Kapellmeister
noun
a choirmaster.
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Kapellmeister
American
[kah-pel-mahy-ster, kuh-]
/ kɑˈpɛlˌmaɪ stər, kə- /
noun
-
Kapellmeister
plural
-
a choirmaster.
-
a conductor of an orchestra.
-
a bandmaster.
kapellmeister
British
/ kæˈpɛlˌmaɪstə /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of Kapellmeister
From German, dating back to 1830–40; see origin at chapel, master
Explanation
A kapellmeister is the conductor of a musical group, especially a choir or a small orchestra. Historically, a kapellmeister programmed music for monarchs or cathedrals. In German, Kapellmeister means "chapel master," or "master of the chapel choir." Starting in the early 16th century, German kapellmeisters programmed music for nobles and aristocrats, which was usually played in churches and cathedrals. Many famous composers, including Joseph Haydn, worked as kapellmeisters. Today, the term usually refers to a music director for a church or theater.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Amid these miscellaneous worthies, resting beneath a noble but unpretentious obelisk, is the composer Antonio Salieri, Kapellmeister to the emperor of Austria.
From The New Yorker ● May 27, 2019
The once untouchable Kapellmeister began to suffer the kinds of reverses to which other composers had long been accustomed: the only opera that he completed in the four years after Joseph’s death went unperformed.
From The New Yorker ● May 27, 2019
I know that in the English-speaking world, the word Kapellmeister has not a good sound: boring, uninspired conducting.
From New York Times ● Aug. 1, 2018
I have my own point of view, but yes, I think the traditional Kapellmeister tradition has been good for Bayreuth.
From New York Times ● Aug. 1, 2018
How're you s’posed to say Kapellmeister if you can't say Kapellmeister?
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
After ruining Mozart’s prospects at court, Salieri is stunned to learn that he’s been promoted to kapellmeister.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2026
“A kapellmeister is the same as a maestro, it’s only in German. It is somebody who has to be very aware of what happens in an orchestra.”
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 3, 2023
He eventually took on greater responsibility by becoming kapellmeister to the court of the Grand Duke of Weimer, where he promoted new music and had the freedom to experiment.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 4, 2015
Persuaded to take root at Weimar as kapellmeister he resolves to immolate himself on the altar of Wagner.
From Time Magazine Archive
We must remember the sort of music the Dresden public had suffered under: dull, workmanlike operas, without an original touch, without the breath of life in them—in a word, kapellmeister music.
From Wagner by John F. Runciman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
