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Viennese organist and pianist, music critic, choral director, and composer.

Career Summary

Lafite studied organ, piano (Door), and composition (Fuchs) at the Vienna Conservatory 1889-93; 1894-96 he taught in Olmütz [Olomouc], worked as an accompanist 1896-98 and in later years, was appointed organist of the Piaristenkirche in Vienna 1898, remaining in that post until 1910. He was thereafter a teacher at the Vienna blind institute and conductor of three Viennese institutions: the Sängerbund, the Singakadamie (where Schenker put on concerts), and the Damensingvereinigung (women's choral association).

From 1908 to 1918 he worked as the music critic for the Vienna Allgemeine Zeitung, later for the Neue Freie Presse and the Neues Wiener Tagblatt . In 1910, he was one of the founders of the Neues Wiener Konservatorium, and from 1912 to 1922 served as the General Secretary of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde and thereafter as member of its board. From 1926 he held the title of Professor. He was also the director of the education program of the Vienna Urania.

Lafite and Schenker

Schenker had dealings with Lafite in the early 1900s regarding performance of compositions of his by the Singakademie and Damenchorverein. Schenker came into acrimonious conflict with him over an invitation to give a lecture or group of lectures to the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in 1912. In 1920, Weisse found Lafite an obstacle to giving lectures on Schenker's theory at the Urania.

Correspondence with Schenker

Thirteen items of correspondence between Lafite and Schenker are known to survive: Lafite to Schenker at OJ 12/29 and GdM Exh. 332, [4] (9 items: 1902, 1904, 1912); Schenker to Lafite as OJ 5/23 and GdM Exh. 332, [1]-[3] (5 items: 1912).

Source:

  • MGG1
  • OeML Online

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Correspondence

Diaries