Verhulst, Johannes Josephus Hermanus (1816-1891)

Verhulst, Johannes Josephus Hermanus

COMPOSER, CONDUCTOR, PIANIST (THE NETHERLANDS)

BORN 19 Mar 1816, Den Haag - DIED 17 Jan 1891, Den Haag
GRAVE LOCATION Den Haag: Oud Eik en Duinen, Laan van Eik en Duinen (D2 1-1054)

Johannes Verhulst studied at the conservatory in The Hague. After he receiving a scholarship he continued his studies in Leipzig with Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, who had accepted him as a composition pupil after he was shown an overture written by Verhulst when he was on holiday in Scheveningen in 1836. Also in Leipzig, he became a close friend of Robert Schumann. When he was 22 he was appointed conductor of the Euterpe in Leipzig and in 1842 he became conductor of the Royal Court Music in The Hague. In 1847 his "Mis in as" (1840-1843) was first performed in The Hague. It lasted until 2001 until this work was reproduced in it's full version Residentie Orkest in The Hague.

Verhulst mainly wrote church music and songs and his work was stronly influenced by Mendelssohn-Bartholdy and Schumann. He held several influencial positions in the Netherlands and for a long time succesfully opposed the production of the works of Wagner and Berlioz. However, he was the conductor at the world premiere of "Totentanz" by Franz Liszt with Hans von Bülow at the piano (1865) and he also introduced the work of Bruckner to the Netherlands. But his conservative musical preferences led to criticism and in 1886 he was fired by the Diligentia Society in The Hague. He withdrew from the music scene and died five years later.

Related persons
• cooperated with Bülow, Hans von
• was pupil to Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Felix
• was a friend of Schumann, Robert Alexander

Sources
• Winkler Prins Encyclopedie (editie 1909), 1909
• Broek, Annet van den, Koos Groen, Hun Laatste Rustplaats, Bosch & Keuning, Baarn, 1985