Raimund von zur Mühlen

Baron Raimund von zur-Mühlen (sometimes "Raymond", "Raimund von Zur Mühlen") (10 November 1854 in Uusna Manor (Neu-Tennasilm), Viljandi Parish (now in Viiratsi Parish), Viljandi County, Governorate of Livonia – 11 December 1931 in Wiston, near Steyning, England) was a celebrated tenor Lieder singer who also became a famous teacher of singing, instructing many famous artists. His Lieder-interpretations are legendary.

Life and career

He was a student of Auguste Hohenschildt, Felix Schmidt, Adolf Schulze, Julius Stockhausen and Clara Schumann. He made his debut in 1878, together with Hans Schmidt, in Riga. He then continued working on his capabilities as a singer, above all with Manuel Garcia, Beniamino Carelli and Pauline Viardot.

He is recognised as the founder of the Lieder-abend or evening recital of the German concert Lieder as a distinct performance entity. His interpretation of Lieder and his specialist study of Lieder interpretation were of the utmost importance in the evolution of the Lieder genre itself. He gave Schumann Lieder-recitals with Clara Schumann. She set him on the path to London, where he gave his first concert in 1883. and Coenraad V. Bos. Bos mentions him in his book: the singer gave his young accompanist no encouragement but criticized him severely. After their fifth concert together, he was told, "You must have played well today, for I did not notice you." He was the teacher of Lula Mysz-Gmeiner (who taught Elisabeth Schwarzkopf), of Mark Raphael, Hans Lissman, Eva Jekelius-Lissman, Rose Walter, Eidé Norena, Georg A. Walter, Fanny Opfer, Naima Wifstrand, and Hermann Weißenborn, among many others.

He was considered an ideal Lieder singer. He is also described as an eccentric. He was born into an aristocratic family. His valuable collection of documents and musical and artistic papers was destroyed in 1930 in a great fire at his house near Steyning.