Gunnar Johansen
Encyclopedia
Gunnar Johansen was a Danish-born pianist and composer. He studied in his native Denmark with the pianist and conductor Victor Schiøler
, then in Berlin with Egon Petri
, the disciple of Ferruccio Busoni
. He also worked with Edwin Fischer
and the Liszt pupil Frederic Lamond. He toured as a pianist in Europe in the 1920s and came to the United States in 1929, first settling in California (where he did weekly radio performances for NBC in San Francisco), and later teaching for many years as artist-in-residence at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
. Johansen gained this appointment in 1939 as the first artist in residence as a musician at any university in the United States.
A romantic piano virtuoso of the highest order, he was one of the chief proponents of the music of Busoni, whose mature keyboard works he recorded in their entirety, as well as the complete keyboard works of J.S. Bach, constituting 43 LP records. Johansen was one of the first pianists to attempt recording all of Liszt's known piano music, researching and uncovering many previously unknown works in the 1960s. His recorded output of Liszt (which according to Johansen he "never intended to be absolutely complete") totals 51 LP records. (The Australian born pianist Leslie Howard
subsequently recorded 97 CDs which is believed to account for Liszt's total keyboard production.)
As a composer he was also prolific with a catalogue of nearly 750 compositions in various forms: 31 piano sonatas, three piano concertos, three violin sonatas, a large 1937 work for orchestra (Variations, Disguises, and Fugue, on a Merry Theme of Cyrus McCormick
), along with works for string quartet, oboe, and vocal ensembles.
A turn in his career came in 1953 when he read in The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci: "Music has two ills, the one mortal, the other wasting. The mortal is ever allied with the instant which follows that of the music’s utterance, the wasting lies in its repetition, making it seem contemptible and mean." With that statement in mind, Johansen recorded his first Improvised Sonata. This process continued until 1990 with the completion of 550 such works.
Johansen’s many humanitarian efforts included establishment of the Leonardo Academy dedicated to the integration of the arts and sciences. He organized conferences which included such notables as Edward Teller
, inventor of the American hydrogen bomb, and Buckminster Fuller
, inventor of the geodesic dome.
Victor Schiøler
Victor Schiøler was a Danish classical pianist .-Biography:He studied with his mother, then with Ignaz Friedman and Artur Schnabel. He made his debut in 1914 and from 1919 toured Europe. He made his first American tour after the war in 1948-49. He was also active as a conductor in Denmark...
, then in Berlin with Egon Petri
Egon Petri
Egon Petri was a classical pianist.-Biography:Petri's family was Dutch and he was born a Dutch citizen, but he was born in Hanover in Germany and was brought up in Dresden. His father was a professional violinist who taught his son that instrument. Petri played in the Dresden Court Orchestra and...
, the disciple of Ferruccio Busoni
Ferruccio Busoni
Ferruccio Busoni was an Italian composer, pianist, editor, writer, piano and composition teacher, and conductor.-Biography:...
. He also worked with Edwin Fischer
Edwin Fischer
Edwin Fischer was a Swiss classical pianist and conductor. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century, particularly in the traditional Germanic repertoire of such composers as J. S. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert...
and the Liszt pupil Frederic Lamond. He toured as a pianist in Europe in the 1920s and came to the United States in 1929, first settling in California (where he did weekly radio performances for NBC in San Francisco), and later teaching for many years as artist-in-residence at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
. Johansen gained this appointment in 1939 as the first artist in residence as a musician at any university in the United States.
A romantic piano virtuoso of the highest order, he was one of the chief proponents of the music of Busoni, whose mature keyboard works he recorded in their entirety, as well as the complete keyboard works of J.S. Bach, constituting 43 LP records. Johansen was one of the first pianists to attempt recording all of Liszt's known piano music, researching and uncovering many previously unknown works in the 1960s. His recorded output of Liszt (which according to Johansen he "never intended to be absolutely complete") totals 51 LP records. (The Australian born pianist Leslie Howard
Leslie Howard (musician)
Leslie Howard AM is an Australian pianist and composer. He is best known for being the only pianist to have recorded the complete solo piano works of Franz Liszt, a project which included more than 300 premiere recordings...
subsequently recorded 97 CDs which is believed to account for Liszt's total keyboard production.)
As a composer he was also prolific with a catalogue of nearly 750 compositions in various forms: 31 piano sonatas, three piano concertos, three violin sonatas, a large 1937 work for orchestra (Variations, Disguises, and Fugue, on a Merry Theme of Cyrus McCormick
Cyrus McCormick
Cyrus Hall McCormick, Sr. was an American inventor and founder of the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company, which became part of International Harvester Company in 1902.He and many members of the McCormick family became prominent Chicagoans....
), along with works for string quartet, oboe, and vocal ensembles.
A turn in his career came in 1953 when he read in The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci: "Music has two ills, the one mortal, the other wasting. The mortal is ever allied with the instant which follows that of the music’s utterance, the wasting lies in its repetition, making it seem contemptible and mean." With that statement in mind, Johansen recorded his first Improvised Sonata. This process continued until 1990 with the completion of 550 such works.
Johansen’s many humanitarian efforts included establishment of the Leonardo Academy dedicated to the integration of the arts and sciences. He organized conferences which included such notables as Edward Teller
Edward Teller
Edward Teller was a Hungarian-American theoretical physicist, known colloquially as "the father of the hydrogen bomb," even though he did not care for the title. Teller made numerous contributions to nuclear and molecular physics, spectroscopy , and surface physics...
, inventor of the American hydrogen bomb, and Buckminster Fuller
Buckminster Fuller
Richard Buckminster “Bucky” Fuller was an American systems theorist, author, designer, inventor, futurist and second president of Mensa International, the high IQ society....
, inventor of the geodesic dome.
Sources
- http://www.gunnarjohansen.org