Heinrich August Adolph Weidig, known as Adolf Weidig, was a well-known and successful composer and musician. Adolf Weidig was born in Hamburg, Germany on 28 November 1867 and passed away in Hinsdale on 23 September 1931.
Weidig was the son of Karl Traugott Ferdinand Weidig, known as Ferdinand Weidig, a well-known copyist, and accomplished trombonist who worked at the Hamburg City Theater. During the family’s time in Hamburg, Ferdinand became close colleagues with Gustav Mahler, working as his official copyist and responsible for many of the surviving handwritten copies of Mahler’s music.
Later, his father would join him in Hinsdale and help Weidig as a copyist for his musical compositions.
Johannes Jagua, a colleague of his father’s, taught him to play the violin. Beginning in 1882, Weidig attended the Hamburg Conservatory and studied piano under Julius von Bernuth, violin under Carl Bargheer, and music theory under Hugo Riemann. He presented his first composition for an orchestra in 1885 and in 1887 wrote two movements for a symphony in D major. In 1888, Weidig composed a string quartet that won him the Frankfort “Mozart Prize,” which awarded him an annual allowance of 1,800 German marks for four years. After this award, he moved to Munich and studied violin with Ludwig Abel and composition with Josef Rheinberger.
In 1892, he came to America at the age of 25, and four years later, he married Helen Ridgway at her parent’s home in Hinsdale on 29 June 1896. James and Gertrude Ridgway gave their daughter, Helen, and her new husband, Adolf, the home in Hinsdale as a wedding present.
According to an oral interview from 1975 with Mrs. Bonnie Blackman Bailey:
“I don’t know the details the way she happened to meet Mr. Weidig but she brought back this promising young violinist, she thought Chicago was the place for him to start and settle down. It ended by him marrying her 16 year old daughter and they lived right there. He went into the American Conservatory and became a very successful teacher. My brother was his first pupil. I was studying there at the same time with Mr. Garwood at the piano and he would get me into practicing my brother’s accompaniment. I didn’t enjoy it very much because if I would strike the wrong note, Mr. Weidig would make a fuss about it, but that’s not historically interesting.”[1]
Weidig was for years one of the first violins in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1892 to 1896—the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was then known as the Thomas Orchestra. He was assistant conductor under Theodore Thomas, founder of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Weidig was devoted to chamber music, which led him to become a member of the string quartet of Theodore Spiering in 1893 to 1901, in which he played the viola.
In 1893, Weidig joined the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago as a teacher of violin and theory. He later became the head of the Department of Theory and Composition. In 1907, Weidig became an associate director of the school, a position he held until his death. During his time teaching, Weidig authored Harmonic Material and Its Uses, published in 1923, which was the result of his research and practical experience, and used in his teaching courses. His composition students included harpist Helena Stone Torgerson, pianist Theodora Troendle, organist Helen Searles Westbrook, and, most notably, composer Ruth Crawford Seeger. Weidig was a member of the Music Teachers’ National Association and served as its Vice-President, the American Guild of Violinists, and a charter member of the Chicago Chapter of the International Society for Contemporary Music.
Around the turn of the century, Weidig joined the Chicago-based Spierling Quartet, which included Theodore Spierling—former concertmaster of Gustav Mahler and likely a family friend, as Weidig’s father was close to Mahler in Hamburg.
After the early 1900s, Weidig rarely played the violin in public, but he often appeared as an orchestral conductor, especially of his own compositions. In 1908, Weidig took a trip to Germany, during which he conducted the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra. Probably due to World War I, Weidig was little known in Germany in the following years. The Hamburg press did not report on his death in 1931.
In America, however, Weidig was a well-known composer. His compositions cover a wide field and show his mastery in all the musical means of expression. In 1919, Weidig won the 17th annual W. W. Kimball Company prize for a composition. The Kimball Company was founded by another Hinsdale resident, William Wallace Kimball. Many of Weidig’s compositions were composed at his home in Hinsdale.
"Crab Canon" from Canons for Piano by Adolf Weidig. Played by Katharine Korte Andrew, Hinsdale Historical Society's Society Manager and Archivist.
Upon his death, one of his students wrote and sent The Hinsdale Doings newspaper a poem:
“To Adolf Weidig
He touched our lives And gladdened by the contact Our very souls, to depth unguessed by self And hidden from the world, were stirred.
He--, endowed with gifts supreme, Sought and found the best in us; Make, of it a thing of beauty,-- Teacher rare.
Our guide, with a great and understanding heart, The brief transition to a higher plane has made; Where God in all His Wisdome called him home— For us to show the way.” [2]
PUBLICATIONS
Harmonic Material and Its Uses: A Textbook for Teachers, Students and Music Lovers by Adolf Weidig. Published 1923.
Miniatures: A Series of Instructive Pieces for the Pianoforte by Adolf Weidig. Published 1894.
(SOME) KNOWN COMPOSITIONS
Among his known compositions, he wrote the song-cycle "The Buccaneer" and numerous pieces for piano, violin, and chorus, three string quartets (in D minor, A, and C minor), a string quintet, a piano trio, a suite for violin and piano, Opus 21, Romanza for the cello, Opus 14, and Serenade for strings, Opus 16. His large orchestral works are: "Semiramis, " Opus 33 (first performance, 1906), a symphonic fantasy based on a poem by Edwin Markham; "Drei Episoden," Opus 38 (1908), based on Clärchen's song from Goethe's Egmont; Symphonic Suite in three movements (1914); and "Concert Overture, " Opus 65 (1919).
Credo, Op. 53 (1922). The most well-known composition of Weidig. Often called “Credo: In Memorium” and played at funerals.
Symphony in C Minor and overture Sappho, circa 1887-1888. Sappho was performed by the Thomas Orchestra—Chicago Symphony Orchestra—at the Chicago World’s Fair Columbian Exposition in Chicago, 1893.
Symphony in E Flat (1890).
Kleines Trio in d minor, Op.9 was published in 1893 and composed the year before. Weidig brought it with him to Chicago when he came to America and to Chicago where it, along with several other works he had composed, was performed at the Chicago World Fair's Columbian Exposition.
Leichte Stücke, Op. 5. (c. 1888). Symphony with three movements.
Cappriccio, Op. 13. Produced in 1900.
Romance for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 14 (c. 1900). Also titled Romance for Violoncello with Accompaniment of Pianoforte.
O Sing Unto The Lord, Op. 20 (c. 1901). Motet for mixed chorus.
Let Her In, Op. 21, No. 2. 1902.
Petite Suite, Op. 22. (1902) For the violin and featuring 3 movements.
A Sleepy-time Song, Op. 21, No. 5. (1902.)
Sleeping of the Wind (c. 1903).
Night Whisperings (c. 1903).
Not Yet (c. 1903).
The Buccaneer, Op. 31. (1905). A song cycle with words by Alden Charles Noble and music by Adolf Weidig.
Semiramis (Symphonic Fantasie), Op. 33. (c. 1906). Based on a poem by Edwin Markham.
Three Episodes (Drei Episoden), Op. 38. (c. 1907). Three movements. Written for an orchestra.
Canons for the piano, Op. 42. (c. 1911).
Venice, in the Gondola (Venedig, in der gondola), Op. 40, no. 1. (1914). Italian suite for violin and piano.
Florentine Serenade (Florentinische serenade), Op. 40, No. 2. (1914). Italian suite for violin and piano.
In Rome, To the Ancient Gods (In Rom, Den Alten Göttern), Op. 40, No. 3. (1914). Italian suite for violin and piano.
In Rome, Ave Maria (In Rom, Ave Maria), Op. 40, No. 4. (1914). Italian suite for violin and piano.
Neapolitan Romance (Neapolitanische romanze), Op. 40, No. 5. (1914). Italian suite for violin and piano.
On Capri (Auf Capri), Op. 40, no. 6. A tarantelle for violin and piano.
Would God I were the Tender Apple Blossom, Op. 50, No. 1. (1914). Irish love song, words by Katharine Tyron Hinkson, arranged by Adolf Weidig. A part song for mixed voices.
Oft in the Stilly Night, Op. 50, No. 2. (1914). A part song for mixed voices. Words by Thomas Moore, arranged by Adolf Weidig.
Kitty of Coleraine, Op. 50, No. 3. (1914). A part song for mixed voices. Arranged by Adolf Weidig.
Molly Bawn, Op. 50, No. 4. (1914). A part song for mixed voices. Words and melody by Samuel Lover, arranged by Adolf Weidig.
The Airship. (1915). Words by Virginia Baker, composed by Adolf Weidig for The Progressive Music Series.
Baby Life. (1915). Words by Charles Keeler, composed by Adolf Weidig for The Progressive Music Series.
The Boat. (1915). Words by Abbie Farwell Brown, composed by Adolf Weidig for The Progressive Music Series.
Dandelion. (1915). Words by Abbie Farwell Brown, composed by Adolf Weidig for The Progressive Music Series.
The Five Toes. (1915). Words from Chinese Mother Goose Rhymes, composed by Adolf Weidig for The Progressive Music Series.
The Grasshopper’s Ball. (1915). Words by Kate Louise Brown, composed by Adolf Weidig for The Progressive Music Series.
Humming Bird. (1915). Words by Jean Bassett, composed by Adolf Weidig for The Progressive Music Series.
Kittens. (1915). Words by Anna M. Pratt, composed by Adolf Weidig for The Progressive Music Series.
Lingering Leaves. (1915). Words by Abbie Farwell Brown, composed by Adolf Weidig for The Progressive Music Series.
Oh, What a Sweet Little White Mouse. (1915). Words by Mother Goose, composed by Adolf Weidig for The Progressive Music Series.
The Pussy Willows. (1915). Words by Alice C. D. Riley, composed by Adolf Weidig for The Progressive Music Series.
The River. (1915). Words by Abbie Farwell Brown, composed by Adolf Weidig for The Progressive Music Series.
The Adventure. (1915). Words by Wilhelmina Seegmiller, composed by Adolf Weidig for The Progressive Music Series.
In the Cornfield. (1915). Words by Maude M. Grant, composed by Adolf Weidig for The Progressive Music Series.
There’s Nothing Like the Rose. (1915). Words by Christina G. Rossetti, composed by Adolf Weidig for The Progressive Music Series.
A Wake-Up Song. (1915). Words by Luella Curran, composed by Adolf Weidig for The Progressive Music Series.
Where Go the Winds. (c. 1915). Words by Martha Hanley, composed by Adolf Weidig for The Progressive Music Series.
Concert Overture, Op. 65. (1918). Written in Hinsdale in the summer of 1918 and first performed under Weidig’s direction at the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra on 23 February 1919. Weidig stated on his overture in the Program Notes for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s 25thprogram of the 28th (1918-1919) season: “My overture was sketched in about three days, bu the working out of its manifold details occupied the better part of six months. The score then was ready for the copyist—in this case, my father. It took him over two weeks, working seven to eight hours daily, to make a copy of the score, which comprises over seventy pages.”[3]
Darling Heart. Op. 59, No. 1. (1919).
The Courteous Child, Op. 59, No.21. (1919).
Playmates, Op. 59, No. 3. (1919).
Unknown composition dates:
Abendgang. A contralto song.
Partners At The Dance, Op. 69, No. 1.
You and I, Op. 69, No. 2.
Fireside Dream, Op. 69, No. 3.
You Are It, Op. 69, No. 4.
In Mother’s Rocking Chair.
REFERENCES
[1] Oral History Interview with Mrs. Bonnie Blackman, 8 October 1975, Interviewed by Sarah Mann, Item #B-5, Oral History Collection, Hinsdale Historical Society Archives, Immanuel Hall, Hinsdale, Illinois.
[2] “Adolf Weidig Succumbs to Heart Disease Sept. 23: Noted Musician was Teacher and Composer; Educated Many Artists.” The Hinsdale (Illinois) Doings, 1 October 1931, page 27.
[3] Program Notes. 1919. Volume 28. Chicago: Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Page 299.
SOURCES
“Adolf Weidig Succumbs to Heart Disease Sept. 23: Noted Musician was Teacher and Composer; Educated Many Artists.” 1931. The Hinsdale (Illinois) Doings, 1 October 1931, page 1. Accessed in Fol. Weidig, BIO Collection, Hinsdale Historical Society Archives, Immanuel Hall, 302 S. Grant Street, Hinsdale, Illinois, USA.
“Adolf Weidig, 64, Veteran Music Teacher, Is Dead,” 1931. Chicago Tribune, 24 September 1931, page 16. Accessed in Fol. Weidig, BIO Collection, Hinsdale Historical Society Archives, Immanuel Hall, 302 S. Grant Street, Hinsdale, Illinois, USA.
Banks, Paul. N.d. “Mahler’s Hamburg Copyist: Ferdinand Weidig (1841-1921).” The Music of Gustav Mahler. https://www.mahlercat.org.uk/Pages/Symph1/General/Weidig.htm.
Catalog of Copyright Entries. 1914. Part 3, Volume 9, Issue 2. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress.
Catalogue of Title Entries of Books and Other Articles Entered in the Office of the Register of Copyrights, Library of Congress, at Washington, D.C. 1902. Volume 33. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress.
“Ferdinand Weidig (1841-1921.” N.d. MahlerFoundation.org. https://mahlerfoundation.org/mahler/contemporaries/ferdinand-weidig/. Accessed 13 September 2024.
“Former Members.” N.d. Chicago Symphony Orchestra. https://cso.org/media/o22mmxla/former-members.pdf.
Hauschild-Thiessen, Renate. “Weidig, Adolf.” Found in Hamburgische Biographie. Volume 3. Edited by Franklin Kopitzsch and Dirk Brietzke. Göttingen, Germany: Wallstein. Pages 404-405.
Leonard, John W., ed. 1902. Who’s Who in America: 1901-1902. Volume 2. Chicago: A. N. Margquis & Company. Page 1208.
Music: A Monthly Magazine, Devoted to the Art, Science, Technic and Literature of Music. Volume 19: 1901.
Oral History Interview with Mrs. Bonnie Blackman, 8 October 1975, Interviewed by Sarah Mann, Item #B-5, Oral History Collection, Hinsdale Historical Society Archives, Immanuel Hall, Hinsdale, Illinois.
Parker, Horation, Oscbourne McConathy, Edward Bailey Birge, and W. Otto Miessner. 1916. The Progressive Music Series: Teacher’s Manual. Volume I. Chicago: Silver, Burdett and Company.
---. 1916. The Progressive Music Series: Teacher’s Manual. Volume 2. Chicago: Silver, Burdett and Company.
---. 1916. The Progressive Music Series: Teacher’s Manual. Volume 3. Chicago: Silver, Burdett and Company.
Program Notes. 1919. Volume 28. Chicago: Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Salt Creek Infonietta. 2006. “Celebrating Our 10th Season.” Accessed in Fol. Weidig, BIO Collection, Hinsdale Historical Society Archives, Immanuel Hall, 302 S. Grant Street, Hinsdale, Illinois, USA.
The Etude: A Monthly Journal for the Musician, the Music Student, and all Music Lovers. Volume 37: 1919.
The Musical Leader. Volume 53: 1927.
The Musician. Volume 8: 1903.
The Violinist: A Monthly Magazine for Teachers, Students, Makers, Dealers and Lovers of the Violin. Volume 10: 1916.