Heinrich Neuhaus
Encyclopedia
Heinrich Gustavovich Neuhaus was a Soviet
pianist
and pedagogue of German extraction. He taught at the Moscow Conservatory
from 1922 to 1964. He was made a People's Artist
of the RSFSR in 1956. His pedagogic book The Art of Piano Playing (1958) is regarded as one of the most authoritative and most widely used treatments on the subject.
He was born in Elisavetgrad (known since 1939 as Kirovohrad
), Ukraine
. Although both his parents were piano
teachers, he was largely self-taught. The biggest influences on his early artistic development came from his cousin Karol Szymanowski
(tutored by another relative, Gustav Neuhaus) and especially his uncle Felix Blumenfeld
on his visits to his sisters' home. He also received some lessons from Aleksander Michałowski. In 1902 he gave a recital in Elisavetgrad with the 11-year-old Mischa Elman and in 1904 gave concerts in Dortmund
, Bonn
, Cologne
and Berlin
. Subsequently he studied with Leopold Godowsky
in Berlin and from 1909 until the outbreak of World War I
at his master classes in Vienna Academy of Music.
In 1914 Neuhaus started teaching in Elisavetgrad and later Tbilisi
(Tiflis) and Kiev
(where he befriended Vladimir Horowitz
). After having been temporarily paralyzed, Neuhaus was forced to halt his concert career in the interests of his pedagogical activities. In 1922 he began teaching at the Moscow Conservatory
where he was also director between 1935 and 1937. When the Germans approached Moscow
in 1941, he was imprisoned as a "German spy" but released eight months later under pressure from Dmitri Shostakovich
, Emil Gilels
and others. His pupils there included Yakov Zak
, Sviatoslav Richter
, Emil Gilels
, Anatoly Vedernikov, Tikhon Khrennikov
, Yevgeny Malinin
, Lev Naumov
, Tamara Guseva
, Ryszard Bakst
, Teodor Gutman, Vera Gornostayeva
, Alexander Slobodyanik
, Leonid Brumberg, Igor Zhukov
, Oleg Boshniakovich, Anton Ginsburg
, Valery Kastelsky, Gérard Frémy, Zdeněk Hnát
, Eliso Virsaladze
, Alexei Lubimov
, Aleksey Nasedkin
, Vladimir Krainev
, Evgeny Mogilevsky
, Amalya Baiburtyan and Radu Lupu
.
He died in Moscow
in 1964.
Neuhaus was renowned for the poetic magnetism of his playing and for his artistic refinement. He was a life-long friend of Boris Pasternak
, and Osip Mandelshtam
expressed his admiration for Neuhaus's playing in a poem. Stanislav Neuhaus
, Heinrich's son by his first wife Zinaida (who married Pasternak in 1931), was also a noted pianist; Stanislav Bunin
is his grandson.
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
and pedagogue of German extraction. He taught at the Moscow Conservatory
Moscow Conservatory
The Moscow Conservatory is a higher musical education institution in Moscow, and the second oldest conservatory in Russia after St. Petersburg Conservatory. Along with the St...
from 1922 to 1964. He was made a People's Artist
People's Artist
People's Artist is a honorary title in the Soviet Union, Union republics, in some other Eastern bloc states , as well as in a number of post-Soviet states, modeled after the title of the People's Artist of the USSR....
of the RSFSR in 1956. His pedagogic book The Art of Piano Playing (1958) is regarded as one of the most authoritative and most widely used treatments on the subject.
He was born in Elisavetgrad (known since 1939 as Kirovohrad
Kirovohrad
Kirovohrad , formerly Yelisavetgrad, is a city in central Ukraine. It is located on the Inhul River. It is a motorway junction. Pop. 239,400 ....
), Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. Although both his parents were piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
teachers, he was largely self-taught. The biggest influences on his early artistic development came from his cousin Karol Szymanowski
Karol Szymanowski
Karol Maciej Szymanowski was a Polish composer and pianist.-Life:Szymanowski was born into a wealthy land-owning Polish gentry family in Tymoszówka, then in the Russian Empire, now in Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine. He studied music privately with his father before going to Gustav Neuhaus'...
(tutored by another relative, Gustav Neuhaus) and especially his uncle Felix Blumenfeld
Felix Blumenfeld
Felix Mikhailovich Blumenfeld was a Russian composer, conductor, pianist and teacher.He was born in Kovalevka, Kherson Governorate, Russian Empire , the son of Austrian Mikhail Frantsevich Blumenfeld and the Polish Marie Szymanowska, and studied composition at the St...
on his visits to his sisters' home. He also received some lessons from Aleksander Michałowski. In 1902 he gave a recital in Elisavetgrad with the 11-year-old Mischa Elman and in 1904 gave concerts in Dortmund
Dortmund
Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....
, Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
and Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. Subsequently he studied with Leopold Godowsky
Leopold Godowsky
Leopold Godowsky was a famed Polish American pianist, composer, and teacher. One of the most highly regarded performers of his time, he became known for his theories concerning the application of relaxed weight and economy of motion in piano playing, principles later propagated by Godowsky's...
in Berlin and from 1909 until the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
at his master classes in Vienna Academy of Music.
In 1914 Neuhaus started teaching in Elisavetgrad and later Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
(Tiflis) and Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
(where he befriended Vladimir Horowitz
Vladimir Horowitz
Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz was a Russian-American classical virtuoso pianist and minor composer. His technique and use of tone color and the excitement of his playing were legendary. He is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.-Life and early...
). After having been temporarily paralyzed, Neuhaus was forced to halt his concert career in the interests of his pedagogical activities. In 1922 he began teaching at the Moscow Conservatory
Moscow Conservatory
The Moscow Conservatory is a higher musical education institution in Moscow, and the second oldest conservatory in Russia after St. Petersburg Conservatory. Along with the St...
where he was also director between 1935 and 1937. When the Germans approached Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
in 1941, he was imprisoned as a "German spy" but released eight months later under pressure from Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich was a Soviet Russian composer and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century....
, Emil Gilels
Emil Gilels
Emil Grigoryevich Gilels was a Soviet pianist, widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.His last name is sometimes transliterated Hilels.-Biography:...
and others. His pupils there included Yakov Zak
Yakov Zak
Yakov Izrailevich Zak , , Jiakov Israilevič Sak; Odessa, - Moscow, June 28, 1976) was a Soviet pianist and teacher of Jewish extraction.Born in Odessa, Zak studied piano at the Odessa Conservatory with Maria Starkhova, took classes on special harmony with Mykola Vilinsky, and later studied with...
, Sviatoslav Richter
Sviatoslav Richter
Sviatoslav Teofilovich Richter was a Soviet pianist well known for the depth of his interpretations, virtuoso technique, and vast repertoire. He is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.-Childhood:...
, Emil Gilels
Emil Gilels
Emil Grigoryevich Gilels was a Soviet pianist, widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.His last name is sometimes transliterated Hilels.-Biography:...
, Anatoly Vedernikov, Tikhon Khrennikov
Tikhon Khrennikov
Tikhon Nikolayevich Khrennikov was a Russian and Soviet composer, pianist, leader of the Union of Soviet Composers, who was also known for his political activities...
, Yevgeny Malinin
Yevgeny Malinin
Yevgeny Malinin was a Russian pianist.Malinin was born in Moscow. A disciple of Heinrich Neuhaus, he began his career while a student at the Moscow Conservatory...
, Lev Naumov
Lev Naumov
Lev Nikolayevich Naumov was a Russian classical pianist, composer and educator. Received a title of People's Artist of Russia and was nicknamed the "Godfather of the Russian piano school"....
, Tamara Guseva
Tamara Guseva
Tamara Guseva was an Azerbaijani classical pianist.After graduating at the Moscow Conservatory under Heinrich Neuhaus, she took part at the IV Fryderyk Chopin competition, where she was awarded the 9th prize. That same year Guseva won, ex-aequo with Yevgeny Malinin, the International Youth and...
, Ryszard Bakst
Ryszard Bakst
Ryszard Bakst was a Polish and British pianist and piano teacher of Jewish/Polish/Russian origin.Bakst was a descendant of the Russian artist Leon Bakst...
, Teodor Gutman, Vera Gornostayeva
Vera Gornostayeva
Vera Gornostayeva is a Russian pianist and pedagogue.Emeritus Artist of the Russian Federation, Gornostaeva is a graduate of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where her teacher was the legendary Heinrich Neuhaus....
, Alexander Slobodyanik
Alexander Slobodyanik
Alexander Slobodyanik was a classical pianist from Ukraine. He enjoyed a prodigious international career spanning over five decades. He made his debut tour to the United States in 1968 which included a recital at Carnegie Hall, which was highly praised by critics, recognizing him as a leader of...
, Leonid Brumberg, Igor Zhukov
Igor Zhukov
Igor Mikhailovich Zhukov is a Russian pianist, conductor and sound engineer.Zhukov was born in Nizhny Novgorod in 1936 but his family moved to Moscow in the following year. Four years later, they were evacuated to Vyatka as a result of the Second World War...
, Oleg Boshniakovich, Anton Ginsburg
Anton Ginsburg
Anton Ginsburg is a Russian pianist.A disciple of Heinrich Neuhaus, he graduated from the Moscow Conservatory in 1953. Four years later he won the Smetana Competition in Prague...
, Valery Kastelsky, Gérard Frémy, Zdeněk Hnát
Zdenek Hnát
Zdeněk Hnát is a Czech classical pianist, known especially for his interpretations of Czech music and chamber music.Hnat was born in Liberec, Czech Republic. He studied piano with Ilona Štěpánová-Kurzová in Prague, and Heinrich Neuhaus...
, Eliso Virsaladze
Eliso Virsaladze
Eliso Virsaladze is a Georgian pianist.She was born in Tbilisi, Georgian SSR. Her father Constantine Virsaladze was a prominent physician, so was her grandfather Spiridon Virsaladze. She received her first piano lessons at the age of 8 from her grandmother, Anastasia Virsaladze, a well-known music...
, Alexei Lubimov
Alexei Lubimov
Alexei Lubimov is a Russian pianist, fortepianist and harpsichordist.Alexei Lubimov studied at the Moscow Conservatory with Heinrich Neuhaus and Lew Naumov...
, Aleksey Nasedkin
Aleksey Nasedkin
Aleksey Nasedkin is a Russian pianist and composer.A recipient of the People's Artist of the Russian Federation title, Nasedkin is the president of Russia's Schubert Society. He's a member of the Composers' Union of the USSR/RF and a professor at Moscow's Conservatory, where he has taught since...
, Vladimir Krainev
Vladimir Krainev
Vladimir Krainev was a Russian pianist and professor of piano, People's Artist of the USSR.-Biography:...
, Evgeny Mogilevsky
Evgeny Mogilevsky
Evgeny Mogilevsky is a Russian pianist. Son and pupil of Seraphima Mogilevsky at the Stolyarsky Music school in his hometown. Later studied with Heinrich Neuhaus and Yakov Zak at the Moscow Conservatory...
, Amalya Baiburtyan and Radu Lupu
Radu Lupu
Radu Lupu is a Romanian concert pianist. He has won a number of the most prestigious awards in classical piano, including first prizes in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition....
.
He died in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
in 1964.
Neuhaus was renowned for the poetic magnetism of his playing and for his artistic refinement. He was a life-long friend of Boris Pasternak
Boris Pasternak
Boris Leonidovich Pasternak was a Russian language poet, novelist, and literary translator. In his native Russia, Pasternak's anthology My Sister Life, is one of the most influential collections ever published in the Russian language...
, and Osip Mandelshtam
Osip Mandelstam
Osip Emilyevich Mandelstam was a Russian poet and essayist who lived in Russia during and after its revolution and the rise of the Soviet Union. He was one of the foremost members of the Acmeist school of poets...
expressed his admiration for Neuhaus's playing in a poem. Stanislav Neuhaus
Stanislav Neuhaus
Stanislav Genrichowitsch Neuhaus was a Russian classical pianist....
, Heinrich's son by his first wife Zinaida (who married Pasternak in 1931), was also a noted pianist; Stanislav Bunin
Stanislav Bunin
Stanislav Stanislavovich Bunin is a Russian-born pianist.He was born in Moscow in 1966 into an established European musical family which included his grandfather Heinrich Neuhaus and his grandmother Zinaida ....
is his grandson.
External links
- http://www.neuhaus.it/english
- http://www.ninasvetlanova.com/Neuhaus/HeinrichNeuhaus.html