Fritz Steinbach

Fritz Steinbach (17 June 1855 – 13 August 1916) was a German conductor and composer who was particularly associated with the works of Johannes Brahms.

He remained there until 1902, during which time he often collaborated with Brahms and gave frequent guest performances at the court of Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen.

He taught conducting at the Cologne Conservatory where his pupils included Adolf Busch (in composition), Fritz Busch (in conducting), Allard de Ridder, Karl Elmendorff, Hans Knappertsbusch, Franz Mittler, Karl Aagard Østvig, Albert van Raalte and Erwin Schulhoff.

Although Steinbach performed music by composers such as Bach, Beethoven, Mahler, and Reger, he was most prominently associated with Brahms, influencing younger conductors such as Arturo Toscanini and Adrian Boult.

In general, Steinbach's conducting favored the Classical, rhythm-focused style of Hans Richter over the Romantic, lyrically-driven style of conductors such as Arthur Nikisch, although Steinbach's flexibility of tempo also attracted admirers.