Arthur Friedheim
Encyclopedia
Arthur Friedheim was a Russia
n-born pianist, conductor and composer who was one of Franz Liszt
's foremost pupils.
Friedheim was born in Saint Petersburg
in 1859. He began serious study of music at age eight. He later studied for a year with noted pianist Anton Rubinstein
but disapproved of Rubinstein's disorganized teaching methods and went instead to Liszt.
At first Liszt did not like Friedheim's playing, though he admitted the individuality of Friedheim's style. Harold C. Schonberg
asserts in his book The Great Pianists that another reason Liszt may have been hesitant was because Friedheim had studied with Rubinstein, of whom Liszt may not have been terribly fond. Friedheim had to play before Liszt several times before becoming accepted as a pupil in 1880. Liszt eventually became fond enough of Friedheim to make him his secretary. Friedheim became fond enough of Liszt to copy many of his mannerisms, many of which were noted by pianist and composer Ferruccio Busoni
after hearing him play in 1883. Friedheim also gained orchestral experience conducting in theaters and opera houses in Germany.
Between 1891 and 1895 Friedheim taught and played in the United States. After that he spent some time in London and until 1904 taught at the Manchester
College of Music. He conducted in Munich
from 1908 to 1911, settled in the United States in 1915 before going to Toronto
, Canada
, in 1921 to become a professor at the Canadian Academy of Music
. Before then, he was offered the conductorship of the New York Philharmonic
in 1898 and 1911. He was a good conductor but turned down the offer both times, preferring to concentrate on the piano. He died in New York City
in 1932.
Friedheim wrote a psychological study of Liszt and many reminiscences, which were collected by his pupil Theodore Bullock under the title Life and Liszt. Along with editing the works of Frédéric Chopin
, Friedheim wrote a number of works, although few of them were published and many of the manuscripts are now lost. His operas include The Last Days of Pompeii (not performed), Alexander and Thais and Die Tanzerin; two others, The Christmas and Giulia Gonzaga, were left unfinished. He wrote two piano concertos, an orchestral overture A Hero of our Times and a march E pluribus unum.
Friedheim's pianism was considered awesome technically but he was most noted for the clarity and repose in his interpretations of Liszt's music. Unfortunately, the best qualities of his playing only survive in a fragmentary manner in the few gramophone recordings he made. He made three recordings for Columbia around 1912. One of these is considered a curiosity—a rendition of the funeral march from Chopin's Second Piano Sonata in which Friedheim plays to the end of the trio and, having no more room on the record, simply stops. He was apparently content to record just two-thirds of the piece.
One of Friedheim's students was Rildia Bee O'Bryan Cliburn, the mother of the 20th century piano virtuoso Van Cliburn
.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n-born pianist, conductor and composer who was one of Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
's foremost pupils.
Friedheim was born in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
in 1859. He began serious study of music at age eight. He later studied for a year with noted pianist Anton Rubinstein
Anton Rubinstein
Anton Grigorevich Rubinstein was a Russian-Jewish pianist, composer and conductor. As a pianist he was regarded as a rival of Franz Liszt, and he ranks amongst the great keyboard virtuosos...
but disapproved of Rubinstein's disorganized teaching methods and went instead to Liszt.
At first Liszt did not like Friedheim's playing, though he admitted the individuality of Friedheim's style. Harold C. Schonberg
Harold C. Schonberg
Harold Charles Schonberg was an American music critic and journalist, most notably for The New York Times. He was the first music critic to win the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism...
asserts in his book The Great Pianists that another reason Liszt may have been hesitant was because Friedheim had studied with Rubinstein, of whom Liszt may not have been terribly fond. Friedheim had to play before Liszt several times before becoming accepted as a pupil in 1880. Liszt eventually became fond enough of Friedheim to make him his secretary. Friedheim became fond enough of Liszt to copy many of his mannerisms, many of which were noted by pianist and composer Ferruccio Busoni
Ferruccio Busoni
Ferruccio Busoni was an Italian composer, pianist, editor, writer, piano and composition teacher, and conductor.-Biography:...
after hearing him play in 1883. Friedheim also gained orchestral experience conducting in theaters and opera houses in Germany.
Between 1891 and 1895 Friedheim taught and played in the United States. After that he spent some time in London and until 1904 taught at the Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
College of Music. He conducted in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
from 1908 to 1911, settled in the United States in 1915 before going to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, in 1921 to become a professor at the Canadian Academy of Music
Canadian Academy of Music
The Canadian Academy of Music was a Canadian music conservatory in Toronto, Ontario that was actively providing higher education in music during the first half of the 20th century. The school was founded in 1911 by Albert Gooderham who financed the school out of his own personal fortune and served...
. Before then, he was offered the conductorship of the New York Philharmonic
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
in 1898 and 1911. He was a good conductor but turned down the offer both times, preferring to concentrate on the piano. He died in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1932.
Friedheim wrote a psychological study of Liszt and many reminiscences, which were collected by his pupil Theodore Bullock under the title Life and Liszt. Along with editing the works of Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
, Friedheim wrote a number of works, although few of them were published and many of the manuscripts are now lost. His operas include The Last Days of Pompeii (not performed), Alexander and Thais and Die Tanzerin; two others, The Christmas and Giulia Gonzaga, were left unfinished. He wrote two piano concertos, an orchestral overture A Hero of our Times and a march E pluribus unum.
Friedheim's pianism was considered awesome technically but he was most noted for the clarity and repose in his interpretations of Liszt's music. Unfortunately, the best qualities of his playing only survive in a fragmentary manner in the few gramophone recordings he made. He made three recordings for Columbia around 1912. One of these is considered a curiosity—a rendition of the funeral march from Chopin's Second Piano Sonata in which Friedheim plays to the end of the trio and, having no more room on the record, simply stops. He was apparently content to record just two-thirds of the piece.
One of Friedheim's students was Rildia Bee O'Bryan Cliburn, the mother of the 20th century piano virtuoso Van Cliburn
Van Cliburn
Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn Jr. is an American pianist who achieved worldwide recognition in 1958 at age 23, when he won the first quadrennial International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow, at the height of the Cold War....
.
External links
- Arthur FRIEDHEIM at www.arbiterrecords.com
- Nimbus Records, Grand Piano, NI 8815, Arthur Friedheim plays Liszt, Rosenthal & Gottschalk - Booklet Note at www.wyastone.co.uk
- Friedheim, Arthur (1859 - 1932) at www.schloss-wahn.de