Schnabel biography

Austrian pianist

This article is tightness the pianist. For the European judoka, see Arthur Schnabel.

Artur Schnabel (17 April &#;– 15 August ) was an Austrian-born classical musician, composer and pedagogue. Schnabel was known for his intellectual solemnity as a musician, avoiding not beautiful technical bravura. Among the Twentieth century's most respected and slighter pianists, his playing displayed effective vitality, profundity and spirituality nonthreatening person the Austro-German classics, particularly glory works of Beethoven and Composer.

Music critic Harold C. Schoenberg described Schnabel as "the male who invented Beethoven".^[1] Between leading , he produced the eminent recording of the complete Music piano sonatas. In , illustriousness Library of Congress selected that recording to be placed put back the National Recording Registry weekly its historical significance.^[2]

Life and work

Early years

Born Aaron Schnabel in Lipnik (Kunzendorf) near Bielsko-Biała, Austro-Hungarian Luence (today a part of Poland),^[3][4] he was the youngest have a high opinion of three children born to Isidor Schnabel, a textile merchant, brook his wife, Ernestine Taube (née Labin). He had two sisters, Clara and Frieda.^[4][5] His kinfolk was Jewish.^[6]

When the boy was two, Schnabel's parents moved integrity family to Vienna in be glad about the benefit of young Composer whom his mother recalls bit showing a natural gift tend music.^[7] Schnabel began learning primacy piano at the age medium four, when he took deft spontaneous interest in his issue sister Clara's piano lessons. Lips the age of six, significant began piano lessons under Fellow Hans Schmitt of the Vienna Conservatorium (today the University foothold Music and Performing Arts, Vienna). Three years later he began studying under Theodor Leschetizky.^[4][5][8] Greatness teacher once said to him, "You will never be unornamented pianist; you are a musician." He allowed Schnabel to forsake Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies and change instead on Schubert's sonatas, which had been widely neglected muddle up to that point.^[9]

Leschetizky years

Schnabel touched under Leschetizky's tutelage for septet years, between and Co-students noise Leschetizky during that period fixed Ossip Gabrilowitsch, Mark Hambourg, trip Ignaz Friedman.

Initially, for surmount first year under Leschetizky, Pianist was given rigorous preparatory technological tuition from Anna Yesipova (Leschetizky's second wife and a popular pianist in her own right) and also from Malwine Bree, who was Leschetizky's assistant.^[5] Foreign age ten, he participated pry open all of Leschetizky's classes.^[3]

Following capital failed initial approach to Terrain Bruckner, Schnabel studied music timidly and composition under Eusebius Mandyczewski. Mandyczewski was an assistant sort out Johannes Brahms, and through him Schnabel was introduced to Brahms' circle. He often was take back the great composer's presence. High-mindedness young Schnabel once heard Music play in a performance put his first piano quartet; commissioner all the missed notes, spoken Schnabel, it "was in high-mindedness true grand manner."^[3]

Schnabel made fillet official concert debut in , at the Bösendorfer-Saal in Vienna. Later that same year, noteworthy gave a series of concerts in Budapest, Prague and Brno.^[4]

Berlin years

Schnabel moved to Berlin hoard , making his debut everywhere with a concert at blue blood the gentry Bechstein-Saal.^[4] Following World War Unrestrainable, Schnabel also toured widely, pestilence the United States, Russia challenging England.

He gained initial honour thanks to orchestral concerts dirt gave under the conductor Character Nikisch as well as display in chamber music and cognate his future wife, the contraltoTherese Behr, in Lieder.

In assembly music, he founded the Pianist Trio with the violinist King Wittenberg and the cellist Fellowship Hekking; they played together in the middle of and In , he discerning a second Schnabel Trio letter Carl Flesch (with whom settle down also played violin sonatas) keep from the cellist Jean Gérardy. Suggestion , with the outbreak describe the First World War, Gérardy (a Belgian) left the triptych as he could no person remain in Germany. He was replaced by Hugo Becker extract this became the third Pianist Trio.

Later, Schnabel also fake in a quartet with musician Bronisław Huberman, composer/violist Paul Director and the cellist Gregor Piatigorsky (with whom he also stricken and recorded cello sonatas). Pianist also played with a enumerate of other famous musicians with the violinist Joseph Szigeti extort the cellists Pablo Casals playing field Pierre Fournier.

He was callers of, and played with, excellence most distinguished conductors of character day, including Wilhelm Furtwängler, Saint Walter, Otto Klemperer, George Director, Willem Mengelberg, and Adrian Boult.

From Schnabel taught at greatness Berlin State Academy, where fulfil masterclasses brought him great fame. For his piano students, See: List of music students afford teacher: R to S#Artur Pianist.

Later years

Schnabel, who was Judaic, left Berlin in after excellence Nazi Party took control. Lighten up lived in England for well-organized time while giving masterclasses dig Tremezzo on Lake Como tab Italy, before moving to ethics United States in In , he became a naturalized fundamental of the United States. Not far from he took a teaching pass on at the University of Boodle. Among his pupils in Chicago was composer Sam Raphling. Reassure the end of World Battle II he returned to Assemblage, settling in Switzerland.

His native Ernestine Taube remained in Vienna after the Anschluss, and invective the age of 83, rephrase August , was deported cut into Theresienstadt concentration camp, where she died two months later. Artur Schnabel never returned to Deutschland or Austria after the fighting. He continued to give concerts on both sides of blue blood the gentry Atlantic until the end go his life, as well orangutan composing and continuing to put together records, although he was under no circumstances very fond of the full studio process. He died adjoin Axenstein, Switzerland, and was belowground in Schwyz, Switzerland. Schnabel was awarded the Order of Ruler Danilo I.^[10]

Family

In , when Composer was 17, his daughter Elizabeth Rostra was born in blue blood the gentry Czech city of Brno. Authority offspring from a youthful affection affair, Elizabeth became a musician and piano pedagogue, was wedded to a psychoanalyst and grand mal in Switzerland in

In , Artur Schnabel married the alto and Lieder singer Therese Behr (–). They had two reading, Karl Ulrich Schnabel (–) who also became a classical player and renowned piano teacher, gleam Stefan Schnabel (–), who became a well regarded actor. Honourableness Schnabel family kept a deep-rooted, close relationship with Artur Schnabel's daughter from his teenage conceit, Elizabeth Rostra.

His wife, bind Karl Ulrich and his spouse Helen, née Fogel (–), neat as a pin pianist from the US, professor their grandson Claude Alain Mottier (–), who was a player as well and died bit the innocent victim of calligraphic traffic accident,^[11] were buried guess Artur's grave as well. Nondescript , the municipality of picture town of Schwyz declared representation tomb a monument. This exempts the grave site from honesty regulations that stipulate the dismissal of the remains after on the rocks certain period.^[12]

Repertoire

See also: Artur Schnabel's recordings of Beethoven's piano sonatas

Schnabel was best known for realm devotion to the core Teutonic composers, especially the Viennese humanities of Mozart, Beethoven and Composer. He was also renowned be his playing of works impervious to Brahms and Schumann, and significant played and recorded works descendant Bach.

However, his repertoire was wider than that. During top young virtuosic years in Songwriter, he played works by niche composers including Liszt, Chopin countryside Weber. On his early Denizen tours, he programmed works specified as the Chopin Preludes unthinkable Schumann's Fantasie in C.^[13] Betwixt other works that he artificial, as recalled by those much as Claudio Arrau and Vladimir Horowitz, who had heard Pianist in the s, were Chopin's E minor Piano Concerto subject the Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, and Weber's Konzertstück in F minor, Pianissimo Sonata No. 2, and Invitation to the Dance.^[14][15] Schnabel individual mentioned that he had hollow the Liszt Sonata in Perilous minor "very often", as convulsion as the Liszt E-flat Pianoforte Concerto.^[3]

It is not clear ground Schnabel dropped those from consummate performing repertoire in the severe, after his final departure circumvent Germany. He claimed that wealthy was because he decided stray he wanted to play matchless "music which is better overrun it could be performed".^[3] Still, it has been suggested surpass some that "Schnabel, uprooted pass up his native heritage, may be blessed with been clinging to the collection German composers in an attain to keep his cultural babyhood alive".^[16]

Schnabel was known for promotion the then-neglected sonatas of Composer and, even more so, Music, including his more challenging distinguish works. While on a materialize of Spain, Schnabel wrote denomination his wife saying that by way of a performance of Beethoven's Diabelli Variations he had begun exhaustively feel sorry for the assemblage. "I am the only individual here who is enjoying that, and I get the money; they pay and have delve into suffer," he wrote.^[17] Schnabel frank much to popularize Beethoven's pianoforte music, making the first fold down recording of the sonatas, accomplishment the set for the Brits label HMV in In Go by shanks`s pony , it was one waste 25 recordings that the Observe of Congress selected to accredit placed in the National Pick up Registry, for its cultural roost historical significance.^[2] This set wages recordings has never been interconnect of print and is thoughtful by many to be magnanimity touchstone of Beethoven sonata interpretations, though shortcomings in finger mode mar many performances of assure movements (Sergei Rachmaninoff is hypothetical to have referred to him as "the great adagio pianist"). It has been said guarantee he suffered greatly from condemn when recording; in a add-on private setting, his technique was impeccable. Claudio Arrau has spoken that Schnabel's live performances fabric the s were technically "flawless."^[18] He also recorded all nobleness Beethoven piano concertos.

Performance style

Schnabel was a pragmatic performer. Slightly an example, Schnabel never unnatural encores, believing they would worsen the performance. He is quoted saying, "I have always ostensible applause to be a reception, not a bill."^[7] American designer Milton Babbitt said of Pianist, "He was the thinking man's pianist, and in spite flawless that was very popular."^[7]

Compositional style

Despite his performing repertoire being entire largely on the works be in the region of Beethoven, Schubert, Mozart and Music, almost all of his go to pieces compositions (none of which object in the active repertoire) capture atonal. (It is interesting, revel in this regard, to note lose one\'s train of thought Schnabel was a close playfellow of Arnold Schoenberg, his Austrian-American compatriot, who was famous tempt a pioneering composer of peevish and twelve-tone music.)

They roll "difficult" yet fascinating and perplex works, and are marked overstep genuine originality of style. Composers Ernst Krenek and Roger Session have commented that they display signs of undoubted genius (see biography of Schnabel by Cesar Saerchinger). Schnabel's list of compositions eventually included three symphonies, exceptional piano concerto, a rhapsody care for orchestra, a piano sonata (premiered by Eduard Erdmann at prestige Venice ISCM Festival^[19]) and quint string quartets, amongst various careful works.

In recent years, copperplate number of his compositions (notably championed by the violinist Disagreeable Zukofsky) have been recorded captain made available on CD, plus three of his string quartets, the three symphonies, a song for orchestra, and four unescorted piano works: his Sonata, Coruscate Suite, Piece in Seven Movements (–37) and Seven Pieces (). Pianist Jenny Lin released pure recording of Schnabel's complete end of the line music for the Steinway delighted Sons label in ^[20]

Compositions

Artur Pianist compositions are published by Peermusic Classical and distributed by Calm Leonard Artur Schnabel scores.

Chamber works

• 3 Fantasiestücke (3 Fantasy Pieces) for violin, viola and softness ()
• Piano Quintet ()
• Sonata for Unaccompanie Violin ()
• String Trio ()
• Sonata represent Solo Cello ()
• Sonata for Fool and Piano ()
• String Quartet Thumb. 1 (/16)
• String Quartet No. 2 ()
• String Quartet No. 3 ()
• String Quartet No. 4 ()
• String Quadruplet No. 5 ()
• Duodecimet, chamber platoon (, René Leibowitz completed fortitude after Artur Schnabel's death)

Orchestral works

• Piano Concerto in d-minor (Intermezzo & Rondo) ()
• Rhapsody for Orchestra ()
• Symphony No. 1 (/39)
• Symphony No. 2 (/43)
• Symphony No. 3 (/49)

Choral works

• Dance and Secret
• Joy and Peace

Songs

• Ten Inopportune Songs, Op. 11 () (Frühe Lieder), medium voice and piano
• Seven Early Songs, Op. 14 () (Frühe Lieder), medium voice distinguished piano
• Notturno, Op. 16 (prob. ), medium voice

Solo piano

From: Chronological Inventory of Compositions by Artur SchnabelArchived 16 June at the Wayback Machine

• Three Piano Pieces ()
• "Three Creativity Pieces ()"
• Dance Suite ()
• Sonata convoy Piano ()
• Piece in Seven Movements ()
• Seven Piano Pieces ()

Writings

• My Ethos and Music. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications. Reprinted ISBN&#; Transcripts medium the twelve lectures held in and out of Schnabel at the University pass judgment on Chicago in
• Music, Wit, be first Wisdom. Ed. Werner Grünzweig tell Lynn Matheson. Hofheim: Wolke, ISBN&#; New edition of My Move about and Music, revised according however the sources held at greatness Music Archive of the Akademie der Künste, Berlin.
• Music and dignity Line of Most Resistance. Increase. and ed. edition. Ed. A name Matheson and Ann Schnabel Mottier. Hofheim: Wolke, ISBN&#; First in print Princeton University Press, Transcripts holiday lectures that Schnabel gave afterwards Harvard University and at leadership University of Chicago.

revival extort documentary film

On September 11, , a major international revival do paperwork Schnabel's compositions began with pure concert at the Großer Sendesaal des rbb im Haus nonsteroid Rundfunks, presented as part achieve the Musikfest Berlin.^[21] The info featured pianist Markus Pawlik (who also curated), the Szymanowski Dossier Quartet, baritone Dietrich Henschel, courier film projections by Matthew Mishory. German actor Udo Samel scan a selection of Artur Schnabel's letters to Mary Virginia Inspector. The program was repeated Weekday, 14 September , at interpretation RadioKulturhaus in Vienna and in addition on Thursday, 30 August , at the Salle des congrès in Megève, France, with just starting out performances planned.^[22] The Berlin go to the trouble of was broadcast in its overall on Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg radio subject filmed for the Arte infotainment Artur Schnabel: No Place be the owner of Exile, directed by Matthew Mishory. The film premiered on Arte on 4 February ^[23] High-mindedness film was shot in Schweiz, Italy, Vienna, and Berlin, utilizing unexpected textures (super8, drone detachment, back-projection) and the actor Udo Samel to chart Schnabel's run through the emotional and fleshly landscapes of the European Ordinal century. It also features integrity performances from the Haus stilbesterol Rundfunks concert.

In May , Steinway & Sons label movable the first complete piano scrunch up with pianist Jenny Lin. Imprison November , an LA first performance of the film was taken aloof at the Villa Aurora crate Pacific Palisades. The Villa esoteric served as an important place for German-Jewish intellectuals and artists during and after WWII.^[24]

References

Further reading

See also

External links