Fitzhugh Andrews
Encyclopedia
Fitzhugh Lee Andrews was an American teacher, composer and performer of both classical and popular works for the piano.
Andrews was born in Buda, Texas
, the son of Jason Lindsey Andrews and Crissie Crawford Andrews. At an early age, the family moved to Kyle, Texas
, where he taught mostly the piano to the young ladies, who would perform for their families after dinner in the parlour of their homes.
The Great Depression
, and the advent of radio, the phonograph and motion pictures eventually eclipsed parlour music
as the preferred after-dinner entertainment. Families no longer invested their hard-earned income in the musical talents of their children as they once did. To augment his income from music lessons he offered, Fitzhugh became a part-time farmer. He died in Kyle in 1961. His second wife followed him in death the next day.
Some of Fitzhugh’s piano compositions are reminiscent of vocal music, lending the score an operatic flair. Tricky passagework and effective rapid runs lend the compositions a quality that is not unlike Liszt
transcriptions – at least outwardly .
Andrews was born in Buda, Texas
Buda, Texas
Buda is a city in Hays County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,404 at the 2000 census. City leaders estimated the population exceeded 5,100 in 2008 and the official 2009 Census Bureau estimate showed the population had increased to 7,784 as of July 1, 2009. The 2010 US Census listed...
, the son of Jason Lindsey Andrews and Crissie Crawford Andrews. At an early age, the family moved to Kyle, Texas
Kyle, Texas
Kyle is a town in Hays County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,314 at the 2000 census; it was 26,103 in the 2008 census estimate, making Kyle one of the fastest growing cities in Texas.-Geography:...
, where he taught mostly the piano to the young ladies, who would perform for their families after dinner in the parlour of their homes.
The Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, and the advent of radio, the phonograph and motion pictures eventually eclipsed parlour music
Parlour music
Parlour music is a type of popular music which, as the name suggests, is intended to be performed in the parlours of middle class homes by amateur singers and pianists...
as the preferred after-dinner entertainment. Families no longer invested their hard-earned income in the musical talents of their children as they once did. To augment his income from music lessons he offered, Fitzhugh became a part-time farmer. He died in Kyle in 1961. His second wife followed him in death the next day.
Some of Fitzhugh’s piano compositions are reminiscent of vocal music, lending the score an operatic flair. Tricky passagework and effective rapid runs lend the compositions a quality that is not unlike Liszt
Liszt
Liszt is a Hungarian surname. Notable persons with that surname include:* Franz Liszt , Hungarian composer and pianist* Adam Liszt , father of Franz Liszt* Anna Liszt , mother of Franz Liszt...
transcriptions – at least outwardly .
Compositions (published)
- Visions of Beauty: Reverie. Dallas, TX, 1897.
- Shades of Evening: Reverie. Dallas, TX, 1909.
- The Imperial: March and Two Steps. Dallas, TX, 1909.