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* 

amous  rianists 


CO 


of  To-day  and  Ijesterday 


JAA)UUUlUV\JMJkAJUJAJkAJk^^ 


at  •*•*•*•••*  •* 


FAMOUS   PIANISTS  OF  TO-DAY 
AND  YESTERDAY 


MUZIO   CLEMENTI. 


imttata 
of  urn-dag  att& 


Henry  C.  Lahee 


Author  of   "Famous   Singers    of    To- Jay    and 

Yesterday,  "  "  Famous  Violinists  of  To-day 

and  Yesterday,  "  "  The  Organ  and 

Its  Masters, ' '  etc. 


L-C  PAGE- £*•  COMPANY 
BOSTON  J»  PUBLISHERS 


Copyright,  iqoo 
BY  L.  C.  PAGE  &  COMPANY 

(INCORPORATED) 


All  rights  reserved 


Seventh  Impression,  February,  1906 


COLONIAL  PRESS 

Electrotyped  and  Printed  by  C.  H.  Simonds  &•  Co. 
Boston,  U.S.A. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PACK 

PREFACE  .   .   .   .   .   .   v 

I.  THE  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  PIANO- 
FORTE AND  THE  EARLY  PERFORM- 
ERS   ii 

II.  BEETHOVEN  AND  His  CONTEMPORA- 
RIES  35 

III.  MENDELSSOHN,     CHOPIN,     HENSELT, 

AND  LISZT 74 

IV.  THE    EARLY     INTERNATIONAL    VIR- 

TUOSI        no 

V.     RUBINSTEIN,  VON  BULOW,  AND  TAU- 

SIG 15° 

VI.    THE  MODERN  PIANISTS     .        .        .176 
VII.     PADEREWSKI,     SAUER,     ROSENTHAL, 

AND    D'ALBERT         ....      2o8 

VIII.     PIANISTS  OF  TO-DAY  ....    246 
IX.    WOMEN  AS  PIANISTS  ....    280 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

Muzio  CLEMENTI   ....       Frontispiece 

FRANZ  LISZT 98 

SIGISMOND  THALBERG 124 

HANS  VON  BULOW 166 

VLADIMIR  DE  PACHMANN       .        .        .        .184 

RAFAEL  JOSEFFY 196 

MORITZ  ROSENTHAL 238 

CLARA  (WIECK)  SCHUMANN    ....    284 
TERESA  CARRENO  ......    302 


PREFACE. 

IN  "  Famous  Pianists  "  the  writer  has  en- 
deavoured  to  follow  the  same  general  plan 
as  in  his  two  previous  books  of  this  series. 
In  the  limited  space  at  command,  it  is  im- 
possible to  give  a  complete  record  of  the 
best  pianoforte  players,  therefore  those  only 
have  been  selected  who  have  made  a  reputa- 
tion as  travelling  virtuosi.  In  some  cases 
these  have  been  musicians  more  celebrated 
as  composers  and  who  have  been  mentioned 
already  in  this  series.  It  has  therefore  been 
found  advisable  to  touch  only  the  matter  of 
piano  playing,  and  practically  no  mention  is 
made  of  any  as  composers. 

The  pianists  are  arranged,  as  far  as  possi- 
ble, in  chronological  order.  The  chronological 


vi  Preface. 

table  has  been  compiled  from  the  best  exist- 
ing authorities,  but  does  not  include  all  pian- 
ists mentioned  therein.  It  extends  the  list 
of  noted  pianists  a  little  more  than  is  possible 
in  the  text  of  the  book,  and  includes  some  of 
the  best  known  local  pianists,  both  of  Europe 
and  America. 

HENRY  C.  LAHEE. 


FAMOUS  PIANISTS  OF  TO-DAY 
AND  YESTERDAY. 


CHAPTER   I. 

THE  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  PIANOFORTE 
AND  THE  EARLY  PERFORMERS. 

THE  pianoforte  is  a  comparatively  new 
instrument,  gradually  developed  from  the 
spinet,  harpsichord  and  clavichord.  There 
have  been  various  forms  of  the  pianoforte,  — 
the  upright,  square,  and  grand.  To  the 
former  and  the  latter,  numerous  inventions 
have  been  applied,  until  they  have  been 
brought  to  a  great  state  of  perfection.  For 
some  years  the  manufacture  of  the  square 


12  Famous  Pianists. 

piano  has  practically  ceased,  and  the  upright 
or  cottage  piano  has  become  the  favourite 
instrument  for  ordinary  household  use,  while 
the  grand  piano  has  become  a  magnificent, 
powerful  instrument,  capable  of  a  wonder- 
ful variety  of  effects  under  the  touch  of  a 
skilful  performer. 

For  the  past  hundred  and  fifty  years  there 
has  been  a  constant  competition  between 
composer,  mechanic,  and  performer,  each  one 
striving  for  the  improvement  of  his  special 
branch.  As  the  composer  wrote  more  diffi- 
cult music,  the  pianist  would  discover  techni- 
cal methods  for  overcoming  these  difficulties, 
and  the  manufacturer  would  add  contrivances 
to  his  instrument,  which  enabled  the  pianist 
to  produce  greater  effects,  and  inspired  the 
composer  with  still  larger  ideas. 

Sometimes  the  three  functions  of  composer, 
manufacturer,  and  performer  were  united  in 
one  person,  as  in  the  cases  of  Clementi, 
Pleyel,  and  others,  but  generally  the  three 


Development  of  the  Pianoforte.        13 

kindred  arts  have  been  best  represented  by 
different  men,  each  making  a  special  study  of 
his  own  particular  branch,  in  itself  making 
the  greatest  demands  upon  the  ingenuity  of 
its  exponent. 

The  first  step  toward  the  invention  of  the 
pianoforte  may  be  said  to  have  been  taken 
when  the  keyboard  was  invented,  and  this  is 
understood  to  have  been  about  the  close  of 
the  eleventh  century,  when  it  was  applied 
to  the  organ. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  follow  the  develop- 
ment of  the  instrument  through  all  its  inter- 
mediate stages,  and  it  will  be  sufficient  to 
state  that  the  keyboard  was  applied  to  nu- 
merous stringed  instruments,  all  of  which 
appear  to  have  been  instruments  of  friction, 
that  is  to  say,  the  vibration  of  the  string  was 
caused  by  snapping  or  plucking  with  a  quill 
or  piece  of  tortoise-shell,  in  mechanical  imita- 
tion of  the  way  in  which  the  springs  of  the 
harp,  lyre,  etc.,  were  plucked  by  the  fingers. 


14  Famous  Pianists. 

The  three  immediate  predecessors  of  the 
pianoforte,  viz.,  the  spinet,  the  harpsichord, 
and  the  clavichord,  differed  from  one  another 
chiefly  in  shape.  The  spinet  was  triangular, 
the  clavichord  was  rectangular,  and  sometimes 
upright ;  the  harpsichord  was  shaped  very 
much  as  the  grand  pianoforte.  Of  their 
other  individualities  it  is  unnecessary  to 
speak  here,  though  it  may  be  interesting 
to  know  that  the  transposing  keyboard  was 
in  use  as  early  as  1760. 

The  invention  of  the  pianoforte  may  be 
considered  to  have  taken  place  when  the 
principle  of  percussion  for  the  production  of 
sound  was  adopted,  and  this  invention  was 
supplemented  by  the  application  of  stops 
or  pedals  which  enabled  the  performer  to 
play  loud  or  soft,  —  hence  the  name  "  piano- 
forte." 

This  invention  is  ascribed  to  three  different 
men  who,  each  in  his  own  country,  and  about 
the  same  time,  and  without  knowledge  of  the 


Development  of  the  Pianoforte.        15 

others,  applied  the  percussion  principle  to 
their  instruments. 

Bartolommeo  Cristofali,  born  at  Padua  in 
1683,  two  years  before  the  great  Bach,  was 
harpsichord  maker  to  the  Grand  Duke  of 
Tuscany,  and  produced  a  pianoforte  of  which 
an  account  was  given  in  1711. 

Marius,  a  French  inventor,  submitted  an 
instrument  for  examination  to  the  Academic 
des  Sciences,  in  February,  1716.  His  third 
pianoforte  was  a  vertical  one,  and  was  proba- 
bly the  first  vertical  pianoforte  ever  made. 

Christopher  Gottlieb  Schroter  was  born  in 
1699,  at  Hohenstein,  Bohemia,  and  con- 
structed a  model  of  a  pianoforte  in  1717. 

The  pianoforte  did  not  leap  into  instant 
favour.  It  was  a  crude  instrument,  though 
it  contained  principles  capable  of  tremendous 
development,  as  has  since  been  proved.  The 
great  Bach  is  said  to  have  preferred  the 
clavichord,  which  he  considered  to  be  the 
best  instrument  for  study  and,  in  general, 


1 6  Famous  Pianists. 

for  private  musical  entertainment.  He  found 
it  the  most  convenient  for  the  expression  of 
his  most  refined  thoughts,  and  did  not  believe 
it  possible  to  produce  from  any  harpsichord, 
or  pianoforte,  such  a  variety  of  gradations  of 
tone,  as  on  this  instrument,  "  which  is  indeed 
poor  in  tone  but,  on  a  small  scale,  extremely 
flexible." 

In  1747  Bach  paid  his  memorable  visit  to 
the  Emperor  Frederick  the  Great,  when  he 
was  ushered  into  the  Imperial  presence  in 
such  haste  that  he  was  unable  to  change  his 
travelling  dress  for  his  black  Chapter's  gown. 
The  Emperor  led  him  at  once  into  his  music- 
room,  where  he  tried  the  new  pianofortes 
made  by  Silbermann,  on  which  he  improvised 
a  fugue  on  a  theme  given  him  by  the  Emperor. 

Bach  played  very  quietly.  In  his  time 
technique  began  to  change  its  principles. 
The  hand  was  no  longer  to  be  held  out  flat, 
but  curved  so  as  to  provide  a  series  of  ham- 
mers rather  than  levers.  The  passing  of 


Development  of  the  Pianoforte.        17 

the  fingers  over  each  other,  as  practised  by 
Matheson,  a  celebrated  harpsichord  player, 
and  others,  gave  way  to  underpassing,  and 
the  thumb,  which  Bach  had  seen  applied 
by  former  generations  only  to  wide  stretches, 
began  its  important  part  as  the  linking  finger. 

Bach's  sons,  Karl  Philipp  Emanuel  and 
Johann  Christian,  may  be  considered  to  be 
the  first  who  effected  a  change  in  the  methods 
of  playing  and  composition  for  the  pianoforte, 
though  the  works  of  Sebastian  Bach  will  ever 
remain  as  a  model  for  the  study  of  all  good 
pianoforte  schools,  for  he  gave  to  the  music 
student  the  "  Wohltemperirtes  Klavier,"  an 
incomparable  work  of  instruction  for  all 
pianists. 

Even  Emanuel  Bach  is  said  to  have  pre- 
ferred the  clavichord  to  the  pianoforte,  and 
his  younger  brother  John  Christian,  who  was 
his  pupil,  was  the  first  to  show  a  decided 
preference  for  the  more  modern  instrument. 

Johann     Christian    Bach    was    the    only 


1 8  Famous  Pianists. 

member  of  the  family  who  travelled.  He 
went  to  Italy,  and  in  1754  became  organist 
of  the  Milan  Cathedral.  While  in  Milan  he 
married  the  prima  donna  Grassi,  and  with 
her  went  to  London  in  1759,  where  he  re- 
mained until  his  death  in  1782.  He  was 
clever  and  intelligent,  and  became  popular 
on  account  of  the  elegance  and  brilliancy 
of  his  pianoforte  compositions  and  playing. 
He  is  generally  known  as  the  "  London 
Bach." 

The  pianoforte  became  popular  in  England 
more  rapidly  than  on  the  continent,  and  the 
coming  of  John  Christian  Bach  gave  a  new 
impetus  to  the  instrument,  and  awoke  the 
ingenuity  and  ambition  of  the  chief  performers 
and  manufacturers  in  England. 

In  1767  the  pianoforte,  which  had  hitherto 
been  merely  a  household  instrument,  was 
used  on  the  stage  of  Covent  Garden  Theatre, 
and  was  played  by  Charles  Dibdin,  the  cele- 
brated song-writer,  who  is  said  to  have  been 


Development  of  the  Pianoforte.        19 

the  first  person  to  perform  on  the  pianoforte 
publicly  in  England. 

The  firm  of  Broadwood  was  founded  about 

1751,  when   John    Broadwood,  a   carpenter, 
born  in  Scotland,  went  to  London  and  ob- 
tained employment  under  Tschudi,  a  harpsi- 
chord maker,  whose   son-in-law  and   partner 
he  soon  became.     The  earliest  square  piano- 
forte made  by  this  firm  was  in  1771,  and  the 
earliest  grand,  1781. 

On  the  continent  Schroter  and  Silbermann 
were  amongst  the  earliest  makers  of  piano- 
fortes, both  Cristofali  and  Marius  meeting 
with  but  small  recognition. 

Christian  Ernest  Frederici,  a  pupil  of  Sil- 
bermann, is  said  to  have  made  the  first  square 
pianoforte.  He  was  born  in  Saxony  in  1712. 

Sebastian  Erard,  whose  name  is  known 
far  and  wide  for  the  excellence  of  his  piano- 
fortes and  harps,  was  born  at  Strasburg  in 

1752,  and  was  the  son  of   an    upholsterer. 
He  was  a  somewhat  precocious  genius,  for  he 


2O  Famous  Pianists. 

began  the  study  of  architecture,  linear  design, 
perspective  and  practical  geometry,  at  the 
age  of  eight.  His  father's  death,  when 
Sebastian  was  only  sixteen,  left  him  at  the 
head  of  a  family  of  four  children.  In  order 
to  seek  a  wider  field  than  was  afforded  by 
his  native  town,  he  set  off  for  Paris,  and 
obtained  employment  there  with  a  harpsi- 
chord maker,  in  whose  service  the  superiority 
of  his  workmanship  soon  became  evident. 
Unlike  Broadwood,  however,  he  did  not  win 
the  confidence  of  his  employer  but  aroused 
his  jealousy,  and  was  finally  dismissed  from 
his  service.  Erard  had  already  gained  a 
reputation  in  the  trade,  and  another  harpsi- 
chord maker,  being  called  upon  to  make 
an  instrument  which  required  something 
beyond  his  skill,  sought  out  Erard  and 
offered  him  a  certain  price  to  make  the 
instrument,  and  to  allow  the  manufacturer 
to  affix  his  own  name  to  it.  Erard  con- 
sented, but  the  purchaser,  when  he  received 


Development  of  the  Pianoforte.        21 

the  instrument,  demanded  some  explanation 
of  the  mechanism.  This  the  nominal  maker 
was  unable  to  give,  and  he  was  obliged  to 
refer  to  Erard.  This  anecdote,  which  was 
rapidly  circulated  amongst  the  musicians  of 
Paris,  drew  attention  toward  the  young  man, 
and  by  the  time  he  was  twenty-five  years  of 
age  he  had  acquired  such  a  reputation  that 
he  was  sought  out  by  the  most  distinguished 
men. 

Erard  took  out  his  first  patent  for  improve- 
ments in  harps  and  pianofortes  in  1 794. 

At  the  time  of  the  Revolution  he  moved 
to  London,  and  many  of  his  patents  were 
taken  out  in  England,  —  notably  that  for  the 
double-movement  harp.  He  returned  to 
France  in  1796,  but  went  back  again  to 
England  in  1808.  He  brought  the  piano- 
forte to  a  great  pitch  of  perfection,  exhibiting 
in  1823  a  grand  piano  which  was  considered 
to  be  a  marvel  of  mechanical  ingenuity. 
Erard  died  in  1831. 


22  Famous  Pianists. 

In  America  the  first  pianoforte  is  said  to 
have  been  made  by  Benjamin  Crehorne  at 
Milton,  Mass.,  but  few,  if  any,  improvements 
took  place  until  the  founding  of  the  house  of 
Chickering  in  1823. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  pianoforte  as 
an  effective  instrument  hardly  existed  until 
near  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century. 
The  pianoforte  in  the  days  of  the  old  masters, 
Bach,  Haydn,  Mozart,  was  merely  an  instru- 
ment for  an  ordinary  room,  though  previous 
to  its  use  as  a  concert  instrument  much  had 
been  done  both  by  composers  and  performers 
to  develop  its  technique. 

Domenico  Scarlatti,  who  did  much  to 
develop  pianoforte  technique,  was  the  son 
of  Alessandrio  Scarlatti,  the  celebrated  com- 
poser. Alessandrio  was  himself  no  mean 
performer  on  the  harpsichord,  but  his  fame 
rests  on  his  compositions. 

Domenico  was  born  in  1683  at  Naples, 
and  became  a  pupil  first  of  his  father,  and 


Development  of  the  Pianoforte.        23 

later  of  Gasparini.  He  travelled  not  only 
in  Italy,  where  he  was  not  fully  appre- 
ciated, but  also  visited  Spain  and  England. 
In  Venice  he  is  said  to  have  met  Handel, 
and  entered  into  a  competition  with  him  for 
the  entertainment  of  Cardinal  Ottoboni.  In 
this  competition  Scarlatti  and  Handel  were 
adjudged  equal  as  far  as  the  harpsichord  was 
concerned,  but  upon  the  organ  Handel  far 
surpassed  his  rival,  and  Scarlatti  was  the 
first  to  recognise  Handel's  superiority.  In- 
deed it  is  said  that  ever  afterward,  in  speak- 
ing of  Handel,  he  used  to  reverently  cross 
himself.  They  met  again  in  London  in  1720, 
where  they  were  on  the  most  friendly  terms. 
Scarlatti  was  unfortunately  addicted  to  gam- 
bling, and  was  sometimes  reduced  to  great 
straits.  Once  the  celebrated  singer  Farinelli 
befriended  him,  but  when  he  died,  in  1756, 
at  Naples,  he  was  in  a  state  of  destitution. 

Karl  Philipp  Emanuel  Bach  distinguished 
himself  as  a  master  of,  and   composer  for, 


24  Famous  Pianists. 

the  piano.  He  was  the  third  son  of  the 
great  Bach,  and  was  born  at  Weimar  in 
1714.  He  was  educated  for  the  law,  but 
his  love  for  music  was  too  strong,  and  he 
abandoned  the  legal  profession,  or  rather  he 
naturally  drifted  into  music.  He  became 
the  accompanist  of  Frederick  the  Great  when, 
in  times  of  peace,  he  whiled  away  his  leisure 
hours  by  playing  on  the  flute. 

Emanuel  Bach  was  a  man  of  pleasant  man- 
ners, literary  culture,  and  refinement,  and  his 
playing  was  marked  by  good  taste.  He  lived 
in  a  time  when  there  were  no  great  musicians, 
and  formed  a  link  between  Handel  and  S.Bach, 
and  Haydn  and  Mozart.  He  wrote  the  first 
methodical  treatise  on  clavier-playing,  "Ver- 
such  uber  die  wahre  Art  das  Clavier  zu  spielen," 
which  is  important  as  containing  the  principles 
laid  down  by  his  father,  which  were  afterward 
developed  by  Field,  Cramer,  Clementi,  and 
Hummel  into  the  pianoforte  playing  of  the 
middle  of  the  nineteenth  century. 


Development  of  the  Pianoforte.        25 

He  lays  special  stress  on  refinement  and 
taste  in  execution,  and  gives  detailed  rules 
for  the  execution  of  ornaments  and  embel- 
lishments. 

Emanuel  Bach  was  the  first  to  introduce 
a  more  expressive  and  singing  style  of  play- 
ing. "  Methinks  music  ought  principally  to 
move  the  heart,"  he  says,  in  his  essay  on  the 
true  method  of  playing  the  clavier,  "and  in 
this  no  true  performer  on  the  pianoforte 
will  succeed  merely  by  thumping  and  drum- 
ming, or  by  continual  arpeggio-playing." 
These  words  are  equally  applicable  to  the 
pianoforte  playing  of  the  present  day,  a  fact 
which  too  many  pianists  are  apt  to  ignore. 

In  1757  Bach  migrated  to  Hamburg,  where 
he  was  appointed  director  of  music  in  one  of 
the  churches.  In  1767  he  succeeded  Tele- 
mann,  and  held  the  post  until  his  death  in 
1788. 

To  Muzio  Clementi  the  pianoforte  stu- 
dents of  many  generations  have  been  deeply 


26  Famous  Pianists. 

indebted,  for  he  it  was  who  compiled  the 
celebrated  "  Gradus  ad  Parnassum,"  which 
has  afforded  them  so  many  hours  of  innocent 
and  beneficial  occupation. 

'  Clementi  was  born  in  1752  at  Rome,  and 
was  the  son  of  a  silversmith,  who,  noticing 
the  early  musical  proclivities  of  his  child, 
took  steps  at  once  to  develop  his  talent  by 
proper  instruction.  Muzio  was  therefore 
placed  under  Buroni,  a  choirmaster,  who 
taught  him  the  rudiments  of  music,  and  as 
he  advanced  he  studied  with  Condicelli,  Car- 
pani,  and  Sartarelli,  who  taught  him  thorough- 
bass, counterpoint,  and  singing  to  such  good 
effect  that  by  the  time  he  was  fourteen  he 
had  already  written  several  works,  of  which 
one,  a  Mass,  was  publicly  and  successfully 
performed  at  Rome.  He  was  now  offered 
a  musical  education  without  expense  by  an 
English  gentleman  named  Beckford,  or  Bed- 
ford, who  took  him  to  England  after  obtain- 
ing the  father's  reluctant  consent. 


Development  of  the  Pianoforte.        27 

When  he  was  eighteen  years  old  he  ap- 
peared in  London  as  a  concert  pianist  and 
composer,  and  met  with  the  most  brilliant 
success.  After  this  he  acted  for  some  time 
as  conductor  at  the  Italian  opera  in  London, 
and  then,  in  1771,  he  began  a  tour  of  the 
continent,  giving  first  a  series  of  concerts  at 
Paris.  He  proceeded  to  Strasburg,  Munich, 
and  Vienna,  being  well  received  everywhere. 
At  Vienna  he  met  Haydn  and  Mozart,  and 
for  the  gratification  of  the  Emperor  Joseph 
II.  encountered  Mozart  in  a  musical]  combat. 
Although  the  victory  was  left  undecided,  it 
appears  that  Clementi  profited  by  the  expe- 
rience, and  set  himself  to  work  to  acquire 
Mozart's  singing  touch,  his  own  playing  being 
too  mechanical.  He  is  said  to  have  been 
superior  to  Mozart  in  technical  execution ; 
indeed,  his  innovations  in  the  matter  of  tech- 
nique earned  for  him  the  title  of  "  Father  of 
Modern  Pianoforte  Playing." 

Clementi  remained   in   London,  after   his 


28  Famous  Pianists. 

continental  tour,  until  his  death  in  1832, 
with  the  exception  of  one  occasion  when  he 
took  his  pupil,  John  Field,  to  St.  Petersburg, 
visiting  Paris  and  Vienna  en  route.  They 
were  received  with  great  enthusiasm,  and 
Field  remaining  in  St.  Petersburg  made  it 
his  home. 

dementi  did  not  escape  the  vicissitudes  of 
fortune,  for  he  invested  his  earnings  in  the 
business  of  pianoforte  manufacturing,  and  lost 
them.  Nothing  daunted,  he  established  a  busi- 
ness of  his  own,  which,  although  almost  ruined 
once  by  fire,  grew  and  became  prosperous, 
and  developed  into  the  celebrated  firm  of 
Collard. 

The  private  life  of  Clementi  was  smooth 
and  uneventful,  if  that  term  may  be  applied 
to  one  who  married  three  times  and  had 
many  children.  He  was  a  most  successful 
teacher,  and  numbered  among  his  pupils  such 
men  as  Cramer,  Field,  Klengel,  Berger,  and 
Meyerbeer.  His  compositions  were  numer- 


Development  of  the  Pianoforte.        29 

ous,  and  include  a  hundred  sonatas,  of  which 
about  sixty  are  for  the  piano  alone.  Clementi 
developed  and  perfected  the  sonata,  and 
carried  forward  pianoforte  technique  to  a 
point  a  long  way  in  advance  of  his  predeces- 
sors. His  life  covers  the  period  from  Handel 
to  five  years  beyond  the  death  of  Beethoven, 
during  which  vast  changes  were  effected  in 
the  musical  art. 

Four  years  after  the  birth  of  Clementi 
there  was  born  one  of  the  greatest  lights 
of  the  musical  world,  Wolfgang  Amadeus 
Mozart,  and  though  Mozart's  fame  as  a 
composer  overshadows  everything  else  in 
his  career,  yet  he  was  perhaps  the  most 
remarkable  pianist  of  his  time. 

He  could  play  the  piano  and  the  violin  at 
the  age  of  four,  and  a  year  later  his  father 
took  him,  with  his  sister  Nanerle,  on  a 
concert  tour.  In  1762  Leopold  Mozart  was 
commanded  to  take  his  children  to  Schon- 
brunn,  where  they  played  before  the  Em- 


30  Famous  Pianists. 

peror  of  Austria,  and  the  following  year  a 
long  tour  was  commenced,  which  took  them 
throughout  the  western  part  of  the  continent, 
as  well  as  London. 

Mozart  was  admired  and  rewarded  by 
countless  royalties  and  celebrities.  In  1775 
he  was  spoken  of  by  Schubart  as  one  of  the 
greatest  pianists.  He  was  compared  with 
one  Von  Beecke,  a  pianist  whose  name  has 
not  otherwise  come  down  to  posterity, — 
"Mozart  plays  with  great  power,  and  reads 
whatever  is  put  before  him ;  but  that  is  all 
that  can  be  said.  Beecke  is  far  superior. 
His  execution  is  wonderfully  liquid,  his  play- 
ing full  of  grace,  and  his  taste  is  thoroughly 
original ;  no  one  can  compete  with  him." 

A  different  opinion  is  expressed  by  Am- 
bros  Rieder,  who,  in  his  reminiscences,  writ- 
ten, however,  many  years  after  Mozart's 
death,  says,  "  I  cannot  describe  my  astonish- 
ment when  I  happened  to  be  so  fortunate  as 
to  hear  the  immortal  W.  A.  Mozart  playing 


Development  of  the  Pianoforte.        31 

before  a  large  company  of  people.  Not  only 
did  he  vary  with  much  skill  what  he  was 
playing,  but  he  extemporised  as  well.  I  had 
never  been  accustomed  to  hear  anything  so 
great  or  so  wonderful.  Such  bold  flights  of 
fancy,  that  seemed  to  attain  the  highest 
regions,  were  alike  a  marvel  and  a  delight 
to  the  most  experienced  of  musicians.  Even 
to  this  day,  although  a  very  old  man,  I  can 
still  hear  those  heavenly  harmonies,  and  die 
in  the  firm  conviction  that  there  has  only 
been  one  Mozart." 

An  account  is  given  of  a  concert,  in  which 
Mozart  performed,  at  the  Academy  in  Mantua, 
and  it  is  valuable  as  showing  that  improvisa- 
tion, sight-reading,  and  transposition  were  in 
those  days  regarded  as  exhibitions  necessary 
for  the  proof  of  musicianship.  At  this  con- 
cert Mozart's  program  was,  "  First,  a  sym- 
phony of  his  own  composition  ;  secondly,  a 
pianoforte  concerto,  which  he  will  play  at 
sight ;  thirdly,  a  sonata  just  placed  before 


32  Famous  Pianists. 

him,  which  he  will  provide  with  variations 
and  afterward  repeat  in  another  key.  Then 
he  will  compose  an  aria  to  words  given  to 
him,  sing  it  himself,  and  accompany  it  on  the 
clavier.  Next,  a  sonata  for  the  cembalo  on 
a  motive  supplied  by  the  first  violin ;  a  strict 
fugue  on  a  theme  to  be  selected,  which  he 
will  improvise  upon  the  piano;  a  trio,  in 
which  he  will  take  the  violin  part  all,  im- 
proviso ;  and,  finally,  the  last  symphony  of 
his  own  composition." 

It  would  be  superfluous  to  record  here  the 
details  of  Mozart's  life,  of  his  sad  death,  and 
his  burial  in  a  pauper's  grave,  these  matters 
have  been  so  fully  told  elsewhere;  and  our 
concern  is  only  with  his  rank  as  a  pianist,  in 
which,  at  any  rate,  he  appears  to  have  sur- 
passed Clementi  at  the  time  of  their  meeting 
before  the  Emperor  Joseph. 

Johann  Wilhelm  Haessler  and  Johann 
Franz  Xavier  Sterkel  were  distinguished 
pianists  about  Mozart's  time.  The  former, 


Development  of  the  Pianoforte.        33 

born  in  1747,  made  some  concert  tours  from 
1790  to  1794,  after  which  he  took  up  his 
residence  in  Moscow,  where  he  died  in  1822. 

Sterkel  was  born  at  Wiirzburg  in  1750, 
went  through  the  college  course  at  the 
Wurzburg  University,  and  became  vicar  and 
organist  of  Neumunster.  In  1778  he  became 
chaplain  and  pianist  to  the  Elector  of  May- 
ence,  who  in  the  following  year  sent  him  on 
a  tour  through  Italy,  where  he  met  with 
much  success.  In  1791  he  received  a  visit 
from  Beethoven,  then  a  young  man  of 
twenty,  who  came  to  hear  the  great  player. 
Sterkel  was  the  first  great  executant  that 
Beethoven  had  heard,  and  he  was  much  im- 
pressed with  his  refinement  and  finish. 
Sterkel  died  in  1817. 

Another  excellent  pianist  of  this  period 
was  Louis  Adam,  who  was  one  of  the  earli- 
est professors  of  pianoforte  at  the  Paris 
Conservatoire,  to  which  post  he  was  ap- 
pointed in  1797.  This  position  he  held  for 


34  Famous  Pianists. 

forty-five  years.  Adam  was  almost  entirely 
self-taught,  and  appeared  as  a  concert  player 
and  composer  at  the  age  of  seventeen.  He 
was  the  teacher  of  Kalkbrenner  and  several 
pianists  of  reputation,  also  of  his  son  Adolphe 
Charles,  who  became  celebrated  as  a  composer 
of  operas. 


CHAPTER  II. 

BEETHOVEN  AND  HIS  CONTEMPORARIES. 

TOWARD  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury a  great  change  took  place  in  pianoforte 
playing,  and  technical  execution  was  de- 
veloped greatly,  with  the  result  that  many 
superficial  musicians  acquired  an  amount  of 
popularity  which  was  altogether  out  of  pro- 
portion to  their  merit. 

Clementi,  Dussek,  and  Cramer,  and,  a  little 
later,  Czerny,  are  names  which  are  important 
in  the  history  of  pianoforte  technique,  while 
others,  such  as  Steibelt,  Woelfl,  and  Kalk- 
brenner  are  associated  more  with  empty  show 
than  with  the  real  progress  of  the  art  of 
pianoforte  playing. 

Instantaneous  or  impromptu  performances 
were  still  popular  in  the  time  of  Beethoven, 
35 


36  Famous  Pianists. 

and  he  was  compelled  to  enter  into  such  con- 
tests with  many  of  the  best  known  pianists 

of  his  time. 

t 

Gelinek,  a  well-known  pianist,  was  once 
invited  to  break  a  lance  with  a  foreign 
player.  "The  young  man  has  a  devil,"  he 
said,  afterward  ;  "  I  never  heard  such  play- 
ing. He  improvised  fantasias  on  an  air  I 
gave  him  as  I  had  never  heard  even  Mozart 
improvise.  Then  he  played  compositions  of 
his  own,  which  are  in  the  highest  degree 
wonderful  and  grand,  and  he  brings  out  of 
the  piano  effects  the  like  of  which  we  never 
heard  of.  He  is  a  little,  gloomy,  dark,  and 
stubborn-looking  fellow,  and  he  is  called 
Beethoven." 

Beethoven  was  the  giant  of  his  day,  as 
Liszt  was  in  later  years,  and  he  was  far 
ahead  of  the  age  in  which  he  lived.  He, 
like  Liszt,  formed  a  centre  of  gravity  of  all 
that  is  best  in  pianoforte  playing,  and  was 
the  founder  of  the  Dramatic  School. 


Beethoven  and  His  Contemporaries.    37 

The  birth  of  Dussek  antedated  that  of 
Beethoven  by  about  nine  years,  and  was 
five  years  after  that  of  Mozart.  The  place 
of  his  birth  was  Czaslau,  in  Bohemia,  and 

he  was  the  son  of  a  musician. 
• 
Johann  Ludwig  Dussek  began  to  study  the 

pianoforte  at  the  age  of  five,  and  the  organ 
when  he  was  nine  years  old,  and  soon  became 
a  valuable  assistant  to  his  father.  It  was  his 
desire  to  enter  the  fraternity  of  the  Cistertian 
Friars,  but  he  was  saved  from  that  fate 
partly  because  he  was  too  young  at  the  time, 
and  partly  because  Count  Manner,  an  Aus- 
trian artillery  officer,  induced  him  to  go  to 
Mechlin,  where  he  became  organist  of  the 
church  of  St.  Rombaut  and  teacher  of  the 
pianoforte.  From  Mechlin  he  soon  went  to 
Bergen-op-Zoom,  and  thence  shortly  after- 
ward to  Amsterdam.  Here  he  achieved 
brilliant  success  as  a  pianist,  and  was  invited 
to  go  to  the  Hague,  where  he  gave  lessons 
to  the  children  of  the  Stadtholder.  After  a 


38  Famous  Pianists. 

twelvemonth  spent  at  the  Hague  he  pro- 
ceeded to  Hamburg  and  became  a  pupil 
of  Emanuel  Bach,  who  encouraged  him  to 
follow  the  career  of  a  virtuoso. 

From  this  time  Dussek  led  rather  a  wan- 
dering life,  travelling  through  Germany  and 
giving  performances  on  the  pianoforte  and 
the  harmonica,  an  instrument  which  had 
recently  been  invented  by  Benjamin  Frank- 
lin, and  which  for  a  time  was  much  ad- 
mired. In  1786  Marie  Antoinette,  before 
whom  he  played,  tried  to  persuade  him 
to  remain  in  Paris ;  but  he  had  determined 
on  a  visit  to  Italy,  in  which  country  his 
brother  resided,  and  he  made  a  sensation  in 
Milan,  where  the  harmonica  seems  to  have 
pleased  the  Italians  better  than  the  piano- 
forte. He  now  returned  to  Paris  and  thence 
to  London,  where,  during  a  residence  of 
twelve  years,  he  was  much  admired.  Dussek 
married,  in  1792,  a  singer,  Sophia  Corri,  the 
daughter  of  Domenico  Corri,  with  whom  he 


Beethoven  and  His  Contemporaries.    39 

entered  into  partnership  as  a  music  seller. 
This  enterprise  failed  in  the  course  of  a  few 
years,  and  Dussek  left  the  country  somewhat 
hurriedly,  returning  to  Hamburg.  He  con- 
tinued his  wanderings  until,  in  1803,  he 
became  intimate  with  Prince  Louis  Ferdi- 
nand, a  friendship  which  was  terminated 
three  years  later  by  the  death  of  the  prince 
at  the  battle  of  Saal field.  He  next  became 
pianist  to  the  Prince  of  Isemburg,  resigning 
that  position  shortly  afterward  to  enter  the 
service  of  Talleyrand,  the  Prince  of  Bene- 
vento,  which  appointment  he  held  until  his 
death  in  1812. 

Dussek  was  considered  a  man  of  genius, 
and  his  pianoforte  playing  created  a  sensa- 
tion. Fetis  says,  "The  broad  and  noble 
style  of  this  artist,  his  method  of  singing 
on  an  instrument  which  possessed  no  sus- 
tained sounds,  the  neatness,  delicacy,  and 
brilliancy  of  his  play,  in  short,  procured  him 
a  triumph  of  which  there  had  been  no  pre- 


40  Famous  Pianists. 

vious  example."  He  was  considered  to  be 
a  man  of  more  talent,  but  less  perseverance 
than  Clementi,  and  Mendelssohn  spoke  of 
him  as  a  prodigal,  who,  had  he  made  the 
fullest  use  of  his  natural  endowments,  might 
have  been  a  musician  of  the  highest  acquire- 
ments. 

Dussek  was  the  first  pianist  who  placed 
his  instrument  sideways  on  the  platform. 
In  rapidity  and  sureness  of  execution,  and  in 
expression,  he  was  unrivalled ;  in  neatness 
and  precision  he  was  possibly  surpassed  by 
Cramer.  As  a  man  he  was  good  and  noble, 
just  and  kindly.  He  had  polished  manners, 
much  general  information,  and  was  thoroughly 
admired  by  musicians  on  account  of  his  free- 
dom from  prejudice,  and  joyous  disposition. 
*  Daniel  Steibelt  was  a  native  of  Berlin,  and 
the  son  of  a  pianoforte  manufacturer.  The 
date  of  his  birth  is  not  accurately  known, 
but  is  supposed  to  have  been  1764.  Very 
little  of  his  early  life  and  education  is  re- 


Beethoven  and  His  Contemporaries.    41 

corded,  but  he  appeared  as  a  concert  pianist 
in  Paris  about  1787. 

Here  he  soon  became  the  reigning  virtuoso, 
and  a  successful  operatic  composer.  His  de- 
parture from  Paris,  in  1796,  was  caused  by 
various  irregularities,  among  which  may  be 
mentioned  the  selling,  as  new,  compositions 
which  had  already  been  published.  He  went 
to  London,  where  he  became  a  fashionable 
pianist  and  teacher,  but  on  account  of  his 
excessive  vanity  and  rough  manners  was 
extremely  unpopular  amongst  musicians. 
He  married  in  London  a  young  English 
woman  of  considerable  personal  attractions, 
who  was  a  good  player  on  the  pianoforte  and 
tambourine,  on  which  account  Steibelt  added 
tambourine  accompaniment  to  some  of  his 
pianoforte  compositions. 

Steibelt  was  a  man  who  succeeded  in 
carrying  his  audience  with  him,  and  in  acquir- 
ing an  undue  reputation.  While  at  the 
height  of  his  glory  he  met  Beethoven,  and 


42  Famous  Pianists. 

challenged  him  to  a  trial  of  skill.  It  is 
related  that  the  friends  of  Beethoven  were 
somewhat  alarmed,  but  the  result  of  the  con- 
test was  so  decisive  that  Steibelt  rushed  from 
the  room  completely  discomfited. 

He  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  to  dis- 
cover the  resources  offered  by  the  pedals  of 
the  pianoforte,  and  was  so  proud  of  his  dis- 
covery that  he  was  guilty  of  the  utmost 
extravagance  in  his  performances,  which, 
however,  were  striking  and  original.  He 
was  a  voluminous  composer  of  music  which 
had  small  merit,  and  he  was  continually 
guilty  of  appropriating  the  ideas  of  other 
composers.  His  wanderings  ended  at  St. 
Petersburg,  in  which  city  he  died  after  some 
years'  residence,  in  1823. 

Steibelt  has  been  called  one  of  the  dis- 
graces of  his  age.  "  Bespattered  with  praise," 
says  Oscar  Bie,  "  he  rushed  through  Europe 
with  his  trashy  compositions,  his  battles, 
thunder-storms,  Bacchanals,  which  he  played 


Beethoven  and  His  Contemporaries.   43 

ad  libitum,  while  his  wife  struck  the  tambou- 
rine in  concert  with  him.  The  populace  was 
enraptured,  for  Steibelt  and  Madame  tickled 
their  nerves  with  sparkling  shakes  and 
tremolos." 

Johann  Baptist  Cramer  was,  in  the  opinion 
of  Beethoven,  the  only  one  of  his  time  who 
was  an  excellent  performer.  His  playing 
differed  from  that  of  his  contemporaries  in 
that  he  aimed  more  at  the  cultivation  of 
music  in  general  than  at  the  display  of  spe- 
cial qualities  of  the  instrument.  His  tech- 
nical ability  was  remarkable,  and  the  even 
cultivation  of  both  hands  enabled  him  to, 
while  playing  legato,  give  an  entirely  distinct 
character  to  florid  inner  parts.  He  was 
greatly  admired  for  his  fine  taste,  feeling,  and 
expression,  but  while  he  excelled  Beethoven 
in  perfect  neatness  and  correctness  of  his 
playing,  he  was  inferior  to  the  great  com- 
poser in  power  and  energy,  and  in  improvi- 
sation. The  admiration  which  Beethoven 


44  Famous  Pianists. 

expressed  for  him  was  amply  reciprocated, 
and  Cramer  is  said  to  have  exclaimed  .that 
Beethoven  (then  a  young  man)  was  the  man 
who  would  console  the  world  for  the  loss  of 
Mozart. 

Cramer  was  one  of  a  noted  family  of 
musicians,  and  was  born  at  Mannheim  in 
1771.  His  father  moved  to  London  when 
the  future  pianist  was  only  one  year  old,  and 
London  was  always  his  home  during  the 
intervals  between  his  concert  tours.  He 
was  a  pupil  of  Clementi,  but  in  composition 
he  was  practically  self-taught.  He  began 
his  concert  tours  in  1788  and  acquired  an 
immense  reputation.  In  1828  he  established 
the  publishing  firm  of  J.  B.  Cramer  and  Co., 
and  published  many  of  his  own  works. 
During  one  of  Liszt's  visits  to  London, 
Cramer  played  a  duet  with  him. 

Von  Lenz  tells  of  an  evening  spent  with 
Cramer  in  Paris,  when  the  latter  was  an  old 
man.  Von  Lenz  induced  him  to  play  some 


Beethoven  and  His  Contemporaries.    45 

of  his  own  fitudes.  "It  was  dry,  wooden, 
harsh,  with  no  cantilena,  but  rounded  and 
masterly.  The  impression  I  received  was 
painful,  extremely  painful,"  he  says.  "  He  had 
cut  short  the  notes  in  the  upper  part,  and 
had  paid  no  attention  whatever  to  binding 
the  notes  in  the  bass.  ...  I  had  never,  but 
once  in  my  life,  experienced  so  great  a  dis- 
enchantment with  so  famous  an  artist,  — 
Beethoven's  pupil,  Ferdinand  Ries,  whom  I 
heard  in  Frankfort-on-Main,  in  the  summer 
of  1827;  he  was  a  wood-chopper  at  the 
piano." 

It  must  be  remembered  that  Von  Lenz 
heard  Cramer  in  private,  and  after  having 
been  somewhat  intimately  associated  with 
Liszt  and  Chopin.  The  anecdote  goes  to 
show  how  greatly  the  art  of  pianoforte  play- 
ing had  advanced. 

"Joseph  Woelfl,  who  is  mentioned  as  a  rival 
of  Beethoven,  was  born  at  Salzburg,  and  was 
a  pupil  of  Leopold  Mozart.  He  began  his 


46  Famous  Pianists. 

public  career  at  Warsaw  when  about  twenty 
years  of  age,  and  soon  acquired  a  reputation 
as  a  brilliant  pianist.  He  was  a  man  of  com- 
manding appearance,  handsome,  and  possess- 
ing much  charm  of  manner.  Moreover,  he 
was  not  above  the  trivialities  of  life,  and  en- 
joyed a  game  at  cards,  or  billiards,  or  a  good 
dinner,  and  he  could  tell  a  good  story.  He 
is  said  to  have  possessed  enormous  hands, 
which  gave  him  an  immediate  command  of 
two-thirds  of  the  keyboard.  Few  attained  to 
such  remarkable  proficiency  in  extemporising, 
and  an  anecdote  is  told  of  his  playing  at 
Mayence,  to  the  effect  that  when  a  military 
band  came  down  the  street,  and  disturbed 
the  concert,  Woelfl,  catching  the  rhythm  of 
the  drums,  worked  his  themes  into  a  march, 
and  proceeded  without  a  break  until  the 
band  was  out  of  hearing. 

He  is  said  to  have  possessed  also  great 
facility  in  transposing,  and  once,  rinding  that 
the  pianoforte  was  tuned  a  semitone  too  low, 


Beethoven  and  His  Contemporaries.    47 

instantly  transposed  one  of  the  most  difficult 
concertos  that  had,  at  that  time,  ever  been 
heard. 

Czerny  writes  :  "  Woelfl,  distinguished  for 
his  bravura  playing ;  Gelinek,  universally 
popular  for  his  brilliant  and  elegant  execu- 
tion ;  Lipansky,  a  great  sight-player,  renowned 
for  his  performances  of  Bach's  fugues." 

Woelfl  married  an  actress,  Therese  Klemm, 
in  1798,  and  he  died  in  London  in  1812. 
There  seems  to  have  been  some  mystery 
about  his  death,  and  the  continental  papers 
could  hardly  be  convinced  of  it  until  his 
widow  married  an  oboist  at  Frankfort. 

The  name  of  Beethoven  seems,  at  first, 
somewhat  out  of  place  in  a  sketch  of  the 
great  pianists,  inasmuch  as  he  was  far  greater 
than  a  great  pianist.  Yet  the  book  would 
certainly  be  incomplete  without  some  men- 
tion of  the  musical  colossus  and  his  relation 
to  pianists  of  his  day.  There  is  another 
reason,  —  it  was  by  his  pianoforte  playing 


48  Famous  Pianists. 

that  Beethoven  first  attracted  the  attention 
of  musicians. 

Born  at  Bonn,  of  poor  parents,  and  brought 
up  with  severity,  his  childhood  was  not  par- 
ticularly happy.  His  mother  died  when  he 
was  seventeen  years  old,  and  at  the  age  of 
nineteen,  owing  to  his  father's  growing  in- 
firmities, he  found  himself  the  head  of  the 
family. 

Beethoven's  musical  genius  showed  itself 
at  an  early  age,  and  when  only  eleven  he 
became  deputy  organist  at  the  Court  Chapel, 
a  position  which  gave  him  experience,  but  no 
salary.  Shortly  after  this  he  is  mentioned 
as  "  playing  with  force  and  finish,  reading  well 
at  sight,  and,  to  sum  up  all,  playing  the 
greater  part  of  Bach's  Well-tempered  Clavier, 
a  feat  which  will  be  understood  by  the 
initiated."  And  it  was  prophesied  of  him 
that,  if  he  went  on  as  he  had  begun,  he  would 
become  a  second  Mozart. 

Some  five  years  later  he  came  in  contact 


Beethoven  and  His  Contemporaries.    49 

with  Mozart,  when,  in  1787,  he  made  a  jour- 
ney to  Vienna.  Mozart  asked  him  to  play, 
but,  thinking  that  he  was  giving  a  prepared 
piece,  paid  little  attention  to  it.  Beethoven, 
however,  asked  him  for  a  subject,  which  ac- 
cordingly Mozart  gave  him  ;  and  the  young 
pianist  played  so  finely  that  Mozart  remarked 
to  his  friends,  "  Pay  attention  to  him,  he  will 
make  a  noise  in  the  world  some  day  or  other." 

Beethoven  is  said  to  have  taken  a  few 
lessons  of  Mozart  during  this  visit,  but  to 
have  come  away  with  a  somewhat  unappre- 
ciative  recollection  of  his  playing. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-three  Beethoven 
went  to  Vienna  a  second  time  and  began  to 
study  composition  with  Haydn  ;  but  master 
and  pupil  do  not  seem  to  have  agreed  very 
well,  for  Haydn  declared  that  he  would  be  a 
better  pianoforte  player  than  composer.  He 
was,  even  in  those  days,  considered  to  be  one 
of  the  finest  pianoforte  players  of  the  times. 
Ernst  Pauer,  in  his  essay  on  pianoforte  play- 


5<D  Famous  Pianists. 

ing,  speaks  thus  of  Beethoven  :  "  Himself  one 
of  the  greatest  executants,  endowed  with  a 
rare  muscular  force,  possessing  an  iron  will 
which  conquered  all  obstacles,  glowing  with 
a  lofty  enthusiasm,  and,  last  but  not  least,  a 
never  surpassed  self-command,  he  was  enabled 
in  his  sonatas,  and  concertos,  in  some  of  his 
variations,  fantasias,  and  rondos,  to  produce 
entirely  and  astonishingly  new,  rich,  and 
grand  effects ;  indeed,  he  gave  to  the  piano  a 
soul,  and  succeeded  in  winning  for  it  a  poeti- 
cal expression.  .  .  .  The  absolute  mastery 
which  he  had  obtained  in  early  years  over  all 
the  various  departments  of  technical  execu- 
tion is  shown  in  his  twenty-one  sets  of  varia- 
tions .  .  .  anticipating  many  an  effect  for  the 
invention  of  which  later  pianists  have  obtained 
credit.  .  .  .  They  say  that  his  performance 
was  not  so  much  f playing '  as  '  painting  with 
tones,'  while  others  express  it  as  recalling 
the  effect  of  'reciting,'  all  which  are  at- 
tempts to  state  the  fact  that  in  his  playing, 


Beethoven  and  His  Contemporaries.     51 

the  means,  —  the  passages,  the  execution,  the 
technical  appliances,  —  disappeared  before  the 
transcendent  effect  and  meaning  of  the  music. 
Beethoven,  with  a  soul  full  of  the  purest  and 
noblest  ideas,  and  glowing  with  an  enthusiasm 
which  soared  from  the  petty  cares  and  miser- 
ies of  this  world  up  to  the  highest  regions, 
was  not  particular  in  polishing  and  refining 
his  performance,  as  were  Hummel,  Woelffl, 
Kalkbrenner,  and  others  :  indeed,  such 
'special'  artists  he  satirically  calls  'gym- 
nasts,' and  expresses  the  opinion  that  'the 
increasing  mechanism  of  pianoforte  playing 
would  in  the  end  destroy  all  truth  of  expres- 
sion in  music.' " 

There  are  anecdotes  without  end  which 
refer  to  Beethoven's  pianoforte  playing  and  to 
his  character.  He  was  somewhat  uncouth  in 
manners,  arrogant  and  self-conscious.  Haydn 
called  him  "The  Great  Mogul."  He  was  not 
particular  in  his  choice  of  expressions,  as  may 
be  shown  by  the  anecdote  of  his  adventure 


52  Famous  Pianists. 

at  the  house  of  Count  Browne,  when,  while 
he  was  playing  a  duet  with  Ries,  a  young 
nobleman  at  the  other  end  of  the  room  per- 
sisted in  talking  to  a  lady.  Beethoven  sud- 
denly lifted  Ries's  hands  from  the  keys,  and 
exclaimed,  in  a  loud  voice,  "  I  play  no  longer 
for  such  hogs." 

He  had  no  affection  for  contemporary 
pianists,  and  while  he  was  on  terms  of 
intimacy  with  many  of  the  nobility,  he 
was  no  respecter  of  persons.  Some  of 
his  peculiar  characteristics  have  been  trans- 
mitted to  other  and  later  members  of  the 
profession ;  for  instance,  we  are  told  that 
he  was  rude  to  his  pupils,  — he  would  storm 
and  rave  at  the  least  inattention  during 
their  lessons,  and  would  tear  up  their  music 
and  throw  it  about  the  room.  It  should  be 
remembered,  however,  that  this  characteristic 
alone  does  not  constitute  greatness.  In 
spite  of  his  peculiarities,  Beethoven  was 
admired  and  loved,  because  of  the  noble 


Beethoven  and  His  Contemporaries.    53 

character  which  was  behind  all  his  eccentric- 
ities. 

Beethoven's  deafness,  which  first  became 
noticeable  about  the  beginning  of  the  cen- 
tury, gradually  impaired  his  powers  of  playing, 
and  it  became  a  painful  ordeal  for  those  who 
listened ;  but  during  his  younger  days  the 
loftiness  and  elevation  of  his  style,  and  his 
great  power  of  expression  in  slow  movements, 
together  with  his  wonderful  talent  for  impro- 
vising, made  his  hearers  insensible  to  any 
faults  of  mere  mechanism. 

'Johann  Nepomuk  Hummel  was  a  pianist 
and  a  composer  who,  in  his  day,  was  greatly 
overrated.  By  some  admirers  he  was  pro- 
nounced to  be  the  equal  of  Beethoven,  with 
whom  he  does  not  seem  always  to  have  been 
on  the  best  of  terms.  They  were,  however, 
reconciled,  and  became  firm  friends,  Hummel 
being  one  of  those  who  visited  Beethoven 
during  his  last  illness,  and  who  was  present 
at  his  funeral. 


54  Famous  Pianists, 

Hummel  was  born  at  Presburg,  in  1778, 
and  passed  a  childhood  of  severe  drudgery. 
He  was  exploited  as  a  prodigy  in  the  princi- 
pal cities  of  Germany  when  nine  years  of 
age.  For  two  years  he  was  a  pupil  of  Mozart 
and  lived  in  his  house.  In  his  twelfth  year  he 
went  to  London,  where  his  playing  made  a 
sensation,  and  a  tour  of  the  country  followed. 

He  became,  in  1816,  Kapellmeister  to  the 
King  of  Wurtemburg,  and  was  appointed, 
four  years  later,  to  a  similar  post  at  Weimar, 
which  he  held  until  his  death  in  1837.  His 
duties  were  frequently  interrupted  by  concert 
tours,  and  he  went  not  only  to  England,  but 
also  as  far  as  St.  Petersburg  and  Moscow, 
where  he  was  enthusiastically  received. 

While  at  Weimar  he  was  much  sought 
after  as  a  teacher,  and  charged  a  very  high 
price  for  lessons.  It  is  said  that  Franz 
Liszt  wished  to  become  a  pupil  of  Hummel, 
but  that  he  could  not  afford  to  pay  the  price. 
Hummel  is  described  as  being  endowed  with 


Beethoven  and  His  Contemporaries.    55 

curiously  little  inventive  power,  rarely  warm, 
and  quite  incapable  of  humour  or  passion, 
but  fully  equipped  with  every  musical  virtue 
that  can  be  acquired  by  steady  plodding. 
He  was  a  clever  extempore  player  and  a  com- 
poser of  good  ability,  but  not  of  genius. 

In  reading  the  biographies  of  the  musicians 
of  a  hundred  years  ago,  there  is  a  depressing 
monotony  in  at  least  one  particular.  Almost 
all  seem  to  have  passed  a  wretched  childhood. 
The  story  of  drudgery  and  punishment,  which 
seems  to  have  been  the  rule,  makes  the 

reader  of  to-day  wonder  that  there  have  been 

./ 

any  great  musicians.  John  Field,  born  at 
Dublin  in  1782,  is  another  of  that  long  list, 
and  he  was  forced  to  practise  so  unmercifully 
that  he  ran  away  from  home,  only  returning 
to  escape  starvation.  After  some  years  of 
study  under  his  grandfather,  who  was  a 
pianist,  Field  was  apprenticed  to  Clementi, 
and  became  his  most  celebrated  pupil.  Cle- 
menti not  only  imparted  to  him  the  secret  of 


56  Famous  Pianists. 

his  art,  but  also,  according  to  Spohr,  divulged 
to  him  the  secrets  of  the  wash-tub  and  other 
household  mysteries,  for  Clementi  was  a 
frugal  man. 

In  1802  Clementi  took  Field  to  Paris,  and 
there  made  use  of  him  to  show  off  pianos,  as 
he  had  done  in  London,  and  did  later  at  St. 
Petersburg,  to  which  city  they  repaired.  In 
1804  Clementi  returned  to  London,  but  Field 
remained  at  St.  Petersburg,  where  he  became 
renowned  as  a  pianist  and  teacher,  and  where 
his  art  brought  him  substantial  reward.  In 
1823  he  settled  in  Moscow,  and  met  with 
even  greater  success.  His  playing  was  gentle 
and  soothing,  without  much  brilliancy,  and 
he  was  considered  a  master  of  natural  grace, 
na'fvet6,  freedom,  and  simplicity.  His  name 
is  identified  with  his  Nocturnes,  a  form  of 
composition  of  which  he  was  the  inventor, 
and  which  are  the  essence  of  simple  charm 
and  inimitable  grace.  They  served  as  models 
for  Chopin,  and  are  full  of  rare  originality. 


Beethoven  and  His  Contemporaries.    57 

During  Field's  latter  days  he  made  an 
extensive  concert  tour,  visiting  England, 
France,  Belgium,  Switzerland,  and  Italy, 
where  he  was  prostrated  by  illness.  He  was 
found  by  a  Russian  family  and  taken  back 
to  Moscow,  where  he  died  soon  after  his  ar- 
rival. He  was  a  prematurely  aged  man,  and 
suffered  much  from  nervousness,  also,  it  is 
said,  from  habits  of  intemperance.  Applause 
displeased  and  disturbed  him,  and  he  was 
known  to  stop  playing  suddenly  if  it  became 
too  loud,  but  his  performance  gained  in  life 
and  beauty  when  silence  reigned. 

•  Ferdinand  Ries,  who  enjoyed  the  distinc- 
tion of  being  a  pupil  and  friend  of  Beethoven, 
and  who  was  for  some   years   a   prominent 
figure    in    musical    life   in    Europe,    passed 
through    many   periods   of    tribulation,    but 
eventually  gained  distinction  and  wealth. 

*  Ries  was  born  at  Bonn  in  1784,  and  was 
brought  up  from  his  infancy  as  a  musician. 
His  father,  Franz  Ries,  was  a  musician,  and 


58  Famous  Pianists. 

was  also  a  teacher  of  Beethoven,  to  whom  he 
showed  himself  as  a  true  friend  during  the  days 
of  Beethoven's  trouble,  caused  by  the  death 
of  his  mother.  Beethoven  in  turn  befriended 
young  Ferdinand,  and  many  times  helped 
him  when  he  was  in  the  grip  of  poverty, 
secured  for  him  an  appointment  as  pianist  to 
Count  Browne,  the  Russian  chargt  d'affaires 
at  Vienna,  and  later  a  similar  position  in  the 
service  of  Count  Lichnowsky. 

Ries  was,  as  a  citizen  of  Bonn,  liable  to  the 
French  conscription,  and  in  1805  he  was  called 
upon  to  present  himself.  He  was  obliged 
to  travel  to  Bonn  on  foot,  submitted  himself 
for  examination,  and  was  rejected,  because  he 
had  lost  an  eye  as  a  result  of  an  attack  of 
smallpox  in  his  childhood.  He  proceeded  to 
Paris,  and  eked  out  a  wretched  existence  for 
two  years,  when  he  decided  to  go  to  Russia. 
Instead  of  going  there,  however,  he  brought 
up  at  Vienna,  where  he  was  offered  the  post 
of  Kapellmeister  to  Jerome  Bonaparte,  an 


Beethoven  and  His  Contemporaries,     59 

event  which  brought  him  into  unpleasant 
relations  with  Beethoven,  who  imagined  that 
Ries  was  trying  to  secure  the  place  over  his 
head.  Ries  then  went  to  Cassel  and  thence 
to  Hamburg,  Copenhagen,  and  Stockholm, 
where  he  made  both  money  and  reputation. 

He  now  determined  to  carry  out  his  project 
of  visiting  Russia,  and  embarked  on  a  ship, 
which  was  captured  by  a  British  man-of-war, 
and  Ries,  with  the  rest  of  the  passengers, 
was  turned  loose  upon  an  island  in  the  Baltic. 
He  eventually  reached  St.  Petersburg,  where 
he  found  Romberg,  the  'cellist,  and  with  him 
made  an  extensive  concert  tour,  which  was 
cut  short  by  the  burning  of  Moscow. 

He  next  proceeded  to  London,  where  he 
found  his  father's  friend,  Salomon,  also  a 
native  of  Bonn,  who  secured  for  him  an 
engagement  at  the  Philharmonic  concerts. 
In  London  he  speedily  attained  a  high  repu- 
tation. "His  hand  is  powerful  and  his  ex- 
ecution certain,  often  surprising ;  but  his 


60  Famous  Pianists. 

playing  is  distinguished  from  that  of  all 
others  by  its  romantic  wildness,"  said  the 
critic.  In  London  he  married  a  lady  of  great 
attractions,  and  became  very  much  in  request 
as  a  teacher.  After  eleven  years'  residence 
in  England  he  returned  to  his  native  land 
and  bought  some  property,  but  he  continued 
to  be  more  or  less  active  in  musical  matters 
until  his  death  in  1838.  His  compositions 
numbered  about  one  hundred  and  eighty,  but 
though  they  are  modelled  after  Beethoven 
they  lack  the  inspiration  which  distinguished 
that  great  master's  works. 

'  Frederick  William  Michael  Kalkbrenner 
was  a  talented  and  fashionable  pianist  and 
teacher  at  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  His  father  was  a  musician  of  some 
reputation,  who,  in  the  fulfilment  of  his  en- 
gagements, was  obliged  to  travel  a  great  deal. 
During  one  of  these  journeys  our  pianist  was 
born,  in  a  post-chaise,  and  apparently  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  his  infancy  was  spent  in 


Beethoven  and  His  Contemporaries.     61 

similar  conveyances,  for  we  are  told  that  his 
father's  wanderings  took  him  through  Italy, 
a  tour  which  lasted  two  years. 

Kalkbrenner  was  talented  as  a  child,  and 
at  five  years  of  age  played  a  concerto  of 
Haydn's  before  the  Queen  of  Prussia,  while 
at  thirteen  he  completed  his  course  of  three 
years  at  the  Paris  Conservatoire,  taking  the 
prize  for  pianoforte  playing.  He  was  also 
an  accomplished  linguist,  speaking  four  lan- 
guages when  he  was  eight  years  old. 

In  his  career  Haydn  took  a  great  deal  of 
interest,  and  it  was  on  his  advice  that  Kalk- 
brenner's  father  sent  the  young  man  to 
Vienna,  at  a  time  when  he  had  associated 
himself  in  Paris  with  some  of  the  gayest 
youths  in  the  city,  and  had  given  himself  up 
to  a  career  of  dissipation.  Here  he  settled 
down  to  hard  work,  and  spent  much  of  his 
leisure  time  in  the  company  of  Haydn,  Beet- 
hoven, Hummel,  and  Clementi. 

In  1814  he  went  to  England,  where  he  met 


62  Famous  Pianists. 

with  the  most  remarkable  success.  Pupils 
flocked  to  him,  he  charged  high  prices  for 
his  lessons,  and  worked  assiduously.  During 
ten  years  of  such  life,  mingled  with  concert 
tours,  he  made  a  considerable  fortune,  and 
with  it  retired  to  Paris,  in  1824,  where  he 
became  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Pleyel  &  Co., 
Madame  Pleyel  having  been  one  of  his  pupils. 
In  Paris  he  lived  for  ten  years,  and  was  mar- 
ried to  a  wealthy  and  high-born  lady.  He 
lived  in  grand  style  and  associated  with  the 
foremost  people  in  the  world  of  art.  His 
concert  tours  in  Germany,  Holland,  and 
Belgium  brought  him  applause  and  honours, 
and  he  was  considered  a  great  artist.  Not- 
withstanding this  reputation,  it  is  certain  that 
he  was  vain,  and  somewhat  unscrupulous  in 
his  methods.  For  instance,  he  is  said  to 
have  spoken  of  himself  as  the  only  great 
improviser  of  the  day,  and  to  have  given, 
as  improvisations,  compositions  of  his  own 
which  were  already  published.  He  proposed 


Beethoven  and  His  Contemporaries.    63 

to  Chopin,  who  was  then  a  young  man,  that 
Chopin  should  bind  himself  to  him  for  three 
years,  as  a  pupil,  while,  according  to  the  best 
authorities,  Chopin  was  even  then  far  superior 
to  Kalkbrenner  as  a  pianist  and  a  musician. 

Kalkbrenner  died  of  cholera,  at  Enghien, 
in  1849.  His  compositions  are  not  very 
numerous,  and  are  well  written,  but  dull  in 
spite  of  their  showiness. 

An  amusing  anecdote  is  told  at  the  ex- 
pense of  Kalkbrenner,  who  was  very  con- 
ceited and  patronising,  and  given  to  aping 
the  perfect  gentleman.  Mendelssohn,  Hiller, 
Chopin,  and  Liszt  dressed  themselves  in  beg- 
garly style  and  waited  for  him  in  front  of  a 
cafe"  just  before  the  hour  at  which  he  would 
visit  the  place.  Presently  he  came  strutting 
along,  and  as  soon  as  he  reached  the  place  at 
which  they  stood,  they  surrounded  him  and 
greeted  him  in  the  most  unceremonious  and 
boisterous  manner.  Although  he  was  evi- 
dently disgusted  at  being  so  familiarly  ad- 


64  Famous  Pianists. 

dressed  by  such  a  group  of  tatterdemalions 
they  kept  close  to  him  and  added  to  his  tor- 
ture by  making  a  good  deal  of  noise,  so  that 
in  the  course  of  time  a  large  crowd  gathered 
in  front  of  the  place,  completing  the  satis- 
faction of  his  tormentors,  who  did  not  disperse 
until  they  had  enjoyed  his  misery  for  a  long 
time. 

It  is  related  by  Mr.  John  Edward  Cox  that 
the  four  great  pianists,  Hummel,  Kalkbren- 
ner,  Moscheles  and  Cramer,  once  met  at  the 
house  of  a  mutual  friend.  Hummel,  being 
asked  to  play,  improvised  at  some  length, 
but  without  his  usual  facility  of  invention  or 
execution.  When  he  had  finished,  Kalk- 
brenner  and  Moscheles  were  requested  to 
give  some  touch  of  their  quality,  but  having 
refused  to  do  so,  Cramer  was  asked  to  play. 
For  some  time  he  declined  to  do  so,  but 
being  earnestly  pressed  by  Hummel  he  sat 
down  to  the  pianoforte  in  his  usual  unpre- 
tending manner  and  began  one  of  Beet- 


Beethoven  and  His  Contemporaries.    65 

hoven's  sonatas.  In  a  few  minutes  his  whole 
audience  was  literally  entranced,  and  sat 
breathlessly  listening  to  every  note  and 
phrase  of  the  composition,  which  seemed  to 
reveal  some  new  inspiration  at  every  turn. 
When  he  had  concluded,  Hummel  rushed  to 
him,  seized  him  in  his  arms,  and  kissed  him 
on  each  cheek,  exclaiming,  "  Never  till  now 
have  I  heard  Beethoven," 

Mr.  Cox  also  says  of  Kalkbrenner  that  he 
never  by  any  chance  touched  the  feelings,  or 
gave  an  indication  of  being  anything  else 
than  a  mere  brilliant  mechanist.  His  ex- 
ecution was  indeed  prodigious,  but  he  could 
play  scarcely  any  other  compositions  than 
his  own  with  anything  like  grace  or  pro- 
ficiency, and  the  almost  total  absence  of 
genuine  method  or  phrasing  therein  caused  a 
repetition  to  be  both  tedious  and  wearisome. 
Incomparably  superior  to  Kalkbrenner  was 
Cipriani  Potter,  a  really  sound  musician  and 
a  genuine  artist.  He  was  somewhat  ridiculed 


66  Famous  Pianists. 

in  the  profession  for  his  devotion  to  Beet- 
hoven, and  later,  also,  for  his  admiration  of 
Schumann,  but  lived  long  enough  to  find  his 
opinions  justified. 

•  Philip  Cipriani  Hambly  Potter  was  born  in 
London  in  1792,  and  was  a  pupil  of  his  father 
and  of  Woelrfl.  He  attained  high  rank  as  a 
pianist,  touring  in  Germany  and  Italy.  He 
was  appointed  professor  of  pianoforte  at  the 
Royal  Academy  of  Music  ten  years  later,  and 
became  principal  in  1832,  resigning  that  office 
in  1859. 

Czerny  is  a  name  familiar  to  the  majority 
of  pianoforte  students,  although  Czerny's 
exercises  are  to-day  much  less  used  than  a 
few  years  ago.  Carl  Czerny  was  for  many 
years  the  most  successful,  and  consequently 
important,  teacher  in  Vienna,  and  was  in  the 
enviable  position  which  enabled  him  to  select 
his  pupils  and  teach  only  those  who  possessed 
undoubted  talent. 

Czerny  was  born  at  Vienna  in   1791,  and 


Beethoven  and  His  Contemporaries.    67 

was  the  son  of  a  musician,  who  taught  him 
the  piano  in  his  early  youth.  Such  was  his 
ability  at  the  age  of  ten  that  he  could  play 
by  heart  the  best  compositions  of  the  great 
masters.  Beethoven,  to  whom  he  was  intro- 
duced, was  so  pleased  with  him  that  he  took 
him  as  a  pupil,  and  always  showed  great  inter- 
est in  his  welfare.  Some  years  later,  when 
Czerny  had  musical  performances  by  his 
pupils  at  the  home  of  his  parents  on  Sunday 
afternoons,  Beethoven  was  so  pleased  with 
the  family  picture  of  peace  and  contentment 
that  he  proposed  to  live  with  them  himself ; 
but  this  project  was  never  carried  into  effect 
because  of  the  illness  of  the  parents. 

Czerny  was  always  averse  to  playing  in 
public,  and  he  very  seldom  travelled.  His 
work  was  confined  almost  entirely  to  Vienna, 
and  he  became  famous  through  his  pupils 
and  his  compositions.  Liszt,  Dohler,  Thai- 
berg,  Jaell,  and  Madame  Belleville-Oury  were 
his  most  celebrated  pupils.  Czerny  never 


68  Famous  Pianists. 

married.  He  was  a  man  of  gentle  disposi- 
tion, modest  and  simple  in  his  mode  of  life, 
courteous  and  friendly  in  his  behaviour.  His 
compositions  number  more  than  one  thou- 
sand. He  died  in  1857,  after  a  busy  and 
successful  career. 

During  a  long  period  Ignaz  Moscheles 
was  considered  the  foremost  pianist.  He 
was  born  at  Prague  in  1794,  and  became  a 
pupil  of  Dyonis  Weber,  who  educated  him 
on  Mozart,  Clementi,  and  Bach.  When  four- 
teen years  old  he  gave  a  concert  at  which 
he  played  some  of  his  own  compositions. 
Going  shortly  afterward  to  Vienna,  he 
speedily  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  most 
prominent  musicians  and  the  leaders  of 
society.  He  became  a  pupil  of  Salieri  and 
of  Albrechtsberger,  studying  with  the  former 
as  much  as  three  years.  Here,  also,  he  be- 
came acquainted  with  Beethoven  and  wrote 
for  him  the  pianoforte  score  of  "Fidelio." 

The  immediate  cause  of  the  elevation  of 


Beethoven  and  His  Contemporaries.    69 

Moscheles  to  the  ranks  of  the  first  pianists 
is  said  to  have  been  a  performance  of  some 
original  variations  on  the  "  Alexander  March  " 
at  a  charity  concert.  After  this  he  was  con- 
sidered as  one  of  the  principal  virtuosos  of 
the  day,  and  was  ranked  with  Hummel,  who 
was  said  to  excel  in  pianissimo  effects,  though 
Moscheles  was  superior  in  the  matter  of 
bravura.  Fortunately  the  rival  pianists  were 
very  good  friends,  and  Hummel,  when  for 
a  time  he  had  to  leave  Vienna,  turned  over 
his  favourite  pupils  to  Moscheles. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-two  Moscheles  left 
Vienna  and  proceeded  to  England,  visiting, 
on  his  way,  Leipzig,  Dresden,  Berlin,  and  so 
on  through  North  Germany  and  Holland. 
In  Berlin  he  taught  Mendelssohn,  for  whom 
he  ever  retained  the  warmest  friendship  and 
admiration.  While  in  Hamburg  he  fell  in 
love  with  and  married,  all  in  the  short  space  of 
a  month,  the  daughter  of  a  wealthy  merchant, 
Charlotte  Embden,  with  whom  he  passed  the 


70  Famous  Pianists. 

remaining  forty-five  years  of  his  life  in  great 
happiness. 

After  his  marriage  he  made  London  his 
place  of  residence,  but  frequently  made  flying 
visits  to  other  places  for  the  purpose  of 
giving  concerts.  In  London  he  became 
identified  with  the  best  musical  life,  and  was 
welcomed  by  Clementi  and  Cramer.  In 
1832  he  was  elected  a  director  of  the  Phil- 
harmonic Society,  and  in  1837  and  1838  he 
conducted  Beethoven's  Ninth  Symphony  at 
the  society's  concerts. 

Moscheles  was  no  admirer  of  the  music 
of  Chopin  and  Liszt,  who  were  now  coming 
forward,  but  it  is  said  that  he  somewhat 
modified  his  opinion  after  hearing  Chopin 
play.  He  was  distinguished  in  his  playing 
by  a  crisp,  incisive  touch,  clear  and  precise 
phrasing,  and  minute  accentuation.  He 
played  octaves  with  a  stiff  wrist,  and  used 
the  pedal  sparingly. 

When  Mendelssohn  established   the   con- 


Beethoven  and  His  Contemporaries.    71 

servatory  at  Leipzig  he  offered  to  Moscheles 
the  position  of  professor  of  pianoforte,  which 
was  accepted,  and  for  some  twenty  years  the 
success  of  the  institution  was  in  a  great 
degree  owing  to  the  reputation  and  zeal  of 
this  most  painstaking  and  exemplary  teacher. 
After  accepting  this  position,  in  1846,  he 
practically  retired  from  the  field  as  a  virtuoso, 
and  only  appeared  at  rare  intervals. 

In  some  biographies  of  Moscheles  the 
statement  is  made  that  "for  a  long  time, 
from  the  death  of  Hummel  till  the  advent  of 
Chopin,  Moscheles  was  considered  the  fore- 
most pianist."  Hummel  died  in  1837.  Of 
Chopin's  advent  we  are  told  by  Liszt :  "  With 
the  exception  of  some  concerts  given  at  his 
de"but  in  1831,  in  Vienna  and  Munich,  he 
gave  no  more,  except  in  Paris,"  to  which 
might  be  added  "  and  in  England."  Chopin 
was,  therefore,  firmly  established  in  Paris 
some  years  previous  to  the  death  of  Hum- 
mel, whose  star  was  at  its  zenith  about 


72  Famous  Pianists. 

1818,  at  which  time  Moscheles  was  just 
beginning  to  be  known,  and  from  about 
1825  to  1847  may  be  considered  the  time 
at  which  Moscheles  was  in  his  prime.  This 
period  includes  the  last  twelve  years  of 
Hummel's  life  and  brings  us  almost  to  the 
death  of  Chopin  also,  which  occurred  in  1 849. 
Moscheles  was  a  man  of  lofty  aims  and 
of  self-effacing  modesty.  His  influence  was 
always  used  in  the  interests  of  refined 
musical  taste.  During  the  period  of  his 
life  spent  in  England  he  was  instrumental 
in  bringing  forward  many  celebrated  musi- 
cians. That  he  was  a  man  of  amiable  disposi- 
tion is  proved  by  the  fact  that  he  remained 
on  the  best  of  terms  with  his  colleagues,  and 
by  the  long  list  of  celebrities  who  visited  his 
home.  His  death  took  place  at  Leipzig  in 
1870. 

"  Karl  Maria  von  Weber,  born  at  Eutin  in 
Holstein,  contributed  much  to  the  develop- 
ment of  pianoforte  technique,  but  is  better 


Beethoven  and  His  Contemporaries.     73 

known  by  his  compositions  than  by  his  record 
as  a  virtuoso.  Yet  Weber  always  exerted 
an  electrifying  effect  upon  his  audience  by 
his  perfect  control  of  the  crescendo,  from  the 
softest  piano  to  the  mightiest  forte. 

Ludwig  Bohner,  also,  was  a  pianist  well 
known  in  Germany  from  1808  to  1820,  dur- 
ing which  time  he  [travelled  about  playing 
his  own  compositions.  He  was  an  original 
character,  and  during  his  later  years  led  a 
nomadic  life  in  Thuringia,  in  very  restricted 
circumstances. 


CHAPTER  III. 

MENDELSSOHN,   CHOPIN,  HENSELT,    AND   LISZT. 

IN  the  old  days  of  pianoforte  playing,  pre- 
vious to  the  advent  of  Liszt,  Chopin,  and 
the  players  of  their  school,  the  chief  objects 
sought  to  be  obtained  were  silkiness  of  touch, 
exquisite  finish  with  respect  to  the  details  of 
execution,  flexibility  of  hand  and  wrist,  inde- 
pendence of  each  individual  finger,  a  certain 
rigidity  of  arm,  so  far  as  attitude  was  con- 
cerned, and  extreme  self-restraint  in  the  use 
of  the  pedal.  Pianists  of  those  days  were 
not  in  the  habit  of  smiting  their  instruments, 
but  rather  of  tickling  them  tenderly,  and 
coaxing  them  into  discoursing  excellent 
music.  Calm,  neat,  technically  accurate 
playing  was  the  rule,  and  nobody  attempted 
74  . 


Mendelssohn,  Chopin,  Henselt,  Liszt.     75 

to  elicit  from  the  piano  the  tones  of  any 
other  instrument,  or  orchestral  effects. 

There  was  now  a  craving  for  greater  tech- 
nical brilliancy,  —  more  dazzling  execution, 
instead  of  technical  accuracy.  A  new  school 
arose,  of  which  Liszt  was  the  leader  and  the 
model,  the  Romantic  school,  of  which  Schu- 
bert, Schumann,  etc.,  were  the  evangelists. 
Pianoforte  playing  received  a  tremendous 
impulse,  and  in  its  progress  brought  to  the 
surface  much  that  was  shallow  and  mere- 
tricious. For  that  reason  it  has  been 
thought  best  to  group  together  the  four 
greatest  men  of  the  period,  Mendelssohn, 
Chopin,  Henselt,  and  Liszt,  and  to  leave 
for  a  future  chapter  the  lesser  lights,  who, 
however,  fill  an  important  part  in  the  history 
of  the  musical  progress  of  the  world. 

Mendelssohn,  who  was  better  known  as  a 
composer  and  conductor  than  as  a  pianist,  was 
regarded  as  a  mature  artist  at  the  age  of  fif- 
teen. When  he  went  to  Moscheles  for  les- 


76  Famous  Pianists. 

sons,  that  teacher  said,  "He  has  no  need  of 
lessons.  If  he  wishes  to  take  a  hint  from 
me  as  to  anything  new  to  him,  he  can  easily 
do  so."  Although  Mendelssohn  did  not  pur- 
sue a  career  as  a  virtuoso,  he  played  in 
public  many  times,  and  his  playing  was 
always  highly  admired. 

Henry  F.  Chorley,  the  celebrated  critic,  in 
his  book  on  "  Music  and  Manners  in  France 
and  Germany,"  writes  thus  of  Mendelssohn's 
pianoforte  playing  as  he  heard  it  at  Leipzig, 
and  he  compares  it  with  the  playing  of  other 
celebrities  of  the  time. 

"It  would  have  been  absurd  to  expect 
much  pianism,  as  distinct  from  music,  in  the 
performance  of  one  writing  so  straightfor- 
wardly, and  without  the  coquetries  of  em- 
broidery, as  Mendelssohn.  Accordingly, 
his  performance  has  none  of  the  exquisite 
finesses  of  Moscheles,  on  the  score  of  which 
it  has  been  elsewhere  said  that  there  is, 
within  his  playing,  none  of  the  delicate  and 


Mendelssohn,  Chopin,  Henselt,  Liszt.     77 

plaintive  and  spiritual  seductions  of  Chopin, 
who  sweeps  the  keys  with  so  insinuating  and 
gossamer  a  touch  that  the  crudest  and  most 
chromatic  harmonies  of  his  music  float  away 
under  his  hand,   indistinct,  yet  not  unpleas- 
ing,  like  the  wild  and  softened  discords  of 
the   aeolian   harp  ;  —  none   of    the    brilliant 
extravagances  of  \Liszt,  by  which  he  illumi- 
nates every  composition  he  undertakes,  with  a 
living  but  lightening  fire,  and  imparts  to  it 
a  soul  of  passion,  or  a  dazzling  vivacity,  the  in- 
terpretation never  contradicting  the  author's 
intention,  but  more  poignant,  more  intense, 
more  glowing  than  the  author  ever  dreamed 
of.     And  yet,   no  one  that  has  heard  Men- 
delssohn's pianoforte  playing  can  call  it  dry 
—  can  fail  to  be  excited  and  fascinated  by  it, 
despite  its  want  of  all  the  caprices  and  col- 
ourings of  his  contemporaries.      Solidity,  in 
which  the  organ  touch  is  given  to  the  piano 
without  the  organ  ponderosity,  —  spirit  (wit- 
ness his  execution  to  the   finale  of  the  D 


78  Famous  Pianists. 

minor  concerto)  animating,  but  never  intoxi- 
cating to  the  ear,  —  expression  which,  making 
every  tone  sink  deep,  requires  not  the  gar- 
nish of  trills  and  appogiaturi,  or  the  aid  of 
changes  of  time,  —  are  among  its  outward 
and  salient  characteristics  ;  but  within  and 
beyond  all  these,  though  hard  to  be  conveyed 
in  words,  there  is  to  be  felt  a  mind  clear  and 
deep,  an  appreciation  of  character  and  form 
which  refers  to  the  inner  spirit  rather  than 
the  outward  details  :  the  same  which  gives  so 
exquisitely  Southern  a  character  to  the  bar- 
carole and  gondola  tune  in  Mendelssohn's 
"  Lieder  ohne  Worte,"  and  its  fresh,  Os- 
sianic,  seas-wildness  to  his  overture  to  the 
"  Hebriden  ;  "  —  the  same  which  enabled 
him  when  a  boy,  in  the  happiest  piece  of 
descriptive  music  of  our  time,  to  illustrate 
Shakespeare's  exquisite  fairy  scenes  neither 
feebly  nor  unworthily.  Execution  without 
grimace  —  fancy  cheerful  and  excursive,  but 
never  morbid  —  feeling  under  the  control  of 


Mendelssohn,  Chopin,  Henselt,  Liszt.     79 

a  serene,  not  sluggish  spirit ;  —  I  can  come 
no  nearer  pleasing  myself  in  a  character, 
than  by  these  words,  which  are  still  far  from 
doing  justice  to  their  subject.  One  word 
more,  which  is  perhaps  a  half -definition,  — 
Mendelssohn's  is  eminently  manly  music ; 
and  loses  its  effect,  beyond  that  of  almost 
any  of  his  contemporaries,  when  attempted 
by  female  hands." 

Mr.  Cox  also  says  of  Mendelssohn  as  a 
pianist :  "  Great  as  he  was  as  a  composer,  I 
believe  he  was  far  greater  both  as  a  pianist 
and  as  an  organist.  Scarcely  had  he 
touched  the  keyboard  than  something,  that 
can  only  be  explained  as  similar  to  a  pleas- 
urable electric  shock,  passed  through  his 
hearers  and  held  them  spellbound,  —  a  sen- 
sation that  was  only  dissolved  as  the  last 
chord  was  struck,  and  when  one's  pent-up 
breath  seemed  as  if  able  to  recover  its 
usual  action  only  by  means  of  a  gulp  or  a 
sob." 


8o  Famous  Pianists. 

Frederick  Francis  Chopin  was  born  at 
Zelazowa-Wola,  near  Warsaw,  and  was  the 
son  of  a  Frenchman  who  had  settled  in 
Poland,  and  had  married  a  Polish  lady,  Jus- 
tine Kryzanowska.  Frederick  was  a  frail 
and  delicate  child,  quiet  and  thoughtful,  with 
a  sweet  disposition.  He  began  his  musical 
studies  with  Zwing,  a  Bohemian,  and  it  is 
said  that  he  played  in  public  at  the  age  of 
nine,  when  he  also  improvised.  Through 
the  kindness  of  Prince  Radziwill  he  was 
sent  to  the  college  at  Warsaw,  where  he 
received  an  excellent  education  and  where 
his  musical  powers  came  prominently  into 
notice.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  became  a 
pupil  of  Joseph  Eisner,  director  of  the  con- 
servatory at  Warsaw,  and  from  him  acquired 
the  habits  of  serious  study  which  in  later 
years  gave  him  so  complete  a  mastery  over 
his  subtle  and  dreamy  creations.  At  college 
he  made  many  friends  amongst  the  nobility, 
and  thus  gained  the  position  in  society  which 


Mendelssohn^  Chopin,  Henselt,  Liszt.     81 

he  ever  afterward  retained,  and  for  which  his 
gentle  nature  fitted  him.  In  fact  the  name 
of  Chopin  is  always  connected  with  the  idea 
of  refinement. 

At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  was  considered 
a  finished  virtuoso,  and  he  set  forth  upon  a 
journey  to  England,  which,  however,  was  not 
completed  until  shortly  before  his  death.  On 
his  way  he  visited  Vienna,  where  he  played 
frequently  in  public,  and,  notwithstanding 
the  impression  recently  created  by  Liszt,  was 
soon  recognised  as  a  master  of  the  first  rank. 
He  also  played  at  Munich,  and  then  proceeded 
to  Paris,  where  his  playing  met  with  great 
favour  amongst  the  musical  community.  He 
gave  a  recital  at  Pleyel's  concert  room,  where 
a  select  gathering  of  musical  connoisseurs 
heard  him.  Liszt,  Pleyel,  Kalkbrenner  and 
many  others  were  present,  and  Chopin 
played  his  own  First  Concerto  and  several 
other  smaller  compositions.  In  a  short  time 
his  reputation  was  thoroughly  established. 


82  Famous  Pianists. 

He  was  received  into  the  best  society  of 
Paris,  and  became  the  rage.  He  gave  up 
public  performances  and  devoted  himself  to 
teaching,  and  to  playing  only  in  salons 
amongst  his  own  friends.  His  pupils  were 
of  his  own  selection,  and  included  in  their 
number  some  of  the  most  beautiful  and  dis- 
tinguished women  of  the  capital. 

Chopin  met  Madame  George  Sand,  and 
became  a  victim  to  her  influence,  and  her 
views  on  social  matters.  In  1837,  ^e  was 
attacked  with  the  lung  disease  which  had 
threatened  him  since  childhood,  and  he 
settled  with  Madame  Sand  in  the  island  of 
Majorca,  where  under  her  care  he  regained 
his  health.  Soon  after  his  return  to  Paris, 
in  1840,  this  intimacy  came  to  an  end;  he 
became  despondent  and  was  again  seized 
with  his  complaint,  from  which,  however, 
he  rallied.  After  the  Revolution  of  1848, 
he  desired  to  go  to  England,  and,  in  spite 
of  the  entreaties  of  his  friends,  he  set  out  on 


Mendelssohn,  Chopin,  Henselt,  Liszt.     83 

his  journey  during  the  most  inclement  season 
of  the  year. 

In  London  he  was  received  with  open 
arms,  for  his  fame  had  preceded  him.  He 
was  presented  to  the  Queen  by  the  Duchess 
of  Sutherland,  played  twice  in  public  and 
many  times  at  private  concerts.  He  went 
much  into  society,  sat  up  late  at  night,  and 
constantly  exposed  himself  to  fatigue  in  spite 
of  the  precarious  state  of  his  health.  Against 
the  advice  of  his  physician  he  decided  to  visit 
Scotland ;  but  his  tour  was  cut  short  by  illness, 
and  he  returned  to  London  in  the  last  stages 
of  consumption.  Although  advised  to  go 
back  to  Paris,  he  lingered  on  in  order  to  give 
one  last  concert,  —  the  last  he  ever  played  at, 
—  in  aid  of  his  exiled  countrymen,  the  Poles. 
On  his  return  to  Paris  he  found  that  his 
favourite  physician,  the  only  one  in  whom 
he  had  confidence,  was  dead.  He  gave 
way  to  lassitude  and  dejection,  took  to  his 
bed,  and  shortly  died. 


84  Famous  Pianists. 

Notwithstanding  the  elegance  in  which 
Chopin  lived,  he  was  in  meagre  circum- 
stances previous  to  his  death,  but  his  last 
days  were  made  as  comfortable  as  possible, 
by  a  gift  of  25,000  francs  from  a  wealthy 
pupil,  Miss  Sterling,  who  after  his  death 
bought  all  his  belongings.  Some  articles 
she  gave  as  mementos  to  his  pupils  and 
admirers,  but  the  bulk  of  them  she  left  to 
the  mother  of  the  pianist.  Madame  Chopin  in 
turn  left  them  to  her  only  surviving  daughter, 
Madame  Isabella  Barcinska,  who  lived  in 
Warsaw,  and  whose  house  was  sacked  dur- 
ing the  troubles  of  1863,  when  the  infuriated 
soldiers  made  a  bonfire  of  the  collection. 

Of  Chopin's  playing  Von  Lenz  writes  as 
follows:  "That  which  particularly  charac- 
terised Chopin's  playing  was  his  rubato, 
whereby  the  rhythm  and  time  throughout 
the  whole  remained  accurate.  '  The  left 
hand,'  I  often  heard  him  say,  'is  the  con- 
ductor ;  it  must  not  waver,  or  lose  ground, 


Mendelssohn,  Chopin,  Hens e It,  Liszt.    85 

do  with  the  right  hand  what  you  can  and 
will.'  In  the  fluctuation  of  the  tempo, 
Chopin  was  ravishing ;  every  note  stood  on 
the  highest  degree  of  taste,  in  the  noblest 
sense  of  that  term.  When  he  embellished, 

—  which  he  very  rarely  did,  —  it  was  always 
a  species  of  miracle  of  good  taste.     In  his 
entire  make-up,    Chopin    was    not   fitted   to 
interpret    Beethoven   or   Weber,  who   paint 
along  great  lines  with  great  brushes.     Cho- 
pin was  a  painter  of  pastels,  but  an  unrivalled 
one.     Contrasted  with  Listz,  he  might  stand 
on  an  honourable  equality  with  him  —  as  his 
wife.  .  .  .  Chopin's   tone-colour  is  like  that 
of  Raphael !     He  is  the  Raphael  of  the  piano 

—  though  one  must  not  seek  his  Madonnas 
in  the  churches  —  but  in  Life  !  " 

Oscar  Bie  says  of  him  :  "  Chopin  stands 
among  musicians,  in  his  faultless  vesture,  a 
noble  from  head  to  foot.  The  sublimest 
emotions,  toward  whose  refinement  whole 
generations  had  tended,  the  last  things  in 


86  Famous  Pianists. 

our  soul,  whose  foreboding  is  interwoven 
with  the  mystery  of  the  Judgment  Day  have, 
in  his  music,  found  their  form.  .  .  .  Chopin's 
playing  was  light  and  airy,  his  fingers  seemed 
to  glide  sideways,  as  if  all  technique  were  a 
glissando ;  even  the  forte  was  in  him  not  an 
absolute,  but  a  relative,  forte  —  relative,  that 
is,  to  the  gentle  voice  of  the  rest." 

Adolf  Henselt  was  noted  as  an  accom- 
plished virtuoso,  and  for  many  years  as 
an  eminent  teacher.  Born  in  Swabach  he 
studied  music  in  his  childhood  with  Frau 
von  Fladt  at  Munich.  In  his  seventeenth 
year,  he  was  sent  by  King  Ludwig  of  Ba- 
varia to  Weimar.  Here  he  was  placed  under 
Hummel  against  whose  methods  he  openly 
rebelled,  and  in  eight  months  the  connection 
was  severed.  Henselt  went  to  Vienna  and 
pursued  methods  of  his  own  in  regard  to 
pianoforte  technique,  while  studying  com- 
position under  Sechter.  In  the  discipline 
which  he  imposed  upon  himself  he  was 


Mendelssohn,  Chopin,  Henselt,  Liszt.     87 

unmerciful,  and  he  attained  his  virtuosity 
through  the  most  assiduous  labour.  In 
1836  he  played  privately  in  Berlin,  Dres- 
den, and  Weimar,  and  the  following  year 
gave  public  concerts  in  the  chief  cities  of 
Germany,  after  which  he  journeyed  to  St. 
Petersburg,  where  he  remained  for  the 
rest  of  his  life,  gaining  the  reputation  of  a 
teacher  of  high  standing. 

He  was  a  man  of  strong  personality,  out- 
wardly gruff  and  plain-spoken,  but  with  much 
kindness  of  heart.  His  influence  over  piano- 
forte playing  in  Russia  was  very  great,  for 
he  held  the  position  of  inspector  of  all  the 
imperial  schools  of  music,  the  duties  of  which 
office  took  him  all  over  the  country. 

When  playing  with  an  orchestra,  he  in- 
sisted upon  remaining  behind  the  scenes 
until  it  was  time  for  him  to  begin,  and  then 
he  would  rush  in  and  literally  pounce  upon 
the  piano.  Once,  on  a  state  occasion,  he  for- 
got to  lay  aside  his  cigar,  and  rushing  on  to  the 


88  Famous  Pianists. 

stage,  cigar  in  mouth,  smoked  away  through 
out  his  performance,  much  to  the  amusement 
of  the  Czar,  who  applauded  him  generously. 

It  is  said,  as  a  proof  of  Henselt's  devotion 
to  music,  that  his  last  conscious  act  before 
death  was  to  hum  a  melody. 

Von  Lenz,  who  was  intimate  with  Henselt, 
has  given  the  following  vivid  picture  of  him : 

"If  we  speak  of  Adolf  Henselt  as  the 
most  unique  phenomenon  of  the  keyboard, 
we  now  have  to  justify  this  designation  by 
means  of  internal  evidence. 

"  In  absolute  power  over  every  resource  of 
the  keyboard,  and  therefore  over  every  style, 
Liszt  is  to  be  understood  as  cosmic  —  i.  e. 
universal.  Tausig,  who  treated  the  apparatus, 
the  medium,  as  an  art  in  itself,  leaned  thereby 
more  toward  universality  than  individuality. 
Chopin  was  too  individual  in  production  to  be 
capable  to  express  his  entire  individuality  in 
reproduction,  as  an  artist  deficient  in  physical 
command  of  the  medium.  .  .  .  Midway  be- 


Mendelssohn,  Chopin,  Hens e It,  Liszt.     89 

tween  Chopin  and  Liszt  —  in  a  way  the  con- 
necting link  between  their  contrasting  na- 
tures—  stands  Henselt,  a  primitive  German 
phenomenon,  a  Germania  at  the  piano.  Hen- 
selt is  German  in  everything,  in  production 
and  in  reproduction.  German  for  us  is  syn- 
onymous with  faithful,  honest,  real !  ...  If 
one  dared  to  calculate  and  classify,  one  might 
name  Henselt  as  the  only  artist  among  the 
great  pianists  who  is  Liszt's  equal  —  although 
in  the  specifically  subjective  domain  he  be- 
longs to  a  more  specialised  sphere.  Henselt 
alone  has  first  of  all  the  same  command  over 
the  resources  in  fullness  of  tone  and  the  same 
finish  of  execution.  .  .  .  He  has  his  own 
peculiar  polish,  his  own  peculiar  finish,  he  is 
a  law  and  end  unto  himself.  By  this  law  he 
departs  from  the  good  old  school,  but  arrives 
at  very  individual  results.  .  .  .  We  shall  call 
Henselt's  mode  of  expression,  taken  as  a 
whole,  romantic,  in  feeling  and  spirit  like 
Weber,  whom  he  much  resembles  in  dis- 


90  Famous  Pianists. 

position,  in  his  dignified,  simple  carriage, 
in  his  self-poised  manner  combined  with  the 
sincerest  modesty,  because  he  never  is  or 
will  be  satisfied  with  his  achievement  —  a  fact 
which  the  keen  observer  easily  recognises, 
and  only  the  vulgar  misjudges.  Henselt 
pursues  an  ideal  of  perfection,  which  never 
permits  him  a  moment  of  unalloyed  delight. 
Hence  it  comes  that  Henselt  is  the  only 
artist  to  exhibit  the  phenomenon — remark- 
able indeed,  but  grounded  in  his  innermost 
nature  —  that  immediately  on  finishing  a 
given  piece  or  movement,  to  the  utmost 
astonishment  and  rapture  of  his  audience, 
he  would  play  it  over,  and  even  over  again, 
as  though  at  the  command  of  some  higher 
power,  quite  unconscious  of  his  surround- 
ings !  Those  were  moments  of  supreme 
ecstasy,  of  entire  isolation  from  the  outer 
world  —  in  which  the  man  is  no  longer 
master  of  himself,  in  which  the  artist  ap- 
proaches nearer  to  his  ideal,  which  he  longs 


Mendelssohn,  Chopin,  Henselt,  Liszt.     91 

with  such  passionate  yearning  to  reach,  that 
the  outer  world,  his  own  self,  and  the  im- 
pression made  upon  his  auditors  are  quite 
forgotten.  .  .  .  One  does  not  experience 
mere  enjoyment  in  hearing  Henselt,  —  one  is 
intoxicated  and  elevated  at  the  same  mo- 
ment. Another  distinctive  trait  in  Henselt 
is  that,  in  the  midst  of  compositions,  when- 
ever his  enthusiasm  seizes  him,  when  he 
soars  toward  his  ideal,  he  doubles  the  sing- 
ing melody  that  quite  fills  his  heart,  by 
humming  it  himself !  The  artist's  voice  is 
anything  but  lovely,  and  injures  the  effect, 
as  he  knows  right  well  when  he  is  told  that 
he  has  been  singing  again,  for  he  himself 
does  not  know  it  or  suspect  it.  Never  have 
I  heard  such  a  magical  cantilena  flow  from 
the  pianoforte  as  in  those  moments  when 
Henselt's  voice  joined  in  his  playing. 

"Henselt's  coming  to  us  marked  the  ob- 
solescence of  the  Hummel-Field  school,  and 


92  Famous  Pianists. 

brought  the  piano  into  quite  another  channel. 
Hummel  was  but  a  starting-point  for  Hen- 
selt. 

"Such  a  study  of  Bach  as  Henselt  made 
every  day  of  his  life  has  never  before  been 
heard  of  !  He  played  the  fugues  most  dili- 
gently on  a  piano  so  muffled  with  feather 
quills  that  the  only  sound  heard  was  the  dry 
beat  of  the  hammers  against  the  muffled 
strings  ;  it  was  like  the  bones  of  a  skeleton 
rattled  by  the  wind.  In  this  manner  the 
artist  spared  his  nerves  and  ears,  for  he 
reads  at  the  same  time,  on  the  music-rack, 
a  very  thick,  good  book,  —  the  Bible,  —  truly 
the  most  appropriate  companion  for  Bach. 
After  he  has  played  Bach  and  the  Bible 
quite  through  he  begins  again.  The  few 
people  whom  Henselt  allows  to  approach 
him  during  those  hallowed  evening  hours, 
he  requests  to  continue  their  conversation,  — 
that  does  not  disturb  him  in  the  least ;  but 
the  rattle  of  the  skeleton  in  the  piano  dis- 


Mendelssohn,  Chopin,  Henselt,  Liszt.     93 

turbs  them,  and  tortures  their  nerves  instead 
of  quieting  them.  Seated  at  a  dumb  piano, 
with  Bach  and  the  Bible  for  company,  the 
composer  of  many  love-songs,  of  the  Poeme 
d' Amour,  the  most  keen-eared  tone-reveller 
among  virtuosi,  earned  his  daily  artistic 
bread !  " 

The  effect  Henselt  produced  in  St.  Peters- 
burg was  so  great  that  he  became  all  at  once 
the  all-engrossing  topic  of  conversation  at 
the  pianoforte ;  he  concentrated  in  his  own 
person  the  function  of  instructor  of  all  the 
most  influential  circles,  and  at  court,  where 
the  empress  immediately  appointed  him 
court  pianist.  He  kept  open  house,  gave 
no  more  concerts,  and  limited  his  consuming 
activity  to  composition  and  teaching,  —  his 
lessons  he  gave  with  almost  unheard-of 
punctuality  and  energy.  .  .  .  The  mere 
thought  of  giving  a  concert  made  him  ill. 
After  his  first  appearance  no  amount  of 
persuasion  would  induce  him  to  give  another 


94  Famous  Pianists. 

concert.  In  thirty-three  years  he  gave  but 
three. 

Henselt  married  a  lady  of  Silesia  who  was 
refined  and  accomplished,  and  to  whom  he 
was  much  devoted.  He  died  in  1889  at  his 
country  residence  at  Warmbrunn. 

"  All  playing  sounds  barren  by  the  side  of 
Liszt,  for  his  is  the  living,  breathing  imper- 
sonation of  poetry,  passion,  grace,  wit,  co- 
quetry, daring,  tenderness,  and  every  other 
fascinating  attribute  that  you  can  think  of. 
He  is  the  most  phenomenal  being  in  every 
respect."  In  these  words  Liszt  has  been 
described  by  one  of  his  pupils,  and  they  may 
be  supplemented  by  the  remark  of  Tausig: 
"Oh,  compared  with  Liszt,  we  other  artists 
are  blockheads." 

He  was  called  the  Paganini  of  the  piano, 
so  completely  did  he  master  difficulties,  most 
of  them  invented  by  himself,  which  to  other 
pianists  seemed  insuperable,  and  his  career 
was  most  successful  from  his  earliest  days. 


Mendelssohn,  Chopin,  Henselt,  Liszt.     95 

Unlike  Paganini,  he  was  a  man  of  most  gen- 
erous disposition.  Franz  Liszt  was  born 
at  Raiding,  Hungary,  on  October  21,  1811. 
A  comet  of  unusual  brilliancy  was  visible  at 
that  time,  and  on  the  night  of  Liszt's 
birth  it  seemed  to  light  upon  the  very  roof 
of  the  house  in  which  he  was  born,  and 
to  have  been  regarded  as  an  omen  of  his 
destiny. 

He  was  a  delicate  child,  and  at  one  time  he 
suffered  a  long  illness  from  which  he  did  not 
recover  until  rumours  of  his  death  had  been 
circulated  in  the  village.  At  the  age  of  nine 
he  played  in  his  first  concert,  at  Oldenburg, 
where  he  gave  the  concerto  in  E  sharp  by 
Ferdinand  Ries  and  a  free  fantasia  of  his 
own  composition,  with  orchestral  accompani- 
ment. From  this  time  on  he  was  received 
everywhere  with  the  greatest  enthusiasm,  and 
such  was  his  talent  that  six  noblemen  agreed 
to  contribute  jointly  for  six  years  an  annual 
sum  of  six  hundred  Austrian  gulden,  to  be 


96  Famous  Pianists. 

paid  to  his  father  toward  the  expenses  of  his 
musical  education. 

Adam  Liszt,  the  father,  wrote  to  Hummel, 
who  asked  a  louis  d'or  for  each  lesson,  a  sum 
which  was  entirely  beyond  the  means  of  the 
young  musician,  and  the  result  was  that 
Liszt  was  placed  under  Czerny  and  Salieri. 
Czerny  not  only  stipulated  for  a  very  small 
price,  but  at  the  end  of  the  twelfth  lesson, 
when  Adam  Liszt  desired  to  pay  for  the  les- 
sons already  given,  most  generously  refused 
any  compensation,  and  during  the  whole  of 
the  eighteen  months  that  Franz  was  his 
pupil  he  continued  to  instruct  him  gratis. 

On  the  first  of  December,  1822,  Liszt 
played  for  the  first  time  before  a  Vienna 
audience,  and  his  performance  exceeded  the 
expectations  of  his  most  sanguine  admirers. 
He  was  now  eagerly  sought  for  at  the  best 
concerts,  and  was  considered  equal  to  the 
most  talented  virtuosi  of  the  day.  Such  was 
his  renown  that  Beethoven  came  to  one  of 


Mendelssohn,  Chopin,  Henselt,  Liszt.     97 

his  concerts  to  hear  him  play,  and  the  presence 
of  the  great  master,  who  had  been  an  object 
of  adoration  to  the  child,  stimulated  him  and 
filled  him  with  pride  and  joy.  Beethoven 
could  not  restrain  his  admiration,  and  at  the 
end  of  the  concert  ascended  the  platform  and 
kissed  the  boy  repeatedly. 

Adam  Liszt  now  set  out  for  Paris  with 
his  talented  son,  but  arranged  for  concerts  at 
the  various  cities  through  which  they  passed 
on  their  way.  At  Paris  Adam  Liszt  applied 
for  his  son's  admission  to  the  Conserva- 
toire, but  Cherubini,  who  was  then  director, 
refused  to  grant  him  admission  because  he 
was  a  foreigner. 

All  the  salons  of  the  aristocracy  in  Paris 
were,  nevertheless,  thrown  open  to  Adam 
Liszt  and  his  son,  for  they  were  well  pro- 
vided with  letters  of  introduction  from  the 
Austrian  capital,  and  little  Franz  became  the 
fashion. 

He  was  considered  superior  to  Moscheles, 


98  Famous  Pianists. 

was  called  the  "  eighth  wonder  of  the  world," 
and  stood  at  the  head  of  the  list  of  virtuosi. 

His  mental  culture  raised  him  far  above  all 
his  contemporaries  in  his  profession,  Chopin 
alone  being  worthy  to  be  placed  at  his  side. 
When  he  played  in  Paris  with  Thalberg  the 
verdict  was  :  "  Thalberg  is  the  first  pianist 
in  the  world,  —  Liszt  is  the  only  one."  A 
few  years  passed,  and  people  grew  tired  of 
Thalberg's  playing ;  but  Liszt  lived  to  a  great 
age  and  was  able  to  delight  immense  audi- 
ences to  the  last. 

Liszt,  in  1839,  gave  the  first  pure  piano 
recital  ever  given,  and  not  only  was  he  able 
to  fill  up  a  whole  evening  with  performances 
on  his  instrument  alone,  but  he  gave  twenty- 
one  recitals  in  a  little  over  two  months,  at 
Berlin,  in  1842. 

Paganini  exercised  a  great  influence  over 
Liszt,  who  undertook  to  develop  difficulties 
for  the  pianoforte  similar  to  those  which 
Paganini  had  developed  for  the  violin.  He 


FRANZ    LISZT. 


Mendelssohn,  Ckopin,  Henselt,  Liszt.     99 

transcribed  Paganini's  capriccios,  which  con- 
tained almost  impossibilities,  and  the  immense 
technical  difficulties  of  his  compositions  re- 
tarded their  popularity  for  many  years. 

Adam  Liszt,  who  had  been  the  constant 
companion  and  guide  of  his  son,  died  in  1827 
at  the  age  of  forty-seven.  This  was  a  most 
severe  blow  to  the  young  pianist.  Finding 
himself  in  debt,  owing  to  the  expenses  of  his 
father's  illness,  he  sold  his  piano  and  went  to 
Paris,  where  he  was  joined  by  his  mother. 
He  began  to  take  pupils,  and  such  was  his 
fame  as  a  virtuoso  that  his  youth  proved  to 
be  no  obstacle  to  his  success  in  securing 
a  large  class.  He  fell  in  love  with  one  of  his 
pupils,  Caroline  de  Saint-Cricq,  but  the  affair 
was  stopped  by  the  father  of  the  lady,  and 
she  became  the  wife  of  a  country  nobleman, 
M.  d'Artignan.  Liszt  now  sank  into  a  state 
of  despondency,  and  decided  to  enter  the 
church.  He  was  deterred  from  taking  this 
step  by  his  mother,  but  he  soon  became  so  ill 


IOO  Famous  Pianists. 

that  his  life  was  despaired  of,  and  in  the  winter 
of  1828  it  was  again  rumoured  that  he  was 
dead.  Pictures  of  him  were  exhibited  in  many 
places  in  Paris,  with  the  date  of  his  birth  and 
death.  His  recovery  was  slow,  and  it  was  not 
until  1830  that  he  resumed  his  activity. 

It  was  in  the  following  year  that  he  heard 
Paganini,  and  determined  to  improve  his 
powers  of  execution  until  he  could  reach  the 
same  perfection  on  the  piano  that  was  exhib- 
ited by  Paganini  on  the  violin.  He  became 
an  admirer  of  Berlioz,  and  of  Chopin,  who 
exercised  considerable  influence  over  him. 
Liszt  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  came  under 
the  influence  of  George  Sand,  and  was  soon 
reckoned  among  her  best  friends.  Her  doc- 
trines were  not  calculated  to  elevate  the 
moral  standard  of  such  a  man.  Brought  up 
under  strong  religious  influences,  and  pos- 
sessing a  pious  nature,  Liszt  drifted  into  a 
series  of  entanglements,  until  even  Paris  was 
shocked  and  refused  to  recognise  him.  Per- 


Mendelssohn,  Chopin,  Henselt,  Liszt.   101 

haps  it  was  his  misfortune  to  be  fatally 
fascinating  to  the  fair  sex,  or  perhaps  his 
intellectuality  placed  him  upon  a  plane  far 
above  that  by  which  society  is  supposed  to  be 
guided.  Certain  it  is  that  his  love-affairs 
were  numerous,  that  he  was  never  married, 
and  that  he  had  three  children.  Of  these, 
one,  a  boy,  died  in  infancy  ;  the  oldest  girl, 
Blandine,  became  the  wife  of  M.  fimile 
Ollivier,  the  prime  minister  of  France  at 
the  time  of  the  declaration  of  war  against 
Prussia.  The  other,  Cosima,  became  the 
wife  of  Liszt's  pupil,  Hans  von  Biilow,  and 
later  of  Richard  Wagner.  They  were  the 
children  of  the  Comtesse  d'Agoult,  who  was 
Liszt's  companion  for  several  years,  and  who 
became  celebrated,  also,  as  a  writer,  under 
the  name  of  Daniel  Stern. 

These  entanglements  continued  during  al- 
most the  whole  of  Liszt's  virtuoso  period, 
but  in  1865  he  gave  up  his  wandering  life 
and  carried  out  his  early  desire  of  joining  the 


IO2  Famous  Pianists. 

church,  after  which  he  devoted  himself  to 
composition,  and  to  conducting  performances 
of  great  works. 

In  1862  the  Grand  Duke  of  Saxe- Weimar 
appointed  him  to  the  office  of  Court  Cham- 
berlain, and  the  Grand  Duchess  had  a  beau- 
tiful residence  built  and  furnished  for  him 
within  the  grounds  of  the  castle  at  Weimar. 
The  Emperor  Napoleon  appointed  him  to  be 
a  Commandeur  of  the  Legion  of  Honour,  and 
in  1871  the  Hungarian  Cabinet  created  him 
a  noble  of  Hungary,  with  a  yearly  pension  of 
fifteen  thousand  francs.  He  was  also  ap- 
pointed director  of  the  Academy  of  Music 
at  Budapest. 

During  his  old  age  he  lived  at  Weimar, 
surrounded  by  pupils,  but  in  1885  he  spent 
a  few  weeks  in  Paris,  and  visited  London 
after  an  absence  of  nearly  half  a  century. 
He  was  most  enthusiastically  received  where- 
ever  he  went,  and  was  requested  by  the 
Queen  to  visit  her  at  Windsor  Castle. 


Mendelssohn,  Chopin,  Hensett,  Liszt.    103 

It  has  been  said  that  Liszt  passed  through 
six  "lives"  in  the  various  parts  of  his  exist- 
ence. In  the  first  he  lived  the  life  of  a 
precocious  and  much-loved  child.  In  Paris 
he  penetrated  into  the  depths  of  a  romantic 
idealism,  which  drew  closely  together  the 
men  of  that  fruitful  epoch.  Next,  with  the 
Comtesse  d'Agoult  he  lived  for  five  years 
the  free  and  productive  life  of  a  wandering 
artist.  Then  he  experienced  the  glories  of 
European  renown  as  a  virtuoso.  Then  he 
exerted  himself  in  Weimar  as  the  pioneer 
of  the  modern  style,  and  finally  in  Rome, 
Budapest,  and  Weimar  he  lived  the  peaceful 
life  of  a  ruler,  having  attained  the  heights 
of  worldly  honour  and  equally  those  of  that 
conquest  of  the  world  which  found  its  symbol 
in  his  priestly  robe. 

In  1886  Liszt  went,  as  usual,  to  Bayreuth, 
to  superintend  the  production  of  one  of 
Wagner's  masterpieces.  His  health  had 
been  poor  for  some  time.  On  the  fourth  of 


IO4  Famous  Pianists. 

June  he  attended  the  wedding  of  his  grand- 
daughter, Damila  von  Billow,  with  Doctor 
Tode,  and  after  that  he  went,  on  the  advice 
of  his  physician,  to  Luxemburg.  Here  he 
caught  cold,  and  imprudently  travelled  back 
to  Bayreuth  in  order  to  be  present  at  the 
performance  of  "Tristan  und  Isolde,"  which 
took  place  on  Sunday,  July  25.  He  insisted 
upon  being  carried  to  his  daughter's  box  in 
an  armchair,  and  was  afterward  taken  home 
in  a  very  weak  state.  On  the  following 
Tuesday  pneumonia  set  in,  and  on  the 
Sunday  he  died  shortly  before  midnight. 

He  was  one  of  the  most  remarkable  men 
of  the  century,  and  though  his  faults  were 
great,  they  were  far  outweighed  by  his  noble 
and  generous  nature. 

There  are  numerous  stories  extant  about 
rebukes  administered  to  loquacious  royalties 
by  eminent  musicians,  more  particularly 
violinists,  but  there  is  one  regarding  Liszt 
which  seems  as  much  more  magnificent  than 


Mendelssohn,  Chopin,  Hens e It,  Liszt.    105 

the  rest  as  Liszt  himself  towered  above  all 
performers.  It  was  during  Liszt's  second 
visit  to  St.  Petersburg  that  the  Czar  Nich- 
olas invited  him  to  a  soiree  at  the  Winter 
Palace,  and  in  the  course  of  the  evening  per- 
sonally invited  him  to  play,  Liszt  accord- 
ingly sat  down  to  the  piano  and  commenced 
one  of  his  own  Hungarian  rhapsodies.  The 
Czar,  as  soon  as  the  music  was  well  started, 
entered  into  an  animated  conversation  with 
one  of  his  generals,  talking  in  anything  but  a 
subdued  voice.  Liszt  had  always  exacted 
exclusive  attention  from  his  audiences,  no 
matter  of  what  exalted  social  elements  they 
might  be  composed,  and  noticing  the  conver- 
sation, he  played  on  for  a  minute  or  so,  when 
he  suddenly  came  to  a  full  stop  and  rose 
from  his  seat  at  the  instrument.  Although 
he  had  paid  no  heed  to  Liszt's  performance, 
the  Czar  missed  the  sound  of  the  piano,  and 
sent  one  of  his  chamberlains  to  ask  the  artist 
why  he  had  ceased  playing,  —  was  he  indis- 


io6  Famous  Pianists. 

posed,  or  was  not  the  piano  properly  tuned  ? 
Liszt's  steely  gray  eyes  flashed  with  right- 
eous indignation  as  he  replied,  "  The  Czar 
well  knows  that  whilst  he  is  speaking  every 
other  voice  —  even  that  of  music  —  is  bound 
to  be  mute !  "  He  then  turned  his  back  on 
the  official  and  left  the  room.  The  Czar  took 
the  reproof  in  good  part,  and  sent  Liszt  a 
valuable  present  the  next  day.  Moreover, 
the  incident  seems  to  have  made  a  lasting 
impression,  for  whenever  Liszt's  name  was 
mentioned,  the  Czar  spoke  of  him  with  cor- 
dial admiration  as  a  musician  who  not 
only  respected  himself,  but  had  the  courage 
to  insist  upon  respect  being  paid  to  his  art. 

The  wonderful  power  of  Liszt's  personality 
over  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact  is 
well  illustrated  by  the  following  anecdote, 
related  to  the  writer  by  one  who  was  present. 
Von  Biilow  was  conducting  an  orchestral 
concert  at  a  provincial  city  in  Germany,  and 
a  symphony  by  Bronsart  was  being  played. 


Mendelssohn,  Chopin,  Henselt,  Liszt.    107 

A  part  was  reached  which  was  intended  to 
give  one  an  impression  of  the  awakening  of 
nature  in  early  spring.  It  was  pianissimo. 
In  the  midst  of  this  delicate  part  the  door 
of  the  hall  was  pushed  open  and  two  ladies 
entered.  They  walked  down  the  aisle,  caus- 
ing some  disturbance,  and  made  still  more 
noise  by  moving  some  chairs  in  order  to 
reach  their  seats.  One  of  the  ladies  was  the 
wife  of  the  governor.  Von  Billow  stopped 
the  orchestra,  and,  addressing  the  ladies,  told 
them,  not  in  the  most  gentle  manner,  that  if 
they  wished  to  enter  during  the  performance, 
they  must  come  while  the  orchestra  was 
playing  loud,  —  he  could  not  put  up  with  the 
disturbance  they  had  made.  Then  calling 
an  official  he  told  him  to  get  those  ladies 
out  of  the  way.  "  But  Doctor  Von  Billow," 
the  official  remonstrated,  "  one  of  them  is  the 
governor's  wife."  "  Then  put  her  out  first," 
was  the  brusque  reply.  In  the  meantime 
Liszt,  who  was  present,  motioned  majestic- 


io8  Famous  Pianists. 

ally  to  Von  Biilow,  who,  on  noticing  the 
gestures  of  the  great  man,  became  imme- 
diately obsequious,  and,  bowing  low  to  him, 
turned  around  and  continued  the  performance. 
An  incident,  which  showed  his  marvellous 
power  of  grasping  musical  ideas,  occurred  in 
Vienna,  when  Liszt  and  Rubinstein  once 
met,  having  not  seen  one  another  for  some 
time.  Rubinstein  had  been  giving  a  concert, 
and  Liszt,  meeting  him  afterward,  asked  him 
if  he  had  anything  new.  "  Yes,"  Rubinstein 
replied,  "  I  have  a  fantasia  for  two  piano- 
fortes." "Let  us  play  it  together,"  said 
Liszt.  They  were  both  invited  to  be  present 
at  the  salon  of  a  music-loving  prince  on  the 
next  night,  and  they  agreed  to  play  it  then. 
When  the  time  arrived  for  them  to  play, 
Rubinstein  handed  to  Liszt  the  manuscript 
of  the  fantasia.  Liszt  glanced  over  it  for 
a  few  minutes  while  conversing  with  some 
of  the  people  who  were  present,  and  then 
sat  down  to  the  piano.  The  two  instru- 


Mendelssohn,  Chopin,  Henselt,  Liszt.    109 

ments  were  placed  facing  each  other,  and 
half  the  company  grouped  themselves  around 
Rubinstein  while  the  remainder  gathered 
around  Liszt.  By  the  end  of  the  perfor- 
mance the  whole  of  the  company  were 
grouped  around  Liszt.  So  wonderful  had 
been  his  playing,  at  sight,  of  this  entirely 
new  work,  so  completely  had  he  grasped  its 
meaning,  that  Rubinstein  was  completely 
overshadowed,  a  fact  which  he  himself 
acknowledged,  exclaiming,  "Impossible,  im- 
possible, it  is  not  to  be  believed ! "  as  he 
went  around  to  Liszt  and  kissed  his  hand 
reverently. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

THE    EARLY    INTERNATIONAL    VIRTUOSI. 

THE  mania  for  rapidity  of  execution  which 
came  through  the  exhibition  of  virtuosity, 
toward  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
brought  with  it  some  remarkable  feats.  One 
of  these  was  performed  by  an  organist  who 
undertook,  for  a  wager,  to  play  one  million 
notes  on  the  piano  in  less  than  twelve  hours. 
He  succeeded  in  doing  this  at  the  average 
rate  of  about  125,000  notes  an  hour.  The 
actual  time  consumed  in  the  playing  was  eight 
hours  and  twenty  minutes,  which,  with  the 
periods  of  rest  which  he  allowed  himself, 
amounted  to  a  few  minutes  less  than  the 
twelve  hours. 

The  extreme  of  the  virtuoso  type  of  this 


The  Early  International  Virtuosi.    1 1 1 

period  is  to  be  found  in  the  international 
geniuses,  who  continued  the  traditions  of 
Thalberg  rather  than  of  Liszt.  The  earliest 
and  the  greatest  traveller  of  these  was  the 
Irish  pianist  and  composer,  Wallace,  who,  for 
the  sake  of  his  health,  toured  and  gave 
concerts  through  Australia,  New  Zealand, 
India,  South  America,  the  United  States,  and 
Mexico. 

The  United  States  began  to  be  regu- 
larly recognised  as  a  field  for  the  virtuoso 
after  the  year  1840,  when  pianists,  violinists, 
and  singers  began  to  appear. 

In  1852  a  Polish  gentleman,  who  had  suf- 
fered in  the  cause  of  his  country,  came  to 
America  and  endeavoured  to  mend  his  fortune 
by  giving  performances  upon  two  pianos  at 
once.  However  much  this  proceeding  may 
have  appealed  to  the  sympathies  of  his  hear- 
ers, it  cannot  be  regarded  otherwise  than  as  a 
piece  of  reckless  extravagance,  for  not  only 
are  pianos  expensive  instruments,  but  any 


112  Famous  Pianists. 

performer  can  do  much  better  on  one  than 
on  two  at  a  time.  Mr.  Wolowski,  for  that 
was  the  gentleman's  name,  did  not  entirely 
confine  himself  to  the  performance  on  two 
pianos,  but  he  also  played  against  time,  and 
undertook  to  execute  four  hundred  notes  in 
a  single  measure,  —  a  perfectly  safe  under- 
taking, for  the  simple  reason  that  nobody 
could  pretend  to  count  the  notes.  It  is 
recorded  that  Mr.  Wolowski  secured  small 
audiences,  and  that,  as  a  performer,  he  did 
not  compare  with  Jaell,  Goldschmidt,  and 
others  who  had  recently  been  heard. 

Henri  Herz,  who  at  one  time  enjoyed  an 
immense  reputation  in  Paris,  is  interesting 
as  being  one  of  the  first  pianists  of  European 
renown  who  toured  the  United  States.  He 
was  followed  by  Thalberg,  Jaell,  L.  von  Meyer, 
etc.,  and  may  be  looked  upon  as  the  pioneer  of 
the  stream  of  much-advertised  virtuosi  who 
seek  these  shores  in  yearly  increasing  num- 
bers. His  tour  in  the  United  States  took 


The  Early  International  Virtuosi.    113 


place  in  1845,  an^  continuing  through  Cali- 
fornia, Mexico,  the  West  Indies,  and  South 
America,  did  not  return  to  Europe  until  1851. 
'  Herz  was  born  at  Vienna  in  1806,  and 
entering  the  Paris  Conservatoire  at  the  age 
of  ten,  carried  off  the  first  prize  for  piano- 
forte playing  in  a  year.  He  remained  in 
Paris,  acquiring  great  prominence  as  a  player 
and  teacher,  until  1831,  when  he  made  a 
tour  of  Germany  with  the  violinist  Lafont, 
and  in  1835  visited  London,  where  he  gave 
a  concert  of  his  own,  and  played  duets 
with  Moscheles  and  J.  B.  Cramer.  He 
proceeded  also  to  Dublin  and  Edinburgh. 
After  a  successful  career  Herz  lost  most 
of  his  earnings  by  entering  into  the  man- 
ufacture of  pianofortes,  and  in  order  to 
replenish  his  exchequer  he  decided  upon  his 
great  tour  in  the  Western  Hemisphere. 

Concerning  his  playing  in  London,  Mr. 
Cox  says  :  "  For  my  part,  I  have  always 
regarded  Herz  as  one  of  the  most  unsatisfac- 


1 14  Famous  Pianists. 

tory  players  and  frivolous  composers  for  his 
instrument  that  the  world  has  ever  met  with. 
If  at  any  time  the  saying  was  realised  of  '  a 
man  going  up  like  a  rocket  and  down  like 
a  stick,'  it  assuredly  was  so  in  his  case.  I 
really  believe  that  Herz  could  play  no  other 
music  than  his  own.  If  he  at  any  time  tried 
the  experiment,  it  must  have  been  a  miser- 
able fiasco.  He  had  neither  the  genius 
nor  the  disposition  to  understand  the  grand 
masters." 

Nevertheless  Herz  had  dazzled  the  Pa- 
risians, and  now  he  set  forth  to  exercise  his 
blandishments  upon  the  music-loving  public 
of  the  United  States.  Possibly  he  was  the 
best  man  that  could  be  found  for  that  ardu- 
ous and  not  altogether  enviable  undertaking. 
While  there  were  good  musicians  and  people 
who  loved  and  appreciated  good  music  in  the 
larger  cities  of  America,  it  cannot  be  said 
that  the  Americans  were  in  general  a  music- 
ally cultivated  people  at  that  time.  Fortu- 


The  Early  International  Virtuosi.    115 

nately  M.  Herz  has  left  us  an  account  of  his 
American  experiences,  some  of  which  are  as 
interesting  and  unique  as  those  of  Jenny 
Lind  or  Ole  Bull.  In  fact,  P.  T.  Barnum, 
who  for  a  short  period  managed  Jenny  Lind, 
approached  Herz  in  New  York  with  a  propo- 
sition to  play  the  piano  at  a  concert  in  which 
that  songstress  was  to  appear  as  an  angel 
descended  from  Heaven.  This  proposition 
staggered  even  M.  Herz  and  he  declined  it, 
but  he  was  destined  to  be  subjected  to  some 
original  and  startling  devices  by  his  manager, 
Mr.  Ullmann. 

At  his  opening  concert  in  New  York  he 
was  introduced  to  the  audience  in  a  long  and 
flowery  speech,  to  which  he  was  expected  to 
reply  —  but  declined.  A  gentleman  was  found, 
however,  who  made  a  thrilling  speech  for  him 
and  told  the  public  exactly  how  he  (Herz) 
felt  about  his  enthusiastic  reception. 

In  Philadelphia  Ullmann  concocted  a  plac- 
ard, to  advertise  Herz's  concert,  in  which 


n6  Famous  Pianists. 

the  most  prominent  feature  was  the  an- 
nouncement that  the  hall  would  be  illumi- 
nated by  "one  thousand  candles."  He  tells 
also  how  one  member  of  the  audience  (which, 
by  the  way,  packed  the  hall  to  suffocation  in 
order  to  see  the  one  thousand  candles)  made 
a  complaint  that  there  were  eight  candles 
short  of  the  advertised  number,  and  accord- 
ingly demanded  his  money  and  left  the  hall 
a  disappointed  and  deluded  man. 

The  farewell  concert  in  Philadelphia  was 
announced  as  a  "  Great  Festival  in  honour  of 
the  Declaration  of  Independence,  etc.,  etc." 

It  opened  with  a  cantata  for  eight  voices 
with  soli  and  chorus,  "  Homage  a  Washing- 
ton,"—  performed  by  five  orchestras  and 
eighteen  hundred  singers.  During  the  last 
chords  of  the  cantata  the  bronze  bust  of 
the  Father  of  the  Country  was  crowned  with 
a  laurel  wreath. 

Then  came  a  "Concerto  de  la  Constitu- 
tion," expressly  composed  for  the  occasion 


The  Early  International  Virtuosi.    117 

by  M.  Herz,  and  performed  by  the  composer. 
This  was  followed  by  a  lecture  on  the  Ameri- 
can people  and  on  the  rights  of  women,  by 
a  well-known  lady  orator.  The  climax  was 
reached  in  a  performance  of  "  Hail,  Colum- 
bia," by  all  the  military  bands  in  Philadelphia 
and  the  surrounding  cities  united  for  the 
occasion. 

At  Baltimore  it  was  announced  that  the 
artist  was  to  improvise  on  themes  suggested 
by  the  audience.  This  led  to  a  scene  of 
confusion,  for  fifty  or  sixty  themes  were 
given,  some  members  of  the  audience  being 
so  anxious  to  be  the  chosen  one  that  they 
stood  on  their  seats  and  whistled  their  con- 
tributions. 

At  New  Orleans  the  great  attraction  for 
the  public  consisted  of  a  piece  arranged  for 
eight  pianos,  played  by  sixteen  performers. 
These  sixteen  were  selected  from  amongst 
the  local  artists,  and  were  all  of  the  fair  sex. 
At  the  last  moment  one  of  them  broke  faith, 


n8  Famous  Pianists. 

and  Herz,  seeing  a  stylishly  dressed  lady  in 
one  of  the  boxes,  went  around  and  begged  her 
to  take  the  vacant  place.  She  demurred  on 
the  ground  that  she  was  unable  to  play  the 
piano  and  did  not  understand  a  note  of  music, 
but  being  persuaded  by  the  argument  that  all 
she  need  do  was  to  imitate  the  action  of  play- 
ing, she  reluctantly  but  obligingly  consented. 
Unfortunately  there  was  a  rest  of  several 
measures  in  the  piece,  and  this  had  not  been 
explained  to  the  fair  volunteer,  so  that  when 
all  the  other  pianists  ceased  playing,  she,  be- 
ing absorbed  in  her  own  efforts  and  bent  on 
fulfilling  her  promise,  continued  her  frantic 
but  silent  exertions,  and  created  a  decidedly 
unusual  effect. 

Herz  reached  California  in  1849,  Just  when 
the  gold  mania  was  at  its  height.  Necessity 
had  not  yet  become  the  mother  of  that  cele- 
brated injunction,  "  Don't  shoot  the  pianist. 
He  is  doing  his  best."  One  evening  he 
was  waited  upon  by  a  deputation  of  miners, 


The  Early  International  Virtuosi.    119 

who  wanted  him  to  play  at  a  place  called 
"Venezia."  He  went  there  and  found  the 
house  full  of  men  of  all  colours,  styles  of 
dress,  and  nationalities.  His  reception  was 
encouraging,  but  —  there  was  no  piano. 
Nothing  daunted  by  such  a  trifle,  the  audi- 
ence requested  him  to  sing.  When  the 
excitement  was  subdued  he  asked  if  no  one 
had  a  piano,  and  after  a  good  deal  of  dis- 
cussion, a  miner  in  a  red  shirt,  declared  that 
he  knew  of  a  Portuguese  (or  Portuguee  ? ) 
who  lived  four  miles  away,  and  who  pos- 
sessed a  piano.  Ten  members  of  the  motley 
assembly  at  once  set  forth  to  get  that  piano, 
and  in  the  course  of  two  hours  returned 
carrying  it  on  their  backs.  It  was  an  awful 
old  box  of  six  octaves,  three  of  them  quite 
useless. 

During  the  interval  Herz  had  chatted 
pleasantly  with  the  audience  and  passed  a 
sociable  evening,  and  now  he  sat  down  and 
did  his  best  at  the  piano.  According  to  his 


I2O  Famous  Pianists. 

account  of  the  affair,  he  never  made  so  bril- 
liant a  success. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  Herz  was 
shallow  and  superficial  as  a  musician,  he  was 
very  successful  in  Europe  as  well  as  in 
America.  He  remained  a  teacher  at  the 
Paris  Conservatoire  until  1874,  though  his 
chief  interest  was  centered  in  his  piano 
factories.  He  died  in  1888,  but  his  musical 
reputation  predeceased  him  by  many  years. 

The  year  1 8 1 1  was  most  productive  of 
celebrated  pianists,  for  we  find  Louise  Dul- 
cken,  Camille  Stamaty,  Marie  Pleyel,  Wilhelm 
Taubert,  Leopoldine  Blahetka,  Henri  Rosel- 
len,  Ferdinand  Hiller,  and,  greatest  of  all, 
Franz  Liszt,  while  Thalberg,  who  was  in  his 
day  compared  with  Liszt,  was  born  the  fol- 
lowing year.  Chopin  was  born  in  1810,  and 
Mendelssohn  a  year  earlier. 

Liszt  attained  the  highest  point  that  human 
intelligence  and  skill  can  possibly  reach.  He 
widened  the  domain  of  the  piano  to  an  extent 


The  Early  International   Virtuosi.     121 

which  seems  almost  incompatible  with  the 
nature  of  the  instrument,  and  expanded  the 
chords  to  dimensions  which,  for  the  majority 
of  players,  are  absolutely  impossible,  and 
thus  made  himself  responsible  for  more  noise 
and  bad  playing  by  his  imitators  than  was 
ever  before  known.  Thalberg,  on  the  other 
hand,  was  the  apostle  of  brilliant  emptiness. 
He  had  the  art  of  composing  pieces  which 
were  much  more  difficult  in  appearance  than 
in  reality. 

According  to  Rubinstein,  Liszt  was  the 
"god  of  music,"  while  Thalberg  was  "a 
grocer."  Mendelssohn  spoke  of  Thalberg's 
style  as  more  worthy  of  a  virtuoso,  while 
Liszt's  playing  he  regarded  as  "a  heathen 
scandal  both  in  the  glorious  and  the  repre- 
hensible sense  of  the  word."  Schumann 
said  that  to  criticise  Thalberg  would  cause 
a  revolt  of  all  the  French,  German,  and 
foreign  girls,  —  "he  sheds  the  lustre  of  his 
performance  on  whatever  he  may  play, 


122  Famous  Pianists. 

Beethoven  or  Dussek,  Chopin  or  Hummel. 
.  .  .  He  is  a  god,  when  seated  at  the  piano." 
Thalberg,  a  perfect  aristocrat  in  look, 
never  moved  a  muscle  beyond  his  elbow. 
His  body  remained  in  one  position,  and 
whatever  the  difficulties  of  the  piece,  he  was, 
or  at  any  rate  he  appeared,  unmoved,  calm, 
master  of  the  keyboard,  and,  what  is  more 
difficult,  of  himself. 

Liszt,  with  his  long  hair  flying  about  at 
every  arpeggio  or  scale,  not  to  mention  his 
restlessness  when  playing  rapid  octaves, 
studied  his  audience  unceasingly.  He  kept 
them  well  under  his  eye,  and  was  not  above 
indulging  in  little  comedies,  and  encouraging 
little  scenes  to  be  played  by  the  audience. 
He  would,  for  instance,  leave  a  glove  upon 
the  piano  so  that  the  ladies  might  tear  it 
to  fragments  in  the  desire  for  relics.  Thai- 
berg  disdained  such  devices,  and  never 
encouraged  worship  of  himself  in  any  shape. 
'  Sigismond  Thalberg  was  a  native  of  Ge- 


The  Early  International   Virtuosi,     123 

neva,  and  was  bom  in  1812.  He  was  the  son 
of  Prince  Dietrichstein  and  the  Baroness 
Wetzlar,  was  brought  up  in  luxury,  and  when 
prepared  for  the  life  of  a  virtuoso,  his  father 
started  him  off  with  a  capital  of  $100,000. 
He  therefore  knew  nothing  of  the  struggle 
against  poverty  which  oppressed  so  many 
great  musicians.  He  was  agreeable  in  ap- 
pearance and  in  manners,  rather  too  much 
addicted  to  making  puns,  kind-hearted,  and 
refined.  His  brilliant  style  took  the  world 
by  storm,  and  he  became  a  great  favourite. 
He  possessed  a  well-trained  mechanism.  The 
smallest  details  of  execution  were  polished 
and  finished  with  the  utmost  care,  his  scales 
were  marvels  of  evenness,  his  arpeggios  at 
times  rolled  like  the  waves  of  the  sea,  at 
others  resembled  the  airy  and  transparent 
folds  of  the  finest  lace,  his  octaves  were 
thundered  forth  with  never  failing  accuracy, 
and  his  chords  seemed  to  be  struck  with 
mallets  of  steel  rather  than  by  fingers.  His 


124  Famous  Pianists. 

tone  was  grand,  delicate,  and  mellow,  and  the 
gradations  between  forte  and  piano  were 
exquisitely  traced. 

The  feature  which  rendered  Thalberg's 
fantasias  so  celebrated  was  his  method  of 
dividing  the  melody  between  the  two  hands, 
whilst  at  the  same  time  the  right  hand  per- 
forms in  the  higher  register  a  brilliant  figure 
and  the  left  hand  exhibits  a  full  and  rich  bass 
part,  and  supplements  it  with  an  accompani- 
ment in  chords. 

Liszt  on  one  occasion  is  said  to  have 
remarked  that  Thalberg  was  the  only  artist 
who  could  play  the  violin  on  the  keyboard ; 
but  later  on,  when  Thalberg  was  held  up  as 
his  rival,  he  said,  "  I  hope  to  play  as  Thalberg 
does  if  I  should  happen  to  be  paralysed  and 
limited  to  the  use  of  one  hand." 

Thalberg  married,  in  1843,  Madame 
Boucher,  the  daughter  of  Luigi  Lablache, 
the  celebrated  singer.  He  made  numerous 
concert  tours  throughout  Europe,  and  closed 


SIGISMOND    THALBERG 


The  Early  International   Virtuosi.     125 

his  career  as  a  virtuoso  with  a  long  tour 
through  South  America  and  the  United 
States  in  1855  and  1856,  when  he  appeared 
with  Vieuxtemps,  the  violinist.  He  retired 
to  Posilipo,  near  Naples,  and  lived  as  a  land- 
owner and  winegrower,  and  —  there  was  no 
piano  in  his  house.  He  died  in  1871,  having 
only  once  emerged  from  his  retirement,  when, 
in  1862,  he  gave  some  concerts  in  Paris  and 
London,  and  was  greeted  with  the  same  enthu- 
siasm as  before. 

Thalberg  astonished  the  ears  of  the  million 
rather  than  gratified  the  taste  of  the  refined. 
He  adhered  wholly  to  his  own  compositions, 
his  sole  object  being  to  show  off  his  wonder- 
ful powers  of  mechanism.  Not  a  single 
performance  of  his,  or  of  any  of  his  pupils 
and  hosts  of  imitators,  ever  advanced  the  true 
progress  of  musical  art  and  science  one  step. 
Apparently  he  had  no  soul  for  anything  else 
than  the  "  sound  and  fury  signifying  nothing  " 
which  his  own  hands  could  produce. 


126  Famous  Pianists. 

Sir  Charles  Halle"  writes  of  Thalberg  as 
follows  :  —  "  Totally  unlike  in  style  to  either 
Chopin  or  Liszt,  he  was  admirable  and  unim- 
peachable in  his  own  way.  His  performances 
were  wonderfully  finished  and  accurate,  giv- 
ing the  impression  that  a  wrong  note  was 
an  impossibility.  His  tone  was  round  and 
beautiful,  the  clearness  of  his  passage-playing 
crystal-like,  and  he  had  brought  to  the  utmost 
perfection  the  method,  identified  with  his 
name,  of  making  a  melody  stand  out  dis- 
tinctly through  a  maze  of  brilliant  passages. 
He  did  not  appeal  to  the  emotions,  except 
those  of  wonder,  for  his  playing  was 
statuesque;  cold,  but  beautiful,  and  so 
masterly  that  it  was  said  of  him,  with 
reason,  he  would  play  with  the  same  care 
and  finish  if  roused  out  of  the  deepest  sleep 
in  the  middle  of  the  night.  He  created  a  great 
sensation  in  Paris,  and  became  the  idol  of  the 
public,  principally,  perhaps,  because  it  was 
felt  that  he  could  be  imitated,  even  success- 


The  Early  International  Virtuosi.    127 

fully,  which  with  Chopin  and  Liszt  was  out 
of  the  question." 

Leopold  von  Meyer  was  one  of  the  first 
pianists  to  come  from  Europe  to  America, 
arriving  about  the  same  time  or  shortly  before 
Herz,  and  he  soon  learned  to  understand  the 
tastes  of  the  Americans  of  that  day. 

According  to  some  accounts  he  was  an 
Australian  by  birth,  but  others  say  that  he 
was  born  at  Baden,  near  Vienna,  and  that 
he  carried  on  the  good  traditions  of  Czerny 
and  Fischoff.  He  made  long  concert  tours, 
beginning  at  the  age  of  nineteen.  An  account 
of  his  playing  is  given  by  Fridburg,  who  spoke 
of  him  as  the  "  American  Virtuoso,"  and  who 
heard  him  in  Europe,  —  probably  in  Vienna. 

After  describing  his  personal  appearance, 
and  his  disregard  for  conventionalities,  — 
"He  remained  seated  amongst  the  audience 
until  his  number  on  the  program  was  reached. 
Then  he  stood  up  and  pulled  off  his  overcoat, 
and  ran  up  on  the  stage.  He  sat  at  the  piano, 


128  Famous  Pianists. 

then  got  up,  and  called  to  the  attendants 
to  move  it  to  a  particular  spot  of  his  own 
choosing.  He  sometimes  played  with  his 
thumbs  alone,"  the  account  continues,  "then 
he  smote  with  his  fists,  and  with  his  elbows, 
musical-box  effects,  bells  ringing,  thunder- 
claps, all  through  one  another,  and  then  he 
took  his  stick  and  drummed  a  variation. 
How  he  did  all  this,  with  what  lightness, 
with  what  grace,  occasionally  interrupted  with 
coquetting  with  ladies  in  the  parquet,  smiling 
as  if  these  antics  amused  him,  is  beyond 
comparison.  The  public,  too,  seemed  vastly 
amused." 

Von  Meyer  was  a  genial  companion,  full  of 
wit,  humor  and  acute  observation.  He  could 
caricature  the  individualities  of  leading  virtuosi 
with  surprising  adroitness,  and  in  such  good 
humor  as  to  disarm  the  most  jealous  of  that 
illustrious  fellowship. 

In  1 868  Von  Meyer  reappeared  in  America, 
when  he  was  spoken  of  as  "  more  extravagant 


The  Early  International  Virtuosi.     129 

than  ever."  A  great  change  in  musical 
taste  had  taken  place  in  the  interval  of 
twenty  or  more  years  since  Von  Meyer  had 
made  his  first  trip  to  this  country.  One  who 
heard  him  on  both  occasions  wrote  an  account 
of  his  advent,  in  1845  or  1846,  to  Boston, 
which  is  interesting  if  only  for  the  fact 
that  it  shows  the  manner  in  which  concert 
pianists  managed  their  business  in  those 
days. 

"  No  sooner  was  he  established  in  comfort- 
able quarters,"  the  story  goes,  "than  the 
musical  cognoscenti  were  bidden  to  his  rooms 
to  have  a  preliminary  taste  of  his  quality. 
Some  forty  gentlemen  were  assembled,  —  the 
nucleus  whose  opinion  is  fame  in  our  little 
musical  world.  .  .  .  He  seated  himself  at  his 
Erard  in  the  middle  of  the  company.  A  short, 
stout,  healthy-looking  man  of  light,  flying 
hair,  and  full  blue  German  eyes.  He  con- 
gratulates himself  that  he  is  the  only  one  of 
the  great  pianists  who  is  fat,  and  this  enables 


130  Famous  Pianists. 

him  to  bear  much  physical  exertion.  .  .  .  He 
worked  up  from  a  soft  trill,  and  most  deli- 
cate runs,  until  he  seemed  to  tear  up  great 
masses  of  chords  by  the  roots,  and  scatter 
them  about  with  furious  joy.  .  .  .  His  brow 
seemed  almost  to  lift  itself  from  his  head ; 
his  whole  body  played ;  he  would  straighten 
back  and  look  around  in  triumph  on  his 
audience ;  he  would  rise  from  his  seat  as  if 
upon  a  race-horse ;  and  finally,  with  the 
instrument  vibrating  like  twenty,  he  sprang 
up  into  the  arms,  as  it  were,  of  his  audience, 
laughing  and  shouting  with  as  much  delight 
as  any  of  them,  at  the  admirable  thing  which 
had  been  accomplished.  Needless  to  say, 
he  put  criticism  to  flight.  No  one  stopped 
to  consider  that  it  was  not  the  deepest  sphere 
of  musical  expression." 

Continuing  about  his  performance  in  1867, 
the  same  account  says:  "As  he  hastened 
upon  the  stage,  hat  and  gloves  in  hand.  .  .  . 
He  is  a  remarkable  player,  if  he  would  only 


The  Early  International  Virtuosi.    131 

play  good  music.  The  Steinway  piano  jingled 
as  if  taxed  beyond  its  strength." 

Von  Meyer  took  up  his  residence  in 
Vienna,  but  he  died  at  Dresden  in  1883. 

Alexander  Dreyschock,  born  in  1818,  at 
Zack,  in  Bohemia,  was  a  pianist  of  great 
attainments.  He  has  been  called  the  hero 
of  octaves,  sixths  and  thirds,  and  possessed 
such  great  powers  of  execution  that  Cramer, 
who  heard  him  in  Paris,  declared  that  he 
had  two  right  hands.  He  was  described  as 
a  pianist  who  "  did  in  octaves  what  all  others 
did  in  single  notes."  He  seemed  to  have 
even  more  execution  than  Thalberg,  and  was 
compared  with  Liszt,  in  that  he  was  more 
calmly  certain,  and  manifested  a  new  manner 
of  producing  a  vibrating  and  prolonged  tone, 
but  without  exhibiting  the  charm  of  Thai- 
berg,  or  the  fantasy  of  Liszt.  Power 
ranging  from  the  uttermost  force  to  the 
finest  delicacy,  sensible,  rather  than  sensitive 
expression,  were  the  characteristics  most 


132  Famous  Pianists. 

strongly  prominent  in  his  performance,  and 
his  unpretending  modesty  won  for  him 
general  approbation. 

Dreyschock  toured  through  Europe  exten- 
sively, from  1836  to  1847,  and  then  settled 
down  at  Prague  as  a  pianoforte  teacher. 
In  1862  he  was  called  to  St.  Petersburg  as 
professor  of  pianoforte  at  the  Conservatoire, 
but  his  health  failing,  in  1868  he  was 
sent  to  Italy,  where  he  died  the  following 
year. 

Dreyschock  did  not  succeed  in  maintain- 
ing his  rapidly  earned  reputation,  and  it  is 
related  of  him  that  once  when  he  was  play- 
ing the  pupil's  part  in  some  scale  duets  at 
the  apartments  of  Moscheles,  he  made  such 
a  poor  showing  that  even  Moscheles' s  little 
daughter  noticed  it  and  exclaimed  to  her 
mother,  "  Mamma,  Mr.  Dreyschock  hasn't 
learned  his  scales  yet." 

An  amusing  picture  of  the  middle  of  the 
century  virtuosity  is  given  by  W.  Beatty- 


The  Early  International  Virtuosi.     133 

Kingston  in  an  account  of  a  performance  of 
the  Chevalier  Antoine  de  Kontski,  some- 
times called  the  "  Lion  of  Poland." 

"This  title  of  honour,"  says  the  narrator, 
"  I  am  bound  to  say,  was  not  altogether  lack- 
ing in  appropriateness ;  indeed,  it  was  to  a 
considerable  extent  justified  by  his  method 
of  dealing  with  any  luckless  instrument  that 
fell  into  his  hands  professionally.  Thus 
might  a  vivacious  monarch  of  the  desert, 
with  spirits  unsubdued  and  sinews  unrelaxed 
by  bondage,  play  on  or  with  the  pianoforte, 
if  that  way  disposed  by  nature  or  accidental 
impulse.  Blows  from  a  playful  leonine  paw 
could  scarcely,  I  should  think,  strike  a  larger 
number  of  notes  simultaneously  or  with 
greater  force  of  impact  than  did  the  vigor- 
ous hands  of  the  Sarmatian  Lion,  to  whom  I 
listened  in  a  daze  of  mingled  wonder  and 
consternation.  One  of  the  pieces  he  played 
on  the  occasion  referred  to  had  been  intit- 
uled in  such  sort  as  to  explain  its  special 


134  Famous  Pianists. 

function  and  aim  with  laudable  directness. 
It  was  called  « Le  Reveil  de  la  Pologne,' 
and  was  eminently  qualified,  as  rendered  by 
M.  de  Kontski,  to  awaken  the  dead,  let 
alone  slothful  patriots  of  the  Polish  or  any 
other  persuasion.  An  eminent  Viennese 
critic  wrote  a  panic-stricken  notice  of  the 
matine'e,  on  the  morrow  of  the  performance, 
concluding  his  remarks  with  the  following 
impressive  words,  '  From  battle,  murder, 
and  sudden  death,  and  from  the  Lion  of 
Poland's  pianoforte  playing,  good  Lord, 
deliver  us ! " 

De  Kontski  was  a  native  of  Cracow,  a 
member  of  a  musical  family.  Appolinary,  his 
brother,  was  a  celebrated  violinist.  Both 
brothers  travelled  extensively,  and  Anton 
lived  to  a  good  old  age. 

The  name  of  Litolff  is  known  wherever  the 
pianoforte  is  played,  because  of  the  Litolff 
publications.  Henri  Litolff  was  a  concert  pi- 
anist of  considerable  talent,  and  a  composer. 


The  Early  International   Virtuosi.     135 

He  was  the  son  of  a  violinist,  a  French 
Alsatian,  who  had  been  taken  prisoner  by 
the  English  in  the  Peninsular  War,  and  who 
married  an  English  woman  and  settled  in 
London  after  the  declaration  of  peace. 
Young  Litolff  became  a  pupil  of  Moscheles, 
and  was  put  forward  as  a  concert  player  when 
only  twelve  years  of  age.  His  precocity 
seems  to  have  developed  in  other  lines  be- 
sides pianoforte  playing,  for  at  seventeen  he 
entered  into  the  bonds  of  matrimony,  and 
so  incurred  the  displeasure  of  his  parents. 
He  now  left  England,  and  started  on  a  tour 
of  the  continent  with  his  wife.  He  did  not 
meet  with  the  success  which  he  had  antici- 
pated, and  was  quite  unable  to  support  his 
wife.  The  tide  of  fortune  turned,  however, 
when  in  1840  he  met  Duprez,  the  singer, 
who  heard  him  play  and  was  attracted  by 
his  talent.  Duprez  took  him  to  Paris  and 
arranged  for  his  appearance.  In  the  follow- 
ing year  he  was  appointed  conductor  at 


136  Famous  Pianists. 

Warsaw,  and  held  his  position  for  four  years, 
when  he  again  started  on  a  tour,  and  visited 
several  cities,  with  more  or  less  success. 

In  1848  he  became  involved  in  politics, 
but  was  fortunate  enough  to  escape  from  the 
scene  of  the  revolution. 

Litolff  seems  to  have  been  a  pioneer  in 
the  matter  of  divorce,  and  to  have  used  the 
courts  methodically,  for  he  divorced  his 
first  wife  and  married  the  widow  of  Meyer, 
the  music  publisher,  whose  business  he  car- 
ried on  under  his  own  name,  and  with  much 
success.  Not  satisfied  with  his  improved  for- 
tune, in  1860  he  once  more  sought  the 
divorce  court,  and  gained  distinction  by 
marrying  the  Baroness  Larochefoucald. 

Litolff  obtained  high  rank  as  a  pianist, 
for  his  playing  was  marked  by  fire,  passion, 
and  brilliancy,  together  with  thought  and 
taste,  but  it  fell  short  of  the  highest 
excellence. 

Among  the  celebrated  pianists  who   held 


The  Early  International  Virtuosi.    137 

their  reputation  in  England  may  be  men- 
tioned William  Sterndale  Bennett,  Lindsay 
Sloper,  and  Sir  Charles  Halle",  but  they  did 
not  in  any  way  adopt  the  life  of  the  virtuoso. 
Sir  W.  Sterndale  Bennett  was  for  many 
years  principal  of  the  Royal  Academy 
of  Music,  and  thus  exerted  a  beneficial  in- 
fluence over  student  life  in  England.  Carl 
Halle'  was  one  of  the  1848  fugitives,  and  took 
up  his  residence  in  England,  where  he  re- 
mained and  became  perhaps  the  most  promi- 
nent pianist  during  many  years.  He  married 
Madame  Normann  Neruda,  the  celebrated 
violinist,  with  whom  he  afterward  made  tours 

in  Australia  and  Africa. 

* 

For  nearly  half  a  century  Ernst  Pauer  was 
one  of  the  foremost  pianists  and  teachers  in 
England.  Born  in  Vienna,  he  became  a 
pupil  of  Mozart's  son,  Wolfgang  Amadeus. 
In  1851  he  went  to  London  and  appeared 
successfully  at  the  Philharmonic  concerts 
and  at  the  Musical  Union,  and  determined 


138  Famous  Pianists. 

to  remain  in  England.  He  became  cele- 
brated as  a  lecturer  on  musical  subjects, 
and  was  engaged  as  pianoforte  teacher  at 
the  Royal  Academy,  the  National  Training 
School,  and  the  Guildhall  School  of  Music. 
In  the  midst  of  his  arduous  duties  he  still 
found  time  to  travel  and  give  concerts 
throughout  Europe,  but  he  retired  from 
active  life  about  1895.  Mr.  Pauer  was  a 
man  of  gigantic  stature  and  tremendous 
energy,  scrupulously  particular  as  to  the 
smallest  details  in  his  work,  and  of  simple, 
genuine  nature. 

Louis  Moreau  Gottschalk  gained  the  proud 
distinction  of  being  the  first  American  pianist 
of  international  renown.  He  was  born  at 
New  Orleans,  his  father  being  an  Englishman 
and  his  mother  a  Creole.  His  birth  took 
place  in  1829,  and,  according  to  the  custom 
of  virtuosi,  he  exhibited  his  musical  talent 
during  his  infancy  in  ways  peculiarly  grati- 
fying to  his  relations,  but  of  no  special 


The  Early  International  Virtuosi.    139 

interest  to  the  world  in  general.  After 
studying  music  for  some  years  under  the 
best  teachers  to  be  found  in  his  native  city, 
Gottschalk,  in  1842,  was  sent  to  Paris,  where 
he  became  a  pupil  of  Camille  Stamaty,  who 
was  considered  the  best  French  professor  at 
that  time.  Being  a  youth  of  refined  manners, 
he  soon  became  a  favourite  amongst  the  elite 
of  Paris. 

In  1845  ne  £ave  a  concert  at  the  Salle 
Pleyel,  which  secured  him  a  great  deal  of 
applause,  and  encouragement  from  Chopin, 
who  was  present  and  predicted  that  he  would 
become  the  king  of  the  pianists.  By  1850 
he  was  fairly  launched  on  the  career  of  a 
virtuoso,  and  travelled  through  France,  Ger- 
many, and  Spain,  receiving  decorations  from 
royalties  and  much  attention  from  people  of 
less  magnificence.  One  of  the  most  touch- 
ing incidents  in  his  career  was  the  presenta- 
tion of  a  sword  by  Don  Jose  Redondo,  the 
eminent  toreador. 


140  Famous  Pianists. 

At  Valladolid  he  met  with  an  accident,  for 
the  court  pianist,  presumably  consumed  with 
jealousy,  took  advantage  of  Gottschalk  in  an 
unguarded  moment  and  slammed  the  door  of  a 
carriage  on  his  fingers,  causing  injuries  from 
which  his  accurate  and  conscientious  biogra- 
pher declares  it  took  him  ninety-one  days  to 
recover.  There  may  have  been  some  com- 
pensation for  this  injury,  from  the  fact  that 
the  Infanta  of  Spain  invited  him  to  dinner 
and  "playfully  and  kindly  presented  him 
with  a  cake  made  by  her  royal  hands." 

Before  leaving  Spain  he  complimented  the 
nation  by  composing  a  piece  called,  "Le 
Siege  de  Saragosse."  This  was  written  for 
ten  pianos,  and  was  performed  for  the  first 
time  at  Madrid.  "  Gottschalk  appeared  at  the 
head  of  his  aides-de-camp,  all  dressed  in  the 
same  manner.  .  .  .  There  is  a  passage  where 
Gottschalk  in  a  most  ingenious  manner  imi- 
tates a  military  parade,  accompanied  by  the 
beating  of  the  drum ;  it  produced  such  a 


The  Early  International   Virtuosi.    141 

sensation  that  all  the  people,  men  and  women, 
rose  to  their  feet,  and  he  was  compelled  to 
repeat  the  entire  passage." 

At  the  end  of  1852  Gottschalk  left  Europe, 
and  in  January  of  the  following  year  arrived 
in  New  York,  where  he  commenced  a  bril- 
liant career  by  giving  a  concert  at  the  ball- 
room attached  to  Niblo's  Theatre.  Such  was 
his  activity  that  he  gave  in  one  season  eighty 
concerts  in  New  York.  He  travelled  through 
the  West  Indies,  South  America,  Mexico,  and 
California,  meeting  with  some  thrilling  adven- 
tures, especially  in  Peru,  where  a  revolution 
was  in  progress  and  bullets  permeated  the 
atmosphere. 

Returning  to  the  United  States  in  1862, 
he  gave  more  than  eleven  hundred  concerts 
in  three  years.  In  1869,  during  a  tour  in 
South  America,  he  was  stricken  down  by 
yellow  fever,  but  recovered  sufficiently  to  give 
several  concerts  at  Rio  de  Janeiro.  On  Novem- 
ber 26  he  was  again  taken  ill,  but  attempted 


142  Famous  Pianists. 

to  play  in  the  evening.  Hardly  had  he  com- 
menced playing  when  he  fell  unconscious, 
and  was  at  once  taken  to  his  hotel.  A  few 
days  later  he  was  removed  to  Tijuca,  a 
plateau  about  three  miles  from  Rio,  where 
he  died  on  December  the  eighth. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  Gottschalk  was  a 
brilliant  artist.  His  record  throughout  the 
world  shows  that  to  be  the  case.  But  in 
parts  of  the  United  States  he  at  first  failed 
to  please  the  public,  and  sustained  large 
financial  losses.  A  critic  in  the  New  York 
Courier  declared,  in  1853,  that  "we,  the  pub- 
lic, have  begun  to  regard  the  pianoforte  in 
the  concert  room  as  an  intolerable  nuisance." 
Another  wrote:  "We  could  not  but  regret 
that  so  much  stupendous  and  wonderful  labour 
produced  so  little  music,  and  we  could  not 
but  smile  at  seeing  the  enthusiasm  of  his 
audience  always  rise  in  direct  proportion  to 
the  manual  exertion  which  his  performance 
required." 


The  Early  International  Virtuosi.    143 

Nevertheless  he  received  encouragement 
in  Boston  in  these  words :  "  He  is  the  only 
pianist  we  have  heard  who  can  electrify  and 
inflame  an  assembly.  He  has  the  dexterity 
of  Jaell,  the  power  of  Meyer,  and  the  taste  of 
Herz." 

Gottschalk  had  the  misfortune  to  travel  in 
this  country  at  a  time  when  the  majority 
of  the  public  were  unable  to  appreciate  a 
high  class  of  music,  and  when  the  country 
was  distracted  by  the  war  of  the  Rebel- 
lion. Once  he  ventured  too  near  the  scene 
of  hostilities  and  was  obliged  to  make  an 
undignified  retreat.  In  San  Francisco  he  had 
an  experience  somewhat  similar  to  that  of 
Herz  in  New  Orleans.  There  was  to  be  a 
piece  played  on  fourteen  pianos.  One  of  the 
pianists  fell  ill,  and  Gottschalk  had  to  accept 
the  services  of  an  amateur,  who  was  con- 
sidered a  marvellous  musician,  —  who  played 
Liszt,  and  Thalberg,  and  considered  them 
quite  easy.  A  short  rehearsal  convinced 


144  Famous  Pianists. 

Gottschalk  that  this  amateur  would  upset  the 
whole  business,  but  he  was  unable  to  decline 
his  services.  As  an  alternative  the  action 
of  the  piano  was  surreptitiously  removed,  and 
the  young  man  was  thus  deprived  of  the 
honour  of  wrecking  the  concert. 

Gottschalk  has  left  a  very  interesting  vol- 
ume of  "  notes  "  relating  his  adventures. 

Alfred  Jaell,  born  at  Trieste  in  1832,  was 
one  of  the  large  army  of  prodigies,  and  began 
his  career  at  the  age  of  eleven.  In  1844  he 
was  taken  to  Moscheles,  who  called  him  a 
Wunderknabe.  After  the  revolution  of  1 848 
he  made  a  tour  in  America.  Indeed  the 
revolution  of  1848  appears  to  have  been 
of  direct  benefit  musically  to  the  United 
States,  for  many  excellent  musicians  sought 
these  shores  and  made  America  their  perma- 
nent home.  Others  merely  remained  until 
the  difficulties  had  passed,  and  Jaell  was  one 
of  those  who  found  the  United  States  a 
resort  convenient  and  lucrative  for  a  time. 


The  Early  International   Virtuosi.    145 

He  is  described  by  one  who  heard  him  in 
the  sixties  as  a  short,  rotund  man,  with  a 
countenance  beaming  with  good  humour,  and, 
in  spite  of  his  unwieldiness,  full  of  life 
and  energy.  A  drawback  to  his  playing  was 
the  constant  staccato  of  short  fat  hands, 
which  made  legato,  such  as  was  common  in 
the  playing  of  Henselt,  Thalberg,  and  Liszt, 
impossible  to  him.  But  his  tone  was  round, 
full,  yet  sweet  and  penetrating,  —  the  very 
biggest,  fullest  pianoforte  tone  to  be  heard  at 
the  time.  Jaell  married  in  1866  Mademoiselle 
Marie  Trautman,  also  a  distinguished  pianist. 
He  died  in  Paris  in  1882,  after  a  brilliant 
career. 

While  there  were  many  pianists  of  deeper 
artistic  temperament,  Jaell  was  uniformly 
successful  in  pleasing  the  public,  especially 
in  Italy  and  France,  where  he  travelled  some- 
times alone,  sometimes  accompanied  by  his 
wife,  who  was  a  good  pianist,  and  later  in 
company  with  Carlotta  Patti. 


146  Famous  Pianists. 

Dr.  William  Mason,  one  of  the  most 
widely  known  pianists  of  America,  born 
in  Boston,  was  the  son  of  Lowell  Mason, 
through  whose  influence  singing  was  first 
taught  in  the  public  schools.  After  some 
years  of  study  in  Boston,  William  Mason 
went  to  Germany,  where  he  became  a  pupil 
of  Moscheles,  Hauptmann,  and  Richter,  and 
later  of  Dreyschock.  In  1853  and  1854  he 
was  under  the  instruction  of  Franz  Liszt,  and 
appeared  successfully  as  a  pianist  in  several 
European  cities.  He  was  constantly  associ- 
ated during  his  student  days  with  Rubinstein, 
Von  Biilow,  Pruckner,  and  Klindworth.  In 
1854  he  returned  to  his  native  land,  and  gave 
a  number  of  pianoforte  recitals,  but  soon 
settled  in  New  York,  where  he  became  one 
of  the  most  prominent  teachers,  and  was  asso- 
ciated with  the  best  musical  life  of  the  city. 

With  Theodore  Thomas,  Bergmann,  Mozen- 
thal,  and  Matzka  he  established  the  "  Mason 
&  Thomas  Soirees  of  Chamber-music,"  which 


The  Early  International  Virtuosi.    147 

continued  until  1868.  In  1872  Yale  College 
conferred  on  him  the  honorary  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Music. 

Karl  Klindworth,  a  native  of  Hanover,  rose 
to  a  high  position  in  the  musical  world  in  spite 
of  many  difficulties  and  discouragements.  He 
became  a  noted  pedagogue,  conductor,  and 
concert  pianist.  As  a  child  he  was  extremely 
precocious,  and  taught  himself  the  piano  and 
the  violin.  At  the  age  of  six  he  appeared  in 
a  concert,  playing  an  arrangement  for  piano- 
forte of  Boieldieu's  "  Caliph  of  Bagdad."  The 
violin  was  his  favourite  instrument,  and  when 
he  was  fifteen  years  of  age  he  made  an  effort 
to  go  to  Spohr  and  study,  but  lack  of  funds 
prevented  him.  Soon  after  this  he  became 
conductor  of  a  travelling  opera  troupe,  in 
which  Bilse,  who  was  later  famous  as  an 
orchestral  conductor,  played  first  violin. 

In  1852,  while  on  a  tour  as  a  pianist,  he 
met  Franz  Liszt,  and  by  the  aid  of  a  Jewish 
lady  he  was  enabled  to  go  to  Weimar  for 


148  Famous  Pianists. 

two  years  and  study  with  the  great  pianist. 
After  this  he  went  to  London,  where  he 
remained  four  years  and  gradually  made  his 
way,  but  was  called  by  Rubinstein  to  Moscow 
to  become  pianoforte  professor  at  the  Im- 
perial Conservatory.  In  1882  he  settled  in 
Berlin,  where  he  established  a  pianoforte 
school,  and  devoted  much  time  to  orchestral 
conducting.  He  has  also  distinguished  him- 
self by  his  arrangements  of  Wagner's  and 
other  great  works,  and  by  his  own  compo- 
sitions. 

Henri  Rosellen,  a  native  of  Paris,  was 
distinguished  for  his  superficiality.  Dohler  is 
spoken  of  as  inaccurate  and  often  weak  in 
his  performance,  and  Henri  Ravina  belonged 
to  the  showy  but  meaningless  class,  though 
he  was  for  many  years  a  professor  at  the 
Paris  Conservatoire. 

There  were,  besides  these,  many  pianists 
of  high  merit,  as,  for  instance,  Ferdinand 
Hiller,  who  became  director  of  the  Conser- 


The  Early  International   Virtuosi.    149 

vatory  at  Cologne,  Stephen  Heller,  better 
known  as  a  composer,  Sterndale  Bennett, 
whose  sphere  lay  in  England,  and  Charles 
Halle',  a  German  who  made  his  home  and 
devoted  his  life  to  the  cause  of  music  in 
England. 

Alkan  and  Jacob  Rosenhain  are  both  men- 
tioned as  eminent  virtuosi,  and  Emil  Prudent 
was  noted  for  his  smooth  and  clean  playing, 
but  spent  most  of  his  life  in  Paris. 

Julius  Schulhoff  and  Ignaz  Tedesco,  pupils 
of  Tomaschek,  became  favourites  amongst 
the  ladies,  on  account  of  their  elegant  exe- 
cution. 


CHAPTER  V. 

RUBINSTEIN,    VON    BULOW,    AND    TAUSIG. 

THE  two  pianists  who  stand  out  as  giants 
of  the  interpretative  art,  after  Liszt,  are  Anton 
Rubinstein  and  Hans  von  Biilow,  and  to  them 
may  be  added  Carl  Tausig,  whose  untimely 
death  ended  a  most  promising  career. 

Rubinstein's  and  Von  Billow's  playing  rep- 
resented the  difference  between  the  classi- 
cal and  the  spiritual  interpretation  of  piano 
works.  Rubinstein  was  the  great  subjective 
artist  who  gave  way  to  the  mood  of  the 
moment,  while  Biilow  was  the  objective 
artist,  in  whose  playing  the  intellect  was 
gratified  by  the  clear-cut  sharpness,  while 
the  heart  retained  the  emotion  long  after 
the  artist  left  the  platform.  Both  were 


Rubinstein,  Von  Billow,  and  Tausig.    151 

complete  artists  and  exercised  a  wonderful 
influence  on  their  hearers. 

It  is  greatly  owing  to  them  that  virtuosity 
as  a  mere  exhibition  of  technical  skill  has 
lost  its  popularity,  and  the  public  taste  re- 
quires programs  of  intellectual  worth,  for 
the  interpretation  of  which  mental  power  is 
essential.  The  mere  finger  artist  has  now 
no  place  in  the  concert  room.  The  days 
of  Herz,  Thalberg,  De  Kontski,  and  all  that 
type  are  past,  and  the  pianists  of  modern 
times  must  of  necessity  be  people  of  broad 
education,  apart  from  their  technical  ability. 

Anton  Grigorievitch  Rubinstein  was  called 
by  Von  Bulow  the  Michael  Angelo  of  music. 
No  pianist,  except  perhaps  Liszt,  has  achieved 
greater  renown,  none  has  been  more  dis- 
tinguished for  sincerity,  and  few,  if  any,  have 
exerted  greater  influence  in  the  cause  of 
musical  education. 

Rubinstein  was  born  in  1829  at  Vichvatij- 
netz  or  Wechwotynuz,  a  village  on  the 


152  Famous  Pianists. 

frontier  of  Bessarabia.  His  father  was, 
with  other  members  of  the  family,  a  tenant 
of  a  tract  of  land  in  the  village.  While 
Anton  was  yet  very  young  the  family  moved, 
in  a  covered  wagon,  to  Moscow,  where  the 
father  established  a  pin  and  pencil  factory. 
The  mother  was  a  musician  and  gave  him  his 
earliest  lessons. 

Through  the  influence  of  some  friends, 
the  pianist  Villoing  was  induced  to  visit  the 
family  and  hear  Anton  play,  and  the  result 
was  that  he  undertook  the  boy's  musical 
education  without  regard  to  compensation. 
This  was  in  Anton's  eighth  year,  and  his 
studies  continued  until  he  was  thirteen,  in- 
cluding a  period  of  travel,  during  which 
Anton,  with  his  teacher,  went  to  Paris 
with  a  view  to  being  admitted  to  the  Con- 
servatoire. He  was  denied  admission,  and 
possibly  the  best  reason  for  this  is  to  be 
found  in  the  suggestion  that  Villoing,  who 
was  proud  of  his  pupil,  did  not  wish  to 


Rubinstein,  Von  Billow,  and  Tausig.   153 

part  with  him,  and  therefore  did  not  press 
the  case  very  warmly. 

Rubinstein's  first  concert  was  given  at 
Moscow,  when  he  was  ten  years  of  age,  and 
before  setting  out  on  his  travels.  In  Paris 
he  remained  about  a  year,  meeting  during 
that  time  a  number  of  celebrities,  among 
them  Liszt,  Chopin,  Vieuxtemps,  etc.,  and 
occasionally  playing  at  concerts.  Liszt,  who 
was  then  in  the  zenith  of  his  glory,  was  con- 
sulted by  Villoing  as  to  the  future  of  his 
young  pupil,  and  advised  taking  him  to  Ger- 
many to  complete  his  education,  so  the  route 
was  continued  through  Holland,  England, 
Norway,  and  Sweden,  and  thus  into  Ger- 
many, giving  concerts  at  each  large  town.  In 
London  Rubinstein  was  received  graciously 
by  Queen  Victoria,  and,  on  his  visit  to  St. 
Petersburg,  by  the  Czar  Nicholas,  who  later 
showed  him  much  favour. 

In  1844  Rubinstein  went  with  his  mother, 
his  sister  Luba,  and  his  brother  Nicholas,  to 


154  Famous  Pianists, 

Berlin,  where  they  remained  until  1846, 
Anton  taking  lessons  in  composition  with 
Dehn,  and  in  theory  with  Marks. 

Nicholas  Rubinstein,  with  his  mother  and 
sister,  returned  to  Moscow  in  1 846,  when  his 
father  died.  He  entered  the  University,  and 
became  afterward  an  excellent  pianist. 

In  the  meantime  Anton  went  to  Vienna, 
because  Liszt  now  lived  there,  and  on  his 
protection  and  assistance  he  relied.  Liszt 
dashed  his  hopes,  however,  by  reminding  him 
that  a  talented  man  must  win  the  goal  of 
his  ambition  by  his  own  unassisted  efforts. 
A  hard  struggle  for  subsistence  ensued, 
and  Rubinstein  taught  pupils,  and  wrote 
bushels  of  music  of  all  kinds,  from  opera  and 
oratorio  down  to  songs,  —  also  literary  arti- 
cles ;  but  seldom  could  he  find  a  market  for 
them,  and  he  was  glad  if  he  could  get  any  of 
them  published  at  all. 

At  times  he  was  so  poor  that  he  resorted 
to  the  device  of  procuring  money  by  writing 


Rubinstein,   Von  Billow,  and  Tausig.   155 

to  one  or  two  of  his  pupils  before  the  expira- 
tion of  the  term  of  lessons,  declaring  that 
pressing  engagements  made  it  impossible  for 
him  to  complete  them,  and  asking  for  settle- 
ment at  once  for  the  lessons  already  given. 
In  this  way  he  annoyed  many  pupils  so  that 
they  declined  to  continue  with  him  when  he 
was  ready  to  begin  again. 

One  day  Liszt  paid  him  a  visit,  and,  shocked 
with  the  condition  of  poverty  apparent  in 
the  young  man's  lodgings,  invited  him  out 
to  dinner,  after  which  they  were  always  on 
friendly  terms. 

The  year  1848  found  Rubinstein  in  Berlin 
again,  and  it  also  witnessed  the  revolution, 
which  seems  to  have  left  its  mark  indelibly 
on  the  musical  history  both  of  Europe  and 
America.  After  this  revolution,  in  which 
he  almost  became  involved,  there  was  no 
occupation  for  musicians,  so  Rubinstein 
packed  up  his  belongings,  and  set  off 
for  Moscow,  where  he  found  himself  con- 


156  Famous  Pianists. 

fronted  with  difficulties  on  account  of  his 
having  neglected  to  provide  himself  with  a 
passport.  He  was  threatened  with  Siberia, 
and  various  unpleasant  things,  until  at  last  a 
bright  idea  struck  one  of  the  officials,  —  "  Go 
to  my  secretary,  Chesnakov,  and  play  some- 
thing to  him,  so  that  we  may  know  if  you 
are  a  real  musician  ;  and  bear  in  mind,"  he 
added,  in  scornful  tones,  "  bear  in  mind  that 
he  understands  music." 

Rubinstein  was  conducted  by  the  secretary 
to  a  miserable,  worn-out  piano,  upon  which  he 
poured  forth  the  indignation  which  was  boil- 
ing in  him.  The  piano  shook  and  seemed  in 
momentary  danger  of  extermination.  The 
secretary  listened  patiently  and  then  reported 
to  his  chief,  "Your  Excellency's  informa- 
tion is  correct.  Rubinstein  is  a  musician 
indeed,  —  he  can  play." 

"Then  let  him  have  three  weeks'  grace," 
thundered  the  official.  So  Rubinstein  was 
allowed  time  to  communicate  with  his  many 


Rubinstein,  Von  Billow,  and  Tausig.   157 

friends  and  straighten  out  the  difficulty. 
His  manuscripts,  however,  became  the  prey 
of  the  officials.  They  examined  them  with 
suspicion,  and  declared  that  secret  societies 
sometimes  used  symbols  of  a  similar  nature 
for  their  treasonable  documents.  "Wait 
patiently,"  he  was  told,  "  for  five  or  six 
months,  and  perhaps  your  notes  may  be  re- 
stored to  you."  Rubinstein  waited  patiently, 
and  in  the  course  of  some  years  a  music  pub- 
lisher informed  him  incidentally  that  he  had 
just  bought  some  of  his  autograph  composi- 
tions. They  had  been  sold  at  auction  as  waste 
paper!  From  1849  ^  1%S4  Rubinstein  was 
at  St.  Petersburg,  where  he  supported  him- 
self by  teaching,  and  gradually  became  identi- 
fied with  the  best  musical  life  of  that  city. 
In  1852  he  was  appointed  accompanist  in 
general  to  the  Palace  singers,  or  "  Janitor  of 
Music,"  as  he  called  it. 

From    1854  to   1858  Rubinstein  travelled 
in  Germany,  France,  and  England,  making  a 


158  Famous  Pianists. 

long  concert  tour.  He  spent  five  or  six 
months  at  Weimar,  living  with  Liszt,  who  was 
at  that  time  regarded  as  a  demigod.  It  was 
his  desire  to  make  himself  known  as  a 
composer  during  this  tour,  and  he  played 
and  conducted  many  of  his  own  works. 

On  his  return  to  St.  Petersburg,  he  became 
interested  in  the  establishment  of  the  Musical 
Society,  of  which  the  pioneer,  according  to 
Rubinstein's  own  account,  was  Kologrivov, 
who  also  laboured  nobly  to  establish  the 
conservatories  of  St.  Petersburg,  Moscow, 
and  Kiev.  The  Russian  Musical  Society 
became  the  Imperial  Society. 

In  1 862  classes  were  formed  in  the  Michael 
Palace,  which  may  be  regarded  as  the  nucleus 
of  the  St.  Petersburg  Conservatory.  Les- 
chetitzky  was  the  professor  of  the  piano, 
Wieniawski  of  violin,  and  Madame  Nissen- 
Salomon  of  voice,  while  Rubinstein  assumed 
the  directorship.  Music  was  then  at  a  low 
ebb  in  Russia,  and  the  professional  artist  was 


Rubinstein,  Von  Btilow,  and  Tausig.   159 

unknown.  The  enterprise  was  supported  by 
many  influential  people,  but  there  was  also 
bitter  opposition,  as  there  always  is,  and 
always  will  be,  to  such  matters. 

The  conservatory  flourished  in  spite  of 
opposition,  but  in  1867,  Rubinstein,  having 
some  differences  with  sundry  professors, 
resigned,  and  set  forth  on  another  triumphal 
concert  tour  through  Western  Europe. 

In  1872  he  visited  the  United  States  in 
company  with  Wieniawski,  the  violinist,  and 
this  tour  may  be  said  to  have  marked  an 
epoch  in  the  musical  history  of  America. 
To  Rubinstein  the  tour  was  the  cause  of  pro- 
found dissatisfaction,  although  it  was  so  suc- 
cessful financially  as  to  ensure  his  prosperity 
for  the  future ;  but  several  years  later,  when 
he  was  offered  a  very  large  sum  for  a  second 
tour,  he  declined  to  entertain  the  proposition. 

During  the  tour  of  1872,  he  played  two 
hundred  and  fifteen  times,  frequently  giving 
two  concerts  a  day  in  as  many  different  cities. 


160  Famous  Pianists. 

This  he  considered  slavery,  and  he  said,  "  One 
grows  into  an  automaton,  simply  performing 
mechanical  work;  no  dignity  remains  to  the 
artist,  he  is  lost." 

Rubinstein  had  a  great  mission  to  perform 
in  this  country,  and  he  met  his  responsibili- 
ties unwaveringly.  Although  it  was  very 
trying  to  him  to  play,  as  he  frequently  did, 
before  whole  audiences  who  were  entirely 
unable  to  understand  what  he  was  doing, 
he  never  made  the  slightest  alteration  in 
the  standard  of  his  programs.  He  risked 
his  reputation  and  his  financial  success  in 
an  undertaking  that  would  have  ruined  any 
other  artist.  He  proclaimed  to  the  nation, 
that  the  art  of  music  is  deeper  than  negro 
minstrelsy,  and  that  it  contains  treasures 
which  are  unattainable  without  study. 

A  New  York  journalist  in  writing  of  his 
concerts  called  attention  to  Rubinstein's 
mannerisms,  and  added,  "  These  little  details 
of  personal  appearance  you  must  notice  be- 


Rubinstein,   Von  Billow,  and  Tausig.  161 

fore  he  begins  to  play,  for,  if  you  are  musical, 
you  will  not  perceive  them  afterward." 

If  Rubinstein  was  not  understood  in  all 
parts  of  the  United  States,  he  was  at  least 
regarded  as  a  marvel  and  a  great  artist.  His 
playing  stirred  people  as  they  had  never  been 
stirred  before,  and  amongst  other  tributes  to 
his  genius  there  appeared  a  literary  effusion, 
entitled  "How  Ruby  played,"  which  had  a 
great  circulation,  and  which  is  to  this  day  fre- 
quently used  as  a  recitation  at  entertainments. 

During  the  years  1885-86  Rubinstein  exe- 
cuted a  long-cherished  plan,  and  celebrated 
his  last  years  as  a  virtuoso  by  giving  a  series 
of  concerts  in  the  chief  cities  of  Europe. 
These  concerts  were  designed  to  illustrate 
the  gradual  development  of  pianoforte  music. 
There  were  seventeen  in  the  series,  and  he 
gave  them  in  Moscow,  Vienna,  Berlin,  Lon- 
don, Paris,  and  Leipzig.  In  some  of  these 
cities  each  concert  was  repeated  on  the  fol- 
lowing day  for  the  benefit  of  music  students. 


1 62  Famous  Pianists. 

In  1887  he  resumed  the  management  of 
the  St.  Petersburg  Conservatory,  and  in 
1889  he  retired  from  the  concert  platform, 
his  last  concert  being  given  in  January  of 
that  year  at  Moscow.  At  the  close  of  the 
performance,  the  lid  of  the  grand  piano  was 
locked,  and  Rubinstein,  with  one  pathetic 
gesture  of  farewell,  disappeared  from  the 
concert  room  for  ever. 

Of  the  many  pages  of  criticism  which  have 
been  written  on  Rubinstein  as  a  pianist,  the 
following  from  the  pen  of  Brachvogel  seems 
to  be  the  most  comprehensive  and  concise. 
"  No  artist  has  ever  before  shown  to  his 
audience  so  merciless  a  front.  Both  his  pro- 
grams and  his  attitude  are  absolutely  uncom- 
promising. At  first  sight,  one  is  conscious 
of  something  stern,  even  inimical,  in  his  bear- 
ing toward  his  audience,  as  though  a  chasm 
were  fixed  between  them,  and  he  stood  ready 
to  plunge  single-handed  into  the  conflict ;  but 
gradually  the  sense  of  hostility  vanishes,  and 


Rubinstein,  Von  Billow,  and  Tausig.   163 

the  great  artist  conquers  once  and  for  ever. 
Rubinstein  has  no  idea  of  descending  to  the 
level  of  popular  taste,  he  can  only  raise 
his  audience  to  his  own  plane.  It  is  enough 
to  look  in  his  face  to  understand  what  it  all 
means.  He  has  the  head  of  an  inspired 
sphinx,  upon  whose  face  not  even  the  parox- 
ysms of  enthusiasm  call  forth  a  smile.  Did 
not  the  colour  of  his  life  illumine  it,  it 
might  be  of  stone.  Those  who  have  heard 
his  playing  will  never  forget  it." 

Rubinstein's  passionate  temperament  often 
carried  him  beyond  lawful  bounds,  but  at  the 
same  time  it  was  this  very  passionate  tem- 
perament which  aroused  the  enthusiasm  of 
his  audiences.  Stephen  Heller,  in  a  letter 
to  Halle"  in  1862,  writes  thus:  "The  great 
Rubinstein  played  several  'Waldstiicke'  at 
my  house.  What  a  style !  What  exaggera- 
tion of  the  less  salient  parts,  and  what  negli- 
gence in  the  more  important  passages  !  One 
felt  the  boredom  of  those  agile  and  powerful 


164  Famous  Pianists. 

fingers  that  had  nothing  put  into  them,  as 
when  they  give  the  circus  elephant  an  empty 
salad-bowl  to  swallow.  He  played  my  Tar- 
antelle  in  A  flat  at  St.  Petersburg,  ornamented 
with  octave  passages,  shakes,  etc.  If  such 
people  only  dared,  they  would  do  the  same 
to  Beethoven." 

A  writer  who  frequently  met  Rubinstein 
in  Vienna,  and  was  on  intimate  terms  with 
him,  declares  that  he  was  the  most  infallible 
reader  and  transposer  at  first  sight.  He  had 
stood  behind  Rubinstein  whilst  the  latter 
rendered  a  manuscript  orchestral  score,  in 
sixteen  parts,  on  the  piano,  with  all  the  free- 
dom and  apposite  expression  of  a  first-class 
pianist  playing  a  pianoforte  composition  with 
which  he  was  tolerably  familiar ;  and  he  had 
also  heard  him  transpose  one  of  the  most 
difficult  fugues  of  the  "forty-eight,"  from  a 
flat  key  into  a  sharp  key,  the  latter  not 
even  being  one  of  his  own  selection,  but 
chosen  by  a  fellow  pianist.  This  he  played 


Rubinstein,   Von  Billow,  and  Tausig.   165 

without  missing  a  note,  or  omitting  an  em- 
phasis. 

Hans  Guido  von  Billow  was  considered  to 
be  the  foremost  pianist  of  the  advanced  school 
of  pianoforte  playing  founded  by  Chopin,  and 
developed  by  Liszt.  While  his  repertoire 
included  the  master  works  of  all  styles  and 
schools,  and  his  technique  was  prodigious, 
he  was  distinguished  more  particularly  for 
his  wonderful  memory,  and  it  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  mention  any  work  of  importance 
which  he  did  not  at  one  time  or  another  play 
in  public,  and  by  heart.  He  was  also  a 
remarkable  orchestral  conductor,  a  keen 
critic,  and  an  excellent  editor  of  musical 
works. 

Von  Billow  was  born  at  Dresden  in  1830, 
and  exhibited  no  marked  musical  talent  in  his 
earliest  years.  Until  he  grew  to  manhood, 
music  was  regarded  more  as  a  pastime  than 
as  a  future  profession.  In  his  ninth  year 
he  was  placed  under  Friedrich  Wieck,  the 


1 66  Famous  Pianists. 

father  of  Madame  Schumann,  under  whose 
guidance  he  laid  the  foundation  for  his  future 
achievements.  In  1848  he  went  to  the 
University  of  Leipzig  to  study  law,  but  he 
also  studied  counterpoint  under  Hauptmann, 
and  became  a  contributor  to  a  paper  called 
Die  Abendpost,  in  which  he  adopted  the  ideas 
of  the  revolutionary  movement,  and  upheld 
the  musical  doctrines  of  the  new  German 
school  led  by  Liszt  and  Wagner. 

The  turning-point  in  his  career  came  about 
when  he  witnessed  a  performance  of  "  Lohen- 
grin" at  Weimar  in  1850.  He  threw  over 
his  career  as  a  lawyer,  and  sought  the  guid- 
ance of  Wagner  at  Zurich.  In  1851  he  went 
to  Liszt  at  Weimar,  and  studied  pianoforte 
playing  with  him,  and  in  1853  he  made  his 
first  concert  tour  through  Germany. 

In  1855  Von  Biilow  became  principal  piano- 
forte instructor  at  the  Stern  Conservatory  in 
Berlin,  and  held  the  position  for  nine  years, 
during  which  time  he  was  active  in  organis- 


HANS    VON    BULOW 


Rubinstein,  Von  Billow,  and  Tausig,    167 

ing  concerts  and  recitals,  writing  articles  for 
political  and  musical  papers,  and  making  con- 
cert tours  through  Northern  Europe.  In 
1858  he  was  appointed  pianist  at  the  Prussian 
Court,  and  in  1863  the  University  of  Jena 
conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of  Doctor 
of  Philosophy,  in  recognition  of  his  services 
in  behalf  of  musical  and  literary  work.  In 
1865  he  went  to  Munich  as  director  of  the 
conservatory  and  conductor  of  the  Royal 
Opera,  and  in  this  city  his  production  of  some 
of  Wagner's  operas  created  a  sensation,  and 
greatly  enhanced  his  reputation.  In  1 866  he 
was  absent  from  Munich  for  a  time,  probably 
owing  to  political  matters,  and  in  1869  he 
went  to  Florence,  where  he  remained  three 
years,  devoting  himself  to  the  production  of 
German  music  in  Italy.  In  1872  he  began 
his  European  concert  tours,  and  visited  Eng- 
land in  1875,  and  America  in  1876.  In  1877 
he  became  conductor  of  the  opera  at  Hanover, 
remaining  there  until  1 880,  when  he  was  made 


1 68  Famous  Pianists. 

Intendant  at  the  Court  of  Meiningen.  This 
post  he  resigned  in  1885  through  some  differ- 
ence, and  he  devoted  himself  to  large  orches- 
tras in  many  cities,  in  which  he  accomplished 
wonders. 

Von  Billow  married,  in  1857,  Liszt's  daugh- 
ter Cosima,  but  was  divorced  from  her  in 
1869.  She  then  married  his  friend  Richard 
Wagner.  Billow  died  in  1 894. 

Von  Biilow  was  compared  by  an  American 
critic  with  Rubinstein,  as  a  pianist,  in  the 
following  manner  :  "While  Rubinstein's 
playing  was  of  a  kind  that  takes  one  out  of 
the  region  of  reason  and  analysis,  and  leaves 
him  happy  but  hopeless,  Von  Billow's  per- 
formance sends  the  student  back  to  his  den 
burning  with  determination  to  emulate  as 
far  as  possible  the  unsurpassed  example  of 
artistic  conscientiousness,  of  genius  for  hard 
work." 

Von  Billow  was  of  strong  personality  and 
decided  opinions.  He  entered  into  many 


Rubinstein,  Von  Billow,  and  Tausig.   169 

controversies  and  created  many  enemies  in 
the  musical  world.  On  one  occasion  Von 
BUlow  met  a  gentleman  to  whom  he  had 
taken  a  dislike.  The  gentleman  approached 
and  exclaimed  :  "  Ah !  Doctor  Von  Billow, 
I  will  bet  that  you  don't  recognise  me." 
Von  Billow  gazed  calmly  at  him,  replied, 
"  Sir,  you  have  won  the  bet,"  raised  his  hat, 
and  passed  on. 

He  became  almost  more  celebrated  as  a 
conductor  than  as  a  pianist.  He  conducted 
without  notes,  for  his  memory  was  marvel- 
lous, and  his  conducting  was  marked  by  the 
greatest  eccentricities,  and  much  caprice. 
He  devoted  much  energy  to  the  production 
of  Wagner's  works. 

A  good  anecdote  of  Billow  is  told  by  Mr. 
Apthorp  apropos  of  the  depressing  influence 
of  small  audiences  upon  musicians.  At  one 
of  Von  Billow's  recitals  in  Music  Hall,  Boston, 
an  auditorium  capable  of  seating  nearly  three 
thousand  people,  the  audience  amounted  to 


I/O  Famous  Pianists. 

about  forty.  There  was  a  driving  snowstorm 
during  the  day  and  evening,  and  the  streets 
were  almost  impassable.  When  Von  Billow 
appeared,  he  stepped  to  the  front  of  the 
platform,  and  declared  that  it  was  the  most 
flattering  experience  of  his  artistic  career,  to 
find  so  many  people  willing  to  come  to  hear 
music  on  such  a  night.  "If  you  will  all 
please  come  and  sit  close  together,"  he  added, 
"we  shall  be  able  to  keep  one  another  and 
the  music  warm."  He  never  played  better, 
and  the  small  audience  had  a  little  touch  of 
selfish  satisfaction  at  feeling  that  they  had 
a  particularly  delightful  evening  all  to  them- 
selves. 

Carl  Tausig,  who  was  born  at  Warsaw  in 
1841,  was  the  son  of  a  professional  pianist 
of  repute,  and  therefore  received  excellent 
instruction  from  his  earliest  days.  He  was 
an  accomplished  musician  when,  at  the  age 
of  fourteen,  he  was  taken  by  his  father  to 
Liszt  at  Weimar.  Here  he  soon  became 


Rubinstein,   Von  Billow,  and  Tausig.   171 

the  favourite  pupil  of  the  great  master,  who 
spoke  of  him  as  "  the  infallible,  with  fingers  of 
steel."  It  is  related  by  Bettina  Walker  that 
Liszt  one  day  being  enraged  with  a  young 
pianist  who  did  not  come  up  to  his  ideas, 
paced  up  and  down  the  room,  saying  as  he 
did  so,  in  a  voice  calculated  to  strike  terror 
into  the  bravest,  "  Such  playing,  indeed  ;  and 
to  me,  who  have  so  often  listened  to  Tausig  !  " 

In  1858  Tausig  made  his  d£but  at  an  or- 
chestral concert  given  in  Berlin  by  Billow, 
and  it  was  admitted  that  his  technical  powers 
were  phenomenal ;  but  some  seven  years  later, 
after  he  had  attained  greater  breadth  and 
dignity,  he  was  acknowledged  to  be  a  master 
of  the  first  order. 

His  endeavour  to  give  orchestral  concerts 
of  an  advanced  order  in  Vienna,  as  Billow  did 
in  Berlin,  was  not  successful,  and  for  several 
years  he  led  the  quiet  life  of  a  student,  until 
he  married  and  settled  at  Berlin  in  1865. 

His    arrangements   and    transcriptions  of 


172  Famous  Pianists. 

many  standard  works  have  been  and  are  very 
generally  used,  but  his  compositions  are  few, 
as  he  was  cut  off  in  his  prime  by  typhoid 
fever,  at  Leipzig,  in  1871. 

Tausig's  manner  of  playing  was  grand,  im- 
pulsive, and  impassioned,  yet  without  a  trace 
of  eccentricity.  His  tone  was  superb,  his 
touch  exquisite,  and  his  dexterity  such  as  to 
astonish  even  experts.  He  made  a  point  of 
executing  his  tours  de  force  with  perfect 
composure,  and  took  pains  to  conceal  every 
trace  of  physical  exertion.  His  repertoire 
was  varied  and  extensive,  and  he  could  play 
by  heart  any  representative  piece  by  any 
composer,  from  Scarlatti  to  Liszt. 

He  opened  a  pianoforte  school  in  Berlin 
and  gave  many  pianoforte  recitals,  of  which 
his  Chopin  nights  were  the  most  successful, 
but  he  played  also  in  many  German  and 
Russian  cities. 

Tausig  never  tolerated  frivolities  of  any 
kind.  It  was  not  in  his  nature  to  play  any- 


Rubinstein,   Von  Billow,  and  Tausig.   173 

thing  otherwise  than  as  he  saw  it  in  black 
and  white,  and  while  he  was  extraordinarily 
skilled  in  the  production  of  "effects,"  they 
had  to  be  distinctly  indicated  by  the  com- 
poser ;  nothing  would  induce  him  to  supply 
them  on  his  own  responsibility,  no  matter 
how  forcibly  they  might  be  suggested  by 
the  character  of  the  composition. 

In  private  life  he  was  a  delightful  com- 
panion to  those  privileged  to  enjoy  his 
intimacy,  for  his  memory  was  richly  stored 
with  anecdote,  and  his  powers  of  narration 
were  of  no  ordinary  calibre.  Being  the  soul 
of  honour,  truth,  and  uprightness,  everything 
vulgar  or  trivial  was  repugnant  to  him,  —  in 
short,  he  was  one  of  the  elect  of  mankind. 

Von  Lenz  gives  the  following  description 
of  Tausig's  performance : 

"Tausig's  left  hand  was  a  second  right. 
He  never  appeared  to  notice  difficulties. 
Anton  Rubinstein  called  him  '  the  infallible ; ' 
Liszt  spoke  of  his  fingers  as  '  brazen.' 


Famous  Pianists. 

"  His  distinguishing  characteristic  was  that 
he  never  played  for  effect,  but  was  always 
absorbed  in  the  piece  itself  and  its  artistic 
interpretation.  This  objectivity  the  general 
public  never  understood ;  whenever  serpents 
are  strangled  it  always  wants  to  know  how 
big  and  dangerous  they  are,  and  judges  of 
this  by  the  performer's  behaviour.  The  gen- 
eral public  thinks  that  whatever  appears  easily 
surmounted  is  not  really  difficult,  and  that 
son  or  daughter  at  home  might  do  it  just  as 
well.  But  it  was  this  outward  calm,  this 
perfect  steadiness  of  Tausig's  attitude,  which 
crowned  his  virtuosity. 

"  Let  us  sum  up  the  artist,  etc.  His 
command  of  all  musical  resources  was  so 
great  that  in  this  command  resided  the  poetry 
of  a  conqueror  holding  sovereign  sway  over 
material  and  machinery,  —  a  poetry  peculiar 
and  apart.  His  talent  for  the  strict  style 
(fugue,  the  imitative  style)  was  unique.  He 
played  fugues,  and  the  like,  with  the  charm 


Rubinstein,  Von  Billow,  and  Tausig.   175 

of  the  most  charming  treatment  of  the  free 
style.  As  was  once  said  of  him,  '  His  neatness 
in  every  part,  the  nuances  of  his  touch,  made 
this  domain  popular,  generally  intelligible, 
universally  interesting.'  In  the  fugue  we 
confront  the  letter,  into  which  we  are  to 
breathe  the  spirit  of  art,  not  a  subjective 
personality,  an  artistic  subjectivity,  in  a  nar- 
row sense.  Tausig  possessed,  in  a  high 
degree,  the  power  of  subordinating  his  own 
nature  to  the  necessity  of  his  art,  so  that  in 
the  fugue  he  was  peculiarly  at  home.  He 
commanded  the  entire  arsenal  of  the  utmost 
possibilities  of  the  piano  as  expressed  in  the 
compositions  of  Liszt,  and  was  a  finished 
interpreter  of  Chopin. 

"  In  a  word,  he  was  one  of  the  most 
prominent  virtuosi  the  world  has  ever 
known,  an  infaillibler  triumphator  at  the 
piano." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE    MODERN    PIANISTS. 

THERE  can  be  no  greater  proof  of  the 
power  wielded  by  Liszt  than  is  shown  by  a 
perusal  of  the  list  of  celebrated  pianists  who 
flourished  during  the  latter  half  of  the  nine- 
teenth century.  From  the  time  of  Von  Biilow 
until  the  advent  of  Paderewski,  it  seems  that 
almost  every  pianist  of  note  was  a  pupil  of 
Liszt.  Indeed,  such  was  the  magic  of  his 
name  that  it  was  used  by  many  who  were 
not  entitled  to  it,  and  both  critics  and  public 
became  suspicious  of  the  "pupils  of  Liszt." 
Rubinstein,  though  not  a  pupil  of  Liszt, 
sought  his  advice,  and  was  guided  by  it  in 
completing  his  education. 
176 


The  Modern  Pianists.  177 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  the  revolu- 
tion in  pianoforte  playing  was  brought  about 
by  Liszt  alone.  He,  like  Beethoven,  lived  in 
advance  of  his  generation,  and  the  standard 
set  by  both  has  not  yet  been  surpassed,  for 
Beethoven  remains  the  greatest  composer 
and  Liszt  the  greatest  pianist. 

Liszt  came  forth  from  his  retirement  in 
1836  to  vanquish  his  only  serious  rival, 
Thalberg,  and  the  doom  of  empty  virtuosity 
was  sealed.  It  did  not  die  at  once,  for  its 
apostles  flourished  for  some  thirty  years 
more,  or  even  longer,  but  they  were  yearly 
falling  into  disrepute.  A  new  standard  had 
been  raised,  and  the  public  was  gradually 
educated  to  it.  Music  became  more  intel- 
lectual, and  the  great  apostle  of  intellectual 
music  was  Johannes  Brahms,  who  has  been 
called  the  lineal  successor  of  Beethoven,  and 
who  is,  with  Schubert,  Schumann,  and  Franz, 
one  of  the  great  figures  in  the  history  of  the 
Lied. 


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tlu-  x  ....  ~-on.it.>  with  \\\c  \i,'lini-.t.  ,!is 
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'////•  /I//////-/-//  /'ianitti. 

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MM)   he  **><-  "i    ''•    ii.ir.over,  where 

Jo.,<  him   <;..vr  Inn,  ..   |HI<  ,    ;   ............  .    „  ,, 

gave  Mm  M  enthufkttic  welcome,  an/I 

<  I.  MI,,-  ']    Jo   II.  «:  woil/l    II,  .i:      .    ..     '/         ..in.    I,  ..'I 


SdwiMnn  wr^e  of  hhn  :  "  Whm  ;,t 
pfftno  h*  unvtfUd  wonder*  to  u*,  w« 
i"  be  in  encfwnud  region*.     Hi* 
wa*  like  th  >  hentra,  at  on*  time 

l*ilhrtir  and  then  a^'iifi   f«ill  "f  triumph." 

Brahm*  took  bat  ikndtr  p«ln*  to  exhibit 

»n  I,,,,/.,  |    pOrfotfe*Wfcfefc    ^.'•-,  '"   Ml  '•••'irr,., 

i  lo,,,  a  matter  of  »mflH  moment  compared  to 
/eyance  of  •  meaning  of  hi* 

,,.,,.  .,,   ..I        i,|r   ....        -,r,,l         ,,,,,    '      -      :  '          '/,'•,  to 

,.,.  '         '  '         ••'•         t  I  '     •    '  •  I    •  ' 

hiii  bearer,     While  the  fotccuracy  of  Mi 

H,,     r;lf,    ,|    .    dfUHfUVWiM    «d 

were  fruitful  to  exer 
intelligence.    It  left  the  imprewiion  thit 
he  never  thoroughly  ntudied  any  work  felected 
MM   for  performance,  but  win  content 


i8o  Famous  Pianists. 

with  mastering  its  plan  and  intention,  as  he 
understood  them,  and  with  imparting  his 
view  of  them  to  his  hearers,  and  this  he  did 
in  a  highly  forcible  and  intelligent  manner. 
His  playing  was  original  and  instinct  with 
a  genius  that  was  reproductive  as  well  as 
creative :  it  belonged  neither  to  the  old  nor 
to  the  new  school,  it  was  not  coldly  classical 
nor  ardently  emotional,  and  it  lacked  some  of 
the  qualities  that  constitute  executant  great- 
ness of  the  first  order. 
• 

Franz  Bendel,  who  was  born  in  the  same 
year  as  Brahms,  at  Schonlinde,  Bohemia,  was 
ranked  by  Pauer  as  one  of  the  greatest  tech- 
nicians of  his  day.  He  was  a  pupil  of  Proksch 
at  Prague,  and  of  Liszt,  and  a  teacher  in  Kul- 
lak's  Academy.  He  was  one  of  the  pianists 
at  the  great  Peace  Jubilee  in  Boston  in  1872, 
when  he  played  before  as  large  an  audience 
as  ever  listened  to  a  pianist.  It  must  have 
been  an  eminently  unsatisfactory  experience 
for  him,  for  on  that  occasion  the  auditorium 


The  Modern  Pianists.  181 

was  large  enough  to  contain  a  chorus  of 
ten  thousand  voices  and  an  orchestra  of  five 
thousand,  to  say  nothing  of  the  audience. 
Piano  playing  in  such  a  concert  room  could 
not  fail  to  be  exasperating  both  to  performer 

and  audience. 

i 

The  French  composer,  Charles  Camille 
Saint-Saens,  has  devoted  much  of  his  time  to 
concert  giving.  He  is  a  remarkable  pianist 
and  has  frequently  played  in  many  of  the 
great  cities  of  Europe,  from  Russia  to  Eng- 
land. He  is  a  native  of  Paris  and  was  one 
of  the  most  precocious  children  on  record, 
having  commenced  the  study  of  the  piano  at 
the  age  of  two  and  a  half  years.  At  five  he 
could  easily  play  a  Gr&ry  opera  from  the 
score,  and  at  seven  he  was  sufficiently  ad- 
vanced to  enter  the  Conservatoire.  He  took 
the  first  prize  for  organ  playing  at  the  age  of 
sixteen,  and  at  the  same  age  brought  out  his 
first  symphony.  For  some  years  he  was  a 
teacher  at  the  Niedermeyer  School,  and 


1 82  Famous  Pianists. 

organist  of  the  Saint-M6ry  and  the  Made- 
leine, but  in  1870  he  gave  up  his  teaching  to 
devote  his  whole  time  to  concert  giving  and 
composition. 

Saint-Saens  is  a  man  of  somewhat  eccentric 
disposition,  and  has  a  habit  of  disappearing 
when  he  is  most  wanted,  and  turning  up  at 
unexpected  places,  thus  causing  anxiety  and 
consternation  amongst  his  friends. 

Henri  Wieniawski  will  be  remembered  as 
the  violinist  who  toured  this  country  in  1872 
with  Anton  Rubinstein.  His  brother  Joseph 
was  a  famous  pianist,  who  entered  the  Paris 
Conservatoire  in  1847,  and  in  1850  went  on 
tour  with  Henri.  Later  on  he  became  a 
pupil  of  Liszt,  and  then  a  teacher  at  Moscow, 
finally  settling  at  Brussels,  where  he  was  a 
teacher  at  the  conservatoire.  He  made 
many  concert  tours  through  Europe,  and  was 
almost  as  well  known  there  as  his  brother  the 
violinist. 

Two   distinguished   French  pianists   were 


The  Modern  Pianists.  183 

Louis    Brassin,    born   at   Aix-la-Chapelle   in 
1840,  and    Louis    Dimmer,  born  at  Paris  in 

1843.  Both  acquired  a  considerable  reputa- 
tion through  their  concert  tours. 

'  Louis  Brassin  was  a  pupil  of  Moscheles, 
and  was  the  teacher  of  his  younger  brother 
Leopold,  born  in  1843,  with  whom  and  a 
third  brother,  Gerhard,  a  violinist,  born  in 

1844,  he   made   his    concert    tours.     Louis 
became  a  teacher  at  the  Stern  Conservatory 
in  Berlin,  and  afterward  filled  a  similar  posi- 
tion at  the  conservatory  in   St.   Petersburg, 
in  which   city  he  died.     Leopold  taught  at 
the  Bern  Music  School,  from  which  he  went 
to  St.  Petersburg  and  then  to  Constantinople, 
where  he  died  in  1890. 

Dimmer  was  a  pupil  of  Marmontel  at  the 
Paris  Conservatoire,  where  he  took  the  first 
prize  for  pianoforte  playing  in  1856.  He 
has  played  with  great  success  in  the  most 
important  concerts  in  Paris,  and  is  renowned 
for  his  great  technique,  though  his  playing 


184  Famous  Pianists. 

is  cold  and  unemotional.  In  1887  ne  suc- 
ceeded his  teacher,  Marmontel,  as  professor 
at  the  Conservatoire,  and  in  1889  he  was 
decorated  with  the  Legion  of  Honour. 

Of  pianists  of  the  present  day  few  are 
better  known  than  Vladimir  de  Pachmann, 
who  was  born  at  Odessa  in  1848,  where  his 
father  was  a  professor  in  the  university,  and 
a  good  amateur  violinist.  At  the  age  of 
eighteen  young  De  Pachmann  was  sent  to  the 
conservatory  at  Vienna,  where  he  obtained 
the  gold  medal.  He  returned  to  Russia  in 
1 869  and  gave  a  series  of  concerts  with  much 
success.  Not  satisfied  with  his  own  per- 
formances, he  retired  for  eight  years  in  order 
to  devote  himself  to  hard  study,  and  then 
tried  public  performance  again  at  Leipzig, 
Berlin,  and  other  places.  Still  dissatisfied 
with  himself,  he  retired  again  for  two  years, 
after  which  he  gave  three  concerts  in  Vienna 
and  three  in  Paris,  which  were  satisfactory 
to  him.  Since  that  time  he  has  appeared 


VLADIMIR   DE    PACHMANN 


The  Modern  Pianists.  185 

in  almost  all  the  chief  cities  of  the  world, 
and  is  recognised  as  a  wonderful  player  of 
Chopin.  His  individuality  is  remarkable  and 
amusing. 

De  Pachmann,  at  least  during  his  early 
tours  in  America,  was  notable  for  his  eccen- 
tricities. It  was  said  of  him  that  he  never 
did  himself  justice  in  the  opening  numbers 
of  his  programs.  At  one  recital  he  found 
fault  with  his  chair,  and  when  another  was 
brought  it  was  very  little  more  to  his  liking. 
He  seemed  to  be  annoyed  by  his  shirt  collar, 
and  he  confided  to  the  nearest  members  of 
the  audience  that  it  was  impossible  to  play 
in  such  a  heated  atmosphere,  and  yet  the 
genius  shone  through  it  all.  "  This  is  an  age 
when  individuality  is  the  thing,"  wrote  a 
critic.  "It  is  perhaps  better  to  accept  the 
strange  pianist  as  he  is,  with  his  foibles,  his 
silliness,  his  surpassing  genius,  —  for  the 
man  is  a  genius.  When  he  came  to  his 
better  self  he  played  superbly.  He  makes 


1 86  Famous  Pianists. 

remarks  to  his  audience,  and  seems  to  be 
as  sincere  in  his  silliness  as  he  is  in  his 
playing." 

In  the  Fremdenblatt,  in  1884,  was  an 
article  which  said  :  "  Anton  Rubinstein  smote 
the  piano  players  as  Samson  did  the  Philis- 
tines. After  the  leonine  paw  of  Rubinstein 
came  the  feline  foot  of  Pachmann.  He  does 
not  pose  at  the  piano  as  others  do,  gazing 
abstractedly  forward  in  complete  absorption  ; 
—  no,  he  turns  his  face  to  the  public,  fixing 
them  with  his  glowing  black  eyes  and  hold- 
ing them  in  complete  control.  Let  one  ad- 
dress but  a  syllable  to  his  neighbour  during 
the  playing,  he  calls  him  to  order  with  a 
sibilant  'Bst!  If  the  public  should  indulge 
in  rather  more  applause  than  is  agreeable  to 
the  artist,  he  signifies  by  apt  gestures  with 
hands  and  arms  that  there  has  been  enough 
disturbance.  Should  a  repetition  of  some 
piece  be  insisted  on,  he  does  not  yield  uncon- 
ditionally to  the  request,  but  first  looks  at 


The  Modern  Pianists.  187 

his  watch  to  see  if  he  has  exceeded  the 
time  allotted  for  the  concert. 

"  These  extraordinary  things  are  permissible 
to  the  great  artist  and  not  to  the  mere  player. 
Such  is  Pachmann  in  conception  and  devel- 
opment. Soft,  sweet  tone,  his  caressing 
hand  reminds  one  of  Thalberg,  except  that 
his  technique  and  musical  perception  are 
more  universal.  His  playing  is  full  of  sen- 
timent and  thoughtful." 

During  his  American  tour  of  1891  and  1892 
De  Pachmann  was  accompanied  by  his  wife, 
who  had  been  a  Miss  Okey  before  her  mar- 
riage, and  was  one  of  his  pupils.  Madame  de 
Pachmann  gave  some  recitals  in  New  York, 
when  De  Pachmann  made  himself  amusing 
by  sitting  amongst  the  audience  and  applaud- 
ing vigorously,  also  exclaiming,  "  Charmante  ! 
Magnifique  !  "  etc.,  as  occasion  offered.  He 
went  through  marvellous  contortions  expres- 
sive of  delight,  evidently  feeling  that  his  wife 
was  not  yet  fully  appreciated,  and  endeavour- 


1 88  Famous  Pianists. 

ing  to  impress  upon  the  audience  the  excel- 
lence of  her  performance.  He  was  enjoyed 
immensely. 

Unfortunately  this  charming  devotion  was 
not  of  long  duration,  and  in  the  course  of 
time  the  customary  divorce  was  sought  and 
obtained.  Madame  de  Pachmann  became  the 
wife  of  the  French  lawyer,  Maitre  Labori, 
now  celebrated  as  the  defender  of  the  ill-fated 
Captain  Dreyfus,  whose  trial  in  France  in 
1899  caused  a  sensation  throughout  the  civil- 
ised world. 

De  Pachmann  made  his  most  successful 
tour  in  America  during  the  season  of  1899- 
1900,  when  the  large  number  of  rival  pianists 
only  caused  his  light  to  shine  with  greater 
intensity.  One  of  the  leading  musical  critics 
said  of  him,  "  There  is  so  much  misleading 
talk  nowadays  of  the  new  Chopin  interpreta- 
tion that  one  really  wonders  if  piano-pound- 
ing, blurred  pedalling,  distorted  rhythms,  and 
cheap  sentimentalism  really  constitute  a 


The  Modern  Pianists.  189 

Chopin.  De  Pachmann  is  erratic,  is  a  man 
of  moods,  but  he  never  plays  Chopin  with  an 
axe  —  to  employ  an  accurate,  if  not  elegant, 
simile  ;  and  if  his  personal  behaviour  is  at 
times  unusual,  remember,  please,  that  it  never 
upsets  his  beautiful  playing." 

Such  is  De  Pachmann,  a  rare  artist  and 
an  eccentric  being  ;  one  cannot  conceive  his 
fertility  in  gestures  until  one  sees  him  at 
work. 

One  of  the  most  peculiar  pianists  is  Count 
Geza  Zichy,  a  native  of  Sztara,  Hungary,  who 
lost  his  right  arm  when  seventeen  years  of 
age.  He  was  the  son  of  a  Hungarian  noble- 
man and  was  passionately  fond  of  music. 
Being  full  of  ambition  and  energy,  he  would 
not  allow  his  deficiency  to  interfere  with  his 
favourite  pastime,  and  he  studied  under  Mayr- 
burger,  Volkmann,  and  Liszt,  until  he  became 
a  left-handed  virtuoso  of  astonishing  and  bril- 
liant attainments.  His  profession  is  that  of 
the  law  ;  but  he  has  given  many  concerts, 


190  Famous  Pianists. 

and  has  undertaken  concert  tours  for  chari- 
table purposes,  and  he  has  held  the  positions 
of  president  of  the  Hungarian  National 
Academy  of  Music,  and  intendant  of  the 
National  Theatre  and  Opera.  He  is  prob- 
ably the  only  one-armed  pianoforte  virtuoso 
in  the  world. 

Xavier  Scharwenka,  who  was  well  known 
in  the  United  States,  was  born  at  Samter, 
East  Prussia.  He  did  not  make  his  first  ap- 
pearance as  a  pianist  until  1 869,  after  which 
he  remained  as  teacher  for  some  years  at  the 
Kullak  Conservatory  in  Berlin,  where  he  had 
received  his  education.  This  engagement 
was  cut  short  in  1873  by  the  inevitable  mili- 
tary duties,  and  then  he  began  to  travel,  and 
soon  gained  a  reputation  as  a  brilliant  player. 

His  activity  has  been  remarkable,  for  after 
having  taught  for  five  years  at  Kullak's  Con- 
servatory, and  then  travelled  for  five  years  as 
a  piano  virtuoso  through  Europe  and  America, 
he  founded  a  conservatory  of  his  own  in  Ber- 


The  Modern  Pianists.  191 

lin,  an  enterprise  which  was  rapidly  crowned 
with  success. 

In  1891  he  left  his  conservatory  under 
the  care  of  his  brother  Philip  and  Dr.  Hugo 
Goldschmidt,  and  went  to  New  York,  where 
he  established  a  school  of  music,  which  he 
supplied  with  pupils  by  making  long  concert 
tours  through  the  Western  States. 

In  1898  he  returned  to  Europe,  leaving 
Richard  Burmeister  at  the  head  of  his  con- 
servatory in  New  York.  He  became  director 
of  the  Klindworth-Scharwenka  Conservatory. 
In  1899  he  sustained  a  paralytic  shock,  from 
which  it  was  at  one  time  feared  that  he  would 
not  recover.  Scharwenka's  playing  combines 
clearness  and  brilliancy  with  great  power  and 
smoothness.  His  career  has  been  one  of 
ceaseless  activity,  but  so  divided  as  to  pre- 
vent the  highest  results  in  any  one  line. 

Alfred  Griinfeld,  who  came  to  America  in 
1891,  was  a  pupil  of  Kullak  and  of  Liszt. 
He  was  born  at  Prague  in  1852,  and  gave  his 


192  Famous  Pianists. 

first  concert  at  the  age  of  twelve.  He  began 
travelling  in  1876,  and  has  travelled  very  ex- 
tensively. He  was  appointed  court  pianist 
to  the  King  of  Prussia  and  to  the  Emperor 
of  Austria,  and  when  he  came  to  America  his 
manager,  in  order  to  hit  the  American  taste 
exactly,  circulated  a  picture  of  Griinfeld  play- 
ing to  a  gathering  of  princes  and  princesses, 
dukes,  duchesses,  etc.,  whose  names  were 
printed  in  the  margin. 

Griinfeld  has  a  wonderful  capacity  for 
imitating  the  styles  and  methods  of  living 
and  dead  composers.  He  will  take  some 
ordinary  theme,  and  deal  with  it  successively 
in  the  manners  of  nearly  all  the  celebrated 
composers,  from  Bach  to  the  present  day.  In 
this  feat  he  so  absolutely  merges  his  own 
individuality  into  that  of  the  composer  whose 
peculiarities  he  reproduces,  that  for  a  time 
he  is  able  to  completely  deceive  the  most 
practised  ear.  He  is  also  a  most  indefati- 
gable performer,  and  has  been  known,  after 


The  Modern  Pianists.  193 

playing  at  a  concert  and  a  couple  of  parties, 
to  enter  a  club  at  about  half-past  eleven,  and 
keep  at  the  piano  for  the  entertainment  of 
the  members  until  half-past  five  in  the 
morning. 

*  Joseffy  was  equally  indefatigable,  and 
stories  are  told  of  his  playing,  during  a 
night's  social  festivities,  from  thirty  to 
forty  of  the  most  difficult  works  ever  writ- 
ten for  the  pianoforte.  He  was,  in  his 
youthful  days,  ever  ready  for  some  frolic- 
some adventure,  and  was  generally  in  some 
kind  of  scrape. 

'  Constantin  Sternberg,  now  resident  in 
Philadelphia,  made  a  long  tour  in  America 
in  1880  and  1881,  playing  more  than  150 
times.  He  had  achieved  a  good  reputation 
in  Europe,  having  been  appointed  court 
pianist  to  the  Duke  of  Mecklenburg.  He 
was  born  in  St.  Petersburg  in  1852,  and 
educated  in  Germany.  From  1877  to  1880 
he  made  concert  tours  through  Germany, 


194  Famous  Pianists. 

Russia,  Asia  Minor,  and  Central  Asia,  and 
the  next  year  he  toured  in  America.  After 
this  first  American  tour  he  returned  to 
Europe  to  be  married,  and  then  returned 
to  take  up  his  residence  in  America.  He 
made  some  tours  with  Minnie  Hauk,  the 
opera  singer,  and  Wilhelmj,  the  violinist. 
In  1885  he  became  director  of  music  at  the 
female  college  in  Atlanta,  and  five  years 
later  went  to  Philadelphia,  which  city  has 
since  been  his  home. 

A  French  pianist,  who  is  known  in 
America  through  his  tour  with  the  violinist 
Ysaye,  in  1897-98,  is  Raoul  Pugno,  born  at 
Montrouge.  He  took  the  first  prize  for  piano- 
forte playing  at  the  Paris  Conservatoire  when 
he  was  fourteen  years  of  age,  following  up 
his  success  by  capturing  the  prize  for  com- 
position and  that  for  organ  playing  in  the 
two  succeeding  years.  Since  1896  he  has 
been  a  professor  of  pianoforte  at  the  Con- 
servatoire. 


The  Modern  Pianists.  195 

Franz  Rummel,  born  in  London  and  edu- 
cated at  the  conservatoire  in  Brussels  under 
Louis  Brassin,  has  visited  America  several 
times.  After  touring  through  Holland  with 
Ole  Bull,  the  violinist,  and  Minnie  Hauk,  the 
singer,  he  made  his  first  American  tour  in 
1878.  This  tour  was  cut  short  by  disaster, 
but  some  ten  or  twelve  years  later,  when  he 
made  a  second  tour,  he  created  a  favourable 
impression.  He  has  travelled  a  great  deal, 
and  when  he  began  his  third  American  tour, 
in  1898,  it  was  said  that  he  had  played  in  more 
than  seven  hundred  concerts.  While  he  is 
acknowledged  to  be  an  excellent  pianist,  he 
has  never  caused  a  sensation  in  this  country. 

When  Rafael  Joseffy  came  to  America, 
in  1879,  he  was  considered  by  many  people 
to  be  the  most  brilliant  pianist  alive.  He 
was  called  the  Patti  of  the  pianoforte,  and 
his  phenomenal  technique,  exquisite  touch, 
and  still  more  exquisite  style,  lent  his  playing 
an  attraction  that  was  irresistible.  His  work 


196  Famous  Pianists. 

was  full  of  light  and  life,  glowing  colour  and 
strong  feeling,  yet  justly  measured  and  ad- 
mirably symmetrical.  Every  note  had  its 
exact  value  and  effect,  and  his  tone  was 
a  revelation. 

After  a  time,  in  which  he  became  distin- 
guished as  an  interpreter  of  Chopin  and 
Liszt,  he  disappeared  from  the  concert  plat- 
form, but  he  remained  in  America  and  stud- 
ied, during  a  period  of  five  years.  Then  he 
reappeared,  and  surpassed  himself. 

Joseffy  became  a  professor  at  the  National 
Conservatory  of  Music  in  New  York,  where 
he  taught  for  a  few  hours  each  week,  but 
from  time  to  time  he  appeared  in  concerts, 
and  in  1899  he  was  still  considered  an  artist 
of  the  beautiful.  "  Time  has  not  filched  from 
him  his  illusions,"  wrote  a  critic ;  "  he  sees 
beautiful  shapes,  gentle  shapes,  and  the  inner 
harmonies  of  the  finely  poised  soul.  His 
playing  is  not  orchestral,  but  he  plays  the 
piano  as  no  one  else.  One  may  not  say  of 


RAFAEL   JOSEFFY 


The  Modern  Pianists.  197 

him  that  he  thunders  like  Rubinstein,  or 
whispers  like  De  Pachmann.  It  is  only 
necessary  to  say  that  'Joseffy  plays.'  He 
is  alone.  He  will  found  no  school,  leave  no 
disciples.  The  outward  vesture  of  his  style 
may  be  hinted  at,  although  that  in  the  main 
is  unapproachable,  but  the  magic,  the  flame 
that  so  sweetly,  so  subtly  burns  within,  we 
name  Rafael  Joseffy." 

Joseffy  was  not  without  a  reputation  when 
he  came  to  America.  Born  in  1852  at  Press- 
burg,  he  was  taught  at  the  Leipzig  conserva- 
tory, where  Karl  Reinecke  superintended  his 
studies.  He  then  went  to  Berlin,  where,  under 
the  guidance  of  Carl  Tausig,  he  became  a 
virtuoso  of  the  first  class,  and  a  great  favour- 
ite in  Europe.  His  tours  through  Germany, 
Austria,  etc.,  showed  him  to  be  a  player  of 
remarkable  technique,  with  an  unexcelled 
delicacy  of  touch.  He  made  Vienna  his 
headquarters  for  a  number  of  years.  When 
he  appeared  in  America,  he  caused  a  sensa- 


198  Famous  Pianists. 

tion  such  as  has  only  been  exceeded  in  later 
years  by  Paderewski. 

A   pianist    who   holds   a   unique   position 

i 
amongst  musicians  of  this  country  is  Edward 

Baxter  Perry,  who  has  travelled  all  over  the 
United  States  giving  lecture  recitals  for  a 
number  of  years.  Mr.  Perry  has  been  blind 
from  the  age  of  three,  but  with  indomitable 
will  and  perseverance  he  has  risen  superior 
to  his  physical  infirmity  and  has  earned  for 
himself  an  enviable  position  in  the  musical 
world.  He  has  always  made  a  firm  stand 
for  the  highest  ideals  in  his  art,  and  is  a  man 
of  broad  general  education. 

Mr.  Perry  was  born  near  Boston,  and  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  and  for  some 
time  at  the  Perkins  Institution  for  the  Blind 
in  South  Boston.  He  began  the  study  of 
the  piano  at  six  years  of  age,  and  at  sixteen 
decided  to  devote  himself  to  music  as  a  pro- 
fession. After  some  years  of  musical  study 
in  Boston  he  went  abroad,  and  became  a  pupil 


The  Modern  Pianists. 

of  Kullak  with  whom  he  remained  in  Berlin, 
for  two  years,  proceeding  then  to  Stuttgart, 
where  he  remained  two  years  under  Pruck- 
ner.  He  then  passed  a  season  with  Liszt  at 
Weimar  and  one  with  Madame  Schumann  in 
Frankfort.  During  his  sojourn  in  Germany 
he  had  the  honour  of  playing  before  the 
Emperor  of  Germany.  On  his  return  to 
Boston  he  devoted  himself  for  two  years  to 
teaching,  but  his  concert  engagements  be- 
came so  numerous  that  at  the  end  of  the 
third  year  he  gave  himself  entirely  to  that 
work,  and  has  probably  given  more  recitals 
than  any  other  pianist,  European  or  Ameri- 
can, as  he  has  had  yearly  from  one  hundred  to 
one  hundred  and  fifty  engagements.  He  has 
given  twelve  hundred  recitals  in  ten  years. 

In  1898  he  went  again  to  Germany  and 
during  his  sojourn  sent  many  interesting 
letters  to  the  various  musical  journals  of 
America.  Mr.  Perry  was  the  originator  of 
the  lecture-recital  in  America. 


2OO  Famous  Pianists. 

• 
Carl  Stasny  is  one  of  the  many  pianists 

who,  with  an  excellent  European  reputation, 
have  settled  in  America  and  devoted  their 
time  chiefly  to  teaching.  Born  at  Mainz- 
am-Rhein,  in  Germany,  in  1855,  he  entered 
upon  a  career  as  a  travelling  virtuoso  in  1 878, 
making  a  tour  through  Russia,  which  he  re- 
peated three  years  later,  the  interim  having 
been  occupied  by  study  with  Franz  Liszt  at 
Weimar.  In  1882  he  travelled  in  a  company 
which  included  Carlotta  Patti,  the  singer,  and 
later  with  Popper,  the  celebrated  'cellist,  and 
Emil  Sauret,  well  known  in  this  country.  In 
1885  he  became  a  professor  at  Doctor 
Hoch's  conservatory  at  Frankfort,  where  he 
remained  until  1891,  when  he  accepted  a 
position  as  pianoforte  teacher  at  the  New 
England  Conservatory  in  Boston,  which  he 
has  held  ever  since.  His  playing  is  charac- 
terised by  great  technical  facility,  power  and 
breadth  of  style,  and  brilliancy  of  expression. 
During  his  residence  in  America  he  has 


The  Modern  Pianists.  201 

played  with  the  Boston  Symphony  Orchestra 
several  times,  also  with  the  Kneisel  quartette, 
and  he  was  one  of  the  four  pianists  engaged 
by  Theodore  Thomas  to  play  a  concerto  at 
the  early  concerts  given  by  the  World's 
Columbian  Fair  Exhibition  in  1893. 

Amongst  American  pianists  there  is 
perhaps  no  one  of  the  present  time  who 
has  more  completely  lived  the  life  of  a 
virtuoso  than  William  H.  Sherwood.  His 
influence  on  the  musical  life  of  the  country 
has  doubtless  been  greater  than  that  of  any 
foreign  artist,  for  he  has  not  only  been  many 
years  before  the  public,  but  he  has  travelled 
from  Maine  to  California  and  from  Canada 
to  Mexico,  playing  in  the  greatest  cities  and 
in  small  towns,  with  the  chief  orchestras  in 
the  most  important  concerts  as  well  as  in 
small  towns  without  any  orchestra. 

He  has,  moreover,  invariably  upheld  a 
high  standard  in  his  programs,  and  has  been 
heard  and  appreciated  by  a  wider  portion  of 


202  Famous  Pianists. 

the  musical  public  than  any  other  pianist,  of 
his  ability. 

Born  in  Lyons,  New  York,  in  1854,  he 
studied  until  his  seventeenth  year  under  his 
father,  the  Rev.  L.  H.  Sherwood,  who  founded 
the  Lyons  Musical  Academy.  For  a  couple 
of  years  before  he  went  abroad  Sherwood 
studied  with  Doctor  Mason,  of  New  York, 
who  became  much  attached  to  him.  When 
he  went  to  Germany  his  first  venture  was 
to  study  with  Kullak  at  Berlin,  and  after  .a 
couple  of  years  he  took  part  in  a  concert 
and  demonstrated  that  he  was  a  player  of 
more  than  average  ability.  After  finishing 
his  course  with  Kullak  he  went  to  Deppe, 
and  thence  to  Liszt,  whose  disciple  he  was 
at  Weimar. 

During  this  period  he  met  Miss  Mary  Fay, 
also  a  Liszt  pupil,  and  became  devoted  to 
her,  with  the  result  that  they  were  married 
while  still  at  Weimar,  and  Liszt  stood  god- 
father to  their  first  child.  In  the  course  of 


The  Modern  Pianists.  203 

years,  incompatibility  of  temperament  was 
discovered  and  a  divorce  followed. 

In  1875  ne  played  at  the  Philharmonic 
symphony  concerts  at  Hamburg  and  Dis- 
tinguished himself.  Other  engagements  fol- 
lowed, but  he  returned  to  America  in  order 
to  begin  a  tour  in  a  concert  company  with 
Clara  Louise  Kellogg,  Annie  Louise  Carey, 
and  the  tenor  Brignoli.  In  1876  he  played 
at  the  Centennial  in  Philadelphia  with  the 
Theodore  Thomas  Orchestra,  before  an  audi- 
ence of  eight  thousand  people. 

After  a  few  years  in  Boston  he  went  to 
New  York,  where  he  built  up  a  large  teach- 
ing connection,  but  later  the  Chicago  Con- 
servatory engaged  him  as  head  of  the  piano- 
forte department,  and  he  accepted  their 
proposition,  holding  the  position  for  some  five 
years,  until  in  1897  he  founded  a  school  of 
his  own. 

In  1887  Mr.  Sherwood  married  one  of  his 
pupils,  Miss  Estella  F.  Adams,  a  fine  pianist. 


204  Famous  Pianists. 

August  Hyllested,  of  Chicago,  a  native  of 
Stockholm,  born  of  Danish  parents,  has 
made  concert  tours  through  Scandinavia, 
Great  Britain,  and,  in  fact,  throughout  Europe 
and  America.  He  first  played  in  public 
when  five  years  of  age,  and  then  studied  in 
Copenhagen  until  he  was  nine,  when  he  made 
a  tour  in  Scandinavia,  afterward  entering 
the  conservatory  at  Copenhagen  and  then 
making  a  second  Scandinavian  tour  in  1875. 
He  came  to  America  in  1885,  and  the  follow- 
ing year  became  assistant  director  of  the 
Chicago  Musical  College,  leaving  that  post  in 
1891  to  assume  the  directorship  of  the  Gott- 
schalk  Lyric  School.  In  1894  he  went  to 
Europe  and  remained  three  years,  during 
which  time  he  played  in  many  concerts,  and 
produced  some  of  his  own  compositions. 

Arthur  Friedheim  is  one  who  in  spite  of 
overwhelming  difficulties  succeeded  in  estab- 
lishing for  himself  a  good  position  in  the 
musical  world. 


The  Modern  Pianists.  205 

He  was  born  in  St.  Petersburg  in  1859, 
but  losing  his  father  while  still  very  young, 
he  was  assisted  by  wealthy  relations  and 
thus  secured  his  education.  He  first  ap- 
peared in  public  during  his  ninth  year,  and 
was  considered  a  genius.  He  continued  his 
studies,  but  was  again  thrown  into  pecu- 
niary difficulties  through  these  relatives,  who 
lost  their  fortune  and  were  no  longer  able  to 
assist  him.  He  therefore  commenced  a  con- 
cert tour,  during  which  he  played  before  Liszt, 
who  criticised  him  severely,  and  he  then  be- 
came conductor  of  a  small  opera  company. 
Two  or  three  years  later  he  was  again  intro- 
duced to  Liszt,  who  was  more  lenient ;  but  it 
was  not  until  after  another  period  of  travel 
that  he  succeeded  in  winning  the  approval  of 
Liszt,  who  from  that  time  did  much  to  for- 
ward his  interests.  Nevertheless,  he  was 
completely  ignored  in  Paris,  and  in  London 
he  did  not  succeed  in  getting  a  hearing.  It 
was  not  until  some  years  later  that  he  met 


206  Famous  Pianists. 

with  real  success,  and  then  he  travelled 
through  Germany  and  established  his  repu- 
tation. 

When  he  visited  America,  in  1 894,  he  was 
spoken  of  as  a  perfect  contrast  to  De  Pach- 
mann.  He  was  cut  out  for  great  playing, 
even  though  he  was  at  that  time  a  little 
coarse.  "He  threshed  Chopin's  Polonaise 
in  A  flat,"  declared  a  critic,  "  so  that  grain 
and  chaff  went  flying  promiscuously." 

Friedheim  was  one  of  Liszt's  younger 
pupils  and  had  the  advantage  of  his  master's 
instruction  for  many  years  in  Weimar,  Rome, 
and  Pesth.  He  is  a  Liszt  player,  and  a 
reliable  maintainer  of  the  direct  tradition. 

By  no  means  the  least  of  the  pianists  of 
this  country  is  Richard  Burmeister,  who  for 
twelve  years  was  director  of  the  pianoforte 
department  at  the  Peabody  Institute  in  Balti- 
more, and  has  since  been  connected  with  the 
Scharwenka  Conservatory  in  New  York. 

Mr.    Burmeister   was   born   in    Hamburg, 


The  Modern  Pianists.  207 

and  was  one  of  the  pupils  of  Liszt,  with 
whom  he  studied  in  Weimar,  Rome,  and 
Pesth  for  three  years,  accompanying  him  on 
his  travels  and  being  constantly  under  his 
influence.  He  has  made  extensive  concert 
tours  both  in  Europe  and  America.  He  is 
a  composer  as  well  as  a  pianist,  noted  for  his 
poetical  playing  and  for  his  skilful  arrange- 
ment of  some  of  the  works  of  Chopin  and 
Liszt,  in  the  interpretation  of  which  he 
excels, 


CHAPTER   VII. 

PADEREWSKI,    SAUER,    ROSENTHAL,    AND 

• 

D' ALBERT. 

THE  last  twenty  years  of  the  century  have 
been  years  of  great  musical  activity  in  Amer- 
ica. Musical  education  has  advanced  with 
rapid  strides,  and  the  music-loving  public  has 
increased  greatly  in  numbers  and  in  apprecia- 
tion of  the  highest  musical  art.  This  ap- 
preciation has  been  shown  in  no  way  more 
conspicuously  than  by  the  ever  increasing 
number  of  excellent  pianists  who  have  sought 
these  shores,  many  of  them  remaining  and 
making  their  homes  in  America, — Joseffy, 
Friedheim,  Godowski,  Jonas  —  all  pianists  of 
world-wide  reputation,  —  and,  not  the  least, 

Carl  Baermann,  who,  though  not  a  travelling 
208 


Paderewski,  Sauer,  Rosenthal,  D' Albert.     209 

virtuoso,  has  played  more  frequently  with 
the  Boston  Symphony  Orchestra  than  any 
other  pianist. 

A  few  years  ago  one  great  pianist  was  con- 
sidered sufficient  for  a  season,  but  now  we 
have  them  by  the  half  dozen  or  more,  and 
each  one  is  able  to  secure  large  and  appreci- 
ative audiences. 

Joseffy,  De  Pachmann,  Paderewski,  D'Al- 
bert,  Rosenthal,  and  Sauer  are  the  greatest 
mature  artists  who  have  made  American 
tours  since  the  days  of  Rubinstein  and  Von 
Biilow,  and  each  is  a  specialist. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  Von  Billow  and 
Rubinstein  did  very  much  to  advance  musical 
art  in  America,  but  their  work  would  not 
have  been  appreciated  had  not  the  ground 
been  well  prepared  by  the  resident  pianists 
in  the  country,  —  such  men  as  Otto  Dresel, 
J.  C.  D.  Parker,  Ernst  Perabo,  and  B.  J. 
Lang  in  Boston,  William  Mason  and  S.  B. 
Mills  in  New  York,  and  many  others. 


2io  Famous  Pianists. 

Rubinstein's  and  Von  Billow's  playing  rep- 
resented the  difference  which  was  bound  to 
arise  between  the  classical  and  the  spiritual 
interpretation  of  piano  works.  Rubinstein 
was  the  great  subjective  artist,  who  gave  way 
entirely  to  the  mood  of  the  moment,  and 
could  rush  on  in  an  instant  in  such  a  way  as 
to  leave  no  room  for  the  cool  criticism  of  a 
later  hour.  But  Von  Bulow  was  the  great 
objective  artist,  the  teacher  and  unf older  of 
all  mysteries,  the  unraveller  of  the  knottiest 
points  in  Beethoven's  latest  works,  which  he 
understood  to  their  innermost  details.  In 
his  playing  the  intellect  had  the  gratification 
of  clear-cut  sharpness,  while  the  heart  re- 
tained the  emotion  long  after  the  artist  left 
the  platform.  Both  artists  were  in  their 
kind  finished  and  complete,  and  both  were  of 
incalculable  influence  on  whole  generations. 
The  impressionist,  Rubinstein,  and  the 
draughtsman,  Von  Bialow,  had  each  the  tech- 
nique which  suited  him.  The  one  rushed 


Paderewski,  Sauer,  Rosentkal,  D' Albert.    211 

and  raved,  and  a  slight  want  of  polish  was 
the  natural  result  of  his  impressionist  tem- 
perament, the  other  drew  carefully  the  threads 
from  the  keys,  occasionally  showing  them, 
with  a  smile,  to  the  audience,  while  every 
tone  and  every  tempo  stood  in  iron-bound 
firmness,  and  every  line  was  there  before  it 
was  drawn. 

Oscar  Bie  sums  up  the  merits  of  the 
pianists  of  the  present  day  in  the  following 
succinct  form  : 

Paderewski,  —  the  delicate,  emotional 
drawing-room  player. 

Sauer,  —  the  bravura  pianist. 

Siloti,  —  the  interpreter  of  Russian  piano- 
forte music. 

Friedheim, — the  Liszt  player. 

Karl  Heymann,  —  the  graceful. 

Barth,  —  severe. 

Rosenthal,  —  an  amazing  technician. 

Ansorge,  —  one  of  the  most  intellectual. 

Gabrilowitsch,  —  Rubinstein. 


212  Famous  Pianists. 

V.  de  Pachmann,  —  with  all  his  extrava- 
gance, plays  Chopin's  mazurkas  with  abso- 
lute faithfulness  to  their  national  character. 

Busoni,  —  shows  great  passion. 

Liitslig,  —  strong  wrist. 

Szalit  —  transposes  fugues  on  the  spot. 

Joseph  Hofmann,  —  astonishingly  individ- 
ual artist. 

Edward  Risler,  —  inimitable  soft  touch  — 
first  French  pianist  to  achieve  universal  repu- 
tation, pupil  of  Diemer.  D'Albert  plays 
with  the  whole  body,  Risler  a  statue. 

Many  of  these  pianists  are  not  yet  known 
beyond  European  shores,  and  are  still  very 
young.  Karl  Heymann  was  obliged  to 
abandon  the  career  of  a  virtuoso  on  account 
of  ill  health.  Karl  Barth  played  with  suc- 
cess in  Germany  and  England,  and  became 
one  of  the  leading  teachers  in  Berlin. 

Since  the  days  of  Liszt  and  Rubinstein  no 
pianist  has  been  so  prominently  in  the  mind 
of  the  public  as  Ignace  Jan  Paderewski.  He 


Paderewski,  Saner,  Rosenthal,  D' Albert.    213 

has  been  the  subject  of  more  newspaper 
gossip  than  any  pianist  in  history,  and  he  has 
been  the  victim  of  greater  amount  of  female 
adulation  than  any  pianist  since  Liszt.  All 
this  has  more  to  do  with  the  business  sagacity 
of  his  manager  than  with  his  art,  though  it 
has  undoubtedly  been  greatly  assisted  by  the 
personal  appearance  and  romantic  history  of 
the  pianist.  As  an  artist,  however,  Pade- 
rewski has  fully  sustained  all  the  claims 
made  for  him  by  his  managers,  and  there  is 
no  doubt  that  he  may  be  considered  one  of 
the  greatest  as  well  as  one  of  the  most  inter- 
esting personalities  among  the  great  pianists 
of  his  time.  His  playing  is  not  mere  musical 
mechanics,  —  he  possesses  that  temperament 
which  distinguishes  the  "artist"  from  the 
"pianist,"  and  the  events  of  his  life  made 
him  a  mature  musician  while  still  a  young 
man. 

Ignace  Jan    Paderewski  is   the   son    of  a 
gentleman    farmer    of    Podolia    in    Poland. 


214  Famous  Pianists. 

From  him  he  inherited  his  indomitable  will 
and  the  power  and  love  of  work,  his  high 
breeding  and  fine  instincts.  From  his 
mother  he  inherited  his  love  of  music,  but 
he  never  had  the  advantage  of  her  care, 
for  she  died  while  he  was  yet  an  infant. 

His  musical  instincts  proclaimed  them- 
selves when  he  was  a  small  child,  and  at  six 
years  of  age  he  began  to  study,  his  teacher 
being  a  fiddler  who  could  not  play  the  piano, 
though  he  gave  lessons  upon  it.  A  couple 
of  years  later  he  had  another  teacher,  who 
had  as  little  notion  of  technique  as  the  first, 
and  who  used  to  give  the  young  pianist  pop- 
ular music  and  let  him  learn  it  as  best  he 
could.  His  remarkably  sensitive  ear  enabled 
him  to  profit  by  this  music,  and  developed  in 
him  the  power  of  comparison  and  judgment 
which  makes  his  playing  so  full  of  tone 
colour. 

When  he  was  twelve  years  old  he  went 
to  Warsaw  and  entered  the  conservatory, 


Paderewski,  Sauer,  Rosenthal,  D1  Albert.   21$ 

founded  by  Janotha,  father  of  the  celebrated 
pianist,  Natalie  Janotha.  Here  he  studied 
harmony  with  Roguski. 

To  the  conservatory  may  be  traced  the 
beginning  of  what  may  be  called  the  literary 
side  of  his  musical  culture,  as  well  as  his  love 
of  general  education.  During  his  youth  he 
showed  no  special  desire  for  virtuosity,  but 
his  mind  tended  rather  toward  composition, 
his  first  attempt  being  a  set  of  Polish  dances, 
written  when  he  was  seven  years  old,  and  he 
had  written  much  music  before  he  went,  at 
the  age  of  twenty-five,  to  Vienna. 

When  sixteen  years  of  age,  Paderewski 
made  a  tour  through  Russia,  during  which 
he  played  his  own  compositions,  besides 
those  of  other  people.  In  a  certain  sense, 
however,  they  were  all  his  own  composi- 
tions, for  he  possessed  but  little  technique, 
and  as  he  could  not  manage  the  difficult 
places,  he  was  obliged  to  fill  up  the  gaps 
with  improvisations.  In  this  tour,  Paderew- 


216  Famous  Pianists. 

ski  learned  to  watch  his  audiences  and  play 
to  them  just  as  he  does  to-day.  He  was 
obliged  to  exercise  the  charm  of  his  personal- 
ity and  the  witchcraft  of  his  musical  genius 
in  order  to  cover  up  the  deficiencies  of  his 
technique. 

At  the  end  of  his  tour  he  returned  to 
Warsaw,  set  himself  to  study,  and  in  six 
months  obtained  his  diploma  from  the  con- 
servatory. He  was  but  eighteen  when  he 
was  appointed  professor  of  music  in  the 
same  Institution.  Events  moved  rapidly 
with  him  in  those  days.  At  eighteen  he  was 
a  professor,  at  nineteen  he  married,  at  twenty 
he  was  a  widower  with  a  son  destined  to  be 
an  invalid  for  many  years. 

Under  this  terrible  experience,  Paderewski 
threw  himself  with  redoubled  vigour  into 
his  musical  studies.  He  went  to  Berlin, 
and  studied  composition  with  Kiel,  who  died 
shortly  afterward,  when  Heinrich  Urban 
became  the  teacher  of  the  young  musician. 


Paderewski,  Sauer,  Rosenthal,  D' Albert.    217 

At  twenty-three  he  was  appointed  professor 
of  music  in  the  conservatory  of  Strasburg. 
His  life  had  been  a  long  struggle  against 
poverty,  but  his  responsibilities  had  acted 
upon  him  as  a  stimulus  to  incessant  work. 

It  was  not  until  1886  that  he  decided  to 
become  a  virtuoso,  and  with  that  end  in  view 
he  became  a  pupil  of  Theodore  Leschetitzky. 

It  may  be  said  that  Paderewski's  success 
marked  an  era  in  the  career  of  Leschetitzky, 
for  pupils  flocked  to  him  from  all  quarters  of 
the  globe. 

'  Leschetitzky  was  not,  however,  a  new  man 
with  new  ideas.  He  was  an  old  and  experi- 
enced teacher,  whose  method  was  guided  by 
common  sense.  He  was  the  first  professor 
of  pianoforte  in  the  conservatory  of  St. 
Petersburg,  when  it  was  established  by  An- 
ton Rubinstein,  and  he  was  a  concert  pianist 
of  no  small  ability;  but,  as  a  performer,  he 
placed  himself  in  the  background  for  his 
wife,  Annette  Essipoff,  who  had  been  one  of 


21 8  Famous  Pianists. 

his  best  pupils  at  St.  Petersburg.  Since  the 
success  of  Paderewski,  which  was  phenom- 
enal, Leschetitzky  has,  in  a  large  measure, 
held  the  position  which  Liszt  occupied  in 
Europe,  and  his  influence  has  enabled  many 
pianists  of  more  or  less  celebrity  to  obtain 
their  real  start  in  life,  —  but  few  of  them 
have  been  as  well  prepared  by  life's  great 
lesson  as  Paderewski,  in  fact,  the  tendency 
has  been,  as  with  all  "schools,"  to  bring 
prematurely  before  the  public,  as  great 
artists,  musical  mechanics. 

Paderewski  was  a  pupil  of  Leschetitzky 
and  of  Madame  Essipoff  for  four  years,  and 
to  their  wise  guidance  he  ascribes  his  finish, 
security,  and  virtuosity.  This  he  acquired 
by  an  amount  of  physical  fatigue  and  endur- 
ance that  can  hardly  be  estimated.  But  the 
tremendous  originality  of  the  artist,  which 
stands  out  in  every  detail  of  his  music,  could 
be  learned  from  no  teacher  but  tribulation. 

Leschetitzky  is  a  man  of  noble  and  gen- 


Paderewski,  Sauer,  Rosenthal,  D' Albert.  219 

erous  nature,  and  at  the  same  time  he  is 
pugnacious  and  progressive.  He  has  no 
patience  with  old-fogyism,  in  illustration  of 
which  fact  it  is  related  of  him  that  when 
playing  once  with  an  orchestra  under  the 
baton  of  a  celebrated  but  conventional 
kapellmeister  he  almost  paralysed  that 
worthy  man  by  introducing  into  the  piano- 
forte part  difficult  octave  passages  and  tech- 
nical fireworks,  simply  with  the  idea  of 
waking  him  up  to  modern  manners. 

No  teacher  has  suffered  more  from  mis- 
representation. The  "  Leschetitzky  method  " 
is  talked  and  advertised  by  hundreds  of  his 
pupils  who  have  become  teachers,  and  each 
one  has  a  different  method.  This  can  only 
be  explained  by  the  fact  that  Leschetitzky 
studies  his  pupils.  He  is  quick  to  notice 
their  deficiencies,  and  then  he  applies  to 
each  some  remedy  for  his  special  case. 
Each  pupil  then  goes  forth  into  the  world 
calling  that  particular  treatment  the  "  Les- 


220  Famous  Pianists. 

chetitzky  method,"  and  applies  it  indiscrim- 
inately to  all  pupils.  Leschetitzky's  method 
is  that  of  common  sense,  and  is  based  upon 
keen  analytical  faculties.  He  has  the  genius 
for  seizing  on  what  the  finest  artists  do  in 
their  best  moments,  observing  how  they  do 
it  physically,  and,  in  a  sense,  systematising 
it.  He  has  his  own  ideas  of  how  to  train 
the  hand  for  all  that  it  requires,  but  he  never 
trains  the  hand  apart  from  the  ear.  He  has 
no  "  method  "  except  perhaps  in  the  technical 
groundwork,  —  the  grammar  of  pianoforte 
playing,  —  and  this  is  taught  by  his  assist- 
ants. So  long  as  an  effect  is  produced,  he 
is  not  pedantic  as  to  how  it  is  done,  there 
being  many  ways  to  attain  the  same  end. 

His  career  as  a  concert  pianist  ended  with 
the  advent  of  Annette  Essipoff,  for  whose 
advancement  he  used  all  his  influence.  That 
influence  was  exercised  with  equal  readiness 
after  their  marriage  was  dissolved,  and  he  had 
marred  Eugenie  Donimierska. 


Paderewski,  Sauer,  Rosenthal,  D' Albert.   221 

Paderewski  made  his  debut  as  a  virtuoso 
in  Vienna  in  1887,  and  from  that  time  on 
his  career  was  crowned  with  success.  In 
Paris  he  gave  a  recital  at  the  Salle  Erard 
in  1888,  but  it  was  very  poorly  attended,  as 
he  had  very  few  friends  in  that  city.  How- 
ever, Lamoureux  and  Colonne,  the  leaders 
of  the  celebrated  orchestras,  were  both  there, 
and  after  the  first  part  of  the  recital  each 
one  invited  the  pianist  to  play  at  one  of  his 
concerts.  As  Lamoureux  was  the  first,  his 
proposal  was  accepted,  and  Paderewski  soon 
had  the  opportunity  of  playing  before  an 
audience  of  three  thousand  Parisians.  More 
concerts  followed,  and,  in  addition,  he  was 
honoured  with  an  invitation  to  play  at  the 
Conservatoire,  —  a  great  distinction  for  a 
foreigner. 

In  May,  1 890,  he  made  his  first  appearance 
in  England,  playing  at  St.  James's  Hall,  and 
the  next  year,  during  the  season  of  1891-92, 
he  made  his  first  tour  in  America,  during 


222  Famous  Pianists. 

which  he  played  in  107  concerts.  The  fol- 
lowing season  he  again  toured  the  United 
States,  and  gave  sixty-seven  concerts,  and 
in  1895-96  he  visited  this  country  for  the 
third  time  and  gave  ninety-two  concerts. 

Although  many  pianists  have  regarded  the 
United  States  as  the  country  in  which  they 
could  make  a  fortune  before  retiring,  none 
have  been  so  successful,  financially,  as  Pade- 
rewski.  Rubinstein  naively  remarks  in  his 
autobiography,  after  dwelling  upon  the 
slavery  entailed  upon  the  artist  in  these 
concert  tours,  that  on  his  return  to  Russia 
he  hastened  to  invest  in  real  estate,  and  the 
foundation  of  his  future  prosperity  was  laid. 
But  Paderewski's  first  three  tours  netted  him 
half  a  million  dollars,  according  to  the  account 
of  Mr.  Hugo  Gorlitz,  who  was  his  manager, 
or  secretary.  This  estimate  does  not  include 
the  money  earned  at  several  concerts  given 
for  charitable  purposes,  of  which  the  income, 
of  course,  went  to  the  charities  in  question. 


Paderewski,  Sauer,  Rosenthal,  D1  Albert.    223 

That  Paderewski  was  a  "drawing  card," 
and  attracted  people  who  could  not  be  at- 
tracted by  any  other  player,  is  demonstrated 
by  the  fact  that  at  one  concert  in  Chicago 
the  receipts  amounted  to  $7,382,  while  four 
concerts  in  one  week,  two  in  Chicago  and 
two  in  St.  Louis,  brought  in  $21,000.  His 
financial  success  has  been  proportionately 
equal  in  other  countries,  and  even  in  Leipzig, 
when  he  gave  a  concert  in  aid  of  the  Liszt 
Memorial,  nearly  seven  thousand  marks  were 
received,  —  a  sum  fabulous  for  Leipzig.  Even 
the  financial  success  was,  however,  thrown 
into  the  shade  by  the  enthusiasm  of  the  au- 
dience, who  insisted  on  his  playing  for  more 
than  an  hour  after  the  program  had  been 
completed,  and  finally  were  only  dismissed  by 
the  extinguishing  of  the  lights. 

Very  similar  scenes  were  frequently  wit- 
nessed in  America,  where  it  became  quite  the 
proper  thing  to  crowd  on  to  the  platform  at 
the  end  of  a  concert  and  induce  the  pianist 


224  '    Famous  Pianists. 

to  play  a  few  more  selections  in  an  informal 
way.  In  Texas  whole  schools  travelled 
many  miles  to  hear  him,  and  such  was  the 
interest  aroused  by  his  personality  that 
crowds  frequently  waited  at  railway  stations 
'  merely  to  see  the  train  pass,  in  hopes  of 
catching  a  glimpse  of  his  remarkable  coun- 
tenance. Sometimes  crowds  would  line  the 
streets  from  his  hotel  to  the  concert  hall  and 
make  it  almost  impossible  for  him  to  get 
past. 

The  name  Paderewski  became  one  to  con- 
jure with.  In  England  a  circus  performer 
took  the  name  of  Paderewski  and  made  a 
contract  to  give  performances  with  a  dancing 
bear  at  ten  pounds  per  week.  The  proprietor 
of  the  circus  apparently  laboured  under  a 
delusion  as  to  identity,  for  he  wrote  to  the 
pianist  Paderewski  and  insisted  on  his  ful- 
filling the  contract,  until  eventually  he  was 
convinced  of  his  mistake.  The  performer, 
having  been  discovered,  and  questioned  as  to 


Paderewski,  Sauer,  Rosenthal,  D' Albert.   225 

why  he  had  assumed  the  name  of  Paderewski, 
declared  that  he  had  a  right  to  assume  any 
name  that  he  chose,  and  he  added,  confiden- 
tially, "  It  isn't  worth  making  a  fuss  about, 
—  I  shall  be  a  good  advertisement  for  M. 
Paderewski." 

Much  has  been  said  about  Paderewski's 
devotion  to  hard  work,  and  it  has  been 
averred  that  he  has  been  known  to  repeat 
certain  passages  two  hundred  times  in  succes- 
sion in  order  to  gain  that  perfection  which 
marks  his  performance.  This  statement  may 
be  received  with  doubt,  inasmuch  as  the  ef- 
fect would  be  most  likely  to  prove  injurious 
and  to  defeat  its  object.  One  of  Leschetit- 
zky's  mottoes  is,  "  Think  ten  times,  and  play 
once." 

Paderewski  is  an  accomplished  linguist  and 
a  well-read  man,  besides  which  he  is  an  expert 
at  the  billiard  table,  an  accomplishment  also 
belonging  to  Leschetitzky,  who  imparts  to 
his  favourite  pupils  much  information  and 


226  Famous  Pianists. 

advice  during  the  progress  of  this  fascinating 
diversion. 

In  1899  Paderewski  married  his  second 
wife,  the  Baroness  Helene  von  Rosen,  who 
accompanied  him  on  the  American  tour  in 
1900. 

The  following  amusing  anecdote  was  told 
in  connection  with  one  of  Paderewski's 
Southern  tours : 

At  one  of  the  stops  Paderewski  was  handed 
a  letter  from  a  certain  grande  dame  and 
noted  society  leader  of  a  large  Western  city. 
It  was  a  most  gushing  epistle,  and,  after  sev- 
eral pages  of  what  was  evidently  intended  as 
a  tribute  to  his  art,  the  writer  wound  up  by 
requesting  "a  lock  of  hair,"  and  enclosed  a 
stamp  for  return  postage. 

When  the  laughter  had  subsided,  Pade- 
rewski's secretary  proceeded  to  indite  a 
reply,  which  ran  as  follows : 

"  DEAR  MADAM  :  M.  Paderewski  directs  me  to 
say  that  it  affords  him  much  pleasure  to  comply 


Paderewski,  Sauer,  Rosenthal,  D' Albert,    227 

with  your  request.  You  fail  to  specify  whose  hair 
you  desire,  and,  to  avoid  error,  he  has  secured  a 
sample  from  each  of  the  staff  en  voyage,  to  wit,  his 
manager,  his  secretary,  his  valet,  his  two  cooks,  and 
his  waiter,  together  with  a  small  portion  from  a  cat 
and  a  mattress  belonging  to  M.  Pullman,  proprie- 
taire  of  the  coach  de  luxe  which  we  occupy.  I  have 
the  honour  to  be  your  obedient  servant." 

Doctor  William  Mason,  of  New  York,  wrote 
an  extremely  interesting  critical  study  of 
Paderewski,  in  1893,  in  which  he  compared 
the  playing  of  that  artist  with  many  others. 
"Paderewski,"  he  says,  "is  unquestionably 
an  inspired  and  a  phenomenal  pianist. 

"  Within  the  last  few  years  we  have  been 
favoured  with  the  presence  of  many  pianists 
of  the  first  rank,  such  as  Joseffy,  Pachmann, 
Rosenthal,  D'Albert,  Friedheim,  Griinfeld, 
Rummel,  Scharwenka,  and  others,  and,  among 
our  own  resident  players,  Fanny  Bloom  field- 
Zeisler,  Adele  aus  de  Ohe,  Rive-King,  and 
many  others,  who  compare  favourably  with 
the  best  from  foreign  lands.  While  fully 


228  Famous  Pianists. 

recognising  the  high  artistic  merit  of  all 
these,  and  acknowledging  the  great  pleasure 
their  performances  have  given,  it  may  be  said 
without  invidious  distinction  that  an  artist  of 
such  a  distinctly  pronounced  individuality  as 
Paderewski  is  an  exceedingly  rare  occurrence, 
indeed  phenomenal.  .  .  .  As  Moscheles 
played  Bach  a  half  century  ago,  and  as 
Rubinstein  played  him  later  on,  so  does 
Paderewski  play  him  now,  —  with  an  added 
grace  and  colour  which  put  these  great  contra- 
puntal creations  in  the  most  charming  frames. 
It  is  the  great,  deep,  musical  playing  com- 
bined with  the  calm,  quiet  repose  and  great 
breadth  of  style.  Paderewski  has  an  advan- 
tage over  Rubinstein,  however,  in  the  fact 
that  he  is  always  master  of  his  resources,  and 
possesses  power  of  complete  self-control.  .  .  . 
In  Rubinstein  there  is  an  excess  of  the  emo- 
tional, and  while  at  times  he  reaches  the 
highest  possible  standard,  his  impulsive 
nature  and  lack  of  self-restraint  are  contin- 


Paderewski,  Sauer,  Rosenthal,  D'  Albert.   229 

ually  in  his  way,  frequently  causing  him  to 
rush  ahead  with  such  impetuosity  as  to  an- 
ticipate his  climax,  and,  having  no  reserve 
force  to  call  into  action,  disaster  is  sure  to 
follow. 

"  Of  five  prominent  pianists,  in  Liszt  we 
find  the  intellectual-emotional  temperament, 
while  Rubinstein  has  the  emotional  in  such 
excess  that  he  is  rarely  able  to  bridle  his 
impetuosity.  Paderewski  may  be  classified 
as  emotional-intellectual,  —  a  very  rare  and 
happy  blending  of  the  two  temperaments,  — 
and  Tausig  was  very  much  upon  the  same 
plane,  while  Von  Billow  has  but  little  of  the 
emotional,  and  overbalances  decidedly  on 
the  intellectual  side. 

"It  seems  to  me  that  in  this  matter  of 
touch  Paderewski  is  as  near  perfection  as  any 
pianist  I  ever  heard,  while  in  other  respects 
he  stands  more  nearly  on  a  plane  with  Liszt 
than  any  other  virtuoso  since  Tausig.  His 
conception  of  Beethoven  combines  the  emo- 


230  Famous  Pianists. 

tional  with  the  intellectual  in  admirable  poise 
and  proportion.  Thus  he  plays  with  a  big, 
warm  heart  as  well  as  with  a  clear,  calm,  dis- 
criminative head ;  hence  a  thoroughly  satis- 
factory result.  ...  In  musical  conception  he 
is  so  objective  a  player  as  to  be  faithful,  true, 
and  loving  to  his  author,  but  withal  he  has 
a  spice  of  the  subjective  which  imparts  to  his 
performance  just  the  right  amount  of  his  own 
individuality. 

"The  heartfelt  sincerity  of  the  man  is 
noticeable  in  all  that  he  does,  and  his  inten- 
sity of  utterance  easily  accounts  for  the 
strong  hold  he  has  over  his  audiences.  Pade- 
rewski's  playing  presents  the  beautiful  con- 
tour of  a  living,  vital  organism.  ...  It 
possesses  that  subtle  quality  expressed  in 
some  measure  by  the  German  word  Sehn- 
sucht,  and  in  English  as  '  intensity  of  aspira- 
tion.' This  quality  Chopin  had,  and  Liszt 
frequently  spoke  of  it.  It  is  the  indefinable 
poetic  haze  with  which  Paderewski  invests 


Paderewski,  Sauer,  RosentJwl,  H  Albert.    231 

and  surrounds  all  that  he  plays  which  renders 
him  so  unique  and  impressive  among  modern 
pianists. 

"  Paderewski  is  an  artist  by  the  grace  of 
God,  a  phenomenal  and  inspired  player,  and, 
like  all  persons  of  large  natural  gifts,  a  simple, 
gracious  and  loving  character." 

Paderewski  has  done  more  for  the  cause 
of  music  in  America  than  any  other  foreigner, 
for,  after  his  tour  of  1895-6  he  placed  a  fund 
of  $10,000  in  the  hands  of  three  trustees,  of 
which  the  interest  was  to  be  devoted  to 
triennial  prizes  to  composers  of  American 
birth  without  distinction  as  to  age  or  religion. 
A  prize  of  $500  was  to  be  given  for  the  best 
orchestral  work ;  $300  for  the  best  composi- 
tion for  solo  instrument  with  orchestra ;  and 
$200  for  the  best  chamber  work. 

The  three  trustees  were  Mr.  William 
Steinway,  Dr.  William  Mason,  and  Col.  H.  L. 
Higginson.  The  two  latter  gentlemen  re- 
signed their  trust  shortly  afterward,  and 


232  Famous  Pianists. 

before  other  trustees  could  be  appointed 
Mr.  Wm.  Steinway  died.  This  caused  curi- 
ous complications,  which  had  to  be  decided 
by  the  courts,  for  legally  nobody  had  any 
right  to  the  money. 

Few  pianists  in  these  days  of  fierce  com- 
petition can  keep  up  the  strain  of  perpetual 
practice  and  self-denial  necessary  for  the 
concert  platform,  and  the  day  of  the  virtuoso 
is  constantly  growing  shorter.  Even  Pade- 
rewski,  for  whose  playing  few  adjectives  could 
be  found  adequate  to  convey  a  sufficiently 
exalted  idea  when  he  made  his  first  American 
tour,  fell  under  the  lash  of  the  critics  in 
1900.  He  was  accused  of  pounding,  and  it 
was  stated  that  his  success  had  been  mainly 
due  to  his  personal  appearance  and  magnet- 
ism, while  his  name  was  conspicuous  by  its 
absence  from  a  list  of  the  four  greatest  pian- 
ists mentioned  by  the  same  writer.  His 
financial  success  was,  nevertheless,  as  great 
as  ever,  and  the  gross  receipts  of  his  tour 


Paderewski,  Sauer,  Rosenthal,  D' Albert.   233 

were  estimated  at  more  than  a  quarter  of  a 
million  dollars. 

Emil  Sauer  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  most 
eminent  pianists  of  the  end  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  a  man  whose  success  has  been 
gained  by  hard  work  and  strength  of 
character. 

Born  at  Hamburg  in  1 862,  it  was  originally 
intended  that  he  should  become  a  lawyer, 
but,  at  his  mother's  desire,  he  studied  music 
and  abandoned  all  ideas  of  the  law.  When 
he  was  thirteen  years  of  age  he  played  to 
Rubinstein,  who  expressed  the  opinion  that 
he  should  be  trained  as  a  musician.  It  was 
not,  however,  until  1879  that  Sauer  com- 
menced his  musical  education  in  earnest,  the 
intervening  years  being  spent  at  school. 
Then  he  was  sent  to  Moscow,  where  he  was 
a  pupil  of  Nicholas  Rubinstein  until  that 
teacher  died  in  1881. 

In  the  following  year  he  gave  some  con- 
certs in  Germany,  and  the  year  after  that  in 


234  Famous  Pianists. 

London,  but  in  neither  did  he  achieve  any 
success,  and  he  was  obliged  to  take  pupils. 
A  year  or  two  later  he  gave  concerts  in 
Spain  and  Italy,  but  in  1884  went  to  Liszt, 
with  whom  he  remained  for  some  time,  and 
then  made  an  appearance  in  Berlin,  which 
was  more  successful,  so  that  his  career 
as  an  artist  may  be  said  to  date  from 
that  time.  For  many  years  he  has  been 
constantly  on  tour,  and  has  visited  the 
chief  cities  in  Germany,  Austria,  Roumania, 
Russia,  Sweden,  Denmark,  Spain,  Italy  and 
England. 

Nearly  all  piano  virtuosi,  as  well  as  the 
great  singers  and  violinists,  receive  in  Euro- 
pean countries,  as  a  mark  of  the  approbation 
of  the  "  effete  "  monarchs,  some  decorations, 
but  in  the  case  of  Emil  Sauer  these  emblems 
of  royal  favour  were  used  as  a  means  of  in- 
teresting the  public.  A  list  of  them  was 
published  together  with  their  pictures.  The 
following  was  the  list : 


Paderewski,  Sauer,  Rosenthal,  D' Albert.    235 

1.  Commander's    Cross    of    the    Italian 
Crown. 

2.  Commander's  Cross  of   the   Order  of 
Isabella  la  Catolica. 

3.  Commander's  Cross  (set  in  diamonds) 
of  the  Order  of  Merit  from  Bulgaria. 

4.  Commander's   Cross   of  the  Order  of 
the  Medjidie  (Turkey). 

5.  Knight's  Cross  of  the  Austrian  Order 
of  Francis  Joseph. 

6.  Great   Bulgarian   Medal   for  Art  and 
Science. 

7.  Great  Golden  Medal  of  King  Louis  of 
Bavaria. 

It  seems  a  pity  that  the  American  public 
should  only  know  of  these  decorations  in  this 
manner,  and  it  might  be  advisable  for  such 
artists  as  possess  a  goodly  store  of  much 
valued  emblems  of  royal  admiration  to  appear 
fully  decorated  with  them  at  their  concerts, 
even  though  the  burden  of  them  might  inter- 
fere with  the  technical  display. 


236  Famous  Pianists. 

Sauer  made  his  first  appearance  in  Amer- 
ica in  January,  1 899,  when  he  played  at  the 
Metropolitan  Opera  House  in  New  York. 
He  was  then  described  as  a  slim  young  man 
of  evident  nervous  temperament,  but  with  his 
nerves  under  absolute  control.  He  plays  at 
times  like  one  possessed,  but  his  supreme 
taste  and  masterly  control  enable  him  to 
avoid  excess  and  mere  sensationalism.  Ex- 
citing in  a  high  degree  is  his  building  up  of 
climaxes,  but  he  never  indulges  in  noise,  nor 
in  his  wildest  flights  do  we  miss  a  noble  self- 
restraint  and  repose.  Technically  we  never 
heard  a  pianist  better  equipped.  His  chordal 
flights  across  the  keyboard  are  simply  daz- 
zling and  sensational. 

"  Less  concerned  with  the  presentation  of 
the  concrete,  less  enamoured  than  Rosenthal 
in  the  logical  ideas  of  the  composition,  Sauer 
envelops  everything  he  plays  in  a  misty  au- 
reole, a  rose-coloured  atmosphere.  He  is 
an  idealist  and  an  optimist  in  his  music.  He 


Paderewski,  Saner,  Rosentkaly  D' Albert.   237 

listens  to  surprise  the  secret  of  the  leaves 
as  they  drip  at  dawn  and  rustle  at  dusk,  and 
he  loves  the  wind.  He  delights  in  represent- 
ing breathless  and  almost  soundless  sweeps, 
those  aerial  vortices  that  occur  in  autumn 
twilights." 

When  Moritz  Rosenthal  first  appeared  in 
America,  in  1888,  he  at  once  created  a  sen- 
sation. "  He  is  a  hurricane,  a  tempest,  a 
thunderbolt ! "  exclaimed  one  critic.  He 
played  with  absolute  accuracy,  and  with 
superb  abandon,  Titanic  power,  and  an  appar- 
ently foolhardy  audacity  in  the  matter  of 
tempo.  Some  claimed  for  him  the  title  of 
king  of  virtuosi,  and  all  agreed  that  his  tech- 
nique belonged  to  an  astonishing  order  of 
achievement.  These  expressions  were  merely 
the  echo  of  what  had  already  been  said  in 
Germany,  England,  and  other  countries  in 
which  his  talents  had  been  displayed,  and  he 
was  everywhere  acknowledged  to  be  a  really 
great  pianist.  This  adjective  does  not  belong 


238  Famous  Pianists. 

in  modern  times  to  any  one  who  possesses 
one  or  two  remarkable  qualities,  but  it  is 
now  understood  to  gather  under  its  wing 
mechanical  perfection,  musical  temperament, 
and  intellectuality.  More  than  a  pyrotech- 
nical  display  is  required,  more  than  the  over- 
whelming temperament  which  Rubinstein 
possessed,  and  even  more  than  the  cold 
intellectuality  of  Von  Billow. 

Rosenthal  was  the  rival  of  Paderewski,  but 
not,  like  him,  the  idol  of  the  multitude.  He 
appeals  to  a  less  general  public. 

Moritz  Rosenthal  was  born  at  Lemberg, 
and  was  the  son  of  a  professor  in  the  public 
schools  of  that  town.  Like  all  other  musical 
celebrities,  he  showed  his  talent  at  a  very 
early  age,  and  his  precocity  attracted  the 
attention  of  Carl  Mikuli,  who  began  to  teach 
him  when  he  was  eight  years  old.  A  couple 
of  years  later  he  walked  to  Vienna  to  see 
Joseffy,  who  heard  him  play,  and  agreed  to 
take  him  as  a  pupil.  He  also,  at  the  age  of 


MORITZ    ROSENTHAL 


Paderewski,  Sauer,  Rosentkal,  D' Albert.    239 

ten,  appeared  in  public  for  the  first  time, 
playing  Chopin's  Rondo  in  C  for  two  pianos 
with  his  teacher,  Mikuli.  When  fourteen 
years  of  age  he  gave  a  concert  in  Vienna,  on 
which  occasion  Liszt  was  present  and  praised 
him,  declaring  that  "there  is  within  you  a 
great  pianist  who  will  surely  work  his  way 
out" 

Rosenthal  did  not  devote  his  whole  time 
to  music,  although  he  worked  hard  at  it,  but 
he  was  a  student  at  the  University  of  Vienna, 
and  took  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts. 

From  1876  to  1886  he  was  a  pupil  of 
Liszt,  whom  he  followed  yearly  to  Weimar, 
Pesth,  .Vienna,  and  Rome.  During  a  tour  in 
Roumania  he  was  appointed  court  pianist. 
He  also  appeared  in  Germany  and  England 
before  making  his  first  American  tour  in 
1888.  On  his  return  to  Europe  he  created 
a  furore  in  the  European  capitals,  and  was 
soon  recognised  as  one  of  the  greatest  living 
pianists. 


240  Famous  Pianists. 

In  1896  Rosenthal  began  a  second  tour  in 
America,  but  it  was  cut  short  in  Chicago  by 
an  illness  which,  it  was  feared  for  a  time, 
might  prove  fatal.  He  fortunately  recov- 
ered, and  has  continued  his  career  with  aug- 
mented brilliancy. 

Rosenthal's  peculiar  temperament,  a  tem- 
perament that  is  sometimes  hard  but  never 
lean  in  its  expression  of  musical  truths, 
readily  lends  itself  to  the  grandiloquent,  the 
magnificent,  sonorous,  nobility  in  decoration, 
and  all  that  is  lofty  and  sublimated  in  pure 
thought.  But  he  misses  or  rather  neglects 
the  softer,  serener  side  of  art.  There  is  no 
twilight  in  his  playing,  yet  he  controls  every 
nuance  of  the  piano  palette.  De  Pachmann 
and  Rosenthal  both  draw  from  the  instru- 
ment remarkable  varied  tonal  qualities. 
Rosenthal's  tone  is  the  thunderbolt,  De 
Pachmann's  like  a  rose-leaf,  yet  Rosenthal, 
because  of  sheer  power,  can  whisper  quite  as 
poetically  as  the  Russian. 


Paderewski,  Sauer,  Rosenthal,  D' Albert.    241 

Rosenthal  is  fond  of  literature,  and  his 
marvellous  memory  shows  itself  not  only  in 
his  repertoire,  but  in  the  fact  that  he  can 
repeat  any  poem  of  Heine,  his  favourite,  if 
the  first  line  be  spoken.  He  has  also  written 
on  musical  subjects  with  credit  to  his  literary 
taste  and  his  knowledge,  and  has  measured 
pens  with  some  of  his  critics  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  show  that  he  has  a  ready  and 
pungent  wit. 

"  The  crown  of  piano  playing  in  our  time 
has  been  won  by  Eugene  d' Albert,  a  small 
man  with  giant  power,  a  lovable  person  of 
astonishing  artistic  seriousness.  He  was  a 
pupil  of  Liszt,  and  on  him  the  mantle  of 
Liszt  has  fallen  in  our  generation.  His 
greatest  virtue  is  his  classic  temperament. 
In  his  memory  rest  safely  stored  the  greatest 
works  from  Bach  to  Tausig.  If  he  takes  one 
out,  he  takes  with  it  the  sphere  in  which  it 
stayed  unspoiled  — the  style  of  its  execution. 
The  piece  stands  fast  in  its  construction ;  not 


242  Famous  Pianists. 

a  phrase  appears  inorganic,  not  a  rhythm  ac- 
cidental. The  seriousness  of  Brahms's  con- 
certos, the  murmuring  of  Chopin's  Berceuse, 
the  Titanic  power  of  his  A  minor  fitude,  the 
grace  of  Liszt's  Soir6es  de  Vienne,  the  solem- 
nity of  Bach,  move  under  his  hand  in  the 
concert,  without  one  taking  the  least  from 
another.  It  is  objectivity,  but  we  do  not 
cry  out  for  subjectivity  ;  it  is  personality,  but 
we  do  not  miss  the  rapport  with  eternity." 
Such  is  the  tribute  of  Oscar  Bie  to  the  most 
cosmopolitan  pianist  of  the  age. 

Eugen  Francis  Charles  d' Albert  was  born 
in  Glasgow,  Scotland,  and  was  the  son  of  a 
Frenchman  (born  at  Nienstettin,  near  Ham- 
burg), a  teacher  of  music  and  dancing.  His 
mother  was  a  German.  Eugen  was  first 
taught  music  by  his  father,  and  was  elected 
Newcastle  scholar  in  the  National  Training 
School  of  Music  in  London  when  twelve 
years  of  age.  Here  his  teachers  were  Ernst 
Pauer,  Stainer,  Prout,  and  Sullivan.  Five 


Paderewski,  Sauer,  Rosenthal,  D'  Albert.    243 

years  later  he  gained  the  Mendelssohn 
scholarship.  Hans  Richter  was  impressed 
with  D' Albert's  talent,  took  him  to  Vienna, 
and  introduced  him  to  Liszt,  whose  pupil 
he  became.  Under  Liszt's  guidance  he 
developed  with  astonishing  rapidity,  and 
his  first  concerts  at  Vienna  and  Berlin 
created  a  sensation,  for  the  effect  of  his  bril- 
liant technique  was  enhanced  by  the  intel- 
lectual maturity  of  his  interpretations.  Liszt 
called  him  "the  young  Tausig,"  which  was 
perhaps  the  highest  compliment  possible. 

When  D'Albert  appeared  in  America,  in 
1892,  he  was  at  once  compared  with  De 
Pachmann  and  Paderewski,  and  the  compari- 
son was  not  unfavourable.  It  was  generally 
agreed  that  the  mechanical  part  of  his  per- 
formance was  wonderful,  and  that  there 
was  much  to  marvel  at,  —  that  if  he  did  not 
equal  those  other  two  artists  in  singing  qual- 
ity of  his  tone,  yet  he  was  stronger  in  versa- 
tility of  style,  manliness  of  expression,  and 


244  Famous  Pianists. 

intellectuality,  while  his  fire  and  passion  were 
irresistible. 

D' Albert  has  established  his  reputation  as 
a  composer,  and  is  said  to  resemble  Brahms 
in  spirit.  His  second  pianoforte  concerto 
is  without  rival  amongst  works  of  later 
years,  in  wealth  of  invention  and  variety  of 
colour.  As  a  pianist  he  has  rivalled  the  feats 
of  Von  Biilow,  by  giving  five  Beethoven 
sonatas  at  one  concert. 

It  is  said  that  D' Albert  is  a  strict  vegeta- 
rian ;  were  he  carnivorous,  there  is  no  telling 
what  heights  his  virtuosity  might  reach,  for 
he  now  excels  all  other  pianists.  D'Albert 
has  ventured  upon  matrimony  several  times. 
He  was  first  married  when  quite  young,  and 
it  is  related  that  when  he  went  to  report  the 
birth  of  the  first  child  to  the  official  in 
the  German  town  in  which  he  was  then 
living,  that  worthy  person  glanced  disdain- 
fully at  him,  and  said  that  it  was  necessary 
for  the  father  to  make  the  report  in  person. 


Paderewski,  Sauer,  Rosenthal,  Df Albert.  245 

In  1892  D' Albert  married  Teresa  Car- 
reno,  but  their  union  lasted  only  three  years. 
Since  then  he  has  ventured  once  more  upon 
the  sea  of  matrimony,  his  third  wife  being  a 
singer,  Miss  Finck. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

PIANISTS  OF    TO-DAY. 

DURING  the  past  twenty  years  foreign 
pianists  have  sought  these  shores  in  ever 
increasing  numbers,  but  have  not  always 
met  with  the  success  which  they  anticipated. 
It  has  happened  sometimes  that  they  have 
returned  to  their  native  land  somewhat  de- 
jected, and  at  a  loss  to  understand  the  lack 
of  appreciation  of  their  art  shown  by  Amer- 
icans. Some  few  years  ago,  a  pianist  of  con- 
siderable European  fame,  but  of  a  violent 
and  unsatisfactory  type,  succeeded  in  draw- 
ing the  following  token  of  regard  from  an 

American  critic :  "  Mr. 's  piano  playing 

has  one  distinguishing  merit.     It  is  his  own. 

He  will  never  be  accused  of  imitating  Pade- 

246 


Pianists  of  To-day.  247 

rewski,  Rosenthal,  or  D' Albert,  though  there 
may  be  insinuations  that  he  has  borrowed 
some  of  his  ideas  of  art  from  the  wild,  untu- 
tored buzz-saw,  or  the  merry,  merry  trip-ham- 
mer. A  piano  is  a  harmless  instrument  if 
let  alone,  but,  like  the  Bulwerian  worm, 
when  trodden  on  it  will  turn  and  sting.  .  .  . 

Mr. is  a  dynamic  pianist.     He  has  wild 

swoops  from  ppp  to  such  a  fff  as  was  never 
heard  before.  The  very  wires  cry  out 
against  it,  like  'sweet  bells  jangled.'  In 
short,  it  is  quite  impossible  to  understand 

how    Mr.  earned    his    reputation    at 

home.  He  will  certainly  not  earn  one  here. 
If  he  values  the  one  at  home  he  will  go 
back  to  it." 

On  the  whole,  there  have  been  few  who 
have  ventured  on  concert  tours  in  America, 
unless  they  had  every  reason  to  expect  suc- 
cess ;  in  fact,  the  initiative  is  generally  taken 
by  the  American  manager,  who  knows  the 
taste  of  the  public  and  does  not  take  risks 


248  Famous  Pianists. 

by  importing  pianists  who  are  likely  to  prove 
unpopular.  Nevertheless,  there  have  been 
some  excellent  pianists  of  high  European 
renown  who  have  failed  to  make  a  success 
here,  not  through  their  own  lack  of  ability, 
but  generally  through  some  mismanagement. 
There  is  always  a  distinct  line  to  be  drawn 
between  artistic  success  and  financial  suc- 
cess, and  it  is  not  by  any  means  to  the 
discredit  of  the  pianist  if  his  audiences  are 
small,  provided  that  he  plays  well. 

Such  was  the  case  with  Bernhard  Staven- 
hagen,  whose  style  is  distinguished  for  brilliant 
technique  together  with  great  warmth  of  ex- 
pression. He  was  one  of  Liszt's  last  and  most 
favourite  pupils,  and  has  made  brilliantly  suc- 
cessful concert  tours  all  over  Europe.  He  has 
been  decorated,  —  was  made  a  knight  of  the 
order  of  the  White  Falcon,  whatever  that 
may  be,  —  was  made  court  pianist  to  the 
Grand  Duke  of  Saxe-Weimar,  and  succeeded 
D' Albert  as  court  conductor  at  Weimar. 


Pianists  of  To-day.  249 

Since  1898  he  has  been  court  conductor  at 
Munich. 

Bernhard  Stavenhagen  met  with  less  suc- 
cess than  his  artistic  merits  should  have  won 
for  him.  His  playing  was  admired,  his  per- 
sonal characteristics  were  admired,  but  the 
public  had  not  been  worked  up  into  the  state 
of  feverish  excitement  which  appears  to  be 
necessary  in  order  to  emphasise  the  fact  that 
an  exceptionally  talented  artist  is  about  to 
perform.  Few  had  heard  of  Stavenhagen, 
and  little  was  said  about  him,  therefore  the 
public  did  not  anticipate  anything  remarkable. 

Stavenhagen  was  born  at  Greiz  in  Ger- 
many, exhibited  the  usual  precocity,  and 
studied  under  Professor  Rudorf  until  the 
age  of  twelve,  when  he  entered  the  Berlin 
High  School  of  Music,  where  he  gained  the 
Mendelssohn  prize  for  harmony  and  thorough- 
bass. In  1885  he  went  to  Liszt,  at  Weimar, 
and  remained  with  him  until  the  death  of 
that  great  pianist. 


250  Famous  Pianists. 

Liszt  took  the  greatest  interest  in  Staven- 
hagen,  and  introduced  him  to  the  cream  of 
musical  circles  as  his  favourite  pupil,  and 
Stavenhagen,  through  such  constant  associa- 
tion with  his  teacher,  acquired  much  of  his 
style  of  playing.  He  has  received  many 
honours  during  his  European  tours,  and  has 
been  called  the  most  perfect  pianist  that  one 
could  possibly  hear,  by  no  less  an  authority 
than  Doctor  Hanslick,  the  celebrated  Berlin 
critic. 

Stavenhagen  accompanied  Liszt  to  Eng- 
land on  his  last  tour  in  1886,  and  played  at 
the  Crystal  Palace  and  at  Prince's  Hall. 

Although  the  name  of  Edward  Alexander 
MacDowell  is  best  known  as  that  of  a  com- 
poser, and  he  has  never  undertaken  concert 
touring  in  America,  it  would  be  impossible 
to  pass  over  one  who  has  attained  such  a 
reputation  as  a  pianist.  He  was  born  in  New 
York  in  1861,  and  was  at  one  time  a  pupil 
of  Teresa  Carreno.  In  1877  he  went  abroad, 


Pianists  of  To-day.  251 

where,  after  several  years  of  study  and  con- 
cert playing,  he  took  up  his  residence  at 
Wiesbaden,  and  occupied  himself  with  com- 
posing and  giving  lessons  in  pianoforte  playing 
and  composition.  He  returned  to  America 
in  1888  and  resided  in  Boston,  appearing 
occasionally  with  the  Symphony  Orchestra 
and  with  the  New  York  Philharmonic 
Orchestra,  and  generally  playing  his  own 
compositions.  A  few  years  later,  he  was 
appointed  professor  of  music  at  Columbia 
University,  and  has  since  resided  in  New 
York. 

Martinus  Sieveking,  sometimes  known  as 
the  "  Flying  Dutchman,"  on  account  of  his 
nationality  and  his  volatile  disposition,  was 
born  at  Amsterdam.  He  studied  music  as  a 
child  with  his  father,  and  afterward  became  a 
pupil  of  J.  Rontgen,  a  graduate  of  the  Leip- 
zig, who  settled  in  Amsterdam  in  1878.  His 
first  appearance  was  made  in  Paris,  where  he 
played  a  suite  of  his  own  composition  with 


252  Famous  Pianists. 

the  Lamoureux  Orchestra.  In  1890  he 
visited  London  on  the  suggestion  of  his 
uncle,  Sir  Henry  Sieveking,  who  was  physi- 
cian to  the  queen.  In  England  he  appeared 
with  good  success,  and  made  two  tours  with 
Edward  Lloyd,  the  singer,  and  Popper,  the 
'cellist,  also  two  other  tours  with  Adelina 
Patti. 

In  1895  Sieveking  came  to  America  to 
visit  the  World's  Fair.  He  played  in 
Boston,  and  was  induced  by  his  friends  to 
remain  and  make  a  concert  tour,  which  he 
did  during  the  following  season.  This  tour 
was  brought  to  a  sudden  conclusion  by  the 
unexpected  disappearance  of  the  pianist, 
who,  it  afterward  appeared,  had  taken  the 
steamer  for  home,  being  dissatisfied  with 
his  own  performance. 

On  his  return  to  Europe  he  sought  Lesche- 
titzky  and  studied  with  him  for  some  time, 
after  which  he  set  to  work  to  develop  a 
method  of  his  own,  and  has  greatly  improved 


Pianists  of  To-day.  253 

his  playing.  For  some  years  Sieveking  has 
resided  in  Paris,  and  in  1899  he  married. 

It  was  expected  that  Sieveking  would 
make  a  second  tour  in  America  during  the 
season  of  1899-1900,  but  the  tour  was 
abandoned,  probably  because  of  the  large 
number  of  virtuosi  who  were  announced  to 
appear.  Sieveking  is  a  man  of  frank  and 
generous  disposition.  He  is  full  of  mechanical 
ingenuity,  and  enjoys  nothing  better  than 
inventing  and  making  ingenious  mechanical 
appliances  of  various  kinds. 

One  of  the  best  known  concert  pianists  of 
Europe  is  Alfred  Reisenaur,  who  in  1887 
signed  a  contract  for  a  tour  of  several  years, 
during  which  he  travelled  through  Europe 
and  Asiatic  Russia.  He  gave  over  five  hun- 
dred concerts,  going  as  far  east  as  Siberia. 
He  has  also  travelled  for  his  own  pleasure,  as 
an  explorer,  along  the  coasts  of  the  North  Sea, 
to  Bokhara,  China,  Persia,  Asia  Minor,  etc. 

In  1892  and  1893  he  made  a  tour  in  the 


254  Famous  Pianists. 

West  of  Europe,  visiting  Germany,  Denmark, 
Norway  and  Sweden,  and  England,  gaining 
a  reputation  as  a  very  brilliant  pianist,  his 
playing  being  of  an  intellectual  order  and  very 
impassioned. 

Reisenaur  was  born  at  Konigsberg,  East 
Prussia,  in  1863.  He  was  taught  by  his 
mother  and  by  Louis  Kohler,  but  at  the  age 
of  eleven  he  came  under  the  influence  of 
Liszt,  who  prophesied  great  things  for  him. 
From  that  time  for  several  years  he  spent  his 
summers  at  Weimar,  and  when  he  was  fifteen 
he  followed  Liszt  to  Rome,  neglecting  his 
university  examinations  for  that  purpose.  He 
played  at  a  charity  concert  in  Rome  in  1879, 
and  again  at  a  public  concert  in  1881,  after 
which  he  went  to  London,  Berlin,  and  Leip- 
zig, at  which  latter  place  he  appeared  with 
success  at  a  Gewandhaus  concert.  He  then 
became  professor  of  piano  at  the  conservatory 
at  Sonderhausen,  after  which  he  gave  a  series 
of  concerts  with  Heinrich  Vogel,  the  singer, 


Pianists  of  To-day.  255 

David  Popper,  the  'cellist,  and  Teresina  Tua, 
the  violinist.  With  the  latter  he  travelled 
through  Sweden  and  Norway.  Then  followed 
his  Eastern  tour. 

One  of  the  most  talented  and  promising 
pianists  who  ever  came  to  settle  in  America 
is  Ferruccio  Benvenuto  Busoni.  He  was 
born  at  Empoli,  near  Florence.  His  parents 
were  excellent  musicians  and  his  education 
was  begun  under  their  supervision.  Their 
efforts  were  rewarded  by  his  appearance  in 
concert  when  but  seven  and  one-half  years  of 
age.  At  eight  he  wrote  his  first  composi- 
tions, and  at  ten  created  a  sensation  in 
Vienna  as  a  concert  performer.  He  now 
applied  himself  diligently  to  his  studies 
under  Doctor  Meyer  (Remy)  in  Gratz,  and 
in  1 88 1  was  honoured  with  a  gold  medal  by 
his  native  city.  In  1884  the  Philharmonic 
Academy  of  Bologna  conferred  upon  him  the 
Master's  Diploma,  a  distinction  which  has  not 
been  won  by  so  young  an  artist  since  Mozart. 


256  Famous  Pianists. 

Three  more  years  of  study  were  spent  in 
Leipzig  from  which  he  was  called  to  the 
Academy  of  Helsingford,  Russia,  as  a  teacher 
of  pianoforte.  In  the  year  1890  he  distin- 
guished himself  by  winning  the  composer's 
prize  (5000  francs),  given  by  Anton  Rubin- 
stein every  five  years,  to  the  best  pianist-com- 
poser, appearing  in  an  international  contest, 
before  a  jury  of  nine  musicians  selected  from 
the  different  musical  countries  of  the  world. 
Busoni's  success  on  this  occasion  was  so 
marked  that  it  immediately  secured  for  him 
a  professorship  in  the  higher  grades  of  piano- 
forte instruction  at  the  Imperial  Conservatory 
at  Moscow,  Russia.  After  a  year's  success- 
ful work  in  Moscow,  he  received  a  call  to  join 
the  faculty  of  the  New  England  Conserva- 
tory in  Boston,  where  his  fame  rapidly  spread 
and  he  became  immensely  popular,  as  much 
on  account  of  his  gentle,  unassuming  nature 
as  of  his  playing,  which  drew  immense  crowds 
to  his  recitals.  In  1892  Busoni  was  engaged 


Pianists  of  To-day.  257 

by  the  firm  of  Steinway  to  give  a  series  of 
forty  concerts  at  different  cities  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada.  During  the  same  season 
Paderewski  made  his  first  tour  and  carried 
everything  before  him.  Busoni,  at  the  end 
of  his  engagement,  pined  for  Europe  once 
more.  He  felt  that  America  was  not  the 
place  for  him,  and  he  took  up  his  residence 
in  Berlin.  He  has  made  concert  tours  through 
Europe,  and  has  gained  a  reputation  as  a 
piano  virtuoso  of  the  first  rank.  In  his 
concerts  at  Berlin  he  has  undertaken  al- 
most superhuman  tasks  and  has  carried 
them  through  with  the  greatest  success. 
He  is  also  making  an  enviable  reputation 
as  a  composer  and  as  an  arranger  of  Bach's 
compositions. 

Spain  has  contributed  a  pianist  to  the  long 
list  of  virtuosi  in  Alberto  Jonas,  who  was 
born  at  Madrid,  in  which  city  he  received  his 
early  education,  entering  the  conservatory 
when  a  boy.  Before  his  twelfth  year  he  had 


258  Famous  Pianists. 

written  some  compositions  of  merit,  and  he 
had  the  honour  of  playing  before  King  Alfonso 
XII.,  who  presented  him  with  a  gold  watch. 
After  visiting  France,  Germany,  and  England, 
Jonas  entered  the  Brussels  Conservatoire  at 
the  age  of  eighteen,  with  the  intention  of 
devoting  himself  seriously  to  the  study  of 
music  for  several  years.  He  took  the  first 
prize  for  pianoforte  playing  and  distinguished 
himself  in  composition.  After  making  his 
de"but  in  Brussels,  in  1890,  he  went  to  St. 
Petersburg,  where  for  three  months  he  studied 
under  Anton  Rubinstein. 

In  1891  he  appeared  in  Berlin  and  was 
warmly  received.  Then  followed  other  con- 
certs in  the  chief  cities  of  Europe,  and  in 
1893  he  visited  America.  In  the  following 
year  he  was  appointed  head  of  the  pianoforte 
department  at  the  University  of  Ann  Arbor, 
Michigan,  a  position  which  he  has  held  ever 
since,  but  which  does  not  prevent  his  appear- 
ance in  concerts  each  season. 


Pianists  of  To-day.  259 

He  is  a  symmetrically  developed  pianist 
and  a  broad  musician  of  ripe  scholarship. 
He  is  also  an  accomplished  classical  scholar 
and  linguist,  speaking  five  languages  with 
fluency.  In  1 899  he  married,  at  Ann  Arbor, 
Elsa  von  Grave,  the  daughter  of  Rosalie, 
Baroness  von  Grave. 

Of  the  many  pianists  of  Russian  birth 
i 

Alexander  Siloti  is  one  of  the  most  cele- 
brated. He  was  born  near  Charkov,  and  was 
first  taught  by  a  musician  named  Zwereff, 
afterward  entering  the  conservatory  at  Mos- 
cow, where  he  became  a  pupil  of  Nicholas 
Rubinstein,  and  Tschaikowsky.  He  won  the 
gold  medal  at  the  conservatory,  and  made  his 
debut  in  1880.  Three  years  later  he  achieved 
a  great  success  at  Leipzig,  and  then  became 
a  pupil  of  Liszt,  with  whom  he  remained  for 
three  years.  In  1887  he  was  appointed  pro- 
fessor of  pianoforte  at  the  conservatory  at 
Moscow,  but  in  1890  he  resigned  and  took 
up  his  residence  in  Paris. 


260  Famous  Pianists. 

Siloti  has  made  tours  in  Germany,  Belgium 
France,  and  England,  and  in  1898  visited 
America,  where  his  playing  was  much  ad- 
mired, but  created  no  such  furore  as  that  of 
Paderewski,  Rosenthal,  or  De  Pachmann. 
He  is  renowned  for  the  brilliancy  of  his 
playing,  especially  the  compositions  of  Liszt. 
A  good  pianist,  who  was  rash  enough  to 
visit  America  at  the  height  of  the  Paderewski 
craze,  is  Joseph  von  Slivinski,  born  at  War- 
saw. He  studied  under  Leschetitzky  and 
Anton  Rubinstein,  and  made  his  first  public 
appearance  in  1890.  He  appeared  in  Amer- 
ica in  1893,  but  in  spite  of  his  excellent  play- 
ing his  tour  was  not  a  financial  success,  — 
there  was  only  one  pianist  and  his  name  was 
Paderewski. 

1  Leopold  Godowsky  is  a  native  of  Russian 
Poland,  having  been  born  at  Wilna  on 
February  13,  1870.  Showing  remarkable 
talent  for  music  at  a  very  early  age,  he  was 
taken  upon  the  road  as  a  "  child  wonder," 

1  By  kind  permission  of  Mr.  Maurice  Aronson. 


Pianists  of  To-day.  261 

and  travelled  all  over  Russia  and  parts  of 
Germany,  with  pronounced  success,  until  he 
was  twelve  years  old.  At  this  point  he  fell 
under  the  notice  of  a  wealthy  banker  of 
Konigsberg,  Germany,  who  undertook  to 
provide  for  his  education.  Accordingly  he 
entered  the  Hochschule  at  Berlin,  under  Joa- 
chim, where  he  remained  for  two  years.  At 
this  time  he  determined  to  come  to  Amer- 
ica, and  he  toured  this  country  in  connec- 
tion with  Ovid  Musin,  the  violinist,  and  his 
company.  But  the  young  artist  soon  tired 
of  the  monotony  of  travel,  and  made  strong 
efforts  to  return  to  Europe  for  further  study. 
He  realised  that  Saint- Saens,  the  great 
French  composer  and  pianist,  would  serve 
his  individuality  best  and  set  about  to  pro- 
cure an  audience  with  him.  After  hearing 
one  of  Godowsky's  own  compositions,  entitled 
"  Das  Maerchen,"  he  instantly  accepted  him 
as  his  pupil.  Saint-Saens's  interest  in  the 
gifted  young  artist  grew  from  day  to  day,  and 


262  Famous  Pianists. 

the  protection  and  favour  which  Godowsky 
thus  enjoyed  soon  served  to  introduce  him 
to  the  most  exclusive  musical  and  social 
circles  of  the  French  capital. 

In  connection  with  his  Paris  career  the 
following  incident  is  characteristic  of  Godow- 
sky. Baron  Alphonse  de  Rothschild  sent 
Godowsky  a  most  flattering  invitation  to 
play  at  one  of  his  midwinter  soirees.  The 
invitation  was  in  itself  a  handsome  compli- 
ment, but  the  young  artist  had  promised  the 
Countess  de  Lesseps  to  play  the  same  eve- 
ning in  her  salon,  and  declined  the  invitation. 
Baron  de  Rothschild  offered  to  secure  a  re- 
lease for  him  from  the  countess,  but  Godow- 
sky again  declined,  stating  that  his  regard  for 
the  countess  would  cause  him  to  give  her  the 
preference  to  even  so  distinguished  a  family 
as  the  De  Rothschilds.  The  Countess  de 
Lesseps  was  best  aware  of  the  handsome 
compliment  Baron  de  Rothschild  had  paid 
Godowsky  and  was  much  affected  by  the 


Pianists  of  To-day.  263 

latter's  conduct  in  so  delicate  a  matter, 
preserving  for  him  to  this  day  an  almost 
motherly  affection. 

From  the  salons  of  Paris  to  those  of  Lon- 
don was  but  a  step,  and  in  a  very  short  time 
Godowsky  had  captured  London.  Ere  long 
his  art  was  revealed  in  the  most  aristocratic 
homes  in  London  and  in  the  palaces  of  the 
Duke  of  Westminster,  the  Duke  of  Norfolk, 
at  Grosvenor,  and  Marlborough  House.  It 
was  during  the  many  festivities  in  connection 
with  the  Queen's  golden  jubilee  in  1887  that 
Godowsky  was  ordered  to  play  at  Marl- 
borough  House,  when  no  less  than  thirty 
crowned  heads  formed  a  part  of  his  audience. 
On  that  occasion  the  Princess  of  Wales  was 
so  much  pleased  with  Godowsky's  "Valse 
Scherzo "  that  she  accepted  the  dedication 
of  it  by  a  special  court  order. 

In  1890,  at  the  age  of  twenty  years,  Go- 
dowsky returned  to  America,  and  in  1891 
he  married  Miss  Fredrica  Saxe,  a  lady  of 


264  Famous  Pianists. 

New  York.  A  wedding  journey  to  Holland 
and  England  followed,  and  then  he  took  up 
his  residence  in  New  York  City,  where  he 
remained,  until,  in  1895,  he  accepted  a  posi- 
tion in  the  Chicago  Conservatory  of  Music, 
as  head  of  the  piano  department. 

Godowsky  has  been  heard  repeatedly  with 
every  important  musical  organisation  of  the 
United  States  and  Canada,  and  has  earned 
everywhere  the  most  flattering  comments. 
On  account  of  his  transcriptions  of  Chopin's 
studies,  Godowsky  has  been  called  the 
"Apostle  of  the  left  hand."  These  tran- 
scriptions are  of  great  difficulty,  and  even  De 
Pachmann,  the  great  Chopin  player,  was  so 
impressed  with  them,  and  with  Godowsky' s 
original  compositions,  that  he  declared  he 
would  go  home  and  study  them  for  a  year, 
and  then  he  might  be  a  finished  artist. 

There  is  no  ostentation  or  frivolity  in 
Godowsky's  playing,  but  rather  largeness  and 
broadness  of  style,  brilliancy,  grace,  fluency, 


Pianists  of  To-day.  265 

and  poetic  feeling.  He  has  an  immense  rep- 
ertoire, and  it  is  said  that  he  can  give  from 
sixteen  to  twenty  different  programs  with- 
out repeating  a  single  number,  and  every 
selection  a  more  or  less  important  classical 
work. 

'  Josef  Hofmann  has  been  before  the  public 
from  his  early  childhood,  for  he  was  exploited 
as  a  prodigy,  and  created  a  sensation  wher- 
ever he  appeared.  Born  at  Cracow,  he  was 
the  son  of  a  professor  of  the  conservatory 
and  director  of  the  opera  at  Warsaw.  His 
mother  was  a  distinguished  singer,  and  his 
sister,  two  and  a  half  years  his  senior,  showed 
a  strong  predilection  for  music.  So  readily 
were  the  rudiments  of  pianoforte  playing 
mastered  that  Josef  appeared  in  public  at 
a  concert  given  for  charity  when  he  was  not 
yet  six  years  old,  and  when  he  was  eight  he 
played  the  Beethoven  Concerto  in  C  minor, 
on  which  occasion  Rubinstein  heard  him  for 
the  first  time,  and  declared  that  he  was  a 


266  Famous  Pianists. 

boy  such  as  the  world  of  music  had  never 
before  produced. 

Josef  now  begged  his  father  to  allow  him 
to  continue  to  play  in  public,  and  became  ill 
with  grief  at  his  parents'  refusal,  but  recov- 
ered as  soon  as  the  embargo  was  removed. 

In  1886  he  gave  a  matinee  in  Berlin,  to 
which  the  critics  were  invited,  and  here  he 
won  the  greatest  admiration  for  his  playing 
and  the  manner  in  which  he  improvised  on  a 
theme  given  him  by  Moskowski.  Other  per- 
formances followed  in  different  cities,  and  he 
visited  England  and  America,  meeting  with 
continually  increasing  success. 

During  the  tour  in  America  in  1887  the 
boy  was  overworked,  and  a  good  deal  of  in- 
dignation was  aroused  over  the  way  in  which 
he  was  treated.  The  Society  for  the  Preven- 
tion of  Cruelty  to  children  took  up  the  matter, 
and  the  child  was  vigilantly  watched  by  medi- 
cal men,  who  took  his  temperature,  felt  his 
pulse,  and  made  examinations  of  him  at  all 


Pianists  of  To-day.  267 

times  and  in  all  places.  Eventually  the 
tour  was  abandoned,  Hofmann's  health  hav- 
ing given  way  under  the  constant  strain.  He 
gave  fifty-two  concerts  in  two  months  and  a 
half. 

Fortunately  for  him  he  was  no  longer  ex- 
hibited as  a  prodigy,  but  settled  down  to 
continue  his  education,  and  in  the  course  of 
some  ten  years  he  reappeared,  stronger,  more 
mature  and  more  musical  than  ever.  His 
early  prestige  remains  with  him,  and  he  is 
undoubtedly  one  of  the  finest  pianists  of  his 
day,  though  hardly  yet  more  than  a  boy.  He 
returned  to  America  in  1898,  and  made  a 
successful  tour. 

Hofmann's  piano-playing  has  been  com- 
pared with  that  of  Rubinstein,  in  that  his 
playing  is  more  at  home  in  compositions  re- 
quiring passionate  and  intense  treatment  than 
in  the  more  tender  music  of  the  salon.  He 
possesses  a  surer  technique  than  Rubinstein, 
and  has  been  classed  with  D'Albert  and 


268  Famous  Pianists. 

Rosenthal  as  one  of  the  group  of  pianists 
that  concerns  itself  with  the  orchestral  devel- 
opment of  piano  tone.  In  manner  he  is 
modest  and  free  from  affectation,  to  which 
characteristics  his  popularity  is  in  a  large 

measure  due. 
• 

Mark  Hambourg,  born  in  1879,  at  Bogus- 
char  in  Russia,  first  appeared  in  England  in 
1890,  after  which  he  studied  for  two  years 
with  Leschetitzky.  He  then  became  distin- 
guished as  a  soloist  at  the  Philharmonic 
concert  in  Vienna,  and  confirmed  his  success 
by  appearing  at  a  concert  given  by  the  Ber- 
lin Philharmonic  Orchestra  in  Vienna  as  a 
substitute  for  Madame  Sophie  Menter.  In 
1895  he  made  a  brilliant  tour  through  Aus- 
tralia, playing  fifty-three  times  in  two  cities 
only,  during  three  months,  and  in  the  course 
of  twenty  days  giving  seventeen  recitals. 

In  the  following  year  he  reappeared  in 
London,  and  made  a  tour  through  England 
and  then  on  the  continent.  In  1899  he 


Pianists  of  To-day.  269 

visited  the  United  States,  and  was  warmly 
received. 

His  technique  is  ample,  and  his  tone  noble 
rather  than  sensuous ;  he  is  not  yet  suffi- 
ciently mature  to  be  poetic,  but  his  vir- 
tuosity is  magnificent. 

It  is  related  that  Leschetitzky,  at  the  end 
of  his  studies,  presented  Hambourg  with  a 
purse  containing  the  amount  of  the  tuition 
fees  paid  during  the  last  three  years  of  study. 
"  Take  this,"  said  the  master,  "  for  you  will 
need  it  in  your  career." 

Hambourg  is  a  man  of  remarkably  broad 
views,  and  of  large-heartedness  and  generous 
disposition.  If  he  bears  out  the  promise 
made  by  his  career,  he  will  be  one  of  the 
greatest  pianists  of  his  time. 

There  is  something  romantic  in  the  history 
of  his  parents,  for,  soon  after  they  were  mar- 
ried, both  his  father  and  mother  were  arrested 
and  thrown  into  prison  on  the  charge  of 
Nihilism,  but,  though  they  had  friends  who 


2/o  Famous  Pianists. 

were  Nihilists,  there  was  nothing  but  suspi- 
cion to  be  charged  against  them.  Davidoff, 
the  musician,  who  had  much  influence  at 
court,  interested  himself  in  their  case,  and 
eventually  they  were  released,  after  which 
they  made  their  home  in  London. 

'Ernst  von  Dohnanyi  shared  with  Mark 
Hambourg  the  distinction  of  being  the 
pianistic  novelties  in  America  during  the 
season  of  1899-1900.  Dohnanyi  was  born 
in  Pressburg  about  twenty-two  years  ago. 
His  father,  a  professor  in  the  gymnasium 
(high  school),  was  also  an  excellent  musician, 
who,  besides  giving  his  son  music  lessons, 
refused  to  allow  him  to  play  in  public  as  a 
"  boy  prodigy,"  but  made  him  take  a  course 
of  study  at  the  gymnasium.  While  at  work 
there,  Dohnanyi  studied  music  under  Carl 
Forstner,  and  later  under  Koessler  and 
Thoman.  He  completed  his  pianoforte 
study,  however,  under  Eugen  d'Albert. 
In  the  season  of  1895-1896  Dohnanyi 


Pianists  of  To-day.  271 

played  twice  in  Vienna,  giving,  with  a  violin- 
ist, concerts  of  piano  and  violin  sonatas.  In 
the  winter  of  1897  he  gave  two  recitals,  and 
on  the  9th  of  January,  1898,  he  played  the 
Beethoven  G  major  concerto  with  the  Vienna 
Philharmonic  Orchestra,  under  Hans  Richter. 
On  all  these  occasions  he  was  well,  if  not 
enthusiastically,  received  and  criticised.  The 
following  June,  however,  he  played  at  one  of 
Richter's  Philharmonic  concerts  in  London, 
and  gave  some  recitals,  with  rather  more 
decided  success. 

In  the  spring  of  1898  Herr  Ludwig  Bosen- 
dorfer,  the  great  piano  maker,  offered  a  prize, 
in  memory  of  Hans  von  Biilow,  for  the  best 
pianoforte  concerto,  the  competition  to  be 
open  to  composers  of  all  lands ;  the  judges 
were  Julius  Epstein,  Mr.  Gericke,  Alfred 
Griinfeld,  Leschetitzky,  and  Rosenthal.  With- 
out much  discussion  they  awarded  the  first 
prize  to  Ernst  von  Dohnanyi,  who  played 
his  concerto  the  following  winter  in  Vienna, 


272  Famous  Pianists. 

winning  more  praise  than  he  had  in  any  of 
his  previous  appearances. 

Dohnanyi  was  reported  as  giving  the  im- 
pression of  a  player  of  good  solid  technique 
and  of  excellently  trained  musical  ability, 
rather  than  a  player  of  brilliant  technique,  or 
of  tremendous  warmth  of  fire.  This  impres- 
sion was  confirmed  by  his  first  performances 
in  America,  but  when  he  gave  his  second 
recital  in  Boston  he  played,  in  response  to  an 
encore,  a  transcription  of  Delibes's  "  Nailha," 
and  the  Rackozky  March,  in  which  he  fairly 
outdid  anything  that  had  previously  been  seen 
and  heard  in  the  way  of  finger  fireworks.  It 
was  bewildering  in  its  immensity,  in  the  huge- 
ness of  the  difficulties  presented  and  over- 
come, in  the  clearness  and  seeming  absence 
of  effort  with  which  the  seemingly  impossible 
was  achieved.  And  this  took  place  in  a 
season  when  De  Pachmann,  Hambourg,  and 
others,  noted  for  their  technique,  had  played 
several  times. 


Pianists  of  To-day.  273 

Dohnanyi  has  always  showed  true  musical 
sensibility,  since  the  days  when,  as  a  small 
child,  his  favourite  game  was  to  play  at 
orchestra,  the  chairs  doing  duty  as  performers 
and  he  as  the  conductor.  His  first  composi- 
tion was  written  when  he  was  seven  years 
old,  when  he  chose  for  a  Christmas  present 
a  sheet  of  music-paper.  To-day  he  is  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  most  promising  com- 
posers alive. 

IP 

Ossip  Gabrilowitsch  is  a  pianist  who  is 
now  fulfilling  the  prophecies  made  of  him 
some  time  ago.  He  is  said  to  "drive  the 
horses  of  Rubinstein."  He  possesses  a  most 
brilliant  technique,  and  his  playing  is  of  such 
a  nature  as  to  create  the  greatest  enthusiasm. 

Gabrilowitsch  is  a  Russian,  having  been 
born  in  St.  Petersburg,  January  26,  1878. 
His  father  is  a  prominent  attorney,  and  Ossip 
is  the  youngest  of  four  children,  two  brothers 
and  one  sister. 

It  is  an  extremely  musical  family,  one  of 


274  Famous  Pianists. 

the  older  brothers,  a  banker,  playing  the 
'cello  like  an  artist.  Young  Gabrilowitsch 
showed  extraordinary  signs  of  musical  ability 
at  the  age  of  four  years,  at  which  time  he 
was  able  to  sing  all  the  Russian  folk-songs 
in  an  extraordinary  manner  for  one  so  young. 
He  was  started  at  piano  playing  at  the  age  of 
six  on  the  advice  of  Anton  Rubinstein,  who 
declared  him  to  be  extraordinarily  endowed 
with  musical  gifts.  From  this  time  on 
Rubinstein  had  the  direction  of  his  musical 
education.  Young  Gabrilowitsch  won  the 
Rubinstein  prize  at  the  conservatory  under 
Professor  Tolstoff,  and  on  the  advice  of 
Rubinstein,  after  the  master's  death,  he  went 
to  Vienna  for  two  years  with  Leschetitzky. 
It  was  not  until  1896  that  he  commenced 
his  virtuoso  career. 

While  still  in  Vienna,  Hans  Richter  heard 
him  and  invited  him  to  play  the  Tchaikovsky 
B  flat  minor  concerto  with  his  orchestra  at 
Vienna.  His  success  was  such  that  he  then 


Pianists  of  To-day.  275 

invited  him  to  appear  with  his  orchestra  in 
London.  After  that  he  played  with  Nikisch 
in  Leipzig,  and  with  the  Berlin  Philharmonic 
Orchestra  in  Berlin. 

He  has  played  in  the  principal  cities  of 
Germany,  Austria,  Russia,  Sweden,  Denmark, 
Holland,  Scotland,  and  England. 

Gabrilowitsch  spent  very  much  of  his  time 
with  Rubinstein  for  years,  as  the  families 
were  great  friends  ;  in  fact,  the  Gabrilowitsch 
family  live  in  Rubinstein's  former  house  in 
St.  Petersburg. 

Gabrilowitsch  is  a  sympathetic  player, 
whose  musical  personality  creates  spon- 
taneous interest.  While  it  is  said  that 
Busoni  and  D'Albert  are  his  superiors  in- 
tellectually, and  his  technique  is  not  supe- 
rior to  that  of  Rosenthal  or  Mark  Hambourg, 
yet  there  is  an  innate  musical  nature,  abun- 
dant feeling,  and  natural  spontaneity  in  ex- 
pression which  give  him  something  of  the 
same  charm  possessed  by  Paderewski.  He 


276  Famous  Pianists. 

shared  with  Mark  Hambourg  the  favour 
of  Leschetitzky  during  the  period  when 
they  were  fellow  students. 

'Otto  Hegner  will  be  remembered  as  a 
prodigy  who  made  a  tour  of  America  in 
1888.  He  was  born  in  Basel  in  1876,  and 
made  his  first  appearance  in  his  native  city. 
'  Conrad  Ansorge,  mentioned  by  Oscar 
Bie,  was  one  of  Liszt's  later  pupils,  and 
was  bora  in  1862  at  Lieben. 

Raoul  Pugno,  who  accompanied  the  vio- 
linist Ysaye  in  his  tour  of  1898,  is  a  Pa- 
risian pianist  possessing  extreme  delicacy 
of  touch  and  refinement  of  execution,  to- 
gether with  feeling  and  plenty  of  dash  and 
boldness.  He  was  born  at  Montrouge  and 
educated  at  the  Paris  Conservatoire,  where 
he  took  the  first  prize  for  pianoforte  play- 
ing in  1866,  the  prize  for  harmony  in  1867, 
and  for  organ  playing  in  1869.  He  has 
also  won  distinction  as  a  composer. 

A   pianist    who    has    made    an    excellent 


Pianists  of  To-day.  277 

reputation  throughout  Europe  is  Frederick 
Lamond,  a  native  of  Glasgow,  Scotland. 
He  finished  his  musical  education  with  Von 
Billow  and  Liszt,  and  made  his  d6but  at 
Berlin  in  1885.  When  he  played  in  Lon- 
don, at  the  age  of  seventeen,  he  was  declared 
to  be,  though  not  mature,  by  far  the  finest 
performer  of  his  generation. 

'  Leonard  Berwick,  born  at  Walthamstow, 
in  England,  has  made  an  excellent  reputa- 
tion in  Europe  and  England,  and  shares 
with  Lamond  the  honours  of  his  native 
land.  He  was  a  pupil  of  Henry  R.  Bird, 
an  excellent  musician  of  London,  and  then 
of  Madame  Schumann.  He  made  his  de"but 
in  London  at  the  Philharmonic  concerts  in 
1890. 

T  Max  Pauer,  also  born  in  London,  has 
achieved  high  distinction  as  a  pianist,  and 
has  been  since  1893  chamber  virtuoso  to 
the  Grand  Duke  of  Hesse.  He  is  the  son 
of  Ernst  Pauer,  one  of  the  most  accom- 


278  Famous  Pianists. 

plished  pianists  and  celebrated  teachers  in 
England,  until  his  retirement  a  few  years 
ago. 

Max  Pauer,  under  his  father's  instruc- 
tion, was  an  excellent  pianist  at  the  age  of 
fifteen,  when  he  went  to  Lachner,  at  Carls- 
ruhe,  to  study  theory.  He  distinguished 
himself  in  several  concert  tours  and  settled 
in  London  until  1887,  when  he  was  engaged 
at  the  Cologne  Conservatory  as  pianoforte 
professor.  In  1897  he  was  called  to  the 
conservatory  at  Stuttgart,  to  succeed  Pruck- 
ner.  About  the  same  time,  a  flattering 
offer  was  made  to  him  by  an  American 
conservatory,  which  he  declined. 

It  is  stated  that  in  Germany  alone  music 
supports  a  million  and  a  half  people.  Of 
this  number  there  are  two  hundred  and 
forty  pianists  of  the  virtuoso  class.  If  those 
of  other  countries  were  added  to  the  num- 
ber, a  list  of  formidable  proportions  would 
be  secured.  But  fortunately  they  do  not 


Pianists  of  To-day.  279 

all  seek  world-wide  celebrity,  nor  do  all  of 
those  who  are  ambitious  find  the  oppor- 
tunity for  foreign  travel,  and  the  world  in 
general  must  content  itself  with  the  few 
dozen  who  succeed  in  finding  a  manager 
with  sufficient  enterprise  to  exploit  them. 
These  are  generally  the  pianists  possessing 
the  greatest  powers  of  attraction. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

WOMEN    AS    PIANISTS. 

THERE  is  nothing  in  history  to  show  that 
it  was  considered  wicked,  or  immodest,  or 
undignified,  for  a  woman  to  play  the  piano 
or  whatever  instruments  were  the  ancestors 
of  the  piano.  Why  it  was  considered  bad 
form  to  play  the  violin,  and  yet  perfectly 
proper  to  play  the  piano,  has  never  yet  been 
explained,  and  as  women  seem  to  have  toler- 
ably well  established  their  ability  to  play  both 
instruments  well  and  gracefully,  it  is  perhaps 
just  as  well  not  to  attempt  to  solve  the  prob- 
lem, but  to  accept  the  accomplished  fact. 
Nevertheless,  one  may  be  permitted  to  ex- 
press the  opinion  that  the  violin  appears  to 
be  an  instrument  far  better  calculated  to  show 
280 


Women  as  Pianists.  281 

womanly  grace  and  beauty  than  the  piano,  and 
more  ready  to  respond  faithfully  to  the  deli- 
cate feminine  touch. 

Pianoforte  technique  of  to-day  is  a  matter 
making  heavy  demands  upon  the  strength  of 
the  performer,  and  while  pianoforte  playing 
is  an  almost  universal  accomplishment  for 
ladies,  there  are  few  who  possess  the  physical 
endowments  necessary  to  achieve  the  greatest 
results. 

One  of  the  earliest  pianists  among  women 
was  Nannette  Stein,  who  was  born  at  Augs- 
burg in  1769,  and  who  was  the  daughter  of 
John  Andreas  Stein,  a  celebrated  pianoforte 
manufacturer.  When  only  eight  years  of 
age  she  played  before  Mozart,  who  declared 
that  she  had  genius.  She  became  a  pianist  of 
great  excellence,  and  was  a  person  of  consider- 
able cultivation.  She  had  much  to  do  with 
Beethoven,  in  whom  she  took  a  great  in- 
terest. 

Her  capacity  for  business  was  such  that 


282  Famous  Pianists. 

her  father  initiated  her  into  its  details,  and 
on  his  death  she  carried  it  on  in  conjunction 
with  her  brother.  The  year  after  her  father's 
death  she  married  a  pianist  named  Streicher, 
and  moved  with  him  and  her  mother  to 
Vienna,  where  she  established  a  pianoforte 
factory.  In  1802  she  dissolved  the  part- 
nership with  her  brother  and  each  set  up  a 
business.  She  died  in  1835. 

'  Anna  Caroline  de  Belleville,  the  daughter 
of  a  French  nobleman,  director  of  the  opera 
in  Munich,  was  at  one  time  regarded  as  an 
excellent  pianist.  She  was  one  of  Czerny's 
most  brilliant  pupils,  and  was  sometimes  com- 
pared with  Clara  Wieck,  afterward  Madame 
Schumann.  Schumann  himself  declared  that 
they  should  not  be  compared.  "They  are 
different  mistresses  of  different  schools,"  he 
wrote.  "The  playing  of  the  Belleville  is 
technically  the  finer  of  the  two ;  Clara's 
is  more  impassioned.  The  tone  of  the  Belle- 
ville flatters,  but  does  not  penetrate  the  ear ; 


Women  as  Pianists.  283 

that  of  Clara  reaches  the  heart.  Anna  is 
a  poetess ;  Clara  is  poetry  itself." 

1  Anna  de  Belleville  married  Oury,  the  vio- 
linist, in  1831,  and  with  him  made  long  tours 
throughout  Europe  until  1839,  when  they 
made  their  residence  in  England  and  Madame 
Oury  devoted  most  of  her  time  to  composi- 
tion. In  her  day  she  was  associated  with 
some  celebrated  musicians,  for  she  took  part 
in  Madame  Catalani's  farewell  concert  in  Vi- 
enna, and  she  played  at  Paganini's  concert 
in  London  in  1831,  besides  which  she  took 
part  in  a  number  of  concerts  with  De  Beriot 
and  Malibran.  She  died  in  1880. 

'  Madame  Schumann,  the  daughter  of  Fried- 
rich  Wieck,  and  the  wife  of  the  composer, 
was  one  of  the  greatest  pianists  the  world 
ever  heard. 

Born  at  Leipzig  in  1819,  she  began  the 
study  of  the  pianoforte,  under  her  father,  at  a 
very  early  age,  made  her  d£but  in  public 
when  she  had  just  completed  her  ninth  year, 


284  Famous  Pianists. 

and  was  already  an  object  of  much  interest  to 
music  lovers.  She  used  even  at  that  time 
to  play  frequently  with  the  orchestra,  an 
accomplishment  for  which  she  was  afterward 
so  greatly  distinguished.  In  1 830  she  gave 
her  first  concert  at  the  Gewandhaus,  when 
she  played  brilliant  compositions  of  Kalk- 
brenner  and  Herz,  and  some  variations  of  her 
own  on  an  original  theme,  the  result  being 
that  she  was  declared  to  possess  the  brilliant 
style  of  the  best  players  of  the  day.  Soon 
afterward  she  was  taken  to  Weimar,  Cassel, 
and  Frankfort,  and  later  to  Paris,  where  she 
gave  a  concert.  She  had  now  fairly  com- 
menced her  career  as  a  concert  pianist. 

Robert  Schumann,  who  was  a  pupil  of 
Wieck  and  lived  for  some  years  at  his  house, 
now  became  very  much  attached  to  the  young 
pianist.  His  own  career  as  a  performer  was 
put  to  an  end  by  an  excess  of  zeal  on  his 
part,  which  prompted  him  to  make  experi- 
ments with  a  dumb  piano  for  the  sake  of 


CLARA    (WIECK)    SCHUMANN. 


Women  as  Pianists.  285 

developing  his  technique.  His  experiments 
resulted  in  crippling  his  hands. 

Clara  Wieck  took  a  great  deal  of  interest 
in  the  young  man  and  in  his  compositions, 
and  at  last,  in  1836,  their  attachment  was 
openly  declared.  Friedrich  Wieck  was,  how- 
ever, very  much  opposed  to  their  union,  so 
Schumann  determined  to  distinguish  himself 
and  thus  gain  the  father's  consent.  With 
that  end  in  view  he  went  to  Vienna,  taking 
with  him  his  new  journal,  the  Neue  Zeit- 
schrift  fiir  Musik,  and  carrying  on  there, 
together  with  his  editorial  duties,  the  work 
of  composition.  The  attempt  to  better  his 
fortunes  did  not  prove  successful,  and  in  six 
months  he  returned  to  Leipzig. 

In  the  meantime,  his  compositions  were 
introduced  to  the  public  by  Clara  Wieck  and 
by  Liszt,  then  almost  at  the  height  of  his 
fame  as  a  virtuoso,  and  a  sincere  admirer 
of  the  genius  of  Schumann. 

In  1840  Wieck  reluctantly  gave  his  con- 


286  Famous  Pianists. 

sent  to  the  union,  and  Clara  was  married  to 
Robert  Schumann  at  Schonfeld.  The  mar- 
riage was  a  happy  one,  and  for  the  remainder 
of  his  life  Schumann  was  blest  with  the  con- 
stant companionship  of  a  woman  of  genius  as 
amiable  as  she  was  gifted,  who  placed  herself 
as  a  mediator  between  his  intellectual  life  and 
the  outer  world. 

Some  artistic  tours  were  undertaken,  and 
the  Schumanns  travelled  as  far  as  Russia, 
where  they  were  enthusiastically  received. 
In  1845  Schumann  gave  up  his  journal, 
which  he  had  made  a  powerful  organ  of 
musical  revolution,  and  transferred  it  to 
Oswald  Lorenz.  He  was  beginning  to  suffer 
from  the  dreadful  malady  which  twelve  years 
later  ended  his  existence,  —  an  abnormal  for- 
mation of  bone  in  the  brain,  —  and  he  was 
afflicted  with  excruciating  pains  in  the  head, 
sleeplessness,  fear  of  death,  and  strange  au- 
ricular delusions.  His  activity  in  composition 
was  undiminished. 


Women  as  Pianists.  287 

In  1850  he  accepted  the  post  of  musical 
director  at  Diisseldorf,  and  on  arriving,  with 
his  family,  he  was  received  with  a  civic  ban- 
quet. In  1853  Schumann,  with  his  wife, 
made  an  artistic  tour  through  Holland,  but 
on  their  return  his  malady  gained  force, 
and  on  February  27,  1854,  he  attempted  to 
end  his  misery  by  jumping  into  the  Rhine. 
Although  every  possible  care  was  lavished 
upon  him  by  his  wife  and  his  many  friends, 
insanity  had  seized  him,  and  he  never  re- 
covered from  its  grasp,  except  at  short  inter- 
vals. The  last  two  years  of  his  life  were 
spent  in  the  private  insane  asylum  at  Ende- 
nich,  near  Bonn,  where  he  died  in  1856,  his 
wife  arriving  just  in  time  to  witness  his  death. 

After  his  death  Madame  Schumann  re- 
sided for  some  years  in  Berlin  with  her 
mother,  who  had  separated  from  Wieck  and 
married  the  musician  Bargiel,  but  in  1 863  she 
moved  to  Baden-Baden,  which  was  her  home 
until  1874.  In  1878  she  accepted  the  post 


288  Famous  Pianists. 

of  principal  pianoforte  teacher  at  Doctor 
Hoch's  conservatory  at  Frankfort,  where  she 
spent  the  remainder  of  her  active  life. 

Her  musical  activity  was  constant,  and  she 
was  heard  in  all  the  principal  cities  of  Europe. 
Her  playing  was  remarkable  for  great  intel- 
ligence, feeling,  power,  fire,  and  tenderness. 
There  was  an  entire  absence  of  personal 
display,  a  keen  perception  of  the  composer's 
meaning,  and  an  unfailing  power  to  set  it 
forth  in  perfectly  intelligible  form. 

The  noble  atmosphere  of  earnest  simplicity, 
which  surrounded  her  private  life  no  less  than 
her  public  performance,  made  her  deeply  and 
widely  beloved.  This  feeling  took  practical 
form  when,  at  one  time,  it  was  feared  that 
ill  health  would  make  it  necessary  for  her 
to  abandon  public  performances ;  a  subscrip- 
tion was  made,  and  a  substantial  sum  of  money 
was  raised  in  Germany  and  England  for  her 
use. 

A  rather  amusing  account  of  one  of  Ma- 


Women  as  Pianists.  289 

dame  Schumann's  appearances  was  given 
a  few  years  ago  by  one  who  was  present : 
"  When  Madame  Schumann  appeared,  to  play 
the  Schumann  concerto  in  A  minor,"  he  says, 
"she  seemed  a  rather  dumpy  old  lady  in  a 
cap.  She  was  greeted  with  long-continued 
applause.  She  seated  herself  at  the  piano, 
and  after  half  a  dozen  elusive  settlings  of 
herself  and  shaking  out  her  gown,  just  as  the 
conductor  was  about  to  begin,  she  popped  up 
and  went  among  the  instruments,  in  order 
to  give  an  especial  direction  to  the  first  oboe, 
for  a  certain  passage  in  which  she  desired 
him  to  follow  her.  She  then  came  back  to 
the  piano,  and  went  again  through  the  settling 
process  already  experienced.  At  last  she 
was  ready,  and  the  orchestra  began.  And 
with  what  wonderful  fire  the  dear  old  lady 
came  in  with  that  opening  passage  of  the 
concerto  !  And  how  gloriously  she  played 
it  to  the  brilliant  end  !  And  with  what  hearty 
German  applause  her  work  was  recognised  !  " 


290  Famous  Pianists. 

Her  fame  will  remain  inseparably  con- 
nected with  that  of  Robert  Schumann.  She 
entered  with  devotion  into  the  new  world 
of  music  which  he  opened,  and  with  her 
great  genius  and  ardour  she  carried  all  the 
world  into  it  with  her. 

It  was  a  severe  blow  to  her  when,  in  1895, 
she  was  obliged  to  retire  from  her  teaching 
on  account  of  the  inefficiency  due  to  her 
age  and  ill-health.  She  died  on  May  21, 
1896,  at  Leipzig,  aged  seventy-seven. 

'  Madame  Wilhelmine  Clauss-Szavardy  was 
considered  by  many  to  be  the  leading  pianist 
among  women  of  her  time.  She  was  fre- 
quently, and  not  unfavourably,  compared  with 
Madame  Schumann.  Her  early  career  was 
full  of  trouble,  for  just  at  its  commencement 
she  was  left  an  orphan. 

Wilhelmine  Clauss  was  the  daughter  of 
a  merchant  of  Prague,  and  received  her 
musical  education  at  the  Proksch  Institute. 
In  1849,  when  fifteen  years  of  age,  she  made 


Women  as  Pianists.  291 

her  first  tour,  and  excited  a  great  deal  of 
interest  both  at  Dresden  and  Leipzig.  In 
the  following  season  she  went  to  Paris  with 
her  mother,  her  father  having  previously 
died,  and  for  a  year  she  was  unable  to  secure 
a  hearing,  although  Hector  Berlioz  recognised 
her  ability  and  interested  himself  much  in 
her  favour.  Eventually  arrangements  were 
made  for  a  concert,  but  a  few  days  before 
the  date  announced,  her  mother  was  taken  ill 
and  died.  She  was  now  entirely  alone  in  the 
world  and  in  the  greatest  poverty.  At  this 
juncture  she  was  received  into  the  home  of 
the  singer,  Madame  Ungher-Sabatier,  and 
treated  with  much  kindness,  and  in  the  fol- 
lowing year  her  concert  was  given,  and  her 
ability  fully  acknowledged.  She  now  made 
a  long  tour,  giving  concerts  in  London  and 
Germany,  as  well  as  in  Paris,  and  quickly 
acquired  a  high  reputation.  She  married 
the  author,  Friedrich  Szavardy,  in  1857,  and 
made  Paris  her  home,  only  leaving  it  during 


292  Famous  Pianists. 

the  Franco-German  war,  when  she  lived  in 
London. 

Her  repertoire  consisted  chiefly  of  the 
works  of  Scarlatti,  Bach,  and  Beethoven,  in 
the  interpretation  of  which  she  was  extremely 
conscientious  and  never  sought  for  illogical 
effects.  She  was  a  woman  of  strong  and 
charming  individuality.  As  late  as  1886 
she  visited  London  and  gave  a  concert  in  a 
private  house.  Her  husband  died  in  1882. 

Arabella  Goddard,  who  made  a  tour  in 
America  in  1876,  was  one  of  the  most  dis- 
tinguished English  pianoforte  players.  Born 
at  St.  Servan,  in  1838,  of  English  parents, 
she  became  a  pupil  of  Kalkbrenner  at  the 
age  of  six,  and  later  on  took  lessons  of  Mrs. 
Anderson,  pianist  to  and  teacher  of  Queen 
Victoria,  and  then  of  Thalberg.  She  made 
her  first  public  appearance  at  Her  Majesty's 
Theatre  at  one  of  the  grand  national  concerts 
in  1850,  and  afterward  studied  under  Mr.  J. 
W.  Davison.  In  1853  she  made  her  d£but  as 


Women  as  Pianists.  293 

a  classical  player  at  a  concert  of  the  Quartette 
Association,  when  she  gave,  from  memory, 
an  excellent  performance  of  Beethoven's 
sonata  in  B  flat.  The  following  two  years 
she  spent  in  Germany  and  Italy,  and  was 
received  with  enthusiasm. 

Arabella  Goddard  was  the  most  faithful 
and  reverent  of  classical  players.  There  was 
a  peaceful  security  about  her  playing  which 
infected  the  listener,  and  yet  she  had  mo- 
ments of  genius,  in  which  her  performance 
was  akin  to  the  passionate  utterances  of 
Rubinstein. 

According  to  Ernst  Pauer,  Madame  Ara- 
bella Goddard,  Madame  Clauss-Szavardy,  and 
Madame  Schumann  are  the  three  women  in 
a  list  of  twelve  pianists  who  represented  the 
technical  execution  of  the  highest  perfection 
between  the  years  of  1830  and  1870.  The 
other  names  are  Liszt,  Henselt,  Sir  Charles 
Halle1,  Tausig,  Thalberg,  Dreyschock,  Will- 
mers,  Rubinstein,  and  Bendel. 


294  Famous  Pianists. 

Arabella  Goddard  married  her  teacher, 
Davison,  who  promoted  her  interests  with 
such  zeal  that  a  French  journal  declared  that 
whenever  a  pianist  approached  the  shores  of 
England,  Davison  was  sure  to  be  seen  stand- 
ing on  the  cliffs  of  Dover  and  shouting,  "  No 
pianists  wanted  here,  —  we  have  Arabella 
Goddard." 

She  was  the  first  pianist  engaged  at  the 
Monday  Popular  Concerts,  and  was  the  one 
who  played  most  frequently  during  the  first 
fifteen  years  of  their  existence.  She  appeared 
in  public  for  the  last  time  in  England  in 
1 875,  after  which  she  made  a  tour  in  America. 
In  1890  a  concert  was  given  for  her  benefit. 

In  1 873  she  made  a  long  tour  in  Australia. 

On  her  marriage,  in  1860,  the  follow- 
ing tribute  to  her  popularity  appeared  in 
Punch  : 

"  A  fact  long  known  to  him  kind  Punch  must  be 
Allowed  to  congratulate  his  rara  avis  on, 
Hail  to  the  Lady  of  the  Keys !  From  G 


Women  as  Pianists.  295 

The  music  of  her  life's  transposed  to  D, 
And  Arabella  Goddard's  Mrs.  Davison." 

Arabella  Goddard  was  endowed  by  nature 
with  an  enormous  faculty  for  taking  pains ; 
she  had  it  in  her  to  overcome  the  most 
appalling  technical  difficulties,  and  to  render 
them  with  absolute,  but  passionless,  accuracy. 
There  was  nothing  that  she  could  not  play, 
but  her  interpretation  of  the  great  imagi- 
native works,  though  it  might  satisfy  the 
intellect,  could  not  content  the  soul.  Roman- 
tic music  did  not  seem  to  move  her,  and 
though  she  could  play  the  notes  of  Chopin 
accurately,  she  could  not  convey  his  thoughts  ; 
but  her  renderings  of  Bach's  preludes  and 
fugues  were  at  once  forcible,  solid,  and 
crisp.  She  had  a  firm,  even  touch,  but  it 
lacked  variety,  and  never  lent  itself  to  the 
production  of  "tone-colour." 
'  Sophie  Menter,  born  in  1 846,  belongs  to 
a  very  musical  family,  and  has  gained  many 
honours.  She  was  a  pupil  of  Tausig,  and 


296  Famous  Pianists. 

Liszt  became  greatly  devoted  to  her.  She 
visited  every  country  in  Europe,  and  aroused 
the  greatest  enthusiasm  both  by  her  playing 
and  her  great  beauty.  In  Copenhagen  the 
students  unharnessed  her  horses,  and  drew 
her  carriage.  In  Stockholm  the  king  declared 
that  she  made  the  piano  sing.  In  Paris  she 
was  called  the  incarnation  of  Liszt.  In  London 
she  was  made  a  member  of  the  Philharmonic 
Society.  In  1868  she  was  made  court  pian- 
ist to  the  Prince  of  Hohenzollern ;  in  1874, 
pianist  to  the  Austrian  court;  in  1883  she 
became  professor  of  pianoforte  at  the  con- 
servatory in  St.  Petersburg,  a  position  which 
she  resigned  when  Rubinstein  was  reappointed 
director.  In  1872  she  married  David  Popper, 
the  celebrated  violoncello  player,  from  whom 
she  was  divorced  in  1886. 

Marie  Krebs,  born  in  1851,  also  a  member 
of  a  musical  family,  acquired  great  proficiency 
as  a  child,  and  played  in  concerts  with  much 
success  when  she  was  nine  years  old.  When 


Women  as  Pianists.  297 

she  was  twelve  she  received  an  engagement 
to  play  under  the  management  of  Mr.  Gye 
at  a  series  of  concerts  given  at  Covent 
Garden,  London,  beginning  in  the  month 
of  May.  This  engagement  was  for  four 
years,  and  she  played  in  170  concerts.  She 
travelled  in  Italy  and  France  with  Adelina 
Patti,  and  made  a  tour  through  Holland, 
Russia,  and  Belgium.  In  1870  she  visited 
the  United  States,  and  was  in  Chicago  at  the 
time  of  the  great  fire.  On  her  return  to 
Europe  she  married  Theodore  Brenning, 
a  merchant,  but  did  not  abandon  her  artistic 
career.  She  appeared  again  in  America  in 
1877. 

At  one  time,  in  Prague,  she  was  the  rival 
of  Sophie  Menter,  and  the  friends  of  both 
young  ladies  did  their  best  to  stir  up  strife 
between  them.  Through  the  tact  of  Madame 
Krebs  they  became  firm  friends,  and  played 
in  the  same  concerts,  receiving  equal  ap- 
plause. 


298  Famous  Pianists. 

i 
Anna  Mehlig,  born   in    1846,  attracted  a 

good  deal  of  attention  in  Germany  for  a  time. 
She  was  a  native  of  Stuttgart,  and  studied 
with  Liebert  and  Pruckner,  and  afterward 
with  Liszt.  After  making  several  tours  in 
Europe  and  England,  she  visited  America 
in  1869,  making  a  long  tour,  and  meeting 
with  much  success.  She  has  a  large  reper- 
toire, and  a  refined,  poetical  style. 

Emma  Brandes,  born  at  Schwerin  in  1854, 
made  her  first  public  appearance  in  1886 
with  Mendelssohn's  G  minor  concerto.  She 
travelled  extensively  in  Europe  and  England 
until  her  marriage  with  Herr  Engelmann, 
professor  of  physiology  at  Utrecht,  after 
which  she  retired  from  public  life. 

'  Berthe  Marx,  who  travelled  as  accompanist 
for  the  violinist  Sarasate,  with  whom  she 
visited  America  and  Mexico  as  well  as 
Europe,  is  distinguished  for  her  full,  sweet, 
and  powerful  expression,  perfect  touch,  and 
conscientious  performance.  She  was  born 


Women  as  Pianists.  299 

in  1859  at  Paris,  and  is  the  daughter  of 
a  musician,  who  taught  her  to  such  good 
purpose  that  she  appeared  in  public  when 
five  years  of  age.  She  gained  the  first  prize 
at  the  Paris  Conservatoire  as  a  pupil  of 
Henri  Herz,  when  fifteen  years  of  age,  after 
which  she  began  her  concert  tours.  She 
married  a  gentleman  named  Gotschmidt,  but 
still  appears  in  public. 

'Annette  Essipoff,  one  of  the  greatest  living 
pianists,  was  born  at  St.  Petersburg  in  1851, 
and  inherited  her  love  of  music  from  her 
father,  who  was  a  court  councillor  and  an 
enthusiastic  amateur  musician.  To  him  she 
is  indebted  for  her  first  instruction,  but  when 
she  went  to  school  she  was  placed  under  a 
teacher  named  Wielopolski.  In  her  four- 
teenth year  she  entered  the  conservatory  at 
St.  Petersburg  and  became  a  pupil  of  Theo- 
dore Leschetitzky,  who  had  adopted  her  and 
who  found  her  as  headstrong  as  she  was 
talented.  It  is  related  of  her  that  she  was 


300  Famous  Pianists. 

in  the  habit  of  playing  impromptu  and  in  a 
somewhat  careless  manner  any  music  which 
she  had  recently  heard,  and  thus  she  incurred 
the  wrath  of  her  teacher  and  was  placed 
under  severe  discipline,  in  order  that  she 
might  learn  the  necessity  of  self-restraint. 

She  was  once  the  victim  of  conflicting 
advice,  for  Rubinstein  urged  her  to  study 
singing,  while  Leschetitzky  was  equally 
urgent  that  she  should  make  the  piano- 
forte her  life  study.  She  decided  on  the 
pianoforte,  and  in  1876-77  she  carried  off 
the  prize  not  only  for  execution  but  also  for 
sight-playing,  at  the  conservatory.  Her  pub- 
lic career  began  somewhat  before  this  time, 
for  she  appeared  in  Vienna  in  1874  and 
scored  a  triumph,  as  she  did  also  in  England 
in  the  same  year.  A  letter  written  at  that 
time  describes  her  as  "far  more  able  than 
Von  Billow  and  not  nearly  so  incorrect." 
She  played  Chopin  better  than  anybody. 
Many  critics  placed  her  higher  as  a  pianist 


Women  as  Pianists.  301 

than  Rubinstein  or  Madame  Schumann,  in 
fact  second  only  to  Liszt.  She  was  con- 
sidered a  wonder. 

After  having  travelled  far  and  wide  for 
eight  years  and  established  a  great  reputa- 
tion, she  married  her  former  teacher,  Les- 
chetitzky,  in  1880. 

Madame  Essipoff  made  a  tour  in  America 
in  1877,  but  notwithstanding  her  remarkable 
talent,  her  success  was  small ;  a  fact  which 
is  less  to  her  discredit  than  to  the  force  of 
circumstances. 

In  1893  she  separated  from  her  husband, 
though  her  admiration  for  him  as  a  musician 
and  a  teacher  was  as  great  as  ever.  Lesche- 
titzky,  on  his  part,  showed  his  regard  for 
her  by  using  his  influence  to  secure  her  his 
own  former  position  as  pianoforte  instructor 
at  the  St.  Petersburg  Conservatory,  a  posi- 
tion which  she  resigned  early  in  1900. 

To  Americans,  if  not  to  all  the  musical 
world,  perhaps  the  most  interesting  individ- 


3O2  Famous  Pianists. 

uality  amongst  women  is  that  of  Teresa 
Carrefto.  Born  in  1853  at  Caracas,  Venez- 
uela, she  came  at  an  early  age  to  New  York. 
She  has  spent  most  of  her  life  in  America, 
and  always  considers  herself  an  American. 
Her  father  was  a  Minister  of  Finance  at 
Caracas,  and  from  him  she  received  her  first 
musical  instruction.  It  is  said  that  her  mu- 
sical proclivities  became  apparent  when  she 
was  no  more  than  three  years  of  age,  and  in 
the  following  manner.  She  was  undressed 
and  ready  for  bed  one  evening,  when,  finding 
that  the  other  members  of  the  family  were 
all  occupied,  she  stole  into  the  drawing-room 
and  began  to  pick  out  chords  and  melodies 
which  she  had  recently  heard.  She  was 
discovered,  and  for  some  time  her  father 
watched  her  in  silence.  What  he  heard 
convinced  him  of  her  talent  and  he  began 
to  teach  her. 

At  the  age  of  nine  she  appeared  in  a  bene- 
fit concert  in  New  York  at  the  Academy  of 


TERESA    CARRENO 


Women  as  Pianists.  303 

Music.  This  was  the  beginning  of  her 
career  as  a  concert  pianist,  and  after  it  she 
made  appearances  throughout  the  United 
States,  creating  a  sensation  by  her  remark- 
able talent.  In  New  York  she  attracted  the 
attention  of  Gottschalk,  then  at  the  height 
of  his  fame.  He  was  not  a  regular  teacher, 
but,  for  the  love  of  his  art,  gave  lessons  to 
several  talented  children.  Of  these,  Teresa 
Carrefio  was  one  during  the  space  of  about 
three  years,  and  to  Gottschalk  she  ascribes 
her  first  introduction  to  the  broad  field  of 
classical  music.  He  first  taught  her  how 
to  understand  the  meaning  of  a  composition 
besides  the  merely  technical  rendition  of  it, 
and  to  his  advice  was  largely  due  the  success 
of  her  early  days. 

In  1863  she  made  her  first  appearance  in 
Boston,  where  she  created  a  furore  by  play- 
ing pieces  of  great  difficulty  at  some  orches- 
tral concerts.  At  the  end  of  her  visit  she 
gave  a  juvenile  reception  at  Music  Hall  to 


304  Famous  Pianists. 

about  three  thousand  school  children,  for  she 
wished  the  children  to  hear  her. 

At  the  age  of  twelve  she  went  to  Rubin- 
stein, and  quickly  gained  the  fullest  recogni- 
tion of  her  talent  in  all  musical  circles. 
Wherever  she  went  she  was  received  as  a 
fellow  artist  by  the  greatest  musicians.  In 
London  she  became  acquainted  with  Joachim, 
with  whom  she  frequently  played  for  their 
mutual  enjoyment.  Tietjens,  the  great 
contralto,  was  one  of  her  friends,  and  while 
enjoying  her  companionship  she  was  con- 
fronted with  an  emergency  which  led  her 
into  new  spheres  of  artistic  conquest. 

She  happened  to  be  at  Edinburgh,  where 
Mapleson  was  at  the  same  time  giving  a 
season  of  Italian  opera.  It  so  happened  that 
Mapleson's  soprano,  who  was  billed  to  appear 
in  "The  Huguenots  "  on  the  Queen's  birthday, 
fell  sick  about  a  week  beforehand,  and  Maple- 
son  knew  not  where  to  lay  his  hands  upon 
another  soprano  to  take  her  place  at  such 


Women  as  Pianists.  305 

short  notice.  Mapleson  was  a  man  of  many 
resources,  and  of  great  nerve.  He  had  tele- 
graphed far  and  wide  for  a  prima  donna, 
but  without  success.  The  performance  was 
on  Monday  night,  and  now  it  was  Thursday. 
"Teresa,"  exclaimed  Mapleson,  suddenly, 
"  I  have  an  idea !  You  shall  sing  the  r61e 
of  the  queen  in  '  The  Huguenots '  on  Monday 
night."  "Me?"  exclaimed  Carreno,  in  dis- 
may, "  I  have  never  been  upon  the  stage ; 
I  cannot  sing;  I  do  not  know  the  part." 
"Nonsense,"  replied  Mapleson,  "you  have  all 
the  qualification.  You  have  a  beautiful  voice, 
a  delightful  stage  presence,  youth,  beauty,  and 
musical  genius.  You  are  just  the  person." 

Carreno  was  at  that  time  about  fifteen 
years  of  age.  She  was  to  all  appearances 
a  full-grown  woman,  and  possessed  of  great 
personal  charm  and  beauty.  The  idea  ap- 
pealed to  her  imagination,  and  she  decided 
to  attempt  the  task  thus  offered  her.  She 
had  four  days  in  which  to  learn  the  part, 


306 


Famous  Pianists. 


and  she  went  at  it  with  her  usual  enthusiasm, 
but  not  before  she  had  extracted  a  promise 
from  Mapleson.  She  was  soon  to  give  a 
concert  in  London,  and  she  desired  to  make 
it  so  brilliant  that  it  would  be  a  sure  success, 
even  though  the  critics  should  find  fault  with 
her  own  part  of  it. 

"I  will  take  the  part  on  one  condition," 
she  said  to  Mapleson,  "  you  shall  give  me  the 
singers  I  want  for  my  London  concerts." 
"  Done,"  replied  the  colonel ;  "  name  them." 
So  she  put  in  a  requisition  for  Grisi,  Mario, 
Tietjens,  Lablache,  and  one  or  two  others 
of  great  popularity.  As  the  days  wore  on 
she  feared  lest  her  appearance  might  be  a 
failure,  so  she  assumed  a  name.  Her  success 
was  brilliant. 

Some  years  later,  in  1875,  she  made  her 
regular  ddbut  as  a  singer  under  the  manage- 
ment of  Max  Strakosch,  in  a  company  includ- 
ing Brignoli,  Tom  Karl,  and  Tagliapetra,  her 
husband  at  that  period. 


Women  as  Pianists.  307 

When  she  was  sixteen  years  of  age,  Car- 
refio  married  Emil  Sauret,  the  violinist. 
They  came  to  New  York,  but  he  did  not 
meet  with  the  success  that  might  have  been 
expected,  and  that  he  gained  in  America 
in  later  years.  He  grew  tired  of  the  country, 
and  they  were  in  straitened  circumstances. 
He  left  her,  and  shortly  afterward  she  gave 
birth  to  a  daughter.  This  child  was  afterward 
adopted  by  the  sister  of  Sauret,  who  felt  that 
he  had  dealt  hardly  with  his  young  wife. 
The  conditions  were  that  the  child  should 
be  taught  that  her  mother  was  dead.  As  for 
her  husband,  Carreno  had  told  him  that  if  he 
left  her  at  such  a  critical  time  she  would 
never  live  with  him  another  day  in  this  world, 
and  she  kept  her  word. 

A  few  years  later,  when  the  bitterness  of 
her  first  experience  had  moderated,  she 
married  the  singer  Tagliapetra,  with  whom 
she  lived  happily  for  several  years,  and  by 
whom  she  had  three  children.  In  the  course 


308  Famous  Pianists. 

of  time,  however,  Tagliapetra  developed  habits 
which  his  wife  could  not  tolerate,  and  when 
domestic  felicity  was  no  longer  possible, 
Carrefio  left  him  and  went  to  Europe, 
enabling  him  to  secure  a  divorce  on  technical 
grounds. 

But  still  a  third  matrimonial  venture  was 
in  store  for  Madame  Carrefio,  for  she  became 
infatuated  with  D' Albert,  the  pianist,  and 
married  him  in  1892.  He  also  was  divorced 
from  his  first  wife.  The  happiness  of  this 
marriage  did  not  prove  to  be  of  a  lasting  char- 
acter, and  a  divorce  was  obtained,  D'Albert 
immediately  marrying  Miss  Finck,  a  singer  of 
Dresden. 

Madame  Carreno  is  a  woman  of  delightful 
disposition ;  as  a  mother,  she  is  affectionate, 
and  mindful  of  the  welfare  of  her  children. 
She  is  also,  so  it  is  said,  an  advocate  of 
women's  rights. 

In  regard  to  her  playing,  it  is  of  the  most 
impassioned  nature.  Her  enthusiastic  tern- 


Women  as  Pianists.  309 

perament  sweeps  everything  before  it.  In 
the  power  of  her  performance  she  has  been 
compared  to  Sophie  Menter,  and  it  has  been 
said  that  these  two  pianists  are  the  only  ones 
who,  in  spite  of  the  restrictions  laid  by  nature 
upon  their  sex,  have  been  able  to  overcome 
the  most  tremendous  difficulties  of  the  piano- 
forte technique. 

Her  long  career  as  a  virtuoso,  during  which 
she  has  travelled  very  extensively,  has  brought 
her  into  many  strange  adventures,  of  which 
one  was  in  Venezuela.  She  was  invited  to 
visit  that  country  with  her  husband  (Taglia- 
petra),  as  guests  of  the  State,  in  return  for 
her  having  set  to  music  a  national  anthem, 
which  was  to  be  used  on  the  centennial  cele- 
bration of  Bolivar  and  liberty.  Concerts  were 
given,  and  the  success  was  so  great  that 
opera  was  demanded  for  the  next  year.  A 
subvention  of  twenty  thousand  dollars  was 
voted,  and  Tagliapetra  was  despatched  to 
Italy  to  engage  a  company.  Everything 


310  Famous  Pianists. 

went  well  until  the  commencement  of  the 
opera  season,  when  a  political  revolution 
developed,  and  the  revolutionary  atmos- 
phere pervaded  the  company.  The  singers 
quarrelled  with  the  conductor,  and  eventually 
Carrefto  was  obliged  to  take  the  matter  into 
her  own  hands,  and  do  the  conducting.  She 
did  this  for  three  weeks,  and  maintained 
excellent  discipline  in  the  company,  every- 
body being  very  polite  to  her. 

One  night  there  was  some  excitement 
caused  by  the  discovery  of  a  plot  to  extermi- 
nate the  president,  and  incidentally  anybody 
else  who  might  happen  to  be  in  the  way,  for 
the  police  found  in  the  cellar  of  the  opera 
house  several  barrels  of  gunpowder. 

Madame  Carreno  tells  an  amusing  story 
concerning  her  first  meeting  with  Hans  Rich- 
ter,  the  celebrated  orchestral  conductor.  She 
and  Tagliapetra  were  travelling  from  Paris 
to  London,  and  entering  the  train  on  the 
English  side  of  the  Channel,  they  found  a 


Women  as  Pianists.  311 

large  blonde  gentleman  the  only  other  oc- 
cupant of  the  compartment.  After  a  time, 
Carrefio  seated  herself  opposite  to  him,  in 
order  to  view  the  scenery  on  that  side  of  the 
train.  She  conversed  in  French  and  Spanish 
with  her  husband,  little  supposing  that  the 
gentleman  could  understand  her  remarks. 
Amongst  other  things,  she  said,  "  This  splen- 
did, large  gentleman  opposite  will  think  I 
have  come  here  because  I  am  in  love  with 
him,  but  I  am  not ;  I  merely  desire  to  see  the 
scenery."  On  the  arrival  of  the  train  in 
London  there  was  a  large  crowd  waiting  to 
meet  Richter,  and  not  until  then  did  it  dawn 
upon  her  that  she  had  been  travelling  with 
the  man  under  whose  baton  she  was  so 
desirous  of  playing. 

From  Rubinstein  she  learned  the  art  of 
piano  necromancy.  She,  too,  can  control 
the  thunder  of  the  storm,  and  in  youth  the 
impetuosity  of  her  temperament  was  tremen- 
dous. Yet  so  stern  has  been  her  self-disci- 


312  Famous  Pianists. 

pline  that  Hans  von  Billow  was  forced  to 
confess  that  she  was  the  only  pianist  of  the 
fair  sex  he  had  ever  heard  play  Beethoven  in 
a  satisfactory  manner. 

Carreno  can  give  the  glory  and  glitter  of 
a  Liszt  rhapsody,  and  then  with  philosophic 
calm  read  a  Bach  fugue  or  interpret  the  in- 
tellectual content  of  a  Beethoven  sonata,  and 
picture  the  twilight  and  sultry  splendours  of 
Chopin.  Her  programs  are  rich  in  variety, 
and  various  and  versatile  are  her  readings  of 
Bach,  Beethoven,  Schumann,  Liszt,  Chopin, 
and  Brahms.  She  is  eminently  a  progres- 
sive artist,  having  an  instinctive  horror  of  the 
rut,  of  the  conventional,  of  main  travelled 
thoroughfares.  Her  great  vitality,  warm 
heart,  and  keen  brain  give  her  enormous 
advantages  over  the  mere  virtuoso,  while  her 
brilliancy  of  style,  dash,  and  remarkable 
technique  stamp  her  as  the  pianist  born  to 
wear  the  purple. 

There   is   tropical  colour   in   her   play,  a 


Women  as  Pianists.  313 

colour  that  corresponds  with  her  glowing 
beauty  and  Southern  birth.  Her  native 
endurance  and  power  of  restraint  enable  her 
to  preserve  a  fine  tonal  balance  and  profound 
sense  of  repose  while  riding  the  whirlwinds 
of  modern  masters  of  the  piano.  She  is  a 
unique  artist,  a  unique  individuality. 

In  New  York  there  has  resided  for  some 
years  a  pianist  who  has  much  talent,  and  who 
has  travelled  extensively,  —  Madame  Made- 
leine Schiller.  She  was  born  in  London  and 
is  the  daughter  of  an  Englishman  of  Ger- 
man descent.  She  studied  with  Benjamin 
Isaacs,  Benedict,  and  Hall£,  and  then  for  a 
year  and  a  quarter  with  Moscheles,  at  Leipzig, 
making  a  brilliant  d£but  at  the  Gewandhaus. 
She  made  a  great  success  in  London,  and 
then  went  to  Australia  on  an  extended  tour, 
which  was  repeated  some  years  later,  and  she 
has  made  several  successful  European  tours. 
Miss  Schiller  married  Mr.  Marcus  Elmer 
Bennett,  of  Boston,  and  for  some  years  resided 


314  Famous  Pianists. 

in  that  city,  moving  later  to  New  York. 
She  has  won  general  recognition  by  her 
spirited  and  refined  interpretation  of  classic 
and  modern  pianoforte  works,  and  she  has 
played  in  all  parts  of  the  United  States. 

'Natalie  Janotha,  born  in  Warsaw  in  1856, 
is  a  pianist  who  holds  a  high  rank  in  Europe. 
Her  father  was  a  professor  of  music  in  the  con- 
servatory and  gave  her  her  early  instruction. 
When  only  nine  years  of  age  she  created 
a  sensation  by  her  playing  at  a  concert  given 
in  order  to  raise  funds  for  her  education. 
She  was  then  taken  to  Berlin  and  was  placed 
under  Rudorff  at  the  Hochschule,  and  later 
she  became  a  pupil  of  Madame  Schumann. 
She  made  her  first  appearance  as  an  artist 
at  the  Gewandhaus,  Leipzig,  in  1874.  Four 
years  later  she  reached  London,  and  in  1885 
she  was  made  court  pianist  to  the  Emperor 
of  Germany.  Since  that  time  she  has  been 
much  before  the  public  and  has  been  the 
recipient  of  many  honours.  She  is  a  devout 


Women  as  Pianists.  315 

member  of  the  Greek  church,  and  never 
begins  to  play,  after  she  is  seated  at  the 
piano,  until  she  has  made  the  sign  of  the 
cross  according  to  the  custom  of  her  church. 

Helen  Hopekirk  is  a  native  of  Edinburgh, 
Scotland,  where  she  first  appeared  in  public 
at  the  age  of  eleven.  She  studied  later  in 
Leipzig  Conservatorium,  and  at  the  close  of 
her  time  there  made  her  d6but  at  the  famous 
Gewandhaus  concerts  in  November,  1879. 

Immediately  afterward  she  played  for  the 
first  time  in  England,  at  Crystal  Palace, 
London,  the  now  well-known  G  minor  con- 
certo of  Saint  Sae'ns.  Concerts  and  recitals 
in  Great  Britain  followed.  In  1883  she 
came  to  America  and  made  her  first  appear- 
ance under  G.  Henschel,  at  Boston  Symphony 
concerts.  After  touring  for  over  two  years 
she  went  to  Germany. 

Desire  for  further  development  decided 
her,  in  1887,  to  withdraw  for  a  time  from 
public  work  and  place  herself  under  Theodore 


316  Famous  Pianists. 

Leschetitzky  in  Vienna.  During  her  stay  in 
that  city  she  appeared  at  the  Vienna  Phil- 
harmonics, March,  1890,  under  Hans  Rich- 
ter's  conductorship,  a  performance  she  re- 
peated at  his  request  at  the  London  Richter 
concerts  the  same  year;  she  also  gave  re- 
citals and  other  concerts. 

In  1891  she  came  again  to  the  States  for 
a  short  engagement,  opening  in  Boston  under 
Nikisch,  at  the  Symphony  concerts,  where 
she  played  the  Tschaikowsky  concerto.  The 
following  year  saw  her  again  in  America  for 
a  four  months'  tour.  The  two  succeeding 
years  were  spent  in  Paris,  devoted  chiefly  to 
composition. 

She  began  to  write  songs  when  quite  a 
child,  long  before  she  had  any  knowledge  of 
harmony  or  the  art  of  composing.  Her  first 
lessons  in  harmony  were  from  A.  C.  Mac- 
kenzie, then  hi  Edinburgh. 

While  a  student  at  Leipzig  she  studied 
counterpoint,  and  composed  a  little ;  but,  as 


Women  as  Pianists.  317 

she  herself  has  said,  in  a  very  desultory  way, 
being  too  much  engrossed  in  piano  playing 
to  concentrate  on  anything  else.  The  first 
serious  studies  in  composition  were  made  in 
Vienna  when  she  showed  some  work  to  Les- 
chetitzky,  who  immediately  put  her  into  com- 
munication with  Karl  Nawratil,  the  master 
of  Schiitt  and  other  well-known  writers. 
With  him  she  went  through  a  complete 
course  of  counterpoint,  fugue,  etc.,  and,  later, 
orchestration  in  Paris  under  Richard  Mandl. 

Previous  to  her  return  to  America  in  1897 
she  lived  in  Paris  and  in  London.  She  re- 
sides at  present  in  Boston,  where  she  devotes 
part  of  her  time  to  teaching  in  the  New 
England  Conservatory  of  Music,  to  which 
institution  she  was  invited  by  Mr.  George 
W.  Chadwick  when  he  was  appointed  musical 
director. 

A  pianist  who  has  played  in  nearly  two 
thousand  concerts  during  a  career  of  some 
fifteen  years,  and  whose  repertoire  includes 


318  Famous  Pianists. 

almost  the  entire  range  of  pianoforte  litera- 
ture, has  justly  earned  a  place  among  the 
celebrated  pianists  of  the  world,  especially 
if,  as  in  the  case  of  Madame  Rive-King,  she 
has  played  with  grand  orchestra  under  almost 
every  conductor  in  the  United  States  and 
has  been  engaged  as  soloist  by  nearly  all  the 
distinguished  musical  societies  in  the  country. 
'  Julia  Riv6  was  born  in  Cincinnati,  and  her 
mother,  being  a  music  teacher,  gave  her  in- 
struction to  such  good  effect  that  she  was 
able  to  play  in  public  at  the  age  of  eight. 
Shortly  afterward  she  was  taken  to  New 
York,  where  she  studied  under  William 
Mason,  S.  B.  Mills,  and  other  well-known 
teachers,  until  the  time  was  ripe  for  her  to 
go  to  Europe.  This  she  did  when  fifteen 
years  old,  and  two  years  later  she  made  her 
d6but.  In  Germany  she  studied  at  Leipzig 
and  Dresden. 

Shortly  after  her   d£but   she   was   called 
home  on  account  of  her  father's  death,  and 


Women  as  Pianists.  319 

was  obliged  to  abandon  a  European  concert 
tour  which  had  been  arranged,  but  in  1873 
she  played  in  Cincinnati,  and  a  year  or  so 
later  in  New  York  at  a  concert  of  the  Phil- 
harmonic Society.  From  that  time  her  ca- 
reer has  been  constantly  before  the  public. 

In  1876  she  married  Mr.  King  in  Mil- 
waukee. She  has  been  a  great  favourite 
throughout  the  country,  but  more  especially 
in  the  West,  and  a  Chicago  critic  did  not 
hesitate  to  declare,  in  1877,  that  she  was 
superior  to  Madame  Essipoff  in  magnetism 
and  played  to  larger  audiences,  from  which 
he  also  deduced  the  opinion  that  she  was 
doing  a  far  greater  amount  of  good.  Essi- 
poff, he  declared,  was  superior  in  refinement, 
but  Riv6  in  breadth  and  vigour  of  concep- 
tion. 

*Adele  Aus  der  Ohe  made  her  American 
de"but  in  1886,  and  was  at  once  pronounced 
"one  of  the  few  really  great  pianists  who 
have  been  heard  here  of  late  years." 


320  Famous  Pianists. 

She  is  the  daughter  of  a  professor  in 
Hanover  University,  and  was  placed  as  a 
pupil  of  Kullak  in  his  conservatory  at  Berlin, 
by  the  advice  of  Von  Bulow,  when  she  was 
but  seven  years  of  age.  She  played  with 
orchestra  in  a  concert  in  Berlin  when  she  was 
ten  years  old,  and  at  the  age  of  twelve  she 
went  to  Liszt,  under  whose  instruction  she 
remained  for  seven  years,  and  of  whom 
she  was  a  special  favourite. 

Her  technique  is  great,  her  touch  beauti- 
ful, and  she  has  tremendous  physical  strength, 
which  gives  to  her  playing  the  force  and 
authority  of  a  man's  performance,  but  does 
not  interfere  with  grace  and  brilliancy,  dig- 
nity and  breadth.  Her  playing  of  Liszt's 
concertos  and  his  rhapsodies  was  regarded 
as  marvellous,  and  completely  disarmed  the 
critics,  who  had  no  expectation  of  such  mature 
work  from  a  young  girl  of  perhaps  twenty 
years  of  age. 

The  name  of  Aus  der  Ohe  is  to-day  famil- 


Women  as  Pianists.  321 

iar  in  musical  circles  throughout  the  land, 
for  she  has  travelled  far  and  wide  in  America, 
and  has  a  reputation  not  exceeded  by  any 

pianist  of  her  sex. 

i 
In  Madame  Fannie  Bloomfield-Zeisler,  the 

musical  world  has  one  of  the  vigorous  and 
incisive  personalities  which  inevitably  make 
their  mark  in  whatever  field  they  appear. 
Industry,  ambition,  and  unflagging  applica- 
tion, combined  with  unusual  musical  talent 
and  strong  intellectuality,  have  made  her  one 
of  the  foremost  pianists  of  her  day. 

Born  in  Bielitz,  Austria,  in  1865,  her 
parents  moved  to  Chicago  before  she  was 
two  years  of  age.  When  she  had  arrived  at 
the  age  of  eight  or  nine  years,  and  had 
already  shown  remarkable  precocity,  she  be- 
came a  pupil  of  Carl  Wolfsohn,  an  enthusi- 
astic and  able  musician.  Under  him  she 
made  great  and  rapid  progress,  and  frequently 
played  at  the  meetings  of  the  Beethoven 
Society,  on  which  occasions  her  seriousness 


322  Famous  Pianists. 

and  musical  feeling  showed  that  she  was 
a  true  artist. 

During  this  period  of  her  life  Madame 
Essipoff  visited  Chicago,  and  the  young 
pianist  was  taken  to  her  and  played  before 
her,  with  the  natural  result  that  she  was 
advised  to  lose  no  time  in  seeking  the  ser- 
vices of  Leschetitzky.  She  accordingly  was 
sent  to  Vienna,  and  for  five  years  worked 
with  the  greatest  assiduity. 

At  the  end  of  this  time  she  played  in 
public  in  Germany  and  received  flattering 
notices  from  the  critics.  Then  she  returned 
to  America,  where  her  massive  strength, 
quite  inexplicable  in  a  person  of  such  slight 
physique,  and  her  refinement  and  musical 
taste  astonished  her  audiences.  She  had  not 
only  technical  ability,  but  the  magnetism 
which  belongs  to  the  very  few. 

After  some  years,  during  which  she  had 
married  a  rising  Chicago  lawyer,  Siegmund 
Zeisler,  and  had  a  young  son,  she  decided  to 


Women  as  Pianists.  323 

go  abroad  again  and  conquer  Europe  as  she 
had  conquered  America.  So  abroad  she  went 
in  1893,  and  again  in  1894.  She  played  at 
Berlin,  Vienna,  Leipzig,  and  Dresden,  and 
was  hailed  as  one  of  the  foremost  piano 
interpreters  of  the  age.  Ludwig  Bussler 
said  that,  "  In  accuracy  of  technique  she  ri- 
vals Moritz  Rosenthal.  Beyond  all  criticism 
is  the  perfect  clearness  of  her  phrasing."  Doc- 
tor Hanslick,  the  celebrated  critic  of  Vienna, 
declared  that  her  virtuosity  was  stupendous. 
"She  has  a  fiery  temperament  and  a  tech- 
nique which  is  developed  in  the  minutest 
detail.  Her  delicacy  in  the  finest  florid  work 
is  as  marvellous  as  her  fascinating  energy  in 
the  forte  passages." 

Since  that  time  she  had  been  heard  in  all 
the  musical  centres  of  America  and  she  is 
now  one  of  the  most  prominent  teachers 
of  Chicago. 

Madame  Zeisler  has  always  been  an  indefat- 
igable reader,  both  in  German  and  English, 


324  Famous  Pianists. 

and  has  read  nearly  the  whole  classical  liter- 
ature of  both  languages.  There  is  no  doubt 
that  the  taste  and  intelligence  fostered  by 
her  reading  have  had  a  strong  influence  upon 
her  playing,  for  the  work  of  interpretation 
depends  largely  upon  what  the  artist  is  and 
what  he  knows,  as  much  as  upon  his  tech- 
nical qualifications.  She  is  also  one  of  those 
energetic  people  who  enjoy  doing  things  with 
their  own  hands,  and  has  considerable  skill  at 
carpentry  and  upholstering.  In  fact,  she  is 
full  of  energy.  "  She  is  the  same  bundle  of 
nerves,"  wrote  a  critic,  after  she  returned 
from  Germany,  "  but  she  sits  still,  oh !  so 
still,  in  the  vast  spaces  of  music  she  evokes. 
Her  lithe,  patient  figure,  yet  alert,  suggest- 
ing steel  nerves,  seems  hardly  big  enough  to 
hurl  itself  on  the  heavy  bastions  of  Liszt's 
pompous  palace,  the  twelfth  rhapsody.  The 
old  Bloomfield  turned  up  breathless,  furious, 
indomitable,  at  the  close,  and  we  got  a  hair- 
lifting  climax." 


Women  as  Pianists.  325 

Clotilde  Kleeberg  is  a  pianist  whose  play- 
ing is  said  to  reveal  the  charm  of  womanly 
grace  and  loveliness,  and  who  wins  the  hearts 
of  her  listeners  more  by  poetical  refinement 
than  by  brilliancy.  She  was  born  at  Paris 
in  1866,  showed  early  signs  of  musical  talent, 
and  was  educated  at  the  Paris  Conservatoire, 
where  she  won  the  first  medal  for  her  indus- 
try in  her  eleventh  year,  and  gained  the 
highest  honours  among  competing  pupils  in 
the  examinations.  She  appeared  in  London 
when  seventeen  years  old  and  made  a  favour- 
able impression,  but  did  not  play  in  Germany 
until  1887,  when  she  became  a  great  favour- 
ite. She  is  regarded  as  the  pianist  who  most 
nearly  resembles  Madame  Schumann. 

One  of  the  youngest  pianists  of  the  day  is 

. 

Ilona  Eibenschutz,  who  was  born  in  Buda- 
pest in  1872,  and  created  a  sensation  in 
Vienna  when  she  played  in  public  in  1878. 
She  became  a  pupil  of  Hans  Schmitt  at  the 
Vienna  Conservatoire,  and  from  the  time  she 


326  Famous  Pianists. 

was  twelve  years  of  age  she  spent  four 
months  of  each  year  in  playing  at  concerts 
in  the  towns  of  Northern  Europe.  When  in 
Vienna  she  obtained  the  imperial  stipend  for 
four  years.  She  became  a  pupil  of  Madame 
Schumann,  and  on  leaving  her,  in  1889,  re- 
sumed her  concert  tours  as  a  finished  artist. 

A  pianist  who  showed  talent  at  a  very 
early  age,  and  who  travelled  extensively 
through  Europe  and  America,  who  was 
petted  by  royalties,  caressed  by  celebrities, 
and  admired  by  the  general  public,  is  Jeanne 
Douste,  born  in  London  in  1872,  whose 
parents  are  natives  of  the  French  Pyrenees. 
Her  parents  possessed  no  musical  ability,  but 
that  of  Jeanne  was  so  pronounced  that  she 
was  able  by  ear  to  learn  Mozart's  pianoforte 
concertos,  which  she  performed  at  the  Royal 
Aquarium  concerts  in  London.  She  now 
came  under  the  notice  of  Mortier  de  Fon- 
taine, who  had  been  a  friend  and  pupil  of 
Chopin,  and  who  volunteered  to  undertake 


Women  as  Pianists.  327 

her  musical  education.  Soon  after  this  she 
appeared  at  St.  James's  Hall  at  a  concert 
given  by  Sir  Julius  Benedict,  and  played 
three  solos,  including  a  fugue  of  Bach,  and 
a  piece  by  Schumann.  After  studying  for 
five  years  with  M.  de  Fontaine,  she  became 
a  pupil  of  L.  Breitner,  and  later  of  Leonhard 
Emil  Bach. 

In  1879  Jeanne  Douste  and  her  sister, 
also  a  gifted  pianist,  were  introduced  to 
Colonel  Mapleson,  who  was  so  pleased  with 
them  that  he  arranged  a  tour  in  the  United 
States,  where  the  talented  girls  created  a 
sensation.  In  1886  they  made  a  second 
American  tour,  and  gave  fifty-two  recitals. 

Notwithstanding  the  praises  of  the  great 
and  the  flattery  of  the  public  in  general, 
Jeanne  Douste  was  unspoiled,  and  was  noted 
for  her  simple  and  unaffected  manners  as 
much  as  for  her  skill  as  an  artist  and  her 
musical  talent,  but  little  has  been  heard  of 
her  in  recent  years. 


328  Famous  Pianists, 

Some  few  years  ago  a  child  pianist  made 
a  tour  in  America,  and  caused  considerable 
enthusiasm  by  her  talent  and  by  her  winning 
manners.  Her  name  was  Freda  Simonson. 
On  her  return  to  Europe  from  this  tour  she 
met  Rubinstein  in  Dresden,  and  he  became 
very  much  interested  in  her  welfare.  She 
was  born  in  Berlin  about  1882,  and  became 
a  pupil  of  Madame  Schumann.  Before  her 
early  American  tour  she  had  played  in  several 
European  cities  and  had  made  a  favourable 
impression,  showing  wonderful  maturity  and 
great  musical  temperament.  In  1899  she 
returned  to  this  country  and  won  new  laurels, 
but  in  the  meantime  she  had  changed  her 
name,  not  by  marriage,  but  by  choice,  to 
Siemens,  and  comparatively  few  people  were 
aware  that  she  was  the  child  prodigy  of  1895. 
Miss  Siemens  has  all  the  qualifications  of 
a  great  artist,  and  will  no  doubt  fulfil  the 
predictions  made  for  her  by  Rubinstein. 

The  advent   of  pianist  virtuosos  has   be- 


Women  as  Pianists.  329 

come  almost  an  every-day  occurrence,  but 
of  those  who  reach  a  great  degree  of  excel- 
lence few  remain  before  the  public  for  many 
years.  After  having  acquired  a  reputation, 
they  settle  down  as  teachers,  or  devote  their 
time  to  composition,  or,  like  Von  Billow  and 
Stavenhagen,  take  to  conducting. 

The  pianists  of  what  we  consider  early 
days  have  long  been  forgotten,  and  yet  many 
of  them  are  living  now.  Antoine  de  Kontski, 
for  instance,  has  but  recently  passed  away, 
but  De  Kontski's  piano  playing  is  a  matter 
of  ancient  history,  and  has  been  so  for  many 
years.  Liszt,  Rubinstein,  Von  Biilow,  Clara 
Schumann,  were  pianists  whose  performances 
were  great  as  long  as  they  lived,  and  the  mem- 
ory of  them  still  lives  —  they  were  epoch-mak- 
ing pianists,  and  we  cannot  tell  who,  of  later 
generations,  will  fill  their  places.  It  is  yet 
too  soon. 

THE    END. 


CHRONOLOGICAL    TABLE    OF 
FAMOUS   PIANISTS. 

"  C  "  indicates  that  the  date  given  is  only  approximate. 


NAMB. 

Place  and  Date  of 
Birth. 

Place  and  Date  of 
Death. 

Bach,  Karl  Philipp  Emanuel 

Weimar 

1714 

Hamburg 

1788 

Schobert         .... 

Strasburg 

173° 

Paris 

1767 

Bach,  Johann  Christian 

Leipzig 

1735 

London 

1782 

Wanhal,  John 

Bohemia 

'739 

Vienna 

1813 

Haessler,  Johann  Wilhelm  . 
Sterkel,  Johann  F.  X. 

Erfurt 
Wirtzburg 

1747 
1750 

Moscow 
Ratisbon 

1822 
1817 

Hullmandel,  Nicolas  J. 

Strasburg 

1751 

London 

1823 

Clementi,  Muzio    .        . 

Rome 

1752 

Evesham 

1832 

Mozart,  Wolfgang  A.    . 

Salzburg 

1756 

Vienna 

1791 

Gelinek,  Joseph    . 

Selcz,  Boh. 

'757 

Vienna 

1825 

Adam,  Louis  .... 

Alsace 

1758 

Paris 

1848 

Paradis,  Maria  T.  von  (An- 

ton) 

Vienna 

I7CQ 

Vienna 

1824 

Streicher,  Nanette  (Stein)     . 
Dussek,  Johann  Ludwig 

Augsburg 
Tschaslau, 

•*/  3V 

1769 

Vienna 

1835 

Boh. 

1761 

Paris 

1812 

Steibelt,  Daniel     . 

Berlin 

1765 

St.  Petersburg 

1858 

Eberl,  Anton          .        . 

Vienna 

1766 

Vienna 

1807 

M  tiller,  August  E. 

Nordheim 

1767 

Weimar 

1817 

Beethoven,  Ludwig  van 

Bonn 

1770 

Vienna 

1827 

Cramer,  John  Baptist    . 

Mannheim 

1771 

London 

1858 

Woelfl,  Joseph      . 

Salzburg 

1772 

London 

1814 

Weyse,  Cristoph  E.  F.  . 

Altona 

1774 

Copenhagen 

1842 

Tomaschek,  Wenzel 

Skutch,  Boh. 

"774 

Prague 

1850 

Aurenhammer,  Josepha 

j 

1776 

J 

1814 

Berger,  Ludwig 
Polfini,  Francisco  G. 

Berlin 
Laybach 

'777 
1763 

Berlin 
Milan 

1839 
1846 

Hummel,  Johann  Nepomuk 

Pressburg 

1778 

Weimar 

1837 

Horzalka,  Johann  . 

? 

1778 

? 

1860 

Krufft,  Nicolas  von       . 

? 

1779 

? 

1818 

Kurzbeck,  Fanny  . 

? 

£1780 

? 

? 

Field,  John    .... 

Dublin 

1782 

Moscow 

'837 

331 

332 


Chronological  Table. 


NAME. 

Place  and  Date  of 
Birth. 

Place  and  Date  of 
Death. 

Klengel,  August  A. 

Dresden             1784 

Dresden              1852 

Ries,  Ferdinand     .        .        . 

Bonn                  1784 

Frankfort           1838 

Neate,  Charles 

London              1784 

Brighton             1877 

Weber,  Carl  M.  von      . 

Eutin                  1786 

London               1826 

Bohner,  Ludwig     .        . 

Toesselstadt      1787 

Toesselstadt       1860 

Kalkbrenner,  Friedrich 

Near  Berlin       1784 

Enghien              '849 

Pixis,  Johann  Peter 

Mannheim         1788 

Baden-Baden     1874 

Schmidt,  Aloys 

Bavaria              1788 

Frankfort           1866 

Szymanowska,  Maria     . 

Poland             £-1790 

St.  Petersburg   1831 

Cibbini-Kozeluch,  Catherina 

?               1790 

?                1858 

Czerny,  Carl  .... 

Vienna              1791 

Vienna                1857 

Worzischek,  Johann  Hugo   . 

?               1791 

?                       !82S 

Wiirfel,  Wilhelm   . 

Planian,  Boh.    1791 

Vienna                1852 

Potter,  Cipriani 

London              1792 

London               1871 

Moscheles,  Ignaz  . 

Prague               1794 

Leipzig               1870 

Herz,  Jacques 

Frankfort          1794 

Nice                    1880 

Schmitt,  Jacob 
Anderson,  Lucy  (Philpot)     . 

Obenburg          1803 
Bath                   1797 

Hamburg            1853 
London               1878 

Bertini,  Henri 

London              1798 

Grenoble             1876 

Mayer,  Carl  .... 

Konigsberg       1799 

Dresden              1862 

Kessler,  Joseph  C. 

Augsburg          1800 

Vienna                1872 

Lickl,  Carl  Georg  . 
Farrenc,  Jeanne  Louise  (Du- 

?               1801 

?                1877 

mont) 

Paris                  1804 

Paris                   1875 

Krebs,  Carl  August 

Nuremberg       1804 

Dresden               1880 

Benedict,  Sir  Julius 

Stuttgart           1804 

London               1885 

Herz,  Henri  .... 

Vienna               1806 

Paris                   1888 

Nowakowski,  Joseph    . 

Mniszck            1805 

Warsaw              1865 

Belleville-Oury,  Anna  C.  de 

Landshut           1808 

Munich                1880 

Osborne,  George  A. 

Limerick            1806 

London               1893 

Kufferath,  Hubert  Ferdinand 

Muhlheim          1808 

Brussels              1882 

Mendelssohn  -Bartholdy, 

Felix        .... 

Hamburg          1809 

Leipzig               1847 

Chopin,  Frederic  Francois    • 

Warsaw             18  o 

Paris                   1849 

Schumann,  Robert  A.    . 

Zwickau             18  o 

Enderich             1856 

Dulcken,  Louise  (David) 

Hamburg          18 

London               1850 

Stamaty,  Camille  Marie 

Rome                 1  8 

Paris                   1870 

Pleyel,  Marie         .        .        . 

Paris                  18 

Brussels              1875 

Taubert,  Wilhelm  . 

Berlin                18 

Berlin                  1891 

Blahetka,  Leopoldine    .        . 

Guntramsdorf   18 

Boulogne            1887 

Rosellen,  Henri     . 

Paris                  18 

Paris                   1876 

Hiller,  Ferdinand  .        . 

Frankfort-on- 

the-Main    18 

Cologne             1885 

Liszt,  Franz   .... 

Rading,  Hung.  18 

Bayreuth            1886 

Thalberg,  Sigismund     . 
Schad,  Joseph        .        .        . 

Geneva              18 
Steinbach, 

Naples               1871 

Bav.            18 

Bordeaux           1879 

Holmes,  William  Henry 

Sudbury,  Eng.  18 

London              1885 

Flugsl.  Gustav 

Nienburg          18 

Haberbier,  Ernst  ... 

Konigsberg       18  3 

Bergen               1869 

Chronological  Table. 


333 


NAME. 

Place  and  Date  of 
Birth. 

Place  and  Date  of 
Death. 

Alkan,  Charles  Valentin 

Paris                    813 

Paris                    1888 

Rosenhain,  Jacob  . 

Mannheim          813 

Baden-Baden     1894 

Winkler,  Louis      ... 

?                813 

Dohler,  Theodore  . 

Naples               814 

Florence             1858 

Gerka,  Anton         .        .        . 

?                8,4 

1870 

Henselt,  Adolph    . 

Munich               814 

Warmbrunn        1889 

Schauroth,  Delphine  van 

Magdeburg         814 

? 

Heller,  Stephen     .        .        . 

Pesth                   814 

Paris                   1888 

Voss,  Carl       .... 

Schmarsow         815 

Verona                1882 

Haslinger,  Carl      .        .        . 

Vienna                816 

Vienna                1868 

Bennett,  Sir  William  S. 

Sheffield              816 

London               1875 

Pacher,  Joseph  Adalbert 

Daubrowitz         816 

Gmunden            1871 

Wolff,  Eduard 

Warsaw               816 

Paris                   1880 

Meyer,  Leopold  von 

Baden                  816 

Dresden              1883 

Marmontel,  Antoine  F. 

Clermont- 

Ferrand        816 

Paris                   1898 

Prudent,  Emile  B. 

Angouleme          817 

Paris                   1863 

Dreyschock,  Alexander 

Zack,  Boh.          818 

Venice                 1869 

Tedesco,  Ignaz 

Prague                817 

Odessa               1882 

Kontski,  Antoine  de 

Cracow                817 

Norvogrod         1899 

Billet,  Alexandre  P. 

St.  Petersburg    817 

Ravina,  Henri        .        . 

Bordeaux            818 

Kullak,  Theodore  . 

Krotoschin          818 

Florence             1882 

Fontaine,  Mortimer  de  . 

Wisnoweic          816 

Balham,  Eng.    1885 

Gutmann,  Adolph  . 

Heidelburg         819 

Spezzia                1882 

Schumann,  Clara  (Wieck)     . 

Leipzig                819 

Frankfort-on- 

the-Main     1896 

Loeschom,  Albert  .        .       . 

Berlin                  819 

Evers,  Carl     .... 

Hamburg            819 

Vienna                1875 

Halte,  Sir  Charles 

Hagen                 819 

Manchester        1896 

Fesca,  Alexander  E. 

Cansruhe            820 

Brunswick          1859 

Litolff,  Henry 

London                820 

Paris                   1891 

Kohler,  Louis  (Ludwig  ?) 

Brunswick          820 

Konigsberg        1886 

Kriiger,  Wilhelm  . 

Stuttgart             820 

Stuttgart             1883 

Willmers,  Rudolph        . 

Berlin                  821 

Vienna                1878 

Ehrlich,  Heinrich  .        .        . 

Vienna                822 

Berlin                  1898 

Horsley,  Charles  Edward 

London               822 

New  York          1876 

Goria,  Alexandre  E.      .        . 

Paris                    823 

Paris                   1860 

Kuhe,  William       . 

Prague                823 

Blassman,  Adolph         . 

Dresden              823 

Bautzen              1891 

Kirchner,  Theodore       .        . 

near  Chemnitz    824 

Franck,  C^sar  A.  J.  G.  H.    . 

Liege                   822 

Paris                   1890 

Herzberg,  Anton  . 

Tarnow,  Gal.      825 

Wehle,  Charles      . 

Prague                825 

Paris                  1887 

Schulhoff,  Julius   . 

Prague                 825 

Berlin                 1898 

Strakosch,  Moritz  .        . 

Lemburg             825 

Paris                   1887 

Berens,  Hermann  . 

Hamburg            826 

Stockholm         1880 

Macfarren,  Walter  C.    . 

London               826 

Pauer,  Ernst  .... 

Vienna                 826 

Sloper,  Lindsay     .       . 

London               826 

London               1887 

334 


Chronological  Table. 


NAME. 

Place  and  Date  of 
Birth. 

Place  and  Date  of 
Death. 

Dresel,  Otto  .... 

Andernach        1826 

Beverly,  Mass.  1890 

Loder,  Kate  F. 

Bath                   1826 

Reinecke,  Carl 

Altone               1827 

Silas,  Edward 

Amsterdam       1827 

Wollenhaupt,  Hermann  A.   . 

Diisseldorf        1827 

New  York          1863 

Fumagalli,  Adolfo  . 

Inzago               1828 

Florence             1856 

Parker,  James  C.  D.     . 

Boston               1828 

Seeling,  Hans 

Prague              1828 

Prague                1862 

Dupont,  August     . 

Liege                 1828 

Brussels              1890 

Ascher,  Joseph 

Gronnigen         1829 

London               1869 

Gottschalk,  L.  M. 

New  Orleans    1829 

Rio  de  Janeiro  1869 

Goldschmidt,  Otto 

Hamburg          1829 

Lazare,  Martin 

Brussels             1829 

Brussels              1897 

Mason,  William     . 

Boston               1829 

Billow,  Hans  G.  von 

Dresden             1830 

Cairo                   1894 

Bronsart    von    Schellendorf, 

Hans        .... 

Berlin                1830 

Filtsch,  Karl  .... 

Hermannstadt  1830 

Vienna               1845 

Klindworth,  Karl  . 

Hanover            1830 

Leschetitzky,  Theodor  . 
Hoffman,  Richard 

Poland               1830 
Manchester, 

Eng.          1831 

Rubinstein,  Anton         .        . 

Wechwotynecz  1830 

Peterhof             1894 

Zarzycki,  Alexander 

Lemberg           1831 

Warsaw              1895 

Epstein,  Julius 

Agram               1832 

Jaell,  Alfred  .... 

Trieste               1832 

Paris                   1882 

Wiillner,  Franz 

Munster             1832 

Bendel,  Franz        .        . 

Bohemia            1833 

Berlin                  1874 

Brahms,  Johannes 

Hamburg          1833 

Vienna                1897 

Bache,  Francis  E.  .        . 

Birmingham      1833 

Birmingham       1858 

Door,  Anton  .... 

Vienna               1833 

Pflughaupt,  Robert 

Berlin                1833 

Aix-la-Chapelle  1871 

Roznosky,  Josef  R. 

Prague               1833 

Singer,  Otto   .... 

Sora,  Saxony     1833 

Krause,  Anton 

Geithan, 

Saxony       1834 

Pruckner,  Dionys  . 

Munich              1834 

Heidelberg        1896 

Japha,  George  J.  . 
Rubinstein,  Nicolas 

Konigsberg       1835 
Moscow             1835 

Cologne              1892 
Paris                   1881 

Saint-Saens,  Camille  C. 

Paris                  1835 

Andreoli,  Giugliehno     . 

Modena            1835 

Nice                   1860 

Camps  Y  Soler,  Oscar  . 

Alexandria        1837 

Dulcken,  Ferdinand  Q. 

London              1837 

Jarvis,  Charles  H. 

Philadelphia     1837 

Philadelphia      1895 

Lang,  B.  J  

Salem,  Mass.    1837 

Pflughaupt,  Sophie  (Stchepin) 
Rhemberger,  Joseph 
Wieniawski,  Josef          .        . 

Dunaberg         1837 
Vaduz                1837 
Dublin               1837 

Aix-la-Chapelle  1867 

Barnet,  John  Francis     . 

England            1838 

Fuchs,  Karl  D.  J. 

Potsdam           1838 

Chronological  Table. 


335 


NAME. 

Place  and  Date  of 
Birth. 

Place  and  Date  of 
Death. 

Goddard,  Arabella  (Davison) 

St.  Servans        1838 

Mills,  Sebastian  B. 

Cirencester, 

Eng.          1838 

Wiesbaden         1898 

Pease,  Alfred  H.   .        . 

Cleveland,  O.    1838 

St.  Louis            1882 

Treiber,  Wilhelm  . 

Graz                   1838 

Baermann,  Karl     . 

Munich              1839 

, 

Gernsheim,  Friedrich    . 

Worms              1839 

Goldbeck,  Robert  . 

Potsdam           1839 

Plante1,  Francois    .        .        . 

Orthez               1839 

Smith,  Sydney 

Dorchester, 

Eng.           1839 

London              1889 

Brassin,  Louis        .        . 

Aix-la-Chapelle 

1840 

St.  Petersburg  1884 

Bronsart,       Ingeborg      von 

(Stark)     .... 

St.  Petersburg  1840 

Hill,  Junius  W.     . 

Hingham, 

Mass.          1840 

Ratzenberger,  Theodor 

Grossbreiten- 
bach            1840 

Wiesbaden         1879 

Seiss,  Isidor  .... 

Dresden             1840 

Kowalski,  Henry  .        .        . 

Paris                  1841 

Ritter,  Theodore   . 

Paris                  1841 

Paris                  1886 

Tausig,  Carl  .... 

Warsaw            1841 

Leipzig              1871 

Bache,  Walter 

Birmingham, 

Eng.           1842 

London              1888 

Bussmeyer,  Hugo  .        . 

Brunswick         1842 

Duvernoy,  Victor  A.      .        . 

Paris                  1842 

Hofmann,  Heinrich       . 

Berlin                1842 

Labor,  Josef  .... 

Bohemia            1842 

Lavalle"e,  Calixa     . 

Vercheres, 

Canada       1842 

Boston               1891 

Dimmer,  Louis 

Paris                  1843 

Fissot,  Alexis  Henri     . 

Airaiues, 

France        1843 

Paris                 1896 

Hamerik,  Asger     . 

Copenhagen      1843 

Grieg,  Edouard      ... 
Mehlig,  Anna 

Bergen               1843 
Stuttgart            1843 

Napoleon,  Arthur          . 

Oporto               1843 

Sgambati,  Giovanni 
Wallenstein,  Martin      . 

Rome                 1843 
Frankfort-am- 

Main           1843 

Dannreuther,  Edward  . 

Strassburg         1844 

Fay,  Amy       .... 

Bayou  Goula, 

Miss.           1844 

Petersilea,  Carlyle         . 

Boston,  Mass.  1844 

Cesi,  Beniamino    .        . 

Naples               1845 

Dreszer,  A.  Wilhelm     . 

Kafisch,  Po- 

land            1845 

Lie,  Erica      .... 

Near  Christiana 

1845 

Chronological  Table. 


NAME. 

Place  and  Date  of 
Birth. 

Place  and  Date  of 
Death. 

Eichberg,  Oscar     . 

Berlin                1845 

Pattison,  John  Nelson  . 

Niagara  Falls, 

N.  Y.         1845 

Perabo,  Ernst 

Wiesbaden        1845 

Scholtz,  Hermann 

Breslau              1845 

Schulz-Schwerin,  Carl  . 

Schwerin           1845 

Armbruster,  Karl  . 

Andernach        1846 

Briill,  Ignaz  .... 

Moravia            1846 

Buonamici,  Giuseppe    . 

Florence            1846 

Faelten,  Carl 

Ilmenau             1846 

Earth,  Karl  Heinrich    . 

Pillau                 1847 

Erdmannsdorfer,   Pauline 

(Opravnik)      .        . 

Vienna               1847 

Raif,  Oscar    .... 

The  Hague       1847 

Berlin                189! 

Them,  Willy 

Of  en                  1847 

Zimmermann,  Agnes     . 

Cologne            1847 

Them,  Louis          .        .        . 

Ofen                   1848 

Ketten,  Henri 

Baja,  Hungary  1848 

Menter,  Sophie  (Popper) 

Munich              1848 

Pachmann,  Vladimir  de 

Odessa               1848 

Bournemouth, 

Eng.           1848 

Bach,  Leonard  E.  . 

Posen                 1849 

Zichy,  Count  Geza 

Sztara,  Hun- 

gary            1849 

Bendix,  Otto  .... 

Copenhagen      1850 

Parsons,  Albert  R. 

Indianapolis      1850 

Scharwenka,  Xaver 

Samter               1850 

Schytte,  Ludwig    . 

Aarhus,  Den- 

mark          1850 

Essipoff,   Annette    (Lesche- 

titzky)      .... 

St.  Petersburg  1851 

Krebs,  Marie  (Brenning) 

Dresden            1851 

Liebling,  Emil 

Pless                  1851 

Pinner,  Max  .... 

New  York         1851 

Davos,  Switz.    188- 

Bischoff,  Hans 

Berlin                1852 

Berlin                  i88< 

Grunfeld,  Alfred    . 

Prague               1852 

Leitert,  Johann 

Dresden            1852 

Maas,  Louis  .... 

Wiesbaden        1852 

Boston               i88< 

Pugno,  Raoul 
Stemberg,  Constantin  .        . 

Montrouge        1852 
St.  Petersburg  1852 

Vogrich,  Max 

Szeben               1852 

—  r^rre^o,  Teresa     - 

Venezuela         1853 

Foote,  Arthur  W.  . 

Salem,  Mass.    1853 

Joseffy,  Raphael   . 

Miscolz, 

Pressburg  1853 

Krause,  Martin 

Near  Leipzig     1853 

Nicode,  Jean  L.     . 

Jerczik, 

Poland        1853 

Rendano,  Maurice 

Carolei               1853 

Chronological  Table. 


337 


NAME. 

Place  and  Date  of 
Birth. 

Place  and  Date  of 
Death. 

Pirani,  Eugenic     .        . 

Bologna             1853 

Rummel,  Franz 

London               1853 

Heymann,  Carl      .        . 

Amsterdam       1854 

Moskowski,  Moritz 

Breslau              1854 

Pabst,  Paul    .... 

Konigsberg       1854 

Remmert,  Martha 

Glogau               1854 

Sherwood,  William  H.  . 

Lyons,  N.  Y.    1854 

Tinel,  Edgar  .... 

Sinay,  Belgium  1854 

Turner,  Alfred  D. 

St.  Albans,  Me.  1854 

St.  Albans,  Me.  1888 

Zarembski,  Jules  de 

Shitomar,  Po- 

land           1854 

Shitomar            1885 

King,  Oliver  A.     ... 

London              1855 

Perry,  Edward  Baxter  .       . 

Haverhill, 

Mass.          1855 

Rontgen,  Julius     . 
Stasny,  Carl  .... 

Leipzig              1855 
Mainz-am- 

Rhein          1855 

Timanoff,  Vera 

Ula,  Russia       1855 

Hopekirk,  Helen  (Wilson)   . 

Edinburgh         1856 

wTanotha,  Natalie    . 
'Rchiitt,  Eduard 

Warsaw             1856 
St.  Petersburg  1856 

Buths,  Julius  .... 

Wiesbaden        1857 

Eibenschutz,  Albert       . 

Berlin                1857 

Johns,  Clayton 

Newcastle, 

Del.            1857 

Rive",  Julia  (King) 

Cincinnati          1857 

Schoenfeld,  Henry 

Milwaukee, 

Wis.             1837 

Wendling,  Carl      . 

Frankenstadt    1857 

Hyllested,  August 
Klein,  Oscar  Bruno 

Stockholm         1858 
Osnabruck         1858 

Leoncavallo,  Ruggiero. 

Naples               1858 

silifidheim,  Arthur          .         . 
—  Edereuu&i,  Tgnp'-p  J^" 

St.  Petersburg  1859 
Podolia              1859 

Ohe,  Adele  aus  der 

Hanover              ? 

Schiller,    Madeleine      (Ben- 

nett)        .... 

London 

Burmeister,  Richard 

Hamburg          1860 

Romaniello,  Luigi 

Naples               1860 

Wurm,  Marie 

Southampton    1860 

Chaminade,  Cecile 

Paris                  1861 

McDowell,  Edward  A.  . 

New  York         1861 

Whiting,  Arthur    . 

Cambridge, 

Mass.           1861 

Lambert,  Alexander 

Warsaw             1862 

Burger,  Marie  (Paur)     . 

Gengenbach      1862 

New  York          1899 

Rosenthal,  Moritz 

Lemberg           1862 

_Sauer,  Emil   .... 

Hamburg          1862 

biaVefihagen,  Bernhard 

Greiz                  1862 

Davies,  Fanny 

Guernsey          1863 

338 


Chronological  Table. 


NAME. 

Place  and  Date  of 
Birth. 

Place  and  Date  of 
Death. 

Philipp,  Isidor       .        . 

Pesth                 1863 

Rehberg,  Willy     . 

Merges, 

Switzerland  1863 

Reisenaur,  Alfred  . 

Konigsberg       1863 

Sandt,  Max  van  de        . 

Rotterdam        1863 

Schbnberger,  Benno      . 

Vienna               1863 

Siloti,  Alexander    .        . 

Charkov            1863 

D'Albert,  Eugen  . 

Glasgow            1864 

Liebling,  George    .        . 

Berlin                1865 

Slivinski.  Joseph  von    . 
Bloomfield,  Fanny  (Zeisler)  . 

Warsaw             1865 
Bielitz                1866 

^Kusoni,  Feruccio  B. 

Empoli              1866 

J'alcke,  JleHfl  '     '.        . 

Paris                  1866 

Kleeberg,  Clothilde 
Pauer,  Max   .                 .        . 

Paris                  1866 
London              1866 

Schumann,  George  A.  . 

Konigstein        1866 

Sherwood,  Percy    .        .        . 

Dresden             1866 

Sieveking,  Martinus      . 

Amsterdam       1867 

Borwick,  Leonard  ... 

Walthamstow, 

Eng.           1868 

Gallico,  Paulo 

Trieste               1868 

Jonas,  Alberto 

Madrid              1868 

Lamond,  Frederick  O.  . 

Glasgow            1868 

Sapellnikoff,  Wasily      .        . 

Odessa              1868 

Szumowska,  Antoinette 

(Adamowski)  . 

Lublin                1868 

Godowsky,  Leopold 
Stojowski,  Sigismund    . 

Wilna                 1870 
Strelce,  Poland  1870 

Douste,  Jeanne 

London              1872 

Eibenschutz,  Ilona 

Pesth                 1872 

Rachmaninoff,  Suza 

Novgorod         1873 

Geselchap,  Marie  .        . 

Java                   1874 

Bailey,  Marie  Louise    . 

Nashville, 

Tenn.           1876 

Keener,  Otto 

Basel                  1876 

Hofmannf  To^ff     ... 

Cracow              1877 

JJohnanyi.  Lrnest  von  . 

Pressburg          1878 

Siemens,  rneda     ... 

Berlin               1882 

Koczalski,  Raoul  . 

Warsaw            1885 

INDEX. 


Adam,  A.  C.,  34. 
Adam,  L.,  33,  34. 
Adams,  Estella,  203. 
Anderson,  Mrs.,  292. 
Ansorge,  C.,  211,  276. 
Apthorp,  W.  F.,  169. 
Aus  der  Ohe,  A.,  319-321. 

Bach,  J.  C.,  17,  18 

Bach,  J.  S.,  15,  16,  17,  22, 

68,  92,  93,  257. 
Bach,  K.  P.  E.,  17,  23,  24, 

25,  38- 

Bach,  L.  E.,  327. 
Baermann,  C.,  208. 
Barcinska,  Mine.  I.,  84. 
Bargiel,  287. 
Barnum,  P.  T.,  115. 
Barth,  C.,  211,  212. 
Beatty-Kingston,  132. 
Beckford,  26. 
Beethoven,  L.  von,   29,  33, 

35,  41,  42,  45,  47-53,  57, 

61,  65,  67,  68,  85,  96,  97, 

122,  177,  210,  281. 
Beecke,  Von,  30. 
Belleville-Oury,    Mme.,    67, 

282. 


Bendel,  F.,  180,  293. 
Benedict,  J.,  313. 
Bennett,  M.  E.,  313. 
Bennett,  Sterndale,  137,  149. 
Berger,  28. 
Bergmann,  146. 
Beriot,  De,  282. 
Berlioz,  H.,  100,  291. 
Bie,  Oscar,  42,  85,  211,  242, 

276. 

Bilse,  147. 
Bird,  H.  R.,  277. 
Blahetka,  W.,  120. 
Bloomfield-Zeisler,   F.,  227, 

321-324. 
Bohner,  L.,  73. 
Bonaparte,  J.,  58. 
Berwick,  L.,  277. 
Bosendorfer,  L.,  271. 
Boucher,  Mme.,  124. 
Brachvogel,  162. 
Brahms,  J.,  177-180. 
Brandes,  Emma,  298. 
Brassin,  L.,  183,  195. 
Breitner,  L.,  327. 
Brenning,  T.,  297. 
Brignoli,  203,  306. 
Broadwood,  J.,  19. 


339 


340 


Index. 


Bronsart,  106. 

Browne,  Count,  52,  58. 

Billow,  D.  von,  104. 

Billow,  Hans  von,  101,  107, 
108,  146,  150,  151,  165- 
170,  171,  176,  209,  210, 
229,  238,  244,  271,  277, 
3 *  2,  320,  329. 

Bull,  O.,  115. 

Burmeister,  R.,  206. 

Buroni,  26. 

Busoni,  F.  B.,  212,  255-257, 
275. 

Bussler,  L.,  323. 

Carey,  Annie  Louise,  203. 

Carpani,  26. 

Carreno,  T.,  245,  250,  301- 

3*3- 

Catalani,  Mme.,  283. 
Chadwick,  Geo.  W.,  317. 
Cherubini,  97. 
Chickering,  J.,  22. 
Chopin,  F.,  45,  56,  63,  70, 

71,  72,  74,  75.  77,  83-86, 

88,   89,  98,     TOO,    1 2O,    122, 
126,     127,     139,     153,     165, 

172,   175,    185,    188,   189, 
196,   206,   207,   230,  239, 

327- 

Chorley,  Henry  F.,  76. 
Clauss-Szavardy,   W.,   290- 

292,  293. 
Clementi,  M.,  12,  24,  25-29, 

35,  40,  44,  55,  56,  61,  68, 

70. 

Collard,  28. 
Colonne,  E.,  221. 
Condicelli,  26. 
Com,  S.,  38. 
Cox,  J.  £.,64,65,  79,  113. 


Cramer,  J.  B.,  24,  28,  35,  40, 

43-45,  64,  7°,  "3- 
Crehome,  B.,  22. 
Cristofali,  B.,  15. 
Czerny,  C.,  35,   47,   66-68, 

96,  127,  282. 

D'Agoult,  Comtesse,  101. 
D'Albert,  E.,  209,  212,  227, 
242-245,   248,    267,    270, 

275,  3°8- 
D'Artignan,  99. 
Davidoff,  270. 
Davison,  J.  W.,  292,  294. 
Deppe,  202. 
Dibdin,  C.,  18. 
Diemer,  L.,  183-184,  212. 
Dietrichstein,  Prince,  123. 
Dohler,  67. 

Dohnanyi,  E.  von,  270-273. 
Donimierska,  E.,  220. 
Douste,  J.,  326. 
Dresel,  O.,  209. 
Dreyfus,  188. 
Dreyschock,     A.,     131-132, 

293- 

Dulcken,  L.,  120. 
Duprez,  135. 
Dussek,  35,  37-40,  122. 

Eibenschutz,  I.,  325. 
Eisner,  J.,  83. 
Embden,  C.,  69. 
Englemann,  298. 
Epstein,  J.,  271. 
Erard,  S.,  19-20. 
Essipoff,  Mme.  A.,  218,  220, 
299-301,  319,  322. 

Farinelli,  23. 
Fay,  M.,  202. 


Index. 


341 


Fetis,  39. 

Field,  J.,  24,  28,  55-57. 
Finck,  Miss,  245,  308. 
Fischoff,  127. 
Fladt,  Frau  von,  86. 
Fontaine,  M.  de,  326. 
Forstner,  K.,  270. 
Franklin,  B.,  38. 
Franz,  R.,  177. 
Frederici,  C.  E.,  19. 
Frederick  the  Great,  16,  24. 
Fridburg,  127. 
Friedheim,  A.,  204-206,  208, 

211,  227. 

Gabrilowitsch,  O.,  211,  273- 

276. 

Gasparini,  23. 
Gelinek,  36,  47. 
Gericke,  F.,  271. 
Goddard,  A.,  292-295. 
Godowsky,  L,.,  208,  260-265. 
Goldschmidt,  Dr.  H.,  191. 
Goldschmidt,  O.,  112. 
Gorlitz,  H.,  222. 
Gottschalk,  L.  M.,  138-144, 

303- 

Grassi,  18. 

Grave,  Elsa  von,  259. 
Grisi,  306. 
Griinfeld,  A.,  191-193,  227, 

271. 
Gye,  E.,  297. 

Haessler,  J.  W.,  32. 

Halle",  Sir  C.,  126,  137,  149, 

293.  3'3- 
Hambourg,  M.,  268-270, 

272,  275. 
Handel,  F.,  23,  24,  29. 

Hanslick,  Dr.,  250. 


Hauk,  Minnie,  194,  195. 
Hauptmann,  146,  166. 
Haydn,  J.,  24,  49,  51,  6l. 
Hegner,  Otto,  276. 
Heller,  S.,  163. 
Henschel,  G.,  315. 
Henselt,  A.,  75,  86-94,  293. 
Herz,  H.,  112-120,  143,  151, 

284,  299. 

Heymann,  K.,  211,  212. 
Higginson,  H.  L.,  231. 
Hiller,  F.,  63,  120,  148. 
Hoch,  Dr.,  200,  288. 
Hofmann,  J.,  212,  265-268. 
Hopekirk,  H.,  315-317. 
Hummel,  J.  N.,  24,  51,  53- 

55,  61,  64,  65,  69,  71,  86, 

122. 

Hyllested,  A.,  204. 

Isaacs,  B.,  313. 
Isembourg,  Prince  of,  39. 

Jaell,  A.,  112,  143,  144,  145. 
Janotha,  N.,  215,  314. 
Joachim,  J.,  178,  179,  304. 
Jonas,  A.,  208. 
Joseffy,    R.,    193,    195-198, 

208,  209,  227,  238. 
Joseph  II.,  Emperor,  27. 

Kalkbrenner,  F.  W.  M.,  34, 
35,  51,  60-66,  81,  284,  292. 

Karl,  I.,  306. 

Kellogg,  Clara  L.,  203. 

Kleeberg,  C.,  325. 

Klemm,  T.,  47. 

Klengel,  28. 

Klindworth,  C.,  146,  147, 
148. 

Kneisel,  F,,  201. 


342 


Index. 


Koessler,  270. 
Kohler,  L.,  254. 
Kologrivov,  158. 
Kontski,    A.    de,    133-134, 

1Sl>  329- 

Krebs,  M.,  296,  297. 
Kryzomowska,  J.,  83. 
Kullak,   T.,   191,    199,   202, 

320. 

Lablache,  L.,  124,  306. 

Labori,  188. 

Lachner,  278. 

Lafont,  113. 

Lamoureux,   221,  229,  230, 

248. 

Lang,  B.  J.,  209. 
Larochefoucald,     Baroness. 

136- 
Lenz,  Von,  44,  45,  84,  88, 

173- 

Leschetitzky,  T.,  158,  217- 
220,  225,  252,  268,  269, 
271,  274,  299,  300,  301, 
315.  322. 

Lesseps,  Countess  de,  262. 

Lichnowsky,  Count,  58. 

Liebert,  298. 

Lind,  Jenny,  115. 

Lip  an  sky,  47. 

Liszt,  A.,  96,  97,  99. 

Liszt,  F.,  36,  44,  45,  54,  63, 
67.  70,  74,  75>  77.  81,  85, 
88,  89,  94-109,  120,  121, 

122,     124,     126,     131,    147, 

IS*.  153.  154.  165,  166, 
168,  171,  173,  175,  176, 
»77,  179.  180,  182,  189, 

191,  196,  199,  200,  202, 
205,  207,  212,  213,  2l8, 
»39,  241,  243,  249,  250, 


254,     259,     277,     285,    293, 

296,  298,     301,     320,    329. 

Litolff,  H.,  134-136. 

Lloyd,  E.,  252. 

Lorenz,  O.,  286. 

Louis  Ferdinand,  Prince,  39. 

Ludwig,  King,  86. 

MacDowell,  E.,  250. 
MacKenzie,  A.  C.,  316. 
Malibran,  283. 
Mandl,  R.,  317. 
Manner,  Count,  37. 
Mapleson,    Col.,    304,    305, 

306,  327. 

Marie  Antoinette,  38. 
Mario,  306. 
Marius,  15. 
Marmontel,  183,  184. 
Marx,  Berthe,  298. 
Mason,  Wm.,  146,  202,  227, 

231,  3l8- 
Matheson,  17. 
Matzka,  146. 
Mayrburger,  189. 
Mecklenburg,  Duke  of,  193. 
Mehlig,  A.,  298. 
Mendelssohn,  40,  69,  70,  75- 

79,  120,  243,  249. 
Menter,    Sophie,    268,    295, 

297,  309. 
Meyer,  Dr.,  255. 

Meyer,  L.  von,  112, 127-131, 

143- 

Meyerbeer,  28. 
Mikuli,  C.,  238,  239. 
Mills,  S.  B.,  209,  318. 
Moscheles,  L,  64,  68-72,  75, 

113,  132,    144,    146,    183, 

228,  313. 
Moskowski,  M.,  266. 


Index. 


343 


Mozart,  L.,  29. 

Mozart,   W.  A.,  27,   29-32, 

36,  49,  68,  255,  281. 
Mozenthal,  146. 
Musin,  O.,  262. 

Nawratil,  317. 

Neruda,     Mme.     Normann, 

137- 

Nicholas,  Czar,  153. 
Nikisch,  A.,  275,  316. 
Nissen-Salomon,  158. 

Ohe,  Adele  aus  der,  227. 
Okey,  Miss  M.,  188. 
Ollivier,  E.,  101. 
Ottoboni,  Cardinal,  23. 

Pachmann,  Vladimir  de, 

184-189,    197,    209,    212, 

240,  243,  260,  272. 
Paderewski,  I.  J.,  176,  198, 

209,   211,    212-233,    243» 

260,  275. 

Paganini,  100,  283. 
Parker,  J.  C.  D.,  209. 
Patti,  Carlotta,  145. 
Patti,  Adelina,  200,  252. 
Pauer,  Ernst,  137,  138,  1 80, 

242,  277,  293. 
Pauer,  Max,  277,  278. 
Perabo,  E.,  209. 
Perry,  E.  B.,  198,  199. 
Pleyel,  12. 

Pleyel,  Mme.,  62,  120. 
Popper,  D.,  200,  252,  255. 
Potter,  Cipriani,  65,  66. 
Proksch,  1 80. 
Prout,  E.,  242. 
Pruckner,  146,  278,  298. 


Prudent,  E.,  149. 
Pugno,  R.,  194,  276. 

Radziwill,  Prince,  83. 
Ravina,  H.,  148. 
Redondo,  J.,  139. 
Reinecke,  K.,  197. 
Reisenaur,  A.,  253-255. 
Remenyi,  E.,  178. 
Richter,  146,  243,  271,  274, 

310,311,316. 
Rieder,  A.,  30. 
Ries,  F.,  45,  52,  57-60,  95. 
Risler,  E.,  212. 
Rive-King,  Julia,  227,  318- 

Romberg,  59. 
Rontgen,  J.,  251. 
Rosellen,  H.,  120,  148. 
Rosen,  Baroness  H.von,  226. 
Rosenhain,  A.,  149. 
Rosenhain,  J.,  149. 
Rosenthal,  M.,  209,  211,  227, 

236,    237-241,    260,    268, 

271.  275,  323. 
Rothschild,  Baron  A.,  262. 
Rubinstein,    A.,    108,    121, 

146,    148,    150-165,    173, 

176,   182,    186,   209,  210, 

212,  217,  222,  228,    229, 

233.  256,  258,  259,    260, 

265,  267,  274,  275,    293, 

300,  301,  304,  311,    328, 

Rubinstein,  N.,  1 53, 154,  233. 
Rudorff,  249,  314. 
Rummel,  F.,  195,  227. 

Saint-Cricq,  Caroline,  99. 
Saint-Saens,  C.  C.,  181-182, 
261. 


344 


Index. 


Salieri,  68,  96. 

Salomon,  59. 

Sand,  Mme.  G.,  83,  100. 

Sarasate,  P.,  298. 

Sartarillo,  26. 

Sauer,  E.,  209,  211,  233-237. 

Sauret,  E.,  200,  307. 

Saxe,  Fredrica,  260. 

Saxe  Weimar,  Grand  Duke 

of,  1 02. 

Scarlatti,  22,  23. 
Scharwenka,  S.,  190. 
Scharwenka,    X.,    190-191, 

227. 

Schiller,  Mme.  M.,  313. 
Schmitt,  H.,  325. 
Schroter,  C.  G.,  15,  19. 
Schubart,  30. 
Schubert,  F.,  75,  177. 
Schumann,    Madame,     166, 

199,    277,    282,    283-290, 

293.  3OI»  3*4.  328»  329- 
Schumann,  R.,  75,  177,  179, 

284-287. 
Sechter,  86. 

Sherwood,  W.  H.,  201-203= 
Sieveking,  M.,  251-253. 
Silbermann,  16,  19. 
Siloti,  A.,  211,  259. 
Simonson,  F.,  328. 
Slivinski,  J.,  260. 
Sloper,  L.,  137. 
Spohr,  147. 
Stainer,  Dr.,  242. 
Stamaty,  C.,  120,  139. 
Stasny,  C.,  200. 
Stavenhagen,  B.,  248-250. 
Steibelt,  D.,  35,  40-43. 
Stein,  Nanette,  281. 
Steinway,  W.,  231,  232,  257. 
Sterling,  Miss,  84. 


Stern,  Daniel,  101. 
Sternberg,  C.,  193-194. 
Sterkel,  J.  F.  X.,  32,  33. 
Strakosch,  M.,  306. 
Streicher,  282. 
Sullivan,  A.,  242. 
Szalit,  212. 
Szavardy,  F.,  291. 

Tagliapetra,   306,  307,  308, 

3°9»  3io- 
Talleyrand,  39. 
Taubert,  W.,  120. 
Tausig,    C.,    170-175,    197, 

229,  241,  243,  293. 
Tedesco,  I.,  149. 
Thalberg,    S.,   67,   98,    in, 

112,    120-127,    131,    143. 

145,    151,    177,    187,  292, 

295. 

Thoman,  270. 

Thomas,  Th.,  146,  201,  203. 
Tietjens,  T.,  304,  306. 
Tode,  Dr.,  104. 
Tomaschek,  149. 
Trautmann,  Marie,  145. 
Tschaikowsky,  P.  I.,  259. 
Tschudi,  19. 
Tua,  Teresina,  255. 

Ullmann,  B.,  115. 
Ungher-Sabatier,  Mme.,  291. 
Urban,  H.,  216. 

Vieuxtemps,  125,  153. 
Villoing,  152,  153. 
Vogel,  H.,  254. 
Volkmann,  189. 

Wagner,  Cosima,  168. 
Wagner,  R.,  101,  166,  168. 


Index. 


345 


Wallace,  in. 

Weber,  D.,  68. 

Weber,  K.  M.  von,  72,  73. 

Wetzlar,  Baroness,  123. 

Wieck,   F.,    165,    284,  285, 

287. 

Wielopolski,  299. 
Wieniawski,  H.,  159,  182. 
Wieniawski,  J.,  182. 
Wilhelmj,  A.,  194. 


Willmers,  293. 
Woelfl,  35,  45-47.  66- 
Wolfsohn,  C.,  321. 
Wolowski,  112. 

Ysaye,  194,  276. 

Zeisler,  S.,  322. 
Zichy,  Count  G.,  189. 
Zwereff,  259. 


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