What is Hans von Bülow?
[[File:Hans von buelow.jpg|thumb|right|Hans von Bülow]] '''Hans von Bülow''' (born [[Dresden]], 8 January 1830 ; died [[Cairo]], 12 February 1894) was a German [[Conducting|conductor]] and [[pianist]]. He was one of the most famous conductors of the [[19th century]] as well as being a famous pianist. He is especially remembered for his conducting of the [[opera]]s of [[Richard Wagner]]. ==Life== Bülow was born in [[Dresden]]. His family belonged to the nobility: he had the title of “Freiherr” (similar to the English [[Baron]]). When he was nine he had music lessons from Friedrich Wieck who was the father of [[Clara Schumann]]. However, his parents said that he had to study law instead of music, and they sent him to [[Leipzig]]. During this time he met [[Franz Liszt]] in [[Weimar]] and he heard him conduct the music of Wagner. He decided to study music even though his parents did not want him to. He went to [[Zürich]] where Wagner was living in [[exile]]. Wagner thought he was very talented and got him some conducting jobs. In 1851 he went to Weimar to study the piano with Liszt. He worked very hard at his piano technique. He also wrote articles about music. Liszt also thought that von Bülow would become a great musician. In 1853 Bülow made his first concert tour. He played in [[Vienna]], [[Budapest|Pest]], [[Dresden]], [[Karlsruhe]], [[Bremen]], [[Hamburg]] and [[Berlin]]. He taught the piano in Berlin and gave a lot of support to young composers who had new ideas about music. He toured as pianist and conductor in Germany and [[Russia]]. In 1857 he married Liszt’s daughter, Cosima. They had two daughters. In 1864 he became the [[Kapellmeister|Hofkapellmeister]] in [[Munich]]. This was a very important conducting job and it made him extremely famous. He conducted the first performances of two Wagner operas: ''[[Tristan und Isolde]]'' (1865) and ''[[Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg]]'' (1868). These were extremely successful. Meanwhile Cosima was having a love affair with Richard Wagner. In