Page:Pratt - The history of music (1907).djvu/555



*singer. Wherever he went, his programs showed a desire to improve popular knowledge and taste. He prepared invaluable critical editions of Beethoven's sonatas, works by older writers like Bach and Handel, Cramer's études, etc. His early Briefe (collected 1895) show how varied and active were his mental interests. Of his compositions but few are published—fine transcriptions from Wagner and Berlioz, some concert-pieces and songs, with several works for orchestra.

With Bülow may be grouped his coadjutor Karl Klindworth, born at Hanover in 1830. He was mostly self-taught until 1852, when he secured means for a year's study with Liszt. Rapidly developed into a fine player, from 1854 he taught in London, also giving or conducting some concerts. From 1868 he was professor at the Moscow conservatory. In 1882-93 he worked with Bülow at Berlin, conducting the Wagner-Verein and the Philharmonic, founding and directing a school for pianists, and continuing fine work, begun at Moscow, as arranger and editor of Wagner's Ring, Chopin's works (1878), Beethoven's sonatas, various elaborate orchestral works, etc. He himself wrote notable études, a difficult Polonaise-Fantasie, etc.

Other distinguished players and teachers, doing good work for the establishment of a large view of piano literature, were the Russian Eduard Mertke (d. 1895), in 1853-9 a violinist at the Gewandhaus and from 1869 piano-teacher at the Cologne conservatory, publishing arrangements of works by Hummel, Weber and Mendelssohn, an edition of Chopin, original studies and a suite, besides 2 operas and 2 cantatas; and the Austrian Anton Door, a pupil of Czerny and Sechter, who, after traveling as a virtuoso, from 1859 taught at Moscow and since 1869 in the Vienna conservatory, making a name as a superior teacher and an enterprising editor of the classics and introducer of novelties.

To these should be added Karl Tausig (d. 1871), born at Warsaw in 1841, studying there with his father and from 1855 with Liszt. He rose at once to an astonishing mastery of technique and interpretation, actually outshining his master at many points. At 17 (1858) he appeared publicly at Berlin under Bülow's auspices, and then lived first at Dresden and later at Berlin, founding a school for advanced pianists and giving concerts constantly throughout Germany and Russia. At 30 his dazzling career was cut short. He left some important arrangements and transcriptions, invaluable studies, etc.

The enormous demand for pianos led to constant accessions to the ranks of piano-makers. Among the businesses founded after 1830 may be mentioned those of Debain at Paris (1834), Brinsmead at London (1835), Biber at Munich (c. 1835), Knabe at Baltimore (1839), Feurich at Leipsic (1851), Blüthner at Leipsic (1853), Bechstein at Berlin (1856) and Kaps at Dresden (1859).