One of the greatest living teachers in authority and breadth of
influence is =Theodor Leschetizky=, born in 1831. A pupil of Czerny,
he began to teach at the age of fifteen, having played in public since
1842. He became a teacher in the St. Petersburg Conservatory, where
he taught for many years. Soon after 1880 he settled in Vienna, where
he has lived ever since. Since the success of his pupil Paderewski,
Leschetizky has been the most sought-after teacher in the world. He has
been obliged to have assistants to prepare pupils for him. Students
have come to Vienna from all parts of the world. A brilliant pianist,
he has written piano music and even an opera, but his merit as a
teacher is due to the foundation given him by Czerny, who acquired his
traditions from Beethoven, to the keenness of his ability to prescribe
for the individual needs of the pupil and the simplicity and directness
of his “method.” His pupils have met with great success, although he
has not yet produced a second Paderewski.
=Ignaz Paderewski=, probably the greatest pianist since Liszt, although
like him excelled in some respects by others, was born in 1859. A
pupil of the Warsaw Conservatory, he also studied at Berlin. He taught
piano at the Warsaw Conservatory from 1878-83, and also at Strassburg.
Later he went to Leschetizky for a thorough course of study. After his
début at Vienna, in 1887, he conquered by degrees Paris and London.
His first visit to America was in 1891, when he carried all before
him. Since then he has visited the United States three times, he has
traveled over all Europe, and has visited Australia with overwhelming
success, financial and artistic. His most noticeable qualities are
a magnetic personality, a virtuoso technic, the color and piquant
rhythm of his playing, and the poetry and deep human intensity of his
interpretations. He has written several sets of pieces for the piano,
a concerto, and a fantasy with orchestra, and an opera. His generous
gift of the endowment of triennial prizes to American composers is an
admirable instance of his warm-heartedness.
=Josef Slavinski=, born 1865, who studied with Stroeble, Anton
Rubinstein and finally Leschetizky, is a pianist of great ability who
came to the United States in 1873, and again in 1901. Other Leschetizky
pupils are =Ossip Gabrilowitsch=, born 1878, also a pupil of Anton
Rubinstein and the St. Petersburg Conservatory, who came to America in
1900 and 1902; =Mark Hambourg=, born in 1879, who first studied with
his father, and after a tour of the United States in 1900, has had
brilliant successes in Europe and England; =Martinus Sieveking=, born
1867, a pupil of Röntgen at Leipzig, who visited America in 1895 and
again in 1896-97 and afterwards went to Vienna. There are many other
brilliant pupils of Leschetizky, but the foregoing are some of the best
known.
Paderewski has not taught, as a rule, since his great triumphs as a
virtuoso, but he has made exceptions. =Sigismond Stojowski=, born 1870,
was a pupil of the Paris Conservatory, where he won first prizes in
piano playing and composition. Later he studied with Paderewski, and
lived as pianist, teacher and composer in Paris. In 1905, he accepted
the position of head of the piano department at the Institute of
Musical Art, New York City. =Antoinette Szumowska-Adamowska= was born
in 1868. She studied at Warsaw, and later, for several years, with
Paderewski. She has made successful appearances in Europe and America.
Later she accepted a position at the New England Conservatory, in
Boston, U. S. A.
Another pianist of great ability who has profited by Paderewski’s
suggestions is =Harold Bauer=, born in 1873. A student of the violin,
as well as of the piano, he did not consider making a career as a piano
virtuoso until encouraged by Paderewski. In 1892, he studied with
Paderewski, although he is largely self-taught, for his individuality
and musical style show slight effects of Paderewski’s influence.
Bauer’s technic is superb, although he is not a virtuoso pure and
simple. His interpretations are healthy and vigorous, and especially
faithful to the composers’ intentions. His repertory is enormous. He
has made several extremely successful tours to the United States. He
has traveled also widely in Europe as well as to South America. Bauer
is one of the most eminent of living artists.
Among Norwegians, =Edvard Grieg=, born 1843, is a remarkable
interpreter of his own individual works. =Christian Sinding= and
=Wilhelm Stenhammar= also deserve mention.
The Italians have not produced many remarkable pianists, nevertheless,
several are well known. Chief among them is =Giovanni Sgambati=, born
1843, a pupil of Liszt. Sgambati has composed charming music for
the piano, as well as chamber-music, a concerto and symphony. He is
director of the Academy of St. Cecilia, at Rome. =Giuseppe Buonamici=,
born 1846, a pupil of the Munich Conservatory and of von Bülow, has
done much to promote music in Florence. He has been connected with
several musical societies in that city, and has been active as a
teacher. His editions of Beethoven’s sonatas, of Bertini’s etudes, and
a treatise on scale playing are of great value to the student. The
most prominent Italian pianist, who has lived a cosmopolitan life, is
=Feruccio Busoni=, born in 1866. Early in life he became a member, as
a pianist, of the Bologna Philharmonic Academy, after a severe test.
In 1888, he accepted a position at the Helsingfors Conservatory. In
1890, he won the Rubinstein prize as composer and pianist. Subsequently
he taught the piano in the Moscow Conservatory, and later he was
connected with the New England Conservatory at Boston. Since then he
has lived in Europe as a pianist and conductor of ultra-modern music.
Busoni has one of the most formidable technics of any pianist living.
He has edited Bach’s “Well-Tempered Clavichord,” with many helpful
technical suggestions, also the smaller preludes and inventions; he has
made masterly transcriptions of Bach’s organ works for the piano, of a
fantasy for organ by Liszt, the same composer’s “Mephisto Waltz,” etc.
He re-visited America in 1904.
=Stephen Heller=, born 1814, died 1888, was much influenced by Chopin.
He was a talented pianist, who will be remembered chiefly by his
studies, and a few other pieces, which have decided educational value.
Among other living pianists who escape classification for one reason
or another are =Moritz Moszkowski=, born 1854, a pupil of the Dresden,
Kullak and Stern Conservatories; while a successful pianist and
teacher, he is known chiefly for his fluent and graceful piano music,
although he has composed works in larger forms. =Franz Rummel=, born
1853, died 1901, a pupil of Brassin and the Brussels Conservatory,
toured Europe and visited America several times; he taught at the
Stern Conservatory in Berlin; =Rafael Joseffy=, born 1853, went to
the Leipzig Conservatory, he then studied with Carl Tausig and later
with Liszt; of late years he has taught at the National Conservatory
at New York. His concert appearances have invariably been successful,
although he has devoted himself largely to teaching. A pianist of
especial distinction is =Vladimir de Pachmann=, born in 1848, a
pupil of the Vienna Conservatory; in spite of a brilliant début
he retired for many years’ study; on reappearing he gave concerts
over all Europe, and has made several visits to America; his chief
triumphs have been as the inimitable interpreter of Chopin; =Leopold
Godowsky=, born 1870, appeared as a prodigy at the age of nine; he
studied at the _Hochschule_ in Berlin, made European tours, and studied
with Saint-Saëns from 1887 to 1890; he taught at conservatories in
Philadelphia and Chicago; in 1902, he returned to Europe, where he has
given concerts constantly with phenomenal success. A composer of piano
pieces, he has devised many extraordinary versions of Chopin’s studies.
Among English pianists, =Frederic Lamond=, a pupil of the Raff
Conservatory, of von Bülow and Liszt, and =Leonard Borwick=, a pupil of
Mme. Schumann, are the best known, although there are many pianists of
rising reputation.
Two young pianists deserving of especial recognition are Ernst von
Dohnanyi and Josef Hofmann. =Dohnanyi=, born 1877, is a pupil of
Kessler and D’Albert. In 1898, he won a double success as pianist and
composer with a piano concerto. In 1900, he made a brilliant tour in
America. Since then he has devoted himself largely to composition.
=Josef Hofmann= was a pupil of his father, and later, of Anton
Rubinstein. He played the piano when six years old; in public at the
age of nine. In the following year he gave fifty-two concerts in the
United States. After retiring for study under Rubinstein, he reappeared
a mature artist. He has since visited America several times. Hofmann
has an unusual technic; his individuality is not striking, but he is an
artist of conspicuous merit.