The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Tausig, Karl

TAUSIG, Karl, German pianist: b Warsaw, 4 Nov. 1841; d. Leipzig, 17 July 1871. First he was under his father's tuition, then studied under Bocklet, Thalberg and Liszt in Vienna. He made art tours, then lived in Dresden and later (1861-62) in Vienna. From 1866 he was royal court pianist at Berlin and led, till 1870, an academy of pianoforte playing. As a virtuoso he was equally interpreter of classic as of modern piano-music, but as composer he produced few works. Noteworthy of his productions is his edition of Clementis' &lsquo;Gradus ad Parnassum.&rsquo; His piano score of Wagner's &lsquo;Meistersinger&rsquo; became very popular. His &lsquo;Technischen Studien&rsquo; was polished by H. Ehrlich. Consult Weitzmann, &lsquo;Der letzte der Virtuosen&rsquo; (Berlin 1868).