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Sîgîsmimd Thalberg (1812—1871), forgotten virtuoso: His career and musical contributions

Hominick, Ian Glenn, D.M.A.

The Ohio State University, 1991

UMI SOON. Zeeb Rd Ann Arbor, MI 48106

SIGISMUND THALBERG (1812-1871), FORGOTTEN PIANO VIRTUOSO: HIS CAREER AND MUSICAL CONTRIBUTIONS

DOCUMENT

Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Musical Arts the Graduate School of The Ohio State University

By

Ian G. Hominick, B.M., M.ivL

*****

The Ohio State University 1991

Reading Committee: Approved by Dr. Jerry E. Lowder

Dr. Peter Gano ^ ^ 'Adviser Dr. Donald Gren School of Music Copyright by Ian Glenn Hominick 1991 Dedicated to my parents, John and Evelyn Hominick, whose love and support have been a constant inspiration.

11 ACKNOWIJEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all those who helped in the preparation of this document. My sincere gratitude to my advisor. Dr. Jerry Lowder, for his time and guidance in seeing this project through to its completion. Thanks also to Dr. Donald Gren and Dr. Peter Gano for their time and input. I would not have been able to sort out the conflicting information surrounding Thalberg's life without the generous help of Mr. Daniel L. Hitchcock, President of The Sigismund Thalberg Society. His knowledge of the subject helped to put my work into prospective. My many thanks to him for the information he supplied, for his patience, and for his dedication to the Arts. Ultimately, I owe my deepest appreciation to Mr. Earl Wild, without whose instruction, I would not be half the musician I am today. Mr. Wild has been a constant source of inspiration and has given of his time unselfishly to make a better musician of me. Î thank him, most of all, for his contributions to music, and for his guidance and friendship over the past four years.

Ill VTTA

March 20, 1961 Bom - Sydney, Nova Scotia

1983 B.M., Mount AUison University, Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada

1984-1986 Teaching Assistant, School of Music, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio

1986 M.M., Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio

1986-1987 Teaching Associate, University of Nebraska Lincoln, Nebraska

1987-1991 Teaching Assistant, School of Music, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio

1990-1991 Adjunct faculty, Otterbein College, Westerville, Ohio

FIELD OF STODY

Major Field: Music

IV PERFORMANCES

Saturday, February 27, 1988, 8:00 p.m., Weigel Auditorium. School of Music, College of the Arts, The Ohio State University, Graduate Student Recital Series, 1987-88. Supervising Professor: Dr. Rosemary Platt

LAN HOMINICK, piano

This recital is presented in partial fulfillment for the degree Doctor of Musical Arts.

PROGRAM

Sonata in C Major, Opus 2, Nr. 3 Beethoven

Allegro con brio Adagio Scherzo. Allegro Allegro assai

Vallee d'Obermann Liszt (from Anneés de Pelerinage - Suisse)

INTERMISSION Die Loreley Liszt-Liszt

Widmung Schumann-Liszt

Wanderer-Fantasie in C Major, D. 760 Schubert

Allegro con fuoco ma non troppo Adagio Presto A llegro

Thursday, October 26, 1989, 8:00 p.m., Weigel Auditorium. School of Music, College of the Arts, The Ohio State University, The Ohio State University Symphony Orchestra, 1st Concert, 1989-’90. Supervising Professor: Ms. Sylvia Zaremba.

IAN HOMINICK, piano The Ohio State University Symphony Orchestra

This performance is presented in partial fulfillment of the degree Doctor of Musical Arts.

PROGRAM

Piano No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15 Beethoven

Allegro con brio Largo RONDO: Allegro

VI Saturday, May 6, 1989, 8:00 p.m., Weigel Auditorium. School of Music, College of the Arts, The Ohio State University, Graduate Student Recital Series, 1988-89. Supervising professor: Ms. Sylvia Zaremba.

IAN HOMINICK, piano

This recital is presented in partial fulfillment for the degree Doctor of Musical Arts for Mr. Hominick.

PROGRAM

Sonata in B-flat major. Op. 22 Beethoven

Allegro con brio Adagio con molta espressione M enuetto Rondo Allegretto

Sonata, Op. 1 Berg

INTERMISSION

Waltz in A minor. Op. 34, No. 2 Chopin

Waltz in A-flat, Op. 69, No. 1

Waltz in A-flat, Op. 34, No. 1

Waltz in D-flat, Op. 64, No. 1

Sonetto del Petrarca 47 Liszt

Sonetto del Petrarca 104

Sonetto del Petrarca 123

Variations Serieuses, Op. 54 Mendelssohn

V ll Saturday, March 31, 1990, 8:00 p.m., Weigel Auditorium. School of Music, College of the Arts, The Ohio State University, Graduate Student Recital Series, 1989-90. Supervising Professor: Dr. Jerry Lowder

IAN HOMINICK, piano

This recital is presented in partial fulfillment for the degree Doctor of Musical Arts.

PROGRAM

Chromatic Fantasy and BWV 903 J.S. Bach

Sonata in C Minor, Op. 25, No. 1 ("Fairy-Tale") N. Medtner

Allegro abbandonamente Andantino con moto Allegro con spirito

Sonata, Op. 1 Berg

INTERMISSION

Nocturne in A-flat, Op. 21 S. Thalberg

Sonata in B-flat Minor, Op. 35 Chopin

Grave - Doppio movimento Scherzo Marche funèbre Presto

v ia TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

DEDICATION...... ü

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...... üi

VITA...... iv

PERFORMANCES...... v

LIST OF PLATES...... xi

LISTOFHGURES...... xii

INTRODUCTION...... 1

CHAPTER

L LIFE AND CAREER OF SIGISMUND THALBERG...... 3

Childhood and Education...... 3 Concert Career...... 8 Retirement from the Concert-stage...... 18 References...... 21

n. ROLE OF THE EARLY 19-th CENTURY VIRTUOSO...... 25

The 19th-Century Recital...... 25 The Piaitist-...... 2 7 References...... 3 4

IX m. IHALBERG THE PERFORMER ...... 3 6

Repertoire...... 3 6 Personality and Stage Presence...... 4 2 Technique...... 47 Physical Control...... 4 8 Melody...... 5 0 Sonority...... 5 1 The technician...... 5 4 Practice and Preparation...... 5 6 Comparison with Colleagues...... 5 8 References...... 60

IV. THE THALBERG-LISZT CONTROVERSY...... 6 5

Background...... 6 5 The Event...... 6 9 The Aftermath...... 71 References...... 7 7

V. THALBERG’S INFLUENCE...... 8 0

Other Pianists Who Played Thalberg’s Pieces ...... 8 2 Influence of Thalberg’s Compositions...... 8 4 Thalberg’s Pupils...... 9 3 References...... 9 7

CONCLUSION...... 100

APPENDIX - Thalberg Complete Works...... 103

BIBLIOGRAPHY...... 114 LIST OF PLATES

PLATES PAGE

I. An 1836 lithograph of Thalberg by Grevedon 1 0

II. Lithograph of Thalberg by , ca. 1842 ...... 3 3

in. An 1838 lithograph of Thalberg by Josef Kriehuber 7 6

IV. Statue of Thalberg erected in , , 1873 ...... 9 6

V. Line engraving of Thalberg (after a photograph) by H. Thiriat, ca. mid-to-late 1850’s ...... 105

XI LIST OF FIGURES

HGURES PAGE

1. The young Thalberg...... 5

2. Thalberg's teacher, ...... 7

3. Thalberg's teacher, ...... 7

4. Advertisement for Thalberg's first performance in Columbus, Ohio...... 15

5. Brief review of Thalberg's Columbus concert...... 15

6. Advertisement for Thalberg's only concert in Zanesville, Ohio. Zanesville City Times, April 25,1857 ...... 15

7. Advertisement for Thalberg's second and last performance in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Gazette, May 21,1858 ...... 17

8. Thalberg, toward the end of his career...... 2 0

9. Lithograph ofFamous Pianists, Young School. Standing: Jacob Rosenhain, Edward Wolff, Frederic Chopin, Theodor Dohler, and Adolph Henselt. Seated: Alexander Dreyschock, Sigismund Thalberg, and ...... 27

10. Lithograph of Thalberg by Guillot...... 4 2

11. Sketch of Thalberg, signed by "Sternberg"...... 46

X ll 12. S. Thalberg, "Tre Giomi: Air de Pergolesi" from The Art of Singing on the Pianoforte^ Op. 70, mm. 31-33 5 4

13. Statuette of Liszt at the keyboard as portrayed by Jean Pierre Dantan, , 1836 6 8

14. Statuette of Thalberg at the keyboard as portrayed by Jean Pierre Dantan, Paris, 1836. Note that Dantan gives Thalberg four hands, ten fingers on each hand 6 9

15. The combatants: Liszt and Thalberg 7 1

16. S. Thalberg, M oses Fantasy, Op. 33, mm. 262-265 8 5

17. F. Mendelssohn, Prelude in E Minor, WoO, mm. 9-12 8 5

18. F. Liszt, Concert Etude, Un Sospiro , mm. 3 -5 8 7

19. F. Chopin, Etude in E Minor, Op. 25, No. 5, mm. 4 5 ^ 8 8 8

20. S. Thalberg, "Tre Giomi: Air de Pergolesi" from The Art of Singing on the Pianoforte, Op. 70, mm. 18-21 8 8

21. F. Chopin, Etude in A-flat, Op. 25, No. 1, Aeolian Harp, mm. 1-2 8 9

22. S. Thalberg, Moses Fantasy, Op. 33, mm. 190-192 9 1

23. S. Thalberg, Fantasy on by Meyerbeer, Op. 20, mm. 24-36 9 1

24. S. Thalberg, Fantasy on by Donizetti, Op. 67, mm. 170-171 9 2

X lll 25. S. Thalberg, Fantasy on Don Pasquale by Donizetti, Op. 67, mm. 179-185 ...... 9 2

26. Two of Thalberg's pupils, and ...... 95

XIV INlRODUCnON

Sigismund Thalberg (1812-1871) has remained one of the most forgotten and misunderstood musicians in the world of classical music. With a career and compositional output whose success rivalled that of his contemporaries, he was, in his time, a respected composer and considered one of the foremost pianists in the world. The general obscurity of this 19th-Century genius is not so difficult to understand when one examines current textbooks on pianists and piano literature. Kathleen Dale^ and Konrad Wolff^ completely omit his name; Frank E. Kirby^ and Walther Georgii ^ only mention Thalberg in passing; Willi Apel merely refers to him as one of "the conventional drawing-room of the early "5; and John GiUespie ^ does include two short paragraphs on Thalberg but his information is suspect. Yet, almost every memoir and musical correspondence from the early and mid-part of the 19th Century make mention of Thalberg as an important figure in the music world. Many of today's pianists do not know of Thalberg, and those who have heard of him usually recall only two things, i.e., the rivalry with Franz Liszt (1811-1886) and the nickname "Old Arpeggio" used 1 by the later generation because of his abundant use of this accompaniment technique. These two points should not be the only ones for which Thalberg is remembered. Vera Mikol says, "Today, Thalberg and his compositions have long since been consigned to oblivion, but we should not underestimate the part he played a hundred years ago in our musical coming-of-age."7 Daniel Hitchcock, a long-time specialist on Thalberg, writes:

He has for too long been confined to a backwater due largely to irresponsible historical surveys that have blindly repeated second-hand statements without a first-hand glance at the available information. Thus, we can read that Thalberg wrote four when he wrote only one, that he had a prima donna daughter when he had none, or that he faded from the limelight after his encounter with Liszt, although his reputation was made in the years that episode. 8

My main objective in writing this paper will be to provide information on Thalberg's career as a pianist-composer and to show the influence he had on his contemporaries and on future generations of composers and pianists. CHAPTER!

Life and Career of Sigismund Thalberg

Childhood and Education

Sigismund Thalberg was bom in Pâquis, near , on January 8, 1812. The circumstances surrounding his birth are somewhat clouded. Although the actual birth record names as parents Joseph Thalberg, of , and Fortuné Stein, a Geneva resident, new evidence shows that Thalberg was probably the illegitimate son of Prince Franz Josef Johann Dietrichstein-Proskau- Leslie (1767-1854) and the Julie d'Eyb Bidescuty von Wetzlar (n.d.).9 The Baroness is said to have written to Thalberg’s father:

May this child be the peaceful valley [Thai in German] in which from now on I will confine all my quiet, secret happiness; but may he also some day become a Mountain [Berg in German] upon which my pride and my greatest love will be enthroned on high, and who in his own greatness will tower over everything that, in vain prejudice and caste feeling, now inflates itself and piles itself up between us; and so the child shall be called Thal-berg.lO Mrs. John Ruskin lends credence to the Illegitimate Son Theory when writing to her mother in 1850 after meeting the Baroness Wetzlar. "She is very clever and a first-rate musician which accounts in some way for Thalberg's genius. I suppose in her youth she was not quite correct but all the world knows he is her son; that is ages ago and she is much liked in ."^! This theory becomes even more plausible when one considers that there was an ancestor by the name of Sigismund Dietrichstein (1480-1533), a Lieutenant under Maximiliam I (1459-1519), who married the Baroness of Thalberg, Barbara von Rothal, in 1 5 1 5 . Daniel Hitchcock points out that Sigismund Thalberg's marriage record at St. James's Church in indicates that Thalberg signed the register as F.J.S. Thalberg (Francis Joseph ), and entered his father's name as Joseph Thalberg, This ancestral link would appear to be more than mere coincidence and seems to confirm the Prince Dietrichstein as Thalberg's true father. 13 Grove's Dictionary of Music and M usicians made reference to Thalberg's complete name as Sigismond (Fortune Francois) Thalberg, but no references were given to substantiate these middle names.1^ In 1822, Prince Dietrichstein had the ten-year-old Thalberg brought to his residence in , presumably to be tutored for a career in the diplomatic service by his brother. Count Moritz von Dietrichstein (1775-1864). He was enrolled in the Polytechnic School where he roomed with fourteen-year-old Napoleon Francois Charles Joseph (1811-1832), the Duke of Reichstadt and son of the , Napoleon Bonaparte. Although he was not the studious type, Thalberg showed great skill with geography and a brief interest in the military, probably as a result of his roommate’s influence. He also became a skilled horseman and fencer, but music seemed to be his first love.

Figure 1: The young Thalberg.(Schonberg, p. 176)

Between the ages of six and fourteen, Thalberg was tutored in the elementary music rudiments by August Mittag (1795-1867), a respected professor at the Vienna Music Conservatory and first bassoonist with the Court in Venice, and in theory and composition with (1788-1867), a Viennese composer and organist who later taught (1824-96) and to whom Thalberg returned in 1850 for further advice. His primary piano instructor was Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778-1837) who helped to develop his technique. Before his American tour in 1856, Dwight’s Journal of Music printed an article in which Thalberg apparently laid claim to the idea that the doublebass player at the Vienna Opera had been his real piano teacher. 15 it is likely, however, that this was in error, and that doublebass should have read doublebassoon (thus referring to Sechter). By the age of thirteen, Thalberg began performing at soirees in the homes of various members of the Viennese aristocracy, thus arousing enthusiasm about his playing. His childhood was relatively normal compared to that of Mozart or Liszt, as the Prince did not overly expose his son to the concert circuit or create an exhibition of his talent. Although Thalberg was a child prodigy, he was given an all-around education, and his childhood was as normal as could be expected for an aristocrat's son. Certainly, he had certain advantages over other boys his age. The simple fact that he was brought up as a member of the aristocracy led to travel, important contacts and financial help, all advantages which would later be envied by jealous colleagues. Languages were an important part of his education as he became fluent in German, French, Italian, and English. The knowledge and ettiquette which he obtained during his upbringing allowed him to fit into the aristocratic social circles later in life.

A

Figures 2 and 3: Two of Thalberg’s piano teachers: Johann Nepomuk Hummel and Ignaz Moscheles. ( Bie, p. 213; Schonberg, p. 115)

In 1826, he went to London, where bis alleged father was an ambassador^^^ and had piano lessons with Ignaz Moscheles (1794- 1870), who cherished Thalberg as one of his most gifted pupils. Around this same time, Muzic Clementi (1752-1832) was also reported to have been impressed with Thalberg. According to Michel Bero, the Revue et Gazette Musicale of November 19, 1843, in an article devoted to (1791-1857), claimed that Thalberg 8 was a pupil of Czemy. FaTîhermoiô, the Grand Concert Book, which contains a brief biography of Thalberg, contends that Thalberg was not a pupil of Sechter, but had studied with Czemy and Johann Baptist Cramer (1771-1858).17 it is likely that this is in error. Thalberg's first public performance in London was on May 17, 1826.18 Another account of a Thalberg recital was the result of a Vienna performance of the first movement of Hummel's Concerto in B Minor on April 6, 1827.19 By 1828, at the age of sixteen, he was regularly concertizing in Vienna and published his first three Opuses. Most of his performances at this time were results of Count Dietrichstein's diplomatic travels. At age eighteen, Thalberg made a tour through and England, for which he composed his first and only Piano Concerto, OpJ. In May, 1830, he performed at a private soiree hosted by the King of Prussia. There is little mention of Thalberg's activities between 1830 and 1833. Thalberg was reported to have ventured to Paris in 1833 where he undertook further piano studies with (1785-1849) and (1788-1874). In 1833, Thalberg was appointed Kammervirtuoso in , and in 1835, he accompanied the newly crowned Emperor Ferdinand to

Toplitz, Bohemia for a meeting of politicalleaders.20 He is reported to have received many gifts from the European royalty in the form of land, houses, jewels, and honorary decorations.^ 1 Thalberg arrived in Paris in November, 1835, played some private recitals and pursued his piano studies under Pixis and K alkbrenner.22 Thalberg finally made his Parisian debut in January, 1836 on a concert with Kalkbrenner and the violinist Henry Panofka (1807-1887). Already, he was receiving raves in the press as witnessed by this review in Le Ménestrel on March 13, 1836.

Mosheles, Kalkbrenner, Chopin, Liszt and Herz are and will always be for me great artists, but Thalberg is the creator of a new art which I do not know how to compare to anything that existed before him. . . . Thalberg is not only the premier pianist of the world, he is also an extremely distinguished composer.23

A Thalberg recital on April 16, 1836 filled the 1500-seat Théâtre- Italien in Paris, providing the largest seating capacity for any piano recital prior to that time. His extensive career as a pianist would last from 1836 through 1865. The following itinerary will offer an idea of just how busy Thalberg's concert schedule had become:2 4

1839 Concert Schedule Jan. 19-24 - ; Feb. 20 - April - Moscow; ; St.Petersburg; Riga Late May or Early June - Hamburg June 11 - July 11 - London; Anvers; ; Strasbourg August - Baden-Baden; Bonn; Cologne Sept. 2 - Dec. 11 - England 10

Plate I. An 1836 lithograph of Thalberg by Grevedon. (Courtesy: Daniel L. Hitchcock) 11

In 1840, Thalberg toured Scotland and Ireland, also teaming with (1803-1888), Moscheles, and Liszt for a concert in London. More recitals followed in Germany in 1841, and Milan, the French Provinces, , and Great Britain in 1842. On July 18, 1842, Thalberg arrived in London where he married Francesca Lablache (b. 1816), widow of the French painter, Francois Bouchot (1800-1842), and daughter of the famous opera singer, (1794-1858). The ceremony took place at "St. James, Piccadilly", on Saturday, July 22, 1843. Thalberg was already acquainted with Luigi Lablache, having previously toured with him. Francesca, affectionately called “Cecchina,” was described as a tall, slim, and very beautiful woman. Thalberg continued his concerts, first in Vienna, and later throughout Italy, where the Lablache family had an estate in Naples. 1844 brought further concerts in Italy, , England, and , where Thalberg collaborated with Liszt, Moscheles, Meyerbeer, Mendelssohn, and others in a concert to raise money to erect a statue in the memory of (1786-1826). Between 1845 and 1846, Thalberg played in Great Britain, the i^rench Provinces, Brussels, Vienna, Pest, and Prague. The 1847 season included trips to Holland, , and , where Thalberg was knighted by the King of Sweden. From late 1847 through early 1848, Thalberg toured Spain, followed by an extended stay in London from February, 1848 through August, 1849. While in London, he 12 accompanied the reknowned singer, Jenny Lind (1820-1887), and took part in a performance of J.S. Bach’s Concerto for four . Thalberg also participated in a September concert in Bonn to raise money for a statue in memory of Beethoven (1770-1827).25 The years 1849 and 1 8 5 0 brought more concerts in the northern European capitals. 1851 was a relatively quiet year for Thalberg. He worked on his first opera, Florinda^ which was premiered in London on July 3, 1851. This was a feeble first attempt and was not greeted with enthusiasm. He attended The Great Exhibition on May 9, 1851 as one of several judges of European musical instruments, along with (1803-1869). 1852 and 1853 featured concerts in Bucharest and Milan, in addition to his usual concert sites. In May, 1854, Thalberg gave his first performance on theOrgue Alexandre in Vienna. The first part of 1855 was spent in Naples and Vienna. On June 3, he premiered his second and last opera, Christina di Svezia, which was apparently more of a failure than was his initial opera. This was followed by a tour of Brazil, , Havanna, , and . Dwight’s Journal of Music from October, 1856, mentions that Thalberg had played for the first time in years (probably referring to European capitals) at the Philharmonic Society at

Boulogne.26

Thalberg made plans to visit North America in late 1856. It was no secret to the Europeans that they could make a great deal of money in North America, as American public taste seemed to favor 13 foreign musicians as being superior to their own. Therefore, while many homebred musicians tried unsuccessfully to eke out a living giving concerts, the Europeans staged massive tours guided by experienced American managements, which proved very lucrative indeed. Several reasons for the Europeans' success in the are suggested, as follows: 1. Recovery from the 1830’s depression provided more money to Americans for such entertainment; 2. Growing support of public concerts by the middle-class; 3. Lack of respected homegrown artists and the inferiority complex associated with them, as witnessed by the modest success of such artists as William Mason (1829- 1908) and John N. Pattison (1843-1905); 4. The overall curiosity of the American public toward European virtuosos, whose music had long been available for purchase in the United States. Thalberg's visit to America was preceded by extensive tours by a number of other prominent European pianists including Leopold de Meyer (1816-1883) in 1845, Henri Herz in 1846, and Richard Hoffmann (1831-1909) in 1847. Thalberg arrived for his first tour of the United States and Canada in early October, 1856, spending several weeks of rest and preparation in West Orange, at the home of William Mason's brother, (1792-1872). As early as 1847, it was reported that "Thalberg and Liszt are both coming to America next year, it is said, to pick up any stray coins 14

that de Meyer and Herz may have left."27 Thalberg performed in America for two seasons through 1858, making at least 340 appearances throughout the United States and Canada, more than any other artist prior to Ignace Paderewski (1860-1941). The 1856-57 season began with concerts, matinees, and school concerts in and , as well as in various smaller music centers along the Eastern coast. Thalberg and his troupe of musicians, which included singers, comedians, poetry readers and various instrumentalists, then headed West for 11 weeks, covering 30 cities in 10 States in the United States and Canada. A total of 52 evening concerts, 5 matinees and 2 concerts for schoolchildren has

been documented.28 a number of smaller cities, usually ignored by such artistic undertakings, were included such as Zanesville, Ohio and Wheeling, West Virginia.29 This tour, done almost exclusively by train, took Thalberg as far West as Dubuque, Iowa and as far North as Quebec City. 15 Tbt Coiicsbt.—T&« CoDMrt pT«aoa Sator* day oight kr Tbalbcrg, P«rodI,.>ad company, 9 S ' - v u a gywt fufces. î ba ball vaa Ollad ^ tha ‘■beaaty aaAraibioa” o{ Colombaa. Tba play, log of Tbalbtrg v at marraloat. Ha not ooly eaoa ap toexpceutioa,bat«asctdâd IL' Taka it allogatbà. it vaa tba beat cooearl va bava attendtdia oaoy-yaàn. r* tsaqOxj, «ura^«obeaoAl

'Y'BZ MANAGE» BGC8 LEaTM TO AM- A XOOMCX *»mi. M i t a c 1# i— I » tkaZm & m lm - -MatarattksaoatbrtWaaaavwttnaia sicdM tWcatT,.tk» / aiaiis iiuu rtm sfsÀnci, ■ n o . 3?z< SS B Ji MQiLLSS^SÂJJSZAi^^ dI.STSAKUSCa, Direetwr A CAeëeeUr. ' Tbaptieaof adzaiaa*» liaa baa* Ixaq aa faliaaa. ba- ciuaa aad Baoarrva s« ia. «I U-. aat tv^nvO. . baata eaa ha aacarad at tua üaatc âtora of tXaaaaa. BarraCo. . __ anawaa at 8 e'elaak.

Figures 4- and 5: Advertisement and Review of Thalberg’s first performance in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State Journal, April 25, 1857, and May 4, 1857.

XJ'ii diatinguiahcil pianist vill bo in Zancsviilc, I S. THAIiBER&'S CONCERT. Its odTortiaeti, on Fr'uhiy erenin^, Hay lii, and will h e Manager bogs lonve to announce tUnt detir- • giro one concert. MaJ. Pauod: anti Mad. Stka- T ing to render tbia jntertainraent tlio taoit brill, K08 CJI, togctbor with acrcral otlior eminent mnei- iant ever gircn in this City, the fjllotvlng artiste»«oians will be along. It will be by far tho ablest baro been engaged, and vill appoarjointly vitb Mr. ■ ; TIIALBKUÜ : tronp xlint baa ever bfcnin tbu west. P.cscrrcd ; MDDLE TERES.V FAROPI. seats, in tho meanwhile, can be taken at Mr. A. ^iIAD-iME AMALIA PATTI STKAKOSCII. C. Ross' at $1 GO catb. Admission to proiniscu. ous scats 51 00. SIO. NICOLA. TiLtLDKno is, perhaps, the greatest pianist now HER?. MOLLENIIAUE?.. liring, and of eouraf. there will bo an nnusual ar%. M. STUAKOSCII, Director and Contliictor. ioty to bear nix won.iorful performances. Tho price ofadmi.-aiun lia

Figure 6: Advertisement for Thalberg’s only concert in Zanesville, Ohio. Zanesville City Times, April 25, 1857. 16

During the concert season of 1857-58, Thalberg travelled even greater distances on his tour. His manager in the United States, Bernard Ullmann (d.l885), arranged a tour which included, among others, the famous Belgian violinist, (1820-1881), who was also a former pupil of Simon Sechter. The tour began with a Thalberg Testimonial at the New York Academy of Music which consisted of a musical marathon beginning at 1:(X) p.m.30 This tour covered 24 cities in all, including 18 new cities. Thalberg performed on at least 53 concerts from January 7, 1858 to March 27, 1858, travelling as far South as New Orleans, Louisiana.31 He had plans for six concerts in Havanna, Cuba which were cancelled due to an outbreak of yellow-fever.3 2 One final brief trip was made between May 3, 1858 and June 12, 1858, covering Northern cities west to Chicago and Peoria, Illinois.^ 3 Overall, this second season was not as successful due to numerous cancellations resulting from the financial panic of 1857.34 Despite this small setback, Thalberg had still made a small fortune during his stay in America. Between November, 1856 and June, 1858, Thalberg performed in over 75 cities, appearing 77 times in New York, 26 times in Boston, 20 times in Philadelphia, 14 times in Canada, 9 times in St. Louis, 8 times in Cincinnati, and twice in Columbus, Ohio. Thalberg's wife arrived in the Eastern United States in June, 1858, five months after the death of her father. Allan Lott claims that Lablache had left his estate at Posillipo, Italy to his daughter and 17 son-in-law and surmises that "perhaps with this inheritance she felt there was no longer any need for her husband to continue to perform to make m o n e y . "3 5

Ifo "iill forhid*' adzertiument» inaerted—the timr mtut he zusted.

TIEÜXTEMPS, TBILBERG’S Giand Combination Conceit ! P«ilUA'iT.*n.4 % 2 l * t , • Ooaxoeart ^ MasasrnnRXA D'ANGKI. K liB r4 CLl.\N>A MAT. * ^ SttiUIMtTNn TH.VLBSno.aad -.a£NKY VlKUSÇBMPa will appear on theaame eTenioy /'X m 4 ^

Figure 7: Advertisement for Thalberg’s second and last performance in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Gazette, May 21, 1858.

After returning to Europe July, 1858, Thalberg took a four-year hiatus, not returning to the concert stage until 1862, whereupon he remained fairly active for a period of two years. In 1862 and 1863, Thalberg gave performances in Paris and London, keeping his appearances largely confined to the major European capitals. He delivered his farewell performance in England in December, 1863 after 108 concerts, and either prior to, or after a proposed trip to Brazil. It remains unclear whether this tour took place. An account of Thalberg's last London performance read, "his execution was much 18 impaired, probably through having discontinued the constant study indispensable to a public p l a y e r ." 3 6

Retirement From the Concert-Stage

In December, 1863 or January, 1864, Thalberg officially retired to Posillipo where he owned two homes. He had purchased the villa of his deceased father-in-law in order to keep it in the family. In addition, he had a palazzo in Naples overlooking the Gulf, called Pizziofalcone^ now called poggio Thalberg.^'^ The villa grounds included gardens, orange and pine trees, and a vineyard to which Thalberg devoted much of his time. Thalberg also brought some new vines from France with which he experimented and nurtured with great success, as his wine won a medal at the Exposition Universelle in 1867. It was rumored that Thalberg had no piano at his new home^S but that rumor has been proven untrue by Vera Mikol.39 He did have at least one piano at the palazzo. He kept musically active through private teaching and by using his influence to establish a cultural atmosphere in Posillipo. In 1864, one of Thalberg's closest friends, Domenico Tupputi (n.d.), proposed to have Thalberg appointed to the Conservatorio di S. Pietra a Majella, but the proposal was rejected because the regulations did not allow foreigners to serve on the fa c u lty .I r o n ic a lly , in 1865, the Conservatory offered him a teaching position, which he refused. He would sometimes visit with 19 the students there and also continued to teach privately. He surfaced briefly for some concerts in Germany in 1866, but, in effect, his playing career had ended. After a long bout with respiratory problems, Thalberg died on April 27, 1871. Nicolas Slonimsky says that when Thalberg died, "his wife was inconsolate. She had his body embalmed and seated in the room where he worked, and it was not until many days later that she allowed Thalberg to be buried."'^! In Paquis, the street on which Thalberg was bom was renamed Rue S. Thalberg in his memory in 1873. In Posillipo, a monument was built in his honor but his contribution to music and culture in the Naples area was later forgotten. Happily, today there is a renewal of interest in Thalberg by interested persons in Europe and North America. 20

as«-;:- m e a m

m m

Figure 8: Thalberg, toward the end of his career.{Schonberg, p. 176) 21

References

1. Kathleen Dale. Nineteenth Century Piano Music. (New York: Da Capo Press, 1972),

2. Konrad Wolff. Masters of the Keyboard. 2nd. Edition. (Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 1990).

3. George Kirby. A Short History of Keyboard Music. (New York: MacMillan, 1966), p. 300.

4.Walther Georgii. Klaviermusik. (Zurich: Atlantis, 1950), p.369.

5. Willi Apel. Masters of the Keyboard. (Cambridge, Massachussetts: Harvard University Press, 1947) , p. 252.

6. John Gillespie. Five Centuries of Keyboard Music. (New York: Dover, 1965), pp. 253-254.

7. Vera Mikol. "The Influence of Sigismund Thalberg on American Musical Taste." American Philosophical Society Vol.102, No.5 (October,1958) , p. 468.

8. Daniel L. Hitchcock. Program Notes. Sigismund Thalberg Piano Concerto; Music for Solo Piano. Michael Ponti and Westphalian Symphony Orchestra (Candide, 1974).

9. ______. The Sigismund Thalberg Society Newsletter. Vol. 2, No. 1 (January, 1991), pp. 6-11. For an outline of the various possibilities, refer to Daniel L. Hitchcock. "Sigismund Thalberg 1812-1871: An Evaluation of the Famous Composer-Pianist, on the 100th Anniversary of His Death." Piano Quarterly 77 (Fall, 1971) , p.l2; ______. The Sigismund Thalberg Society 22 Newsletter. Vol. 1, No. 2 (July, 1990), p. 3, and Franz Liszt. An Artist’s Journey. Translated and annotated by Charles Suttoni. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1989) , pp. 22-23.

10. Arthur Loesser. Men, Women and Pianos. (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1954) , p. 371.

11. Mary Lutyens, ed. Young Mrs. Ruskin in Venice: Unpublished Letters of Mrs. John Ruskin Written From Venice Between 1849-1852. (New York: Vanguard Press, 1955) , pp. 126- 127.

12. Daniel L. Hitchcock. The Sigismund Thalberg Society Newsletter. Vol.2, No.l (January, 1991) , p. 8.

13. Ibid.

14. Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians: Supplementary Volume to the Fifth Edition. Edited by Eric Blom. (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1961), p. 436.

15. Dwight's Journal of Music. Whole No. 238, Vol. 10, No.4 (October 11, 1856), p. 14.

16. Wilson Lyle. A Dictionary of Pianists. (London: Robert Hale,1985) , p. 281.

17. Michel Bero. "Sigismond Thalberg: Aspects de la Virtuosité Pianistique au XiX siècle." Ph.D. dissertation (University Library of Brussels, 1975), Section I, p. 14.

18. Daniel L. Hitchcock. The Sigismund Thalberg Society Newsletter. Vol. 2, No. 2 (April, 1991), p. 8.

19. Michel Bero. Op. cit.. Section II, p. 2. 23

20. Daniel L. Hitchcock. The Sigismund Thalberg Society Newsletter. Vol. 2, No. 2 (April, 1991), p. 16.

21. Wilson Lyle. Op. cit., p. 281.

22. George Kehler. The Piano In Concert, Vol.2. (London: Scarecrow Press, 1982) , p.l316.

23. Franz Liszt. Op. cit., p. 23.

24. Michel Bero. Op. cit.. Section H, pp. 25-29.

25. Ibid., p. 50.

26. Dwight's Journal of Music. Whole No. 238, Vol.lO No.4 (October 25,1856) , p. 31.

27. R. Alan Lott. "The American Concert Tours of Leopold de Meyer, Henri Herz, and Sigismund Thalberg." Ph.D. dissertation (City University of New York, 1986) , p. 340.

28. Ibid.^ pp. 464-465.

29. Ibid., pp. 352-354.

30. Ibid., p. 546.

31. Ibid., pp. 547-548.

32. Ibid., p. 553.

33. Ibid., pp. 564-565.

34. Ibid., p. 534. 24

35. Ibid., pp. 570-571.

36. Francis Hueffer. Half a Century of Music In England. (Philadelphia: Gebbie and Co., 1889) , p. 107.

37. Vincenzo Vitale. "Sigimondo Thalberg a Posillipo." Nuove Rivista Musicale Italiana (October-December, 1972) , p. 504.

38. Nicolas Slonimsky. "Musical Oddities." Etude 73 (September 4, 1955) , p. 4.

39. Vera Mikol. "Thalberg’s Erard: A Discovery." Etude 75 (May-June, 1957) , p. 15.

40. Vincenzo Vitale. Op. cit., p. 505.

41. Nicolas Slonimsky. Op. cit., p. 4. CHAPTER n

The Role of the Early 19th Century Virtuoso

The 19th Century Recital

Musical concerts in the 19th Century usually featured a cast of artists, often from various branches of the arts. A full-length piano recital, as we know it today, was very rare indeed. Andrew Minor reports that only six solo recitals were recorded in New York City between 1849 and 1865.1 When Thalberg undertook his tours in America, he was joined by a troupe of musicians from the New York Academy of Music and by other visiting Europeans. Among the most prominent of these were the Italian , Madame Elena d'Angri (b.l824); violinist, Joseph Burke (1815-1902); cellist, Feri Kletzer (n.d.); trumpeter, Louis Schreiber (n.d.) and the Belgian violinist, Henri Vieuxtemps (1820-1881). Thalberg also collaborated with pianists, William Mason and American sensation, Louis Moreau Gottschalk (1829-1869) on numerous occasions.^ On certain occasions, even poetry readings^ and comedians were a part of the evening's entertainment, as demonstrated during a concert in Washington, D.C.:

25 26

Mr. Thalberg was assisted by the comedians, Mr. and Mrs. Florence, who played the very classical pieces, "The Yankee Housekeeper" and "The Young Actress" and sang several very popular arias, such as "Bobbing Around" and "My Mary Ann.". . . We leam that Mr. Thalberg received no less applause than "Bobbing Around."^

In addition to the regular evening concerts, Thalberg sometimes gave free concerts for schoolchildren and matinees at the halls of local piano dealers. Mikol writes that "the daytime affairs were, of course, for the ladies - elegant social affairs at which chocolate and ices were served by waiters in knee breeches and white stockings."^ At times, Thalberg was the only performer at these afternoon gatherings, in contrast to the evening concerts where the featured artist would perform only three or four selections. 27

The "Pianist-Composer”

Figure 9: Lithograph ofFamous Pianists, Young School. Standing: Jacob Rosenhain, Edward Wolff, Frederic Chopin, Theodore Dohler, and Adolph Henselt. Seated: Alexander Dreyschock, Sigismund Thalberg, and Franz Liszt. (Casimir Wierzynski, The Life and Death of Chopin)

Keyboard virtuosity was not new and did not begin with men like Thalberg and Liszt. It can be traced back to (1685-1757) and J.S. Bach (1685-1750) and his sons, through W.A. Mozart (1756-1791), (1752-1832), and (1770-1827). Of course, there were many other virtuosos, but most of them were pupils of one of these central figures. What, then, caused music historians to label the early to middle part of the 28

19th Century "The Age of the Virtuoso"? A number of factors contributed. Probably the one biggest factor was the rapid improvement in piano technique, due largely to the innovative writing in the late works of Beethoven. Previously, technical virtuosity was quite overstated due to the less-advanced state of the keyboard compared to that of the 19th Century. In addition, impressive technical wizardry was reviewed enthusiastically in the 17th and 18th Centuries, but was taken for granted with 19th Century pianists. This virtuoso treatment could not have taken place were it not for the innovations in piano technology. The piano's keyboard range was expanded to seven octaves; hammers were now covered with felt rather than deer hide or a similar leather; metal plates and braces were utilized, and by 1821, the Erard company of Paris had patented the double-escapement action, allowing for a quicker repetition of notes. Thalberg praised Erard pianos: "By its ingenuity the mechanism surpasses anything of its kind that has been made or tried. It permits the performer to communicate to the strings everything that the most skillful and most delicate hand can express."6 The extended range of the keyboard, combined with the improved sonority and repetition, not only led to improved technique among pianists, but also offered greater freedom to composers who wrote for the piano. The popularity of the piano rose steadily after the 1820’s. By 1829, 2,500 pianos were produced in America (one per 4,800 29 people). By 1852, 9,000 were being made (one per 2,777 people). Only eight years later, in 1860, 21,000 pianos were manufactured by American firms (one per 1,500 persons).^ People around the world were not buying pianos simply because the instruments were now better than ever, rather, they became an important centerpiece in the social circles. Composers began churning out fantasies and paraphrases on popular folk tunes, opera themes, and original compositions which would be technically manageable to the amateur. Thus began the advent of music commercialism. The people responsible for such potpourris were the piano virtuosos like Thalberg, Liszt, Kalkbrenner, Moscheles, Herz, etc. The role of the pianist was now expanded to that of pianist- composer, providing an important source of income for these musicians. This new role increased their popularity as performers, and their music was now more accessible to the general public. As a result, they reaped the benefits from the publishing and sale of their music. (1829-1894) later said, "As the greatest composers were themselves virtuosi, . . . they influenced the style of composition . . . and so one went hand in hand with the other, the composer was influenced by the virtuosity, and this again by the composer. "8 Paris was now the center of the pianistic world. The majority of Europe's leading pianists flocked to the French capital to give concerts, to study, or to take up residence and teach. Daniel 30

Hitchcock points out that six of the great piano virtuosos were bom between 1809 and 1814: Mendelssohn (b.l809); Chopin (b.l810); Liszt (b.l811); Thalberg (b.l812); Alkan (b.l813); and Henselt (b.l814), and all either lived in Paris for a time or visited the city frequently for performances. As mentioned earlier, much of the output of the pianist- composers was in the form of operatic fantasies. The influx of the melodious Italian opera had an enormous impact on Paris, and the pianists took advantage of successful by quickly issuing their own of the more popular melodies. Often, little consideration was given to the logical succession of themes within these arrangements. Rather, the composer chose the themes according to their suitability for variation, elaboration, and contrast. Henri Herz (1803-1888) was one of the first artists to cash in on this craze, and virtually all of the pianists of the day followed the trend. This brand of commercialism led to further financial opportunities for the pianist-composer. Publication of popular concert pieces proved lucrative in Europe and North America. Because America did not recognize any international copyright laws, touring foreign virtuosos could not collect on advance sales of their music.9 However, while in America, they could make money by selling new works to American publishers and issuing freshly revised editions. For example, the Boston publisher Russell and Richardson issued updated editions of Thalberg's more popular works "as he performs them now, and not as written years ago."!® "Charles Breusing, of New 31

York, issued all of Thalberg’s new works written in America. . . . Souvenir d'America appeared in March, 1857, in January, 1858, and Lilly Dale in August, 1858."! 1 Foreign artists who toured America were likely to reap huge sums of money, depending on their popularity. The main reason for their tours was to make money. Thalberg's fee was a little over $500 per concertl2, $10,000 per month for approximately 20 concerts, and it has been estimated that after his American sojourn, he had compiled a sum of about $160,000 from concertizinga l o n e . Lott writes that "a biographical sketch of Thalberg by the American pianist, Charles Grobe (ca. 1817-1868), claimed that in 1850 he was worth $150,000, a sum he bettered in his two-year t o u r .”14 One must remember that Thalberg’s financial success was due, in part, to smart management by opera impresario Bernard Ullmann (d. 1880) and Maurice Strakosch (1827-1887), but largely to his superior reputation and abilities. By comparison, the violinist. (1810-1880) and pianist, Henri Herz made only about $80,000 for 200 concerts. 1^ Josef Hofmann (1876-1957) made the following comment after a concert in Newburyport, Massachusetts: "When our expenses were paid, my share of the profits in this town was under one dollar. Things were not quite so bad as this everywhere, however, as we managed to make our living out of it.”l6 Thalberg also made more money than pianists who followed him to America. Anton Rubinstein received only $200 per concert during his tour of 1872-73; Hans von Bulow (1830-1894) made less than $125 for each appearance in 32

1875-76; and Ignace Paderewski was paid $375 per concert during 1891-92.17

A further benefit was afforded the 19th Century piano virtuoso by piano manufacturers. Famous pianists were able to avoid the expenses of piano rentals and shipment to concert sites. They were often given an instrument for their own private use for endorsing the instruments of one particular piano manufacturer. These were mutually beneficial agreements; the pianist avoided inflated costs and was assured of a good instrument for virtually every performance, and the name of the supplier was advertised accordingly. Thalberg entered into an agreement with the Erard company in Paris, whereby Erard provided pianos for his European concerts and at least seven grands for his initial voyage to America in 1856.18 In 1857, Thalberg made the following statement with regard to Erard pianos: "The Grand Pianos made by Erard, Paris, are in my estimation, the most perfect instruments in the world. I unhesitatingly give them the preference over all others." 19 Thalberg also had an with the Chickering firm in the United States, primarily as a result of the climatic effect on the Erards which accompanied Thalberg from E u r o p e . ^ O However, whenever an Erard in good condition was available, that was what he played. This sort of agreement with a manufacturer remains commonplace in today's concert world. 33

Plate n . Lithograph of Thalberg by Josef Kriehuber, ca.1842. (Courtesy: Daniel L. Hitchcock) 34

References

1. Andrew C. Minor. "Piano Concerts in New York City, 1849- 1865." MM Thesis. (Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan, 1947), p. 474.

2. R. Alan Lott. Op. cit., pp. 339, 398, 538, 563.

3. Ibid., p. 401.

4. Vera Mikol. "The Influence of Sigismund Thalberg on American Musical Taste." American Philosophical Society Vol. 102, No. 5 (October, 1958), p. 467.

5. Ibid., p. 467.

6. Arthur Loesser. Op. cit., p. 338.

7. R. Alan Lott. Op. cit., p. 18.

8. Anton Rubinstein. A Conversation on Music. Translated by Mrs. John P. Morgan. (New York: Chas F. Tretbar, 1892), p. 88.

9. R. Alan Lott. Op. cit., p. 528.

10. Ibid., p. 529.

11. Ibid., p. 531.

12. Ibid., p. 514.

13. Ibid., p. 520

14. Ibid., p. 527.

15. Ibid., p. 523. 35

16. Ibid.^ p. 524.

17. Ibid., pp. 526-527.

18. Ibid., p. 490.

19. Ibid., p. 502.

20. Ibid., p. 501. CHAPTER m

Thalberg: The Performer

Repertoire

Pianist-composers of the 19th Century had a somewhat limited repertoire as compared with today's standards. For practical and commercial reasons, they were often content to perform only their own compositions. The practical reason for this approach was that these virtuosos had limited time for their travels, practicing, and composing. Viewed from a commercial standpoint, this practice of performing their own works also provided wide exposure of new and revised works, resulting in vigorous sales of their music. To illustrate what percentage of Thalberg’s repertoire was his own. Minor reported that on Thalberg's programs in New York City, he performed a total of 45 different solos, of which 41 were his own compositions. 1 The American pianist, Richard Hoffman (1831-1909), defended Thalberg's choice of repertoire:

36 37

Thalberg was wise enough to avoid all compositions which he felt did not belong to his particular genre; he did not encroach upon the classics, and consequently he never scored any failures. He knew his limitations, but he did not allow others to discover them. He was satisfied to be successful in his own compositions which still remain the best operatic transcriptions extant. "2

Ferdinand Hiller (1811-1885) claimed that he never heard Hummel, Moscheies, Chopin or Thalberg play a piece by another com poser.3 Whether or not this is true, Thalberg performed a good deal of what today's pianists consider to be the basic literature. In order to evaluate piano recital programming in the 19th century, one must consider the aims of the pianist-composer, as well as the state of music literature at that time. For example, the sonatas of Beethoven and his generation were not altogether appreciated or known by the average concert-goer, and the music of Chopin and Schumann was still virtually unknown. Minor presents an overview of how American audiences and critics felt about 19th century composers. Mendelssohn was the most popular composer, closely followed by Chopin, whose works were frequently maligned by the critics. Beethoven's sonatas received only occasional performances as did works by Schumann. Mozart's instrumental works were neglected. Schubert was virtually dismissed as a composer of piano literature. The most popular piece for piano and orchestra was Weber's Concertstücke. ^ The people who attended concerts expected to hear new works composed by the performing artists. 38

The following is a partial list of works by other composers which Thalberg had in his repertoire:

J.S. Bach: Preludes and in Cm and D Triple Concerto in Dm, BWV 1063 Concerto for Four Pianos

B eeth oven : Sonata in C, Op. 2, No. 3 Sonata in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2 Concerto No. 3 in C Minor , Op. 37 Concerto No. 4 in G, Op. 58 Concerto No. 5 in E-flat, Op. 73 Triple Concerto, Op. 56 Trio in B-flat, Op. 97 Archduke Sonata for and Piano in F, Op. 24 Sonata for Violin and Piano in A, Op. 47 K reutzer

Chopin: Concerto in E Minor, Op. 11 selected Scherzo in B Minor, Op. 20 Funeral March from Sonata in B-flat Minor, Op. 35 Polonaise in F-shaip Minor, Op. 44 Prelude in E-flat, Op.28 Waltz in C-sharp Minor, Op. 64, No. 2

Korzaka: Fantasy on Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 for Three Pianos

H um m el: Concerto in B Minor, Op. 90 Septet, Op. 74

M ayseder: m o 39

Mendelssohn: "Songs Without Words": - Vclkslied, Op. 53. No. 5 - Fruhlingsliedy Op. 62, No. 6 M ozart: Rondo in A Minor, K. 511 Concerto in D Minor, K. 466

Strauss-Tausig: Soireés de Vienne

V erdi: 'The Miserere" from II Trovatore (on Alexandre Organ)

W agn er-L iszt: transcription of 'Spinning Song' from The Flying Dutchman

In addition to this list, Thalberg also had published a didactic edition of J.S. Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier and dementi's Gradus ad Parnassum. ^ Thalberg's performance of Beethoven's music received mixed reactions from his audiences. After a performance of the first movement of Beethoven's Concerto in C Minor , Op. 37 in November, 1856, the New York Times reported:

We are almost doubtful of our own judgement when we affirm that M. Thalberg's performance did not entirely satisfy us, and disposed to say that it was the orchestra, or the room, or the audience, that prevented our entering fully into the spirit. Yet, when we remember that M. Thalberg is not in the habit of playing with an orchestra, we can at least assign one reason for a comparative disappointment.^ 40

By comparison, when Thalberg performed Beethoven'sSonata in C- sharp minor , Op. 27, No. 2 in February, 1857, the same newspaper reported that, "The round, intelligent phrasing . . . gave it a new interest in the hands of M. Thalberg. Its innumerable repetitions were scarcely at all tedious, while its better qualities were brought into delightful prominence."^ Salaman said that, "to be assured that Thalberg was a really great player was to hear him interpret Beethoven, which he did finely, classically, and without any attempt to embellish the work of the master."8 Even stated, "He must be heard when he plays Beethoven, Dussek, Chopin; he guilds their works with the remarkable brilliancy of his execution. "9

According to James Huneker, Thalberg also played Mozart’s piano works very well: "One day when Thalberg was playing at my home a sonata of Mozart on a Pleyel piano, Berlioz said to me: 'Ah! if Mozart were with us, he would hear his admirable andante as he sung [sic] it to himself in his breast!'"10 Thalberg also helped to produce a performance of Mozart's in Boston in 1857. Thalberg's primary objective in giving concerts was to gracefully entertain the masses with music they wanted to hear. He, like most virtuosos, did not perform much of the classical repertoire in public. Paderewski and Rachmaninoff played mostly their own music on their subsequent tours of the United States. Performing the Baroque and Classical literature did not suit their purpose and it was usually 41 not expected of them. Much of what we refer to as standard repertoire today was unknown then. It was not until the generation of (1819-1896) and Hans von Bulow (1830-1894) that the public began to be educated in the music of Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Chopin and Schumann. It is obvious from accounts that those pieces by other composers that Thalberg chose to play, he played well. Mendelssohn summed it up in the following manner: . . He, in his way, is just perfect; he plays the pieces he has mastered, and there he stops. . . /'ll Anton Rubinstein praised Thalberg and lamented that during his own lifetime,"... virtuosi only play the music of others."! 2 42

Figure 10: Lithograph of Thalberg by Guillot. (Daniel L. Hitchcock. Sigismund Thalberg: Three Operatic Fantasies, p. xvi)

Personality and Stage presence

There is an abundance of first-hand accounts from reviewers and concert-goers with regard to Thalberg's personality and stage presence. Almost everyone considered him to be a true gentlemen, and he had no enemies except jealous rivals who looked upon his success and social ranking with some animosity. Charles Salaman, 43 who saw Thalberg on his 1836 tour of London, described him as "without affectation of any kind." 13 Robert Schumann, who was one of Thalberg's stiffest critics, called Thalberg, "the first and only artist, as regards art, society, and manners, whom I met in Vienna."14 The English etcher, James Anthony Minasi (1776-1865) spoke of Thalberg after a sitting, "His total freedom from all ceremony and affectation charmed me. . . . I felt doubly at home with him." 15 Despite having grown up with the advantages offered in an aristocratic family, Thalberg was not arrogant in his triumphs; rather, he maintained an air of sophistication while charming the public. He apparently also took criticism well. After a reviewer had written an article claiming Chopin to be the greater pianist than Liszt or Thalberg, the writer claimed that, "Liszt would have nothing to do with me for more than two months. But the day after the one on which my article appeared Thalberg was at my door at ten in the morning. He stretched out his hand as he entered, saying, 'Bravo! Your article is only just,"'15 Concert-goers seemed to be just as impressed with his demeanor on stage. It had become commonplace during this time for the pianist to make a theatrical entrance and to ornament his performance with contrived gestures and body movements of all kinds, thus creating a real spectacle. However, as the following report shows, Thalberg's actions on stage were at a minimum, with a complete focus on the music at hand. (1797-1856) wrote, that upon Thalberg's first performance in Paris, he showed: 44

. . . innate tact in his art as in his life. His performance is so gentlemanly, so opulent, so decorous, so entirely without grimaces, so entirely without any forced acting the genius, so entirely without that well-known brashness that makes a poor cover for inner insecurity. Healthy women love him. So do sickly women, even though he does not engage their sympathy by epileptic seizures at the piano, even though he does not play at their overstrung, delicate nerves, even though he neither electrifies them nor galvanizes them.l?

Arthur Loesser (1894-1969) reports the following:

Thalberg, perfectly dressed, groomed, and barbered, cultivated an air of perfect noise, an abstention from every superfluous movement, however emotionally opposite, during his most hazardous fingerwork. He appeared to realize the Zen ideal of central peace with peripheral combat.18

In an unusual diversion from his self-contained posture, Hitchcock notes that, "he did on occasion calmly surveil the audience while faultlessly bringing off one difficult passage aftera n o t h e r . " ! 9 Huneker draws a telling comparison between the stage presence of Thalberg and Liszt: 45

Liszt’s attitude at the piano, like that of a pythoness, has been remarked again and again. Constantly tossing back his long hair, his lips quivering, his nostrils palpitating, he swept the auditorium with the glance of a smiling master. . . There was nothing of the kind about Thalberg. He was the gentleman artist, a perfect union of talent and propriety. He seemed to have taken it for his rule to be the exact opposite of his rival. He entered noiselessly; I might almost say without disturbing the air. After a dignified greeting that seemed a trifle cold in manner, he seated himself at the piano as though upon an ordinary chair. The piece began, not a gesture, not a change of countenance! Not a glance toward the audience! If the applause was enthusiastic, a respectful inclination of the head was his only response. His emotion . . . betrayed itself only by a violent rush of blood to the head, colouring his ears, his face and his neck . . .20

One final quote comes from a New York reviewer who attended one of Thalberg's first American appearances, on December 2, 1856: "He is never carried away by his own music, but on rising from the piano, with the plaudits of delighted listeners bursting upon his ear, he is the same quiet, respectable, self-possessed, middle-aged gentleman that he is at the dinner table of his hotel. 21 46

1

Figure 11: A Sketch of Thalberg, signed by "Sternberg". (Hedwig Weilguny and Willy Handrick: Franz Liszt: Biographie in Bildern, p. 66) 47 Technique

Even though Robert Schumann was not a champion of Thalberg's compositions, he admitted that Thalberg's technical prowess was second to none: "So far as solo-playing is concerned, the fourth of this centmry saw it at its highest pitch of executive brilliancy and at its lowest of purpose and feeling - indeed, it may be comprehensively designated as the epoch of Thalberg." Henry F. Chorley (1808-1872), the noted English critic, described five distinct Schools of piano playing: 1) The solid, harmonic School established by J.S. Bach; 2) The expressive, melodic School of which Mozart and Hummel were leading proponents; 3) The School of mere execution, or "finger-music" advocated by Kalkbrenner, Czerny and Herz; 4) The School of genius, an eclectic group which took elements from all the previous Schools - Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Clementi; 5) The marvellous, or hyper-romantic School comprised of Chopin, Liszt and Thalberg.^^ 48

Francois Fètis (1784-1871), the famous Belgian critic and author of Biographie universelle des musiciens, became a champion of Thalberg and divided piano playing into two Schools of a more general nature: 1) The School of harmonic pianists, including Mozart and Beethoven; 2) The School of brilliant pianists, founded by Clementi and his pupils.^'^ Thalberg was said to have united these two traits both in his style of composition and through his manner of performance. Rather than continuing the practice of alternating scale and arpeggio passages, he combined these two elements while making use of the entire keyboard, filling in the middle register. Scales ceased to be a mainstay of virtuoso music and the general fingering was modified to include much greater use of the thumb (See the section on "Sonority" later in this chapter).

Physical Control

It has already been mentioned that Thalberg departed from the norms of virtuoso display by his cool, controlled approach at the piano. Clara Schumann was reported to have been "frightened at his o c unbelievable control ..." Thalberg achieved this control largely through an economy of physical motion, thus enabling him to leave 49 an impression of absolute calmness. This evolved from his studies with Hummel, Moscheies and Kalkbrenner, It is necessary to discuss Thalberg's own compositions when describing his technical merits. The Introduction to his pedagogical work for piano.The Art of Singing on the Pianoforte, Op. 70, states that an emphasis should be placed on a minimum of gesture within the arm mechanism. He relied on his upper-arm muscles only for force and confined his technique mainly to the finger, hand, wrist and lower-arm muscles. He was definitely in opposition to those proponents of the "high- raised fingers" and advocated that one should "possess in the fore­ arm, the wrists and the fingers, as much flexibility as a singer possesses in the voice."'in As stated in the Preface to his Method, Op. 70, "Do not strike the keys from too great a height, as in this case a thud will accompany the tone. . . . Generally, one works too much with the finger and too little with the ."^^ New improvements in the piano mechanism and concentrated physical effort enabled Thalberg to produce a wonderful "tone," previously unheard. Kullak reported that "the salon literature introduced by Thalberg, in particular his own works, exhibit the alternate nuances of tone for the sake of sensuous variety. To the earlier salon music, this fulness of charm was unknown; the latter 9 g must be prized in contrast." "Arm-weight" now became a factor in piano playing, and Thalberg may have been one of the first to use this technique. Until this time, the use of arm-weight for added resonance and intensity 50 was an impossibility due to the state of the piano. James Huneker reported that, "Thalberg never pounded. What constituted his superiority, what made the pleasure of hearing him play a luxuiy to the ear, was pure tone. I have never heard such another, so full, so O A round, so soft, so velvety, so sweet, and still so strong!"

Melody

Thalberg was widely recognized for his ability to make the "melody" stand out, regardless of what else was taking place in the score. Because of the influx of Italian Opera in early 19th Century Europe, a conscious effort was made to compose works with a distinct "singing" quality. Thalberg concentrated on producing a "cantilena" style of melody in everything he played. He recommended in the Preface to his M ethod that pianists actually take voice lessons. He, himself, studied voice for five years with the reknowned Spanish , Manuel Garcia (1805-1906) who taught at the P aris Conservatoire. Thalberg wrote that a melody should be played "without forcibly striking the keys but playing them closely and nervously, pressing them with energy and vigor . . . When the melody is of a tender and graceful character, the notes should be kneaded, the keys being pressed as though with a boneless hand and fingers of velvet."^ ^ 5 1

A New York Herald critic wrote in 1856 that.

Mr. Thalberg makes the piano sing. He has succeeded in overcoming the radical defects of the instrument; under his hands it is vocal as well as instrumental. His style is graceful without being ornate, and effective without being pretentious. . . . He has not been imitated because he is inimitable."^^

Sonoritv

Thalberg was able to combine the singing line within an orchestral sonority, an accomplishment which drew raves from the critics. One of the innovations attributed to Thalberg was that of the "3-handed technique", a manner of placing the melody in the middle register of the piano, while various accompaniment figures abound above and below. The melody was often executed with alternating thumbs. This created an illusion of a third hand participating in the performance. (1808-1849), the founder of modem harp technique, first developed this usage in an attempt to have the harp recognized as a respectable solo instmment. Parish Alvars even composed aFantasia, Op. 35, dedicated to Thalberg in 1838.33 One of Mozart's pupils, Francesco Pollini (1763-1846), was possibly the first to use the "3-handed technique". It can be seen in his Trentadue esercizi in forma di toccata of 1820.3"^ Thalberg first 52 presented this technique to Parisian audiences in his Moses Fantasy, Op. 33 in 1837. Thalberg often instructed his publishers to use three staves to show the inner melody separate from the accompaniment. Slonimsky stated that.

Once, in an overcrowded hall, a man standing behind the loges where he could not see Thalberg, offered a bet to any taker that there were two pianists playing. The bet was accepted by another concert-goer and together they went to see Thalberg after the concert. Thalberg, always a showman, played the piece in question once more to prove that he was in no need of assistance from another pianist."^ ^

Others, such as the caricaturist, Dantan, portrayed Thalberg as having four hands, with ten fingers on each hand. (See Figure 14) For maximum effect, Thalberg made use of the "sustaining pedal" to catch the inner melody notes, thus allowing both hands to be free to execute the wide-ranging accompaniment. Thalberg's use of the "sustaining pedal" and "measured dynamics" simply enhanced the overall effect of his playing. Charles Salaman claimed that Thalberg's "fortissimos" were never noisy^^ and Ernest Legouve (1807-1903) recalled the following description of his playing: 53

Thalberg began slowly, quietly, calmly, but with a calm that thrilled. Under those notes so seemingly tranquil one felt the coming storm. Little by little the movement quickened, the expression became more accentuated, and by a series of gradual crescendos he held one breathless until a final explosion swept the audience with an emotion O O indescribable. . . .

Thalberg suggested that dynamics are "signs which are to a musical q Û composition what light and shade are to a picture." As regards the sustaining pedal, Thalberg recommended that "the tones invariably be held throughout their absolute or exact value."'^® He further added that "the use of two pedals, separately or together, is indispensible to a breadth of execution, a maintenance of sustained harmony, and the production . . . of simulated, prolonged, and swelled tones.""^^ In his M ethod, the markings for the sustaining pedal are below the bass staff, while those markings for the un a corda pedal are placed between the staves. 54

ccrdu

Ped. Ped.

Figure .12: S. Thalberg, "Tre Giomi: Air de Pergolesi" fromThe Art of Singing on the Pianoforte, Op. 70, mm. 31-33.

The Technician

Sir Charles Halle (1819-1895) described Thalberg's performance as "wonderfully finished and accurate, giving the impression that a wrong note was an impossibility.""^^ There was told a popular story of a frustrated Englishman who followed Thalberg around for three years with the hope of hearing him strike a wrong note. Frustrated, by his failure to detect any errors, he "blew out his brains in A'l despair." An amusing account of an amateur’s amazement with Thalberg's technical prowess was reported after a Springfield, Massachussetts concert. 55

By Jove! his thumbs are all fingers. Really, I thought Mason, Gottschalk, Strakosch and those tall players did the piano well, but I am just as much in the fog as to what piano perfection is, as when I first heard cousin Jane thump out "Home" as a waltz on our fourty [sic] dollar concern. . . . Really, I believe the next great player who comes here will play a part at each end of the instrument, while he plays an obligato accompanied inside on the wires!^'^

Thalberg's "technique" was apparently second-to-none, as virtually all reports indicated awe-inspiring performances. His musical ideas flowed naturally, for he was not known merely as a technician, but rather, as a complete musician who played with strong feeling.

Enthusiastic critics compared Thalberg with the geniuses of all lands and all epochs. His cantilena was compared to the beauty of Raphael's curves; his chisseled passages were likened to the perfection of Benvenuto Cellini's sculptures in silver; his powerful octaves evoke the mighty figures of Michelangelo.^^

One critic wrote that, "His scales are marvels of evenness, his trills rival those of a canary bird. His arpeggios roll, at times, like the waves of the ocean; at others, they resemble the folds of transparent lace floating airily with the movement of the wearer. Mendelssohn wrote to his sister, Fanny, in 1838, reporting that, "... Thalberg gave a concert yesterday and pleased me extraordinarily. He restores one's desire for playing and studying as 56 everything really perfect does . . Robert Schumann had the following to say:

It would be difficult to convince anyone, who has not made use of his own eyes and ears, of the art with which Thalberg handles his instrument, or to give an idea of the manner in which he enhances the effect of the melody by means of newly invented accompaniments; of his rare pedal effects, his grasping single tones among masses, so that we sometimes imagine we hear different voices, and so on."48

Practice and Preparation

Thalberg's reputation arouses a natural curiosity about how he practiced. His singing lessons, mentioned earlier, undoubtedly helped him to focus clearly on achieving a lyric melodic line. According to William Mason, with whom Thalberg spent much time in the United States,

Daily exercises included scales and arpeggio passages played at various rates of speed and with different degrees of dynamic force. These were always put into rhythmic form, and the measures, sometimes in triple and sometimes in quadruple time in many varieties, were invariably indicated by means of accentuation."^^

Thalberg was intent on practicing his technique musically and often got up at three o'clock in the morning topractice.50 Richard Hoffman claimed that Vincent Wallace (1812-1865) told him that he had once 57 heard Thalberg practice two measures of his Don Pasquale Fantasia "in the octave variation all through the night until sunrise, never leaving the piano."51 it is obvious that Thalberg worked extraordinarily hard to achieve the accolades that he received. In the following account, Ignaz Moscheles described how Thalberg achieved his physical discipline while playing.

His whole bearing as he sits at the piano is soldier-like. His lips are tightly compressed and his coat closely buttoned. He told me he had acquired this attitude of self-control by smoking a Turkish pipe while practicing his exercises; the length of the tube was so calculated as to keep him erect and motionless.52

In contrast to what many teachers advocate these days, Thalberg felt it important to the development of a pianist to practice on a first-rate instrument. He further insisted that a good instrument even suggested ideas to the composer.53 One other recommendation to student-pianists was that one should take advantage of opportunities to hear great artists perform, whatever their instrument. 58

Comparison with Colleagues

How did Thalberg compare to the other leading virtuosos of his day? He was considered to be either the best pianist, ranked only behind Franz Liszt, or on an equal footing with Liszt. A reviewer in Newark, New Jersey made this colorful observation regarding Thalberg:

He never once got his feet upon the keys, nor even his elbows; nor did his hands toss over each other, showering colored lights from diamonded fingers. During all his performances there was scarcely a perceptible motion of his head or shoulders, nor indeed any more agitation than would be observed in a Wall Street banker passing over his golden notes from one side to the other, as if there were almost too many to inspect within bank hours.^"^

Heinrich Heine referred to Thalberg as a king; Liszt, a prophet; Chopin, a poet; Herz, an advocate; Kalkbrenner, a minstrel; Madame

Pleyel (1811-1875), a sibyl; and Dohler, a pianist.55 Clara Schumann, the foremost female pianist of her day, suggested in a letter to her husband that, "he can do much, more than all of us (except Liszt) . . . and if I were not a woman I should long ago have said good-bye to virtuosity. . . . Tomorrow, Dreyschock, from Prague, is giving a concert. . . . Thalberg is a hundred times greater."56 There was mutual respect between Thalberg and Chopin but one would not describe them as close colleagues. In 1830, Chopin stated 59 that "Thalberg plays famously, but he is not my man. . . . He plays forte and piano with the pedals but not with the hand; takes tenths as easily as I do octaves, and wears studs with diamonds."^? Furthermore, Chopin apparently had some fun at Thalberg's expense. The story goes that after congratulating Thalberg on a performance, Chopin seated himself at the piano and began mimicking Thalberg as soon as his back wast u m e d . 5 8 Shortly after this, Thalberg and (some say

D reyschock59) attended one of Chopin's Paris recitals. After the concert, "... he astonished Hiller by shouting on the way home. In reply to questions he slyly answered that he needed a fo rte as he had heard nothing but pianissimo the entire e v e n i n g ! "60 60

References

1. Andrew C. Minor. "Piano Concerts in New York City, 1849- 1865." MM Thesis. (Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan, 1947), p. 469.

2. Richard Hoffmann. Some Musical Recollections of Fifty Years. (new York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1910), pp. 128-129.

3. Oscar Bie. A History of the Pianoforte and Pianoforte Players. Translated by E. E. Kellett and E. W. Naylor. (New York: Da Capo Press, 1966), p. 197.

4. Andrew C. Minor. Op. cit., p. 474.

5. Compiled from the following sources:

Michel Eero. "Sigismond Thalberg: Aspects de la Virtuosité au XIX® siècle." Section 11. (Brussels: University Library of Brussels, 1975), pp. 4, 7, 25, 73, 85. Joan Chissel. Clara Schumann: A Dedicated Spirit. (London: Hamish Hamilton, 1983), p. 80. Dwight’s Journal of Music. Whole No. 250, Vol. 10 No. 16 (January 17, 1857), p. 127. Ibid. Whole No. 251, Vol. 10 No. 17 (January 24, 1857), p. 134. Ibid. Whole No. 256, Vol. 10 No. 22 (February 28, 1857), p. 172. R. Alan Lott. "The American Concert Tours of Leopold de Meyer, Henri Herz and Sigismund Thalberg." Ph. D. dissertation, (new York: City University of New York, 1986), pp. 432, 543. The Piano In Concert. Vol. 2. Compiled and annotated by George Kehler. (London: Scarecrow Press, 19784), pp. 1317-1318. 61

John F. Porte. Chopin, the Composer and His Music. (London: William Reeves Ltd., 1935), pp. 86-87, 96-97, 147, 157-158, 164. Charles Salaman. "Pianists of the Past: Personal Recollections by the Late Charles Salaman." Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine 1031: Vol. 170 (September, 1901), p. 320. Vincenzo Vitale. " Thalberg a Posillipo." Nuova Rivista Musicale Italiana vi (October-December, 1972), p. 505. 6. Andrew C. Minor. Op. cit., p. 233.

7. Ibid., p. 229.

8. Harold C. Schonberg. The Great Pianists. (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1963), pp. 173-174.

9. Robert Schumann. Music and Musicians: and Criticisms by Robert Schumann. Translated, annotated, and edited by Fanny R. Ritter. (London: William Reeves, 1880), p. 314. Sons, 1911), p. 282.

11. . Letters of Felix Mendelssohn to Ignaz and Charlotte Moscheles. Translated and edited by Felix Moscheles. (Freeport, New York: Books for Libraries Press, 1970), p. 203.

12. Anton Rubinstein. A Conversation on Music. Translated by Mrs. John P. Morgan. (New York: Chas. F. Tretbar, 1892), p. 89.

13. Charles Salaman. Op. cit., p. 322.

14. Berthold Litzmann. Clara Schumann: An Artist’s Wife. Vol. 1. Translated by Grace E. Hadow. (London: MacMillan, 1913), p. 168.

15. James Huneker. Op. cit., p. 250.

16. Ibid., p. 288.

17. Max Graf. Composer and Critic: Two Hundred Years of Musical Criticism. (New York: Norton, 1946), pp. 215-216. 62

18. Arthur Loesser. Men, Women and Pianos. (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1954), p. 372.

19. Daniel Hitchcock. "Sigismund Thalberg 1812-1871: An Evaluation of the Famous Composer-Pianist, on the 100th Anniversary of His Death." Piano Quarterly Vol. 77 (fall, 1971), p. 14.

20. James Huneker. Op. cit., p. 285.

21. Dwight’s Journal of Music. Whole No. 244, Vol. 10 No. 10 (December 6, 1856), p. 77.

22. Vera Mikol. "The Influence of Sigismund Thalberg on American Musical Taste, 1830-1872." American Philosophical Society 102/5 (October, 1958), p. 466.

23. Henry P. Chorley. In Dwight's Journal of Music Whole No. 236, Vol.lO No.2 (October 11, 1856), pp. 9-11 and Whole No. 238, Vol. 10 No.4 (October 25, 1856), pp. 26-28.

24. Frits Noske. "Tradition et innovation dans la virtuosité romantique." Acta Musicologica 43: n. 3-4 (1971), p. 121.

25. John N. Burk. Clara Schumann: A Romantic Biography. (New York: Random House, 1940), p. 150.

26. Sigismund Thalberg. Preface to The Art of Singing Applied to the Piano-Forte. (New York: Musical Scope, 1970).

27. Vincenzo Vitale. Op. cit., p. 510.

28. William Mason. Memoirs of a Musical Life. (New York: AMS Press, 1970), p. 213.

29. Adolph Kullak. The Aesthetics of Pianoforte Playing. 5th edition. Revised and edited by Dr. Hans Bischoff. Translated by Dr. Theodore Baker. (London: G. Schirmer, 1893), p. 300.

30. James Huneker. Op. cit., p. 287. 63

31. Frits Noske. Op. cit., p. 124.

32. Harold C. Schonberg. Op. cit., p. 173.

33. Ann Griffiths. "Elias Parish Alvars (1808-1849)." Am erican Harp Journal 9 (Summer, 1983), pp. 17, 23.

34. Gerald Abraham. A Hundred Years of Music. (London: Duckworth, 1938), p. 63.

35. Nicolas Slonimsky. "Musical Oddities." Etude 73 (September 4, 1955), p. 4.

36. Michel Bero. Op. cit., pp. 28-29.

37. Charles Salaman. Op. cit., p. 323.

38. James Huneker. Op. cit., p. 286.

39. Sigismund Thalberg. Op. cit.

40. William Mason. Op. cit., p. 217.

41. Sigismund Thalberg. Op. cit.

42. Charles Halle. The Autobiography of Charles Halle. Edited by Michael Kennedy. (London: Paul Elek, 1972), p. 58.

43. James Huneker. Op. cit., p. 287.

44. Dwight's Journal of Music. Whole No. 249, Vol. 10 No. 15 (January 10, 1857), p.

45. Nicolas Slonimsky. Op. cit., p. 4.

46. Ibid., p. 4.

47. Frederick Niecks. Robert Schumann. Edited by Christine Niecks. (London: J. M. Dent and Sons, 1925), pp. 214-215. 64

48. Robert Schumann. Op. cit., p. 466.

49. William Mason. Op. cit., p. 212.

50. Harold Schonberg. Op. cit., p. 173.

51. Richard Hoffmann. Op. cit., p. 129.

52. Harold Schonberg. Op. cit., p. 173.

53. William Mason. Op. cit., p. 214.

54. R. Alan Lott. Op. cit., pp. 358-359.

55. James Huneker. Mezzotints in Modem Music. 4th edition. (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1912), p. 94.

56. Berthold Litzmann. Op. cit., p. 179.

57. James Huneker. Chopin: The Man and His Music. (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1901), p. 29.

58. ______. Mezzotints in Modern Music. 4th edition. (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1912), p. 41.

59. William Mason. Op. cit., pp. 75-76.

60. James Huneker. Op. cit., p. 42. CHAPTER IV

The Thalberg-Liszt Controversy

Background

Much has been written concerning the so-called "duel" between Thalberg and Liszt in the Spring of 1837. To totally disregard this incident would be erroneous on my part, but to present it as having been a one-sided confrontation, which has often been the case, would be equally wrong. There were several factors which led to the musical "event" of Paris in 1837. Liszt had been established there for some time and enjoyed uncontested success as the Parisian virtuoso. Thalberg, on the other hand, had just made his Parisian debut in January, 1836, enjoying enormous raves from the critics. Excerpts from reviews in the Revue et Gazette Musicale which compared Thalberg to Liszt obviously had an effect on Liszt, i.e., "I have never seen one produce such a similar effect as does Liszt", and, "Thalberg is more calm, less audacious than Liszt.Both the critics and the general public played a significant role in building the comparison between these two great pianists to fever pitch.

65 66

Liszt had been in Geneva when he first began getting reports about a new pianist who had taken Paris by storm. In March, 1836, Liszt wrote to his mother saying, "I should like to meet Thalberg. Those compositions of his that I have seen seem mediocre to me.

The praise in the newspapers does not impress me m u c h . "2 Liszt made an error in judgement when he presented a review of Thalberg's Fantasy, Op.22 to the Gazette musicale which was published on May 8, 1836: "Emptiness - mediocrity - impotence - monotony! Arpeggios, everywhere arpeggios and nothing but arpeggios! . . . With the best will in the world, I can find nothing original or charming in all twenty-one pages of Opus 22."3 Indeed, Thalberg's Op22 does contain an abundance of arpeggios, and more variety could have made this piece work better, for it has some wonderful thematic ideas with which to expand. However, Liszt overstated his criticism of Thalberg's work, and this proved to be the beginning of a long circus of events. Reginald Gerig states that, "Although Liszt expressed his respect for Thalberg the performer, there seems to be a bit of hypocrisy on his part in condemning Thalberg’s superficial works while he himself was playing fantasies that were not always much better. Liszt's nature was full of paradoxes."'^ In the summer of 1836, Liszt returned to Paris to play a series of recitals. He had hoped to finally meet Thalberg, but Thalberg had already departed the city. In the autumn of that year, Liszt asked 67

the music publisher, Schlesinger, to allow him to review some of Thalberg's music for the Gazette musicale. Not only had Liszt been disturbed with the glowing reviews Thalberg had been receiving, but he was also somewhat jealous that Thalberg had been asked by Schlesinger to write the official piano fantasy on Meyerbeer’s latest opera. Les Huguenots, which had been premiered back in April. Liszt continued to give recitals in Paris through the early part of 1837, and his review of Thalberg’s works finally appeared on January 8, 1837. Along with his reviews of selected Thalberg compositions, he launched a personal attack on Thalberg's reputation by insinuating that his success could be attributed to his aristocratic connections.^ Upon the death of Napoleon II, a close friend of Thalberg, Liszt remarked, "It would not take much for them to start putting on his concert announcements that he wept at the death of an illustrious child. On another occasion, Liszt wrote, ". . . Thalberg is pianist to His Majesty the Emperor of Austria, and for many people that means something. "7 In this way, Liszt continued his attacks. What of Thalberg? No printed criticisms of Liszt or his compositions and no personal attacks by Thalberg have been found. Thalberg was surprisingly quiet throughout this whole ordeal except when he was asked to give a joint concert with Liszt. He replied, "I do not like to be accompanied."^ 68

The activity of these two great virtuosos leading up to the orchestrated showdown at the end of March included a February 19th performance by Thalberg at the studio of Pierre Zimmerman (1785-1853), a professor at the Paris Conservatory. Liszt, apparently in attendance, remarked to Chopin that Thalberg was "a failed aristocrat who is even more a failed artist."^ On March 12, Thalberg performed three of his own fantasies before an audience of 400 at the Paris Conservatory. Not wanting to be outdone, Liszt rented the 3,000 seat Opera House where he played one of his fantasies and the Weber Concertstûcke.^^

Figure 13: Statuette of Liszt at the keyboard as portrayed by Jean Pierre Dantan, Paris, 1836. (Rudolf Zeitler, Die kunst des 19 Jahrhunderts, Plate 350 a) 69

I

Figure 14: Statuette of Thalberg at the keyboard as portrayed by Jean Pierre Dantan, Paris, 1836. Note that Dantan gives Thalberg four hands, ten fingers on each hand. (Rudolph Zeitler,Die kunst des 19 Jahrhunderts, Plate 350 b)

The Event

In the meantime, sides had been forming. The public was divided between these two handsome virtuosos, and articles in the press divided musical colleagues both prior to, and after, the big event. Princess Cristina Belgiojoso (1808-1871) announced a fund-raising event to benefit the political refugees from her native Italy for March 31, 1837.^ Invited were Liszt, Thalberg, Herz, Chopin, Czerny and Pixis, each to deliver his own variation on a melody from 70

Bellini's . No such gathering took place, however, the combined efforts of these individuals led to the 1839 publication of the H exam eron variations. Liszt and Thalberg were to be the featured artists, and, as it conveniently turned out, the only members of the six invitees to participate. Tickets sold for today's equivalent of $8.00 each, 12 and the event was all that Parisians were talking about. Thalberg performed hisFantasy on Rossini's 'Moses'’, Liszt rendered his Fantasy on Pacini's 'Niobe'. Both men were declared winners by the assembled mass and Princess Belgiojoso declared, "Thalberg is the best pianist in Paris but there is only one

Liszt in the w o r l d ! " l 3 Many of the Liszt biographies have portrayed Thalberg as having been clearly defeated. Sacheverall Sitwell claims that Liszt "vanquished that musician in open competition."!'^ James Huneker reports that "Thalberg went u n d e r " 15 and even Alan Walker, at one time, stated that "as for Thalberg, his humiliation was complete." 1^ Walker later corrected his opinion of Thalberg, stating that he enjoyed a long career and many successes. 17 The worst transgression seems to be in Ronald Taylor's biography when he says that Liszt received "tumultuous applause which overshadowed Thalberg's," 18 without noting a source for that assertion. This sort of biased reporting on behalf of the afore-named authors certainly serves to portray Liszt's high standing, but it remains a transgression to the memory of Sigismund Thalberg. 71

Figure 15: The combatants: Liszt and Thalberg. Liszt lithograph by Carl WildL 1842. (Weilguny and Handrick, p. 84) Thalberg lithograph by Staub, 1835. {Oscar Bie, p. 276)

The Aftermath

Although much had been said and written, the actual "duel" was past but the controversy was far from over. If one could designate individuals as having taken one side or another, Chopin and Berlioz seemed to favor Liszt. As mentioned earlier, there was no love lost between Thalberg and Chopin. They shared a mutual respect for each other, but their relationship was not a close one. Chopin often 72 accompanied Liszt to various affairs, including recitals, and Liszt performed some of Chopin’s music and gave it complimentary reviews. The role of Berlioz in this matter was perhaps greatly exaggerated. It is unfair to assume that he openly favored Liszt more than Thalberg, as has been suggested by music historians because he had many complimentary statements to make regarding

Thalberg. Schumann seemed a trifle prejudiced toward L iszt, In June, 1836, Berlioz published a review of Liszt’s recitals upon his return to Paris, stating that "Liszt . . . has proven that he is the pianist of the future.’’20 Knowing Liszt’s temperament, Berlioz was obviously trying to ensure his friend that he had not been forgotten in his absence, nor had he been replaced by someone else. Francois J. Fétis, a theory professor at the Paris Conservatory, music historian, lecturer, and founder of the Revue musicale^ published an article on April 23, 1837 entitled "Thalberg and Liszt." In it, he summarized and distinguished between the two Schools of piano playing mentioned earlier, and scolded Liszt for his previous attacks on Thalberg. Perhaps Fétis added to the dilemna, feeling that someone should openly defend Thalberg, when he included the following statement directed at Liszt: "You are a product of a school that has outlived itself and has nothing to look forward to. You are not the creator of a new school. That man is Thalberg; this is the whole difference between you two. "21 Mendelssohn summed up his feelings in the following manner: 73

. . Liszt was here for a fortnight and was the cause of a tremendous uproar in both a good and a bad sense. I consider him to be a fundamentally good, warm-hearted man and an admirable artist. There is no doubt that he plays most of all of them, yet Thalberg, with his composure, and within his more restricted sphere, is more nearly perfect as a real virtuoso; and after all this is the standard by which Liszt must also be judged, for his compositions are inferior to his playing, and, in fact, are calculated solely for virtuosi.”22

Heinrich Heine probably issued the most telling remarks on this whole situation.

. . . One need but compare the musical character of the two to be convinced that only malice or ignorance would praise one at the expense of the other. Their technical prowess was evenly balanced, and as for the spirit of their playing, it is impossible to imagine a sharper contrast than before Thalberg . . . ana Liszt . . . People did that great and excellent artist (Thalberg) a disservice when, instead of praising the youthful purity, finesse, and charm of his playing, they portrayed him as a Christopher Columbus who had discovered a pianistic America while other pianists were arduously thumping about the Cape of Good Hope searching for musical spices. . .23

Liszt issued a rather sarcastic reply to the Fètis' article in the G azette m usicale on May 14, 1837. "I want to talk about the matter that some people were pleased to call my "rivalry" with Thalberg. . . . you can imagine how my soul trembled at the prospect of a great and powerful new impetus that was to be given to an entire generation of 74

contemporary pianists."24 Nonetheless, he seemed to make an attempt at a conciliatory gesture and vented his toward those who tried to aggravate the situation.

What I said, I said with regret and also to caution the public, so to speak, since they had made a point of pitting us against each other and of depicting us as competitors in the same arena, contenders for the same crown. . . . After I had stated my opinion to the public, I said the same thing to the composer when we had occasion to meet sometime later. . . . In fact, there had been neither enmity nor reconciliation.25

The painter, Minasi, left an account of Thalberg's reaction to this whole scenario which had passed and of the professional attitude taken by both participants afterward.

While I was putting on paper the outline of his profile, I inquired whether he was acquainted with my friend Liszt in Paris. He remarked that Liszt had disgraced himself with all impartial persons by writing against him with violent acrimony in the public prints; and which act he himself acknowledged was the result of professional jealousy. . . . To the honor of Liszt, however, it should be noted that, having called upon Thalberg, he acknowledged his errors, making him a solemn promise never to offend in the same manner, adding that the cause of his attack upon him arose jfrom jealousy of his rival’s high talents. . . . Thalberg declared that Liszt is one of the great pianists in Europe, and he concluded with the following generous admission: 'Nevertheless, after all that has passed between us, I think Liszt would do anything to oblige.'26 75

Whether or not there was any reconciliation, Liszt had obviously hurt Thalberg's professional pride with his public remarks. Thalberg had remained quiet throughout the ordeal. To Liszt's credit, he admitted his lack of composure for there should have been no reason for him to react the way he did. Ernest Newman said, "... what leaves a bad taste in the mouth is the artist's resort to journalism to further his personal ends. Manifestly the Liszt of those days is not the Liszt of the later legend. As time went on he learned . . . to turn towards the world only the face he wished the world to see." 27 No one could dispute Liszt's place in the history books and the contribution he was making to music. The admirable thing was done by Thalberg, namely, to excuse the one lapse in integrity of his great colleague who, apart from this incident, never succumbed to such indiscretion. Two year later, in 1839, Liszt wrote to his mistress, Marie d'Agoult (1805-1876) from Rome: "As one who has never laid claim to anything, I am more than content to be the second, at least, or half of the first in the world's opinion - it is the grand prize that Thalberg and I share."28

Upon Thalberg's death in 1871, Liszt sent a brief letter of condolence to Thalberg's wife25 and donated 100 francs toward the construction of a statue of Thalberg in Naples.^O 76

III: 1838 lithograph of Thalberg by Josef Kriehuber (Courtesy; Daniel L. Hitchcock)

% % 77

References

1. Michel Bero. "Sigismond Thalberg: Aspects de la Virtuosité Pianistique au XIX® siècle." Section I. (Brussels: University Library of Brussels, 1975), p. 28.

2. Franz Liszt. An Artist’s Journey. Translated and annotated by Charles Suttoni. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1989), p. 35.

3. Vera Mikol. "The Influence of Sigismund Thalberg on American Musical Taste, 1830-1872." American Philosophical Society, Vol. 102 No. 5 (October,1958), p. 465.

4. Reginald Gerig. Famous Pianists and their Technique. (New York: Robert B. Luca, 1974), p. 176.

5. Franz Liszt Op. cit., p. 24.

6. Raymond Lewenthal. Program Notes. The Duel Between Liszt and Thalberg. Raymond Lewenthal, piano. ANGEL S 36079, pub. 1975.

7. Ibid.

8. Alan Walker. Liszt. Great Composers Series (New York: Thomas Crowell Co., 1971), p. 39.

9. Franz Liszt Op. cit., p. 24.

10. Ibid., pp. 25-26.

11. For more information on Princess Belgiojoso, see: Alan Walker. Franz Liszt: The Virtuoso Years, 1811-47. (Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 1987), pp. 238-239.

12. Vera Mikol. Op. cit., p. 466. 78

13. Ronald Taylor. Franz Liszt: The Man and the Musician. (London: Grafton Books, 1986), p. 50.

14. Sacheverall Sitwell. Liszt. (New York: Dover, 1967), p. 133.

15. James Huneker. Mezzotints in Modern Music. 4th ed. (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1912), p. 225.

16. Alan Walker. Liszt. Great Composers Series. (New York: Thomas Crowell Co., 1971), p. 40.

17. ______. Franz Liszt: The Virtuoso Years (1811-47). Vol. 1. (New York: Cornell University Press, 1987), p. 240.

18. Ronald Taylor. Op. cit., p. 49.

19. Robert Schumann. On Music and Musicians. Edited by Konrad Wolff. Translated by Paul Rosenfeld. (New York: Pantheon, 1946), p. 157.

20- Franz Liszt. Op. cit., p. 24.

21. Ibid., pp. 26-27.

22. Felix Mendelssohn. Felix Mendelssohn: Letters. Edited by G. Seldon Goth. (New York: Pantheon, 1945), p. 289.

23. Franz Liszt. Op. cit., p. 218.

24. Ibid., pp. 35-36.

25. Ibid., pp. 36-37.

26. James Huneker. Franz Liszt. (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1911), pp. 250-251.

27. Ernest Newman. The Man Liszt. (London: Cassell & Co., 1934), p. 72. 79

28. Franz Liszt. Op. cit., p.l83.

29. Franz Liszt. Franz Liszt's Briefe. Vol. 8 Edited by La Mara. (Leipzig: Breitkopf & Hartel, 1902), p. 223.

30. Ibid.. Vol. 7. p. 264. CHAPTER V

Influences

The influence of Sigismund Thalberg on music can be seen in several areas. As one of the two greatest virtuosos of his time, the impact he left with respect to concert-life has been passed on to become commonplace by today's standards. I have already mentioned his endorsement of the Erard pianos and the subsequent business arrangement with that manufacturer, which is considered standard procedure these days. Thalberg became the first pianist to regularly have his own pianos transported with him on tour.l Along with Liszt, he helped to establish the "solo piano recital" as we know it today, although this was not a persistent feature of concerts at that time. "Thalberg gave pianoforte recitals with a piano alone upon the stage, banishing the assisting orchestra and vocal soloists which pianists had always been expected to call in for variety. "2 Max Graf states that Thalberg was the first virtuoso to perform a concert without an assisting orchestra.^ At a New York concert in 1857, "There was a new arrangement made in the disposition of the platform. It was in the middle, and held two Erards, at which

80 81

Thalberg played alternately, so that we could see by turns his fingers and his face."'^

A New York review shows another innovation in normal recital format which coincided with Thalberg's 1857 American tour: "He has introduced the feature of Piano-Forte Matinees, in which he is the only performer, playing about five of his own compositions, a fragment of classical music and an operatic fantasia on the Orgue Alexandre."^ Thalberg's performances were significant in helping to expand the repertoire of the typical 19th Century virtuoso, though not as much so as later generations. The majority of the pieces on his programs was his own, as was the rule of the pianist-composer. In his defense, it should be noted that he helped to introduce American audiences to the works of Beethoven, most notably the 3rd and 5th Concertos, which had rarely been heard. The performances of his own works caused much more of a stir with the public and, in general, these works began to influence the repertoire of other virtuosos. The following remark leaves an impression of just what was expected of a pianist, as in the case of William Mason. ". . . The demand for flashy fantasies and outright stunts which had been cultivated by Thalberg and Gottschalk and their generation, forced him to end his recitals with improvisations on themes suggested by members of the audience. "6 82

Thalberg's intense interest in "opera" led to an extracurricular involvement in the opera scene. A New York Herald article from January' 2, 1858, paid homage to Thalberg’s assistance in this area,

. . . It is to Mr. Thalberg chiefly that we owe the forty-four performances of Italian Opera which have been given at the Academy since September last. . . . Mr. Thalberg's position with regard to the Opera was simply this: He gave to the director, Mr. Ullmann, the weight of his name in Europe, and here he might have lost something by the season, but refused to have any present or prospective share in the profits.?

I have already mentioned his help in producing Mozart'sRequiem in Boston in 1857. Furthermore, because of the enormous financial success of Thalberg's first Western tour in America, his manager, Strakosch, along with Ullmann, was able to extend the lease of the New York Academy of Music for three years, a length of time unprecedented in New York, and this served to boost the success of opera in the city.8

Other Pianists Who Played Thalberg Pieces

Richard Hoffman said, " As a boy I learned nearly all of his compositions and operatic arrangements, and have never forgotten them although I have not looked at the notes for twenty-five years or more."ÿ Thalberg's compositions became very popular with 83 audiences everywhere and were programmed by many of the leading pianists of the 19th Century. Clara Schumann was known to have played one of Thalberg's Caprices, as well as several of his fantasies. In a letter to Robert dated February 12, 1840, she stated: "In Thalberg's 'Caprice' I had a fatal misfortune. You know one sits on the prompter's box, and this kept on waggling and creaked every time I got into the treble — I was dreadfully afraid that the thing would collapse, and this made me go wrong in the 'Caprice', but the audience did not notice it." 10 Other pianists who had Thalberg pieces in their repertoire included LisztH (even Blandine Liszt!), Anton Rubinstein 12 _ who, on July 11, 1839, performed Thalberg's Andante at his first public concert in Moscow, 13 Gottschalk, and Prokofieffs teacher, Annette Essipov (1851-1914).14 Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884), as a teenager, became known for his performances of compositions by Liszt, Henselt and Thalberg. 15 César Franck (1822-1890) played many of Thalberg's fantasies including theM oses Fantasy, and (1833-1897) was playing these works by the age of fourteen. 16 Many other pianists took part in performances of the two-piano arrangements by Thalberg, most notably, that of his Fantasy. Some of these pianists were William Mason, Jules Benedict, Charles Halle, Gottschalk, and Liszt. An amusing, albeit unflattering, account was left by Charles Halle v ith regard to his difficulty in preparing Thalberg'sDuo for piano and on Les Huguenots. 84

In the few free moments my pupils left me, I practiced hard the Duet for piano and viola on themes from The Huguenots' by Thalberg and de Beriot, as I have to play it next week at the concert with Mr. Blagrove. Very unpleasing and uncongenial work, which I have to force myself to. 17

In a letter written two days later, he mentioned that he had "worked again on that fatal Thalberg duet, . . ."18 Eduard Hanslick (1825- 1904), the noted Austrian critic, went so far as to say that Thalberg's compositions exerted more influence on the piano repertory than did those of Liszt! 19

Influence of Thalberg's Compositions

The influence of Thalberg's compositions on both his contemporaries and on composers into the 20th Century can be seen in their assimilation of his techniques. For example, a more direct impression can be seen in some works of Liszt and Mendelssohn, while more general characteristics can be noted in compositions by Prokofieff and Debussy. Mendelssohn was a champion of Thalberg's music from the outset. After hearing Thalberg perform at one of his performances, he was apparently fascinated with the famed "three-handed" technique and adopted it for use in some of his own works.^O Mendelssohn was 85 obviously attracted to the lyric quality of this effect and used it in his E Minor Prelude, WoO and in some of his Songs Without Words.

1^5 Irsrirriitimu. ^ / PP

r~»hen mnrcnto U canto

Figure 16: S. Thalberg,Moses Fantasy, Op. 33, nun. 262-265.

Figure 17: F. Mendelssohn, Prelude in E Minor, WoO, nun. 9-12. 86

Hitchcock suggests that "Mendelssohn attempted Thalberg's style in more restrained fashion."^ 1 Raymond Lewenthal defines a set of "Thalberg Principles" which allowed a freer approach to executing what has become known as the "three-handed" technique. They are as follows: 1) Thalberg's piano writing is contrapuntal. 2) Each contrapuntal component is isolated on its own dynamic terrace. 3) The LEADING MELODY is usually internal. a) It is sometimes, but not always, divided between the hands. b) It is often, but not always, in the middle of the keyboard, the piano's richest cantabile region. c) It is often, but not always, played by the strongest fingers, the thumbs. 4) The PEDAL is required to connect and sustain melody tones so that hands can be freed to dart elsewhere to play , figurations or, but by no means always, just simple (or complicated) arpeggios. Lewenthal suggests that Liszt's style changed after he met Thalberg, with respect to his many transcriptions of Schubert Songs, Beethoven Symphonies and Operatic Fantasies. One of the best known examples using "thumb technique" is Liszt's Etude, Un Sospiro, composed in 1848. 87

caniando

m.S. nid. m.s. simile dolce con grazia

Figure 18: F. Liszt, Concert Etude, Un Sospiro : mm. 3-5.

Even Chopin may have been thinking of Thalberg when he wrote the E Minor Etude, Op.25 No.5, where in the middle section the melody is taken with the thumbs. However, there is not conclusive evidence of Thalberg's influence, as it is certain that ideas were shared among all the composers. It is difficult to say with certainty who influenced whom during this time in music history. 88

Più lento ( J « i68 )

3 ,* 2 te^çiero

g j /) ben ienuto

* lü.

Ei&ure_I^: F. Chopin, Etude in E Minor, Op.25 No. 5, mm. 45-48.

Chopin may also have gotten the idea for the isolated melody with offsetting small and large print from Thalberg or Liszt.

P e d . * P e d .

Figure-2Q: S. Thalberg, “Tre Giomi: Air de Pergolesi” fromThe Art of Singing on the Pianoforte, Op. 70, mm. 18-21. 89

Allegro hoslenuto ^ ‘

m Ü ?

I;

%» *

Figure 21: F, Chopin, Etude in A-flat {Aeolian Harp), Op. 25 N o.l, m m .1-2.

Whether or not Chopin got this from Thalberg, Thalberg did make use of this procedure. Schumann used the "three-handed effect" in his Three Romances, Op.28; Theodore Dohler featured a melody in the middle register surrounded by arpeggios in the third variation of his Variations on a theme of Donizetti, Op.l7 (1836); Emile Prudent modelled his whole writing style after that of Thalberg; absorbed Thalbergian traits, especially in some of his shorter passages; and Leopold Godowsky (1870-1938) wrote transcriptions which are full of Thalberg's principles. During the 1840’s, Leopold de Meyer, Herz, Maurice Strakosch and Gottschalk all composed Thalbergian fantasies of their own. It was the predominance of Thalberg's influence on the literature of the day that caused Wilhelm von Lenz to write the following in 1852: "The piano playing of the present day, to tell the truth, consists only 90 of Thalberg simple, Thalberg amended, and Thalberg exaggerated; scratch what is written for the piano, and you will find T h a l b e r g . "2 2 In the 20th Century, Thalberg's principles can be noted in some works by Sergei Prokofieff (1891-1953), probably as a result of his teacher's familiarity with the works of Thalberg. Evelinde Trenkner claims that in the Cadenza of the first movement of the Op. 16 Piano Concerto, one can see traits of Thalberg's Op. 33 Moses Fantasy. 23 Lewenthal also contends that Thalberg's influence is clearly in evidence here and also in Prokofieffs Piano Concerto No.3, at the lyrical E Major theme of the final movement; and in the slow movement of the Concerto by Samuel Barber (1910-1981).24 The music of Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy features somewhat more obvious examples of the "three-handed technique" which had become a staple of the Impressionist School. It would be fair to say that many of the technical innovations devised by Thalberg and his contemporaries have become standard practice, even to this day. So as not to leave one with the impression that the "three-handed" technique involved only arpeggios, the following examples provide evidence of other usage, such as fugato (Figures 22 & 23), scale passages (Figure 24), and extended trills (Figure 25). 91

Figure 22: S. Thalberg,Moses Fantasy, Op. 33, mm. 190-192.

éaioUgatb

f T ^ r r r L J ’

Figure 23: S. Thalberg, Fantasy onLes Huguenots by Meyerbeer, Op. 20, mm. 24-36. 92

Figure 24: S. Thalberg, Fantasy onDon Pasquale by Donizetti, Op. 67, mm.170-171.

Figure 25: S. Thalberg, Fantasy onDon Pasquale by Donizetti, Op. 67, mm.179-185. 93

Thalberg's Pupils

Finally, Thalberg’s legacy can be seen in his teaching of the next generation of pianists. Upon his retirement from the concert stage, he had more time to devote to teaching on a steady basis. Probably the most celebrated pupil of Thalberg was Benianimo Cesi (1845- 1907) who absorbed much of Thalberg's style and repertoire over an extended period. Luigi Albanesi (1821-1897), a piano instructor at the Naples Conservatory and teacher of Cesi, had asked Thalberg to tutor his pupil. Cesi went on to have a successful career as pianist and teacher. Among his pupils were Florestano Rossomandi (1867- 1933) and Attilio Brugnoli (1880-1937). His legacy reached to Vincenzo Vitale (1908-1984), the late 20th Century pianist who directed the Associazione Thalberg.'^^ Other students in Italy included Constantino Palumbo (1843-1928), composer and piano professor at the Naples Conservatory from 1873; Tito Mattei (1841- 1914), a noted Italian pianist who eventually settled in London; and John N. Pattison (1845-1905), an American who studied with Thalberg in Italy and premiered Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in America. Another prominent Italian pupil was Alfonso Rendano (1853-1931), whom Thalberg introduced to Rossini, a move that helped to boost Rendano's career. Some Thalberg students who resided in London included Arabella Goddard (1836-1922), who had toured America and had also studied with Kalkbrenner; Wilhelm Kuhe (1823-1912), the Czech-born 94

pianist, composer, and Professor at the in London; and the German-bred Eduard Ganz (1827-1869), who studied with Thalberg in London and later founded a Pianoforte School in Berlin in 1862. The Austrian, Heinrich Ehrlich (1822-1899) studied with both Thalberg and Henselt and was, as well as a fine pianist and composer, a prolific literary writer and the teacher of . Aloys Tausig (1820-1885), the lesser-known father of (1841- 1871), was Karl's first piano teacher and a Thalberg pupil, himself. Julie De Berg (n.d.) was a Baroness from Vienna who toured America in 1853, claiming to be a pupil of both Thalberg and Liszt. Ludwig Rakeman (n.d.), a student of Thalberg and Hummel, toured America between 1839 and 1843. He was among the first performing artists to introduce American audiences to the works of the "New School" — i.e. Thalberg, Liszt, Henselt, etc.26 Others who studied with Thalberg in Paris include Paul Bernard (1827-1879), also a composer and music critic; Charles Poissot (1822-1904), a pianist, teacher and writer; Joseph Guillaume Felix (1818-1897), also known as "Dieudonne Godefroid", a Belgian harpist and composer; Alexandre Goria (1823-1860), a Venetian who taught and composed light salon pieces; and Marie Pleyel (1811-1875) commonly known as "Camille", or "Marie Moke." Pleyel was a romantic interest of Berlioz' who had studied with both Kalkbrenner and Moscheles. She was said to have "finally achieved her mature style with the aid of Thalberg."^? 95

Figure 26: Two of Thalberg’s pupils, Arabella Goddard and Marie Pleyel. {Schonberg, pp. 237; 193)

Two other prominent names who were disciples of Thalberg were Emile Prudent and Theodor Dohler (1814-1856). It is unclear whether either of these pianists actually studied with Thalberg, but his style can be readily noticed in their compositions. 96 Plate IV : Statue of Thalberg erected in Naples, Italy, 1873. (Hitchcock, STS Newsletter - July, 1990) 97

References

1. Arthur Hedley. Chopin. The Master Musician Series. Revised by Maurice J. E. Brown. (London: J. M. Dent and Sons, 1974) , p. 129.

2. John N. Burk. Clara Schumann: A Romantic Biography. (New York: Random House, 1940) , p. 145.

3. Max Graf. Composer and Critic: Two Hundred Years of Musical Criticism. (New York: Norton, 1946) , p. 169.

4. Dwight’s Journal of Music. Whole No. 255, Vol. 10 No. 21 (February 21, 1857), p. 164.

5. Ibid.^ Whole No. 256, Vol. 10 No. 22 (February 28,1857) , p. 172.

6. John T. Howard and George K. Bellows. A Short History of Music in America. (New York: Thomas Crowell Co., 1957) , p. 140.

7. Andrew C. Minor. "Piano Concerts in New York City, 1849- 1865." MM Thesis. (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, 1947) , p. 259.

8. R. Alan Lott. "The American Concert Tours of Leopold de Meyer, Henri Herz and Sigismund Thalberg." Ph D. dissertation. (New York: City University of New York, 1986) , p. 415.

9. Richard Hoffman. Some Musical Recollections of Fifty Years. (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1910) , p. 343. 98 10. Berthold Litzmann. Clara Schumann: An Artist's Life. Vol. 1. Translated by Grace E. Hadow. (London: Macmillan, 1913) , p. 274.

11. Alan Walker. Franz Liszt: The Virtuoso Years, 1811-47. Vol. 1. (Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 1987) , p. 243.

12. Michel Bero. "Sigismond Thalberg: Aspects de la Virtuosité Pianistique au XIX siècle." Section I (Brussels: University Library of Brussels, 1975), p. 54.

13. Anton Rubinstein. Autobiography of Anton Rubinstein, 1829-1889. Translated by Aline Delano. (New York: Haskell House, 1969) , p. 9.

14. Raymond Lewenthal. Program Notes. The Duel Between Liszt and Thalberg. Raymond Lewenthal, piano. ANGEL S 36079, pub. 1975.

15. Denis Mathews, ed. Keyboard Music. (New York: Praeger Pub., 1972) , p. 233.

16. Raymond Lewenthal. Op. cit.

17. Charles Halle. The Autobiography of Charles Hallé. Edited by Michael Kennedy. (London: Paul Elek, 1972) , p. 160.

18. Ibid., p. 161.

19. Christoph Keller. Program Notes. Pensées Musicales. Christoph Keller, piano. ACCORD 140 079, pub. 1984.

20. The Piano in Concert. Vol. 2. Compiled and annotated by George Kehler. S.v. "Sigismund Thalberg." (London: Scarecrow Press, 1982) , p. 1316. 99

21. Daniel L. Hitchcock. "Sigismund Thalberg 1812-1871: An Evaluation of the Famous Composer-Pianist, on the 100th Anniversary of His Death." Piano Quarterly 77 (Fall, 1971) , p. 13.

22. Charles Suttoni. "Piano and Opera: A Study of the Piano Fantasies Written on Opera Themes in the Romantic Era." Ph D. dissertation. (New York: New York University, 1973) , p. 207.

23. Evelinde Trenkner. Program Notes. Fantaisie sur des themes de Moise en Egypt. Evekinde Trenkner, piano. ORION ORS 77278 , pub. 1978.

24. Raymond Lewenthal. Op. cit.

25. Daniel L. Hitchcock. The Sigismund Thalberg Society Newsletter. Vol. 1 No. 2 (July, 1990) , p. 4.

26. Dwight's Journal of Music. Whole No. 236, Vol. 10 No. 2. (October 11, 1856) , p. 14.

27. Barzun, Jacques. Berlioz and the Romantic Century. 3rd ed. (New York: Columbia University Press, 1969) , p. 124. 100

CONCLUSION

It is difficult to understand why Thalberg has been so neglected over the years by pianists and musicologists. No books have been written on Thalberg and only a handful of journal articles and scholarly papers exist. Most of Thalberg’s music is inaccessible to potential “Thalbergians” because the major music publishers no longer print any of his pieces. Aside from a few recordings by such pianists as Michael Ponti, Evelinde Trenkner, Francesca Nicolosi, Raymond Lewenthal, and Earl Wild, Thalberg’s works remain "virgin territory". Many of the sources that do mention Thalberg contain very suspect, unsubstantiated information. It has been a challenge to sort through the various conflicting reports surrounding much of Thalberg’s life and work. Although I realize that not every public figure can be granted equal footing with such unanimous musical giants as Chopin, Mendelssohn, and Brahms, it seems curious that a man described by virtually all sources as Liszt’s primary competitor would be so neglected. True, Thalberg’s music is not consistently on a level with that of many of his contemporaries, such as Liszt and Chopin, but his piano playing caused such hysteria in the musical capitals so as to earn the admiration of even his most critical peers. 101

Emest Newman had the following to say: “If Thalberg is hidden in the darker historical shadows of Chopin and Liszt today, he did rank on equal terms with them in the 1830’s and 1840’s, certainly as a pianist . . . and at least within the range of his many published fantasies and other potpourris, as a composer.”!

Those who overlook Thalberg should bear in mind what Mendelssohn had to say: “He wishes to be nothing more than what he is — a really éclatant virtuoso; and when a man does perfectly what he does one cannot wish him to be but what he is.” Apparently, there exists a wealth of untapped information in the archives of various European countries visited by Thalberg. His American visit has already been well-documented by Alan Lott and Andrew Minor. Perhaps my effort will help to rekindle some interest in Thalberg. Daniel L. Hitchcock, one of the leading Thalberg specialists, has recently founded “The Sigismund Thalberg Society” in the United States. Undoubtedly, as more and more people from around the world become active in this organization, new and revised information on Thalberg will come to light. Thalberg deserves more attention, and it is my hope that he will be given the recognition he so richly deserves, and which is grossly overdue. 102

References

1. Emest Newman. The Sonata Since Beethoven. Third edition. (New York: W. W. Norton, 1983), p. 496.

2. Frederick Niecks. Robert Schumann. Edited by Christine Niecks. (London: J. M. Dent and Sons, 1925), p. 215. APPENDIX Thalberg's Compositions

103 104

THALBERG’S COMPOSITIONS

It presently appears impossible to give an authoritative list of Thalberg's compositions. Some thought was given to constructing a list according to genre (i.e., classical models, paraphrases, transcriptions, lieder, character pieces, instrumental works, and opera). Unfortunately, no definitive "complete” list exists. This task will be left to future scholars, such as Mr. Jon Skinner, upon whose work my list is largely based. There are numerous instances where Thalberg, or one of his contemporaries, made additional arrangements of the solo piano version of a work. For this reason, I believe it is more beneficial, at this stage of Thalbergian research, to list the arrangments with the original work. I would like to express my gratitude to Mr. Jon Skinner for his major contribution to the following list. 105

Plate V: Line engraving of Thalberg (after a photograph) by H. Thiriat, ca. mid-to-late 1850’s. (Courtesy: Daniel L. Hitchcock) 106

O pus Title of Work Pub. Date 1 Melange on Eurianthe by Weber 1828 2 Fantasy and variations on a Scottish theme 1828-1829 (We're a' noddin' ) 3 Impromptu on Le Siege de Corinthe of Rossini 1828 4 Twelve Caprices in the form of waltzes 1836 5 Concerto in F Minor for Piano and Orchestra 1830 5a "Hommage a Rossini" (on ) 1830 6 Fantasy on Robert le Diable by Meyerbeer 1833 7 Grand divertissement in F Minor for piano and 1833 8 Lieder: Book 1 1833 [1] Ihre Augen [2] Der Wanderer [3] A breise [4] Frohliches Schneiden [5] Die Nonne [6] Der Reitersmann 9 Fantasy on of Bellini 1834 [Also arranged for 2 pianos by Czerny] 10 Fantasy on / Capuleti ed i Montecchi of Bellini 1834 [Also arranged for 2 pianos by Thalberg] 11 Lieder: Book 2 n.d [1] Lebe Wohl [2] Der Strom [3] Mitgefuhl [4] Hass und Liebe [5] Die Thrane [6] Traumen und Wachen 12 Fantasy on T/orma of Bellini 1834 [Also arranged for piano duet by Czerny] [1842] 13 Lieder: Book 3 n.d [1] Des Jagers Haus [2] Der todte Muller [3] Sprache der Liebe [4] Ein Kamerad [5] Todtengraberlied [6] Im Dunkeln 14 Grand Fantasy on Don Juan by Mozart 1835 [Also arranged for piano duet by Czerny] 15 Caprice No. 1 in E Minor 1836 107

16 Two (in F# and B) 1836 17 Variations on two Russian Airs 1836 18 Divertissement on Les Soireés musicales of 1836 Rossini 19 Caprice No. 2 in E-flat 1836 20 Fantasy on Les Huguenots of Meyerbeer 1836 21 Three Nocturnes 1836 22 Grand Fantasy in B Minor 1837 23 Songs of the Hermit'. 1838 (based on 6 Italian melodies) [1] Seine Blumen [2] Seine Harfe [3] Sein Kreuz [4] Seine Glocken [5] Sein Grab [6] Sein Begrabniss 2 4 Lieder: Book 4 1838 [1] Abend [2] Die Ruinen [3] Thranen "Was ist's. Voter" [4] Thranen "Nicht der Thau" [5] Im Herbst [6] Segen der Grossmutter 25 Lieder: Book 5 1838 [1] An den Fruhling [2] Heimlicher Schmerz [3] Erwachen [4] Stille der Nacht [5] An den Mond [6] Der Ring 25a Seven "Songs Without Words" transcribed for n.d. piano solo 26 Twelve Etudes 1837-1838 26a Deux Ames, Melody for piano solo n.d. 27 Fantasy on the English Airs, God Save theQueen 1837 and Rule Brittania 2 8 in E 1839 108

2 9 Lieder: Book 6 1839 [1] Der Jagermadchens Klage [2] Der Traum [3] Der Verlobten [4] Die Ungluckliche [5] Sommernacht [6] Abschied 3 0 Lieder: Book 7 1841 [1] Nackt [2] Vor meiner Wiege [3] Der Findling [4] Wanderers' Lieberschmerz [5] Wanderers' Lieberschmerz II [6] Warum? 31 Scherzo in C-sharp Minor 1838 3 2 Andante in D-flat 1838-1839 3 3 Fantasy on themes from Moses by Rorsini 1839 [Also arranged for piano duet by Benedict] 3 4 Divertissement on The Gypsy by Benedict 1839 3 5 Grand Nocturne in F-sharp: "Le Tremelo" 1839 3 6 Six Pieces: [1] La Cadence : Impromptu in the form of 1839 an Etude [2] Etude de perfection 1840 [3] "Mi manca la voce" from the opera, 1839 M oses by Rossini [4] La Romanesca : Famous 16th Century 1842 Air [5] Canzonette Italienne : "Felice donzella" 1842 by Dessauer [6] Song without Words 1843 3 7 Grand Fantasy on a theme from Oberon by 1840 Weber 3 8 Romance and Etude in A 1840 3 9 Grand Fantasy: Souvenirs de Beethoven 1840 40 Fantasy on motifs from by 1840 Rossini 41 Three Songs Without Words n.d. [Also arranged for piano duet by Czerny] 4 2 Grand Fantasy on the "Serenade and Minuet" 1841 from Don Juan by Mozart 109

4 3 Grand Duo for piano and violin onLes Huguenots 1841 of Meyerbeer [Also arranged for piano and flute by Krakamp] 1844 [Also arranged for piano and cello by S. Lee] 1842 [Also arranged for solo piano by Czerny] 1842 [Also arranged for piano duet by Thalberg or Czerny] 4 4 Variations on the "Andante Finale" from Lucia di 1841 Lam m erm oor by Donizetti 45 Theme and Etude in A Minor 1841 [Also arranged for piano duet by Czerny; and a modifled version by J. Albanesi] 46 Grand Fantasy on motifs from La Sonnambula 1842 by Bellini [Also arranged for piano duet by Czerny] 47 Grandes valses brillantes 1843 [Also arranged for piano duet by F. L. Schubert] 4 8 Grand Caprice on motifs from the opera, Charles 1843 VI by Halevy 49 Fantasy on motifs from Beatrice di Tenda by 1843 Bellini [Also arranged for piano solo by Czerny] [Also arranged for piano and violin by Panofka] [Also arranged for piano and flute by Krakamp] 5 0 Fantasy on Lucrezia Borgia by Donizetti 1844 51 Grand Fantasy on motifs from Sem iramide by 1844 Rossini 51a Nocturne in B-flat n.d. 5 2 Grand Fantasy on La Muette de Pcrtici by 1844 Auber 5 3 Grand Fantasy on Zampa by Herold 1844 5 4 Duo for piano and violin onSem iramide of 1844 Rossini [Also arranged for piano and flute by Krakamp] [Also arranged for piano and cello by Batta] 5 5 Le Depart: Song in the form of an Etude 1844 (Also known as "La Vague") 5 6 Grande Sonata in C Minor 1844 110

5 7 Decameron: (10 Pieces serving as a Preparatory 1845 School to larger works) 1845 1) Fantasy on / Puritani by Bellini 1845 2) " ” Le Freyschutz of Weber 1846 3) ” Le Pre-aux-cleres of Herold 1847 4) " Norma by Bellini 1848 5) " " melodies of Schubert 1849 6) ” of Rossini 1850 7) " " of Rossini 1850 8) " " of Donizetti 1850 9) Caprice on Le Prophète of Meyerbeer 10) Variations on Irish Airs

5 8 Grand Caprice on the "March" from L'Apotheose 1845 de Napoleon of Berlioz 5 9 Variations on a Funeral March 1845 60 Barcarolle 1845 61 Melodies Styriennes : Grand Fantasy 1845 [Also arranged for piano and violin by Panofka] [Also arranged for piano and cello by S. Lee] 62 Valse mélodique 1845 63 Fantasy on Le Barbier de Seville of Rossini 1845 64 Waltzes: Les Capricieuses 1846 65a Souvenir de Pesth : Variations on Hungarian 1846 Airs 6 6 Introduction and variations on the "Barcarolle" 1850 from L'elisir d'amore by Donizetti 67 Grand Fantasy on motifs from Don Pasquale by 1850 Donizetti 6 8 Fantasy on La Fille du Regiment of Donizetti 1852 69 Trio for piano, violin and cello 1848 I l l

7 0 L'Art du chante appliqué au pianoforte 1853 ("The Art of Singing on the Pianoforte") Series 1: [1] "Quartet" from I Puritani by Bellini [2] Tre Giomi : "Air de Pergolesi" [3] by Beethoven [4] Air d'église by Stradella [5] "Lacrymosa" from Requiem and "Duo" from Le nozze di Figaro by Mozart [ d ] "Perché mi guardi e piangi" from Zelmira by Rossini Series II: 1853 [7] "Bella adorata incognita" from II giuramento by Mercadente [8] "Nel silenzio fra I'orror" from II crociato by Meyerbeer [9] "Einsam bin ich nicht alliene" from Preciosa by Weber [10] Le Meunier et le torrent by Schubert [11] "Duet" from Der Freischütz by Weber [12] "n mio tesoro” fromDon Giovanni by Mozart Series III: 1862 [13] "Serenade" from by Rossini [14] "La dove prende" from The Magic Flute by Mozart [15] "Barcarolle" from Gianni di Calais by Donizetti [16] Trio and Duet, "La ci darem la mano" from Don Juan by Mozart [17] "Serenade" from L'amant jaloux by Gretry [18] "assisa a pie d'un salice" from Gtello by Rossini 112

Series IV: 1863 [19] "Casta diva": cavatina fromNorma by Bellini [20] "Mon coeur soupire": Air from The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart [21] "Quartet" from by Weber [22] David sur le rocher blanc : An old Air of the Bards [23] "Song and Chorus" fromJahreszeiten by Haydn [24] Fenesta vascia : Chanson napolitaine

71 Six transcriptions from the opera, F lorinda 1854 7 2 Variations on the English Air, Home, Sweet 1857 Home! 7 3 Variations on The Last Rose of Summer 1857 74 Variations on Lilly Dale 1858 75 Les Soirées de Fausilippe: 24 Pensées musicales 1862 7 6 Ballade célèbre 1862 77 Fantasy on II Trovatore by Verdi n.d. 7 8 Fantasy on La Traviata by Verdi 1862 79a Transcriptions of three melodies by Schubert 1862 from Winterreise and Schône Müllerin [1] Die Tàuschung [2] Die Neugierige [3] Die Post 79b Romance dramatique ca. 1864 80 La Napolitaine : Dance ca. 1864 81 Souvenir from Un Ballo in maschera by Verdi 1864 82 Souvenir from by Verdi 1864 8 3 "Air d'Amazily" from Fernand Cortez by Sponrini 1863

WoO Opera: Florinda 1851 Opera: Christina di Svezia 1855 Les soirées aux Tuileries 1844 (12 Songs for voice and piano) La Partenza 1844 Transcription of Auf FlUgeln des Gesanges hy 1863 Mendelssohn Transcription of Le fils du Corse by Auguste 1847 Morel 113

Transcription of the "Scherzo" from 1873 A Midsummer Night's Dream by Mendelssohn Waltzes: Souvenir d'Amerique 1857-1858 Souvenirs de Venise: Romance-Etude for piano 1853 Le trille 1873 Berceuse 1846 Viola ("Un Soupir") 1844 Three Songs without Words 1841 Graziosa: Song without Words 1842 Keepsake ds pianistes: Song without Words 1842 "Song Without Words" for the Beethoven Album 1842 of 1842 Nocturne for the Mozart Album 1842 Romance pour piano 1845 Pastorale 1873 Hexameron: Variation I 1839 Scotch Airs for piano 1873 Irish Airs for piano 1873 English Melodies: 1836-1837 [1] Within the Convent Garden [2] Mid Stormy Winds [3] 0 Jotous Smile [4] One Alone hath the Token [5] I Wept Amid my Dreaming [6] Amid the Greenwood Smiling [7] The Hour of Rest [8] I’ve Sign’d to the Rose [9] With Wirth the Cottage "Scene and Chorus" from the Second Act of 1864 Lucrezia Borgia by Donizetti "Duo" from II Trovatore by Verdi 1864 BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Griffiths, Ann. "Elias Parish Alvars (1808-1849)." American Harp Journal 9 (Summer, 1983): 17-34.

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______. The Sigismund Thalberg Society Newsletter. Vol.l, No.2 (July, 1990); Vol. 2, No. 1 (January, 1991); Vol. 2, No. 2 (April, 1991).

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______. "Thalberg's Erard: A Discovery." Etude 75 (May-June, 1957): 15-60.

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Dissertations

Bero, Michel. "Sigismond Thalberg: Aspects de la Virtuosité Pianistique au XDC siècle." University Library of Brussels, 1975.

Lott, R. Alan. "The American Concert Tours of Leopold de Meyer, Henri Herz, and Sigismund Thalberg." Ph. D. dissertation. City University of New York, 1986.

Minor, Andrew C. "Piano Concerts in New York City, 1849-1865." MM Thesis, University of Michigan, 1947.

Skinner, Jon. "Complete Works List of Sigismund Thalberg." In Progress.

Suttoni, Charles. "Piano and Opera: A Study of the Piano Fantasies Written on Opera Themes in the Romantic Era." Ph. D. dissertation. New York University, 1973.

Discography

Dubai, David and Waidoff, Stanley. Program Notes. Music or the Romantic Pianist-Composer: The Great Virtuosos. Tinton Falls, New Jersey: Musical Heritage Society 3681, pub. 1977.

Hitchcock, Daniel L. Program Notes. Sigismund Thalberg Piano Concerto; Music for Solo Piano. Michael Pond and the Westphalian Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Richard Kapp. Candide CE 31084, pub. 1974. 123

Program Notes. Sigismund Thalberg Grande Sonate Op. 56 in C Minor; Friedrich Kalkbrenner Grande Sonate Brillante, Op. 177 in A-flat. Adrian Ruiz, piano. Genesis OS 1016, pub. 1972.

______. Program Notes. The Mirecourt Trio: Henselt Trio in A Minor and Thalberg Trio in A Major, Op. 69. Mirecourt Trio. Genesis GS 1058/1059, pub. 1975.

Keller, Christoph. Program Notes. Pensées Musicales. Christoph Keller, piano. Accord 140 079, pub. 1984.

Lewenthal, Raymond. Program Notes. The Duel Between Liszt and Thalberg. Raymond Lewenthal, piano. Angel S 36079, pub. 1975.

Trenkner, Evelinde. Program Notes. Fantaisie sur des thèmes de Moise en Egypt. Evelinde Trenkner, piano. Orion ORS 77278, pub. 1978.

Wild, Earl. Program Notes. The Art of the Transcription. Earl Wild, piano. Audiofon CD 72008-2, n.d.