Reinhold Imanuel Beck was born in Hanover on January 10, 1881. Conducting was the family trade: grandfather Imanuel had been a respected military music director, and father Paul was a ballet conductor. But the latter died when Reinhold was twelve years of age and it was decided that after his basic schooling the boy must quickly earn a living wage. Beck trained as a pharmacist before suddenly giving it up in favor of the arts. From 1900 to 1903 he studied at the Hanover Conservatory with Karl Le...