.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New York Saturday Press. 2 Jul. 1859: 3. [more about this work]

Personne refers to a Strakosch, but it is unclear who he is discussing. [pages: 3]

Personne [Wilkins, Edward G. P.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New York Saturday Press. 15 Oct. 1859: 2-3. [more about this work]

It is unclear which Strakosch Personne writes about. [pages: 2]

Personne [Wilkins, Edward G. P.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New York Saturday Press. 4 Feb. 1860: 3. [more about this work]

(It is unclear which Strakosch Personne is writing about.) Personne mentions there was some discord in Boston when Greeley ran into Strakosch (3). [pages: 3]

Personne [Wilkins, Edward G. P.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New-York Saturday Press. 1 Oct. 1859: 2. [more about this work]

It is unclear which Strakosch Personne is writing about. [pages: 2]

Personne [Wilkins, Edward G. P.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New-York Saturday Press. 10 Mar. 1860: 3. [more about this work]

Strakosch is mentioned in a letter from Philadelphia that follows the Feuilleton that discusses the Opera (3). [pages: 3]

Personne [Wilkins, Edward G. P.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New-York Saturday Press. 14 Apr. 1860: 3. [more about this work]

(It is unclear which Strakosch Personne is writing about.) Mentioned in relation to the "Opera Wars" (3). [pages: 3]

Personne [Wilkins, Edward G. P.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New-York Saturday Press. 12 May 1860: 3. [more about this work]

Personne mentions a Straksoch, but it is unclear who he is referring to (3). [pages: 3]

Quelqu'un [Winter, William]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New-York Saturday Press. 7 Apr. 1860: 3. [more about this work]

(It is unclear which Strakosch Quelqu'un is writing about.) Mentioned in a discussion of quarrels in several of the intellectual and artistic spheres. [pages: 3]

Racovița von Dönniges, Elena. Princess Helene Von Racowitza: An Autobiography. NY: Macmillan Company, 1910. 336. [more about this work]

Racovita states regarding her career, “I had picked out Max Strakosch, who was then the best impresario, and whom I knew and found very sympathetic. We had already arranged for several tours, and I was ready with a number of roles” (336). After a disagreement between Strakosch and her husband, Serge von Schewitsch, about the length of the tour, Racovita did not sign the contract. [pages: 336]

Slonimsky, Nicolas, ed. "Maurice Strakosch." Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. Schirmer, 2001. [more about this work]

The biographical profile of Max's brother, Maurice, mentions Max's collaboration on musical endeavors.

Spofford, Harriet Prescott. "Clara Louise Kellogg." Our Famous Women: An Authorized Record of The Lives and Deeds of Distinguished American Women of Our Times. Hartford, Conn. : A. D. Worthington, 1884. 359-385. [more about this work]

Spofford mentions that Kellogg sang in America under the management of Strakosch (380). [pages: 380,383]

Tompkins, Euguene and Quincy Kilby. The History of the Boston Theatre, 1854-1901. Boston and NY: Houghton Mifflin and Co., 1908. 156, 225. [more about this work]

Tompkins mentions Strakosch’s productions of Don Pasquale and his season of Italian opera including Norma, Il Trovatore, La Favorita, Don Giovanni, and Lucrezia Borgia. [pages: 156, 225]

Wilson, James Grant and John Fiske, eds. Appletons' Cyclopaedia of American Biography, Volume V, Pickering-Sumter. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1888. [more about this work]

“His piano compositions were once very popular, among them the music of one of Bayard Taylor’s songs” (716). [pages: 716]