Karl Tausig (sometimes "Carl"; born Karol Tausig; 4 November 184117 July 1871) was a Polish
virtuoso pianist,
arranger and composer. He is generally regarded as
Franz Liszt's most esteemed pupil, and one of the greatest pianists of all time.
Life
Tausig was born in Warsaw to
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
parents and received his first
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...
lessons from his father, pianist and composer Aloys Tausig, a student of
Sigismond Thalberg
Sigismond Thalberg (8 January 1812 – 27 April 1871) was an Austrian composer and one of the most distinguished virtuoso pianists of the 19th century.
Family
He was born in Pâquis near Geneva on 8 January 1812. According to his own account, h ...
. His father introduced him to
Franz Liszt in
Weimar
Weimar is a city in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in Central Germany between Erfurt in the west and Jena in the east, approximately southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together with the neighbouri ...
at the age of 14. He quickly became a favorite pupil of Liszt's, travelling with him on concert tours and studying
counterpoint, composition and
orchestration in addition to his piano lessons, and even taking on one of Liszt's pupils,
Regina Watson, as his own. At the age of 16 he met
Richard Wagner, of whom he became a devoted follower and friend. He also became a great admirer and friend of
Johannes Brahms. Tausig made piano arrangements of many of Wagner's operas. He also introduced to Wagner his friend
Peter Cornelius
Carl August Peter Cornelius (24 December 1824 – 26 October 1874) was a German composer, writer about music, poet and translator.
Life
He was born in Mainz to Carl Joseph Gerhard (1793–1843) and Friederike (1789–1867) Cornelius, actors i ...
, another Wagner devotee.
In 1858 Tausig made his debut in Berlin at a concert conducted by
Hans von Bülow
Freiherr Hans Guido von Bülow (8 January 1830 – 12 February 1894) was a German conductor, virtuoso pianist, and composer of the Romantic era. As one of the most distinguished conductors of the 19th century, his activity was critical for es ...
. While some critics admired his technical feats at the keyboard, others found his playing noisy and overbearing. Even some who were more accommodating of Tausig's "Lisztian eccentricities" felt he would play better as he matured.
[Dannreuther, ''New Grove (2001)'', 25:126.] Tausig toured through various German towns in 1859–60, making
Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...
his base. He moved to
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
in 1862; there he gave concerts of modern orchestral music, including some of his own
symphonic poems. These concerts were only partially successful artistically and a failure financially. After staying out of public view for a few years, during which time he married pianist Seraphine von Vrabely (1841–1931), he began touring once again and was now considered a pianist of breadth and dignity of style.
Tausig settled in Germany and opened a piano school in Berlin in 1865 which, however, closed soon afterwards. He toured throughout Europe, but the strain of travelling weakened his health. He died in
Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...
from
typhoid
Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by ''Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several d ...
at the age of 29.
His grave is preserved in the
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
''Friedhof III der Jerusalems- und Neuen Kirchengemeinde'' (Cemetery No. III of the congregations of
Jerusalem's Church and
New Church) in
Berlin-Kreuzberg
Kreuzberg () is a district of Berlin, Germany. It is part of the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough located south of Mitte. During the Cold War era, it was one of the poorest areas of West Berlin, but since German reunification in 1990 it has b ...
, south of
Hallesches Tor
The Hallesches Tor was located in today's Berlin district Kreuzberg south of Mehringplatz. Today, as a historic monument listed underground station on the site of the former gate bears the name ''Hallesches Tor''. It is a major transfer point f ...
.
Pianism
Tausig was considered by some critics to be the greatest of Liszt's pupils, pianistically speaking, and to carry pure
virtuosity
''Virtuosity'' is a 1995 American science fiction action film directed by Brett Leonard and starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. Howard W. Koch Jr. served as an executive producer for the film. The film was released in the United Stat ...
to heights only suggested by Liszt.
Anton Rubinstein
Anton Grigoryevich Rubinstein ( rus, Антон Григорьевич Рубинштейн, r=Anton Grigor'evič Rubinštejn; ) was a Russian pianist, composer and conductor who became a pivotal figure in Russian culture when he founded the Sa ...
called him "the infallible." Where Tausig differed from his teacher was in his lack of flamboyant gestures while playing. Tausig sat motionless at the piano and abhorred what he called ''Spektakel''. While his fingers were working miracles at the keyboard without any digital errors, the only sign of tension from Tausig would be a slight tightening of one corner of his mouth.
Until his untimely death, some critics surmise that Tausig may not have had a pianistic equal, combining Liszt's force and range of tone color with the intellectuality of his fellow pupil
Hans von Bülow
Freiherr Hans Guido von Bülow (8 January 1830 – 12 February 1894) was a German conductor, virtuoso pianist, and composer of the Romantic era. As one of the most distinguished conductors of the 19th century, his activity was critical for es ...
. Another Liszt pupil,
Eugen d'Albert
Eugen (originally Eugène) Francis Charles d'Albert (10 April 1864 – 3 March 1932) was a Scottish-born pianist and composer.
Educated in Britain, d'Albert showed early musical talent and, at the age of seventeen, he won a scholarship to stud ...
, compared Tausig very favorably with their teacher. He said that while Liszt's musical conceptions were grander, Tausig possessed a better and more accurate technique coupled with a good deal of poetry.
Repertory
Tausig's repertory was extensive; he could play from memory works ranging from
Scarlatti to Liszt. He was especially noted for his interpretations of
Chopin,
Weber and
Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...
, both for pianistic finish and intensity of emotion.
Works
Karl Tausig's output as composer is quite small. As well as entirely original works, he arranged for piano the music of a number of composers, as well as a pedagogic work for teaching and practice.
In the following list, lost works are included, mostly original compositions, but a few transcriptions as well. Many of these, including several orchestral works, were given their first public performances by Tausig at the piano or conducting. With the exception of ''Das Geisterschiff'', the orchestral scores have not been located since. All of these are unpublished, except for a couple compositions where no printed copies can be found and the original engravings were destroyed.
Some compositions are unfinished in existing manuscripts, left incomplete by Tausig for reasons unknown, most particularly a number of the transcriptions of Liszt's symphonic poems. Where possible, details of the state of the manuscript are given.
All works listed are for piano solo unless indicated otherwise.
Original compositions
Early works
* Impromptu, in F minor, Op. 1
a(c1850-55)
* Introduction and Tarantella, in A minor, Op. 2
a(c1850-55)
* ''L'Éspérance'' (Hope), ''Nocturne varié'', in A-flat major, Op. 3
a(c1850-56)
* ''Sérénade'', Op. 4
ublication lost(c1850-56)
* ''Rêverie'', Fantasie, in A major, Op. 5 (c1850-56)
* ''Le Ruisseau'' (The Brook), Etude, in A major, Op. 6 (c1850-56)
Mature works
* ''Das Geisterschiff, Ballade'' (piano version) (The Ghost Ship), in A minor/D major, Op. 1
b(c1858-60)
* ''Réminiscences de Halka'', Op. 2
b(c1858-60)
ee Paraphrases section* ''Hernani-Galop'', Op. 3
b ost(c1858-60)
* ''Das Geisterschiff, Symphonische Ballade'', for orchestra (The Ghost Ship, Symphonic Ballad based on a poem by Strachwitz)
s found(c1862-63)
* ''Manfred'', symphonic poem for orchestra (after Byron)
ost(c1862-63)
* ''Der Triumph der Liebe'', symphonic poem for orchestra with chorus and soloists on text by Schiller
nly 1 page found, remainder lost(c1862-63)
* ''Der Triumph der Liebe'' (piano version)
nly 1 page found, remainder lost(c1862-63)
* One or more other symphonic poems for orchestra
ll lost(c1862-63)
* ''Fantaisie'' in polonaise style, for piano and orchestra, (sometimes erroneously called a Concerto or a Polonaise)
ost(c1862-63)
* Five ''Nouvelles soirées de Vienne'' (1862-63)
ee Paraphrases section* ''Ungarische Zigeunerweisen'' (Hungarian Gypsy Airs) (Fantasia on Hungarian-Gypsy Themes), in B minor/major (written for and dedicated to his Hungarian pianist wife Seraphine von Vrabely) (1864)
* ''Tägliche Studien für Pianoforte von Tausig-Ehrlich'' (Tausig's Daily Exercises for Piano) (c1864-70?)
ublished 1873 merican revised edition with additional exercises by Heinrich Ehrlich published 1880
: Vol. 1:
:: Exercises with motionless hands. (#1–26)
:: Exercises with the hands in progressive motion. Turning the fingers over and under. (#27–51)
: Vol. 2:
:: Studies in Chords. (#52–68)
:: Stretching exercises. (#69–76)
:: Wide Jumps. (#77–84)
:: Double-Notes. (#85–100)
:: Scales in thirds in all major and minor keys. Chromatic scales with double-notes. (#101–102)
:: Six Exercise Pieces.
alled ''Préludes'' in the American revised edition (with 4 additional Préludes by "H. Ehrlich")
::: No. 103: Moderato in E-flat minor
::: No. 104: Allegro in E-flat major
::: No. 105: Allegro moderato in C minor
::: No. 106: Allegro in A major
::: No. 107: Andante in F-sharp major
::: No. 108: Moderato in D-flat major
:: Octave-exercise. (#109)
Late works
* ''Deux Études de concert'' (Two Concert Etudes), Op.1
c ublished 1871(c1870-71):
:: No. 1: Presto appassionato in F-sharp major
:: No. 2: Moderato in A-flat major
Paraphrases, fantasies, elaborations
*
Berlioz: ''Gnomenchor und Sylphentanz, aus Fausts Verdammung'' (from the Damnation of Faust, Op. 24)
*
Brahms
Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped with ...
: Variations on a Theme of Paganini (Op. 35), manuscript sketches elaborated on (given a more virtuosic flavor) by Tausig and returned to Brahms for completion (c1862-63)
*
Chopin: Étude (Op. 10 No. 2)
econstructed(c1862-63)
* Chopin: Étude (Op. 25 No. 2), transcription in double notes (sixths and thirds in the right hand)
ost?(c1862-63)
*
Clementi Clementi may refer to:
People
* Aldo Clementi (1925–2011), Italian composer
* Cecil Clementi (1875–1947), British colonial administrator and Governor of Hong Kong
* Cecilia Clementi, Italian-American scientist
* David Clementi (born 1949), B ...
: ''
Gradus ad Parnassum
The Latin phrase ''gradus ad Parnassum'' means "steps to Parnassus". It is sometimes shortened to ''gradus''. The name ''Parnassus'' was used to denote the loftiest part of a mountain range in central Greece, a few kilometres north of Delphi, of wh ...
'' (Op. 44), selection of studies "revised" by Tausig
*
Moniuszko: ''Réminiscences de
Halka, de St. Moniuszko. Fantaisie de concert'', (''Fantasie Halka. Oper von Moniuszko'') (Concert Fantasy (Fantasia) on Themes from the Opera 'Halka' by Moniusko), Op. 2
b(c1858-60)
*
Schumann
Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...
: ''Der Kontrabandiste'' (The Smuggler), from ''Spanisches Liederspiel'' (Op. 74 No. 10), "transcribed for concert performance"
*
Strauss
Strauss, Strauß or Straus is a common Germanic surname. Outside Germany and Austria ''Strauß'' is always spelled ''Strauss'' (the letter " ß" is not used in the German-speaking part of Switzerland). In classical music, "Strauss" usually re ...
: ''Nouvelles soirées de Vienne: Valses-Caprices d'après J. Strauss'' (Valses Caprices on Themes of Johann Strauss Jr.) (Waltz-Caprices Nos. 1–3
irst Suite (dedicated to Liszt) (1862):
:: No. 1: ''Nachtfalter'' (Moth Waltzes, Op. 157)
:: No. 2: ''
Man lebt nur einmal'' (You Live Only Once!, Waltzes, Op. 167)
:: No. 3: ''Wahlstimmen'' (Election Waltzes, Op. 250)
* Strauss: ''Nouvelles soirées de Vienne: Valses-Caprices d'après J. Strauss'' (Valses Caprices on Themes of Johann Strauss Jr.) (Waltz-Caprices Nos. 4 and 5
econd Suite, posth. (1862-63):
:: No. 4: ''Immer heiterer'' (Always Cheerful Waltzes, Op. 235)
:: No. 5: ''Wiener Chronik'', in A major (Vienna Chronicle Waltzes, Op. 268)
*
Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
: ''Vorspiel'' (Prelude) to ''
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg'', for solo piano
* Wagner: ''Vorspiel'' (Prelude) to ''Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg'', for piano four-hands
* Wagner: Meditation, ''Einleitung zum dritten akt'' (Introduction to the 3rd act) of ''Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg''
* Wagner: Two "Free Transcriptions" from ''
Die Walküre
(; ''The Valkyrie''), WWV 86B, is the second of the four music dramas that constitute Richard Wagner's ''Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (English: ''The Ring of the Nibelung''). It was performed, as a single opera, at the National Theatre Munich on ...
'':
:: ''Siegmunds Liebesgesang'' (Siegmund's Love Song)
:: ''
Der Ritt der Walküren'' (The Ride of the Valkyries)
* Wagner: ''Der Ritt der Walküren von Richard Wagner'', for piano four-hands
* Wagner: ''
Tristan und Isolde
''Tristan und Isolde'' (''Tristan and Isolde''), WWV 90, is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the 12th-century romance Tristan and Iseult by Gottfried von Strassburg. It was comp ...
'', Drei Paraphrasen'' (3 Paraphrases on Wagner's opera) (c1865):
:: No. 1: ''Liebesscene - Verklärung'' (Love Scene & Transfiguration)
:: No. 2: ''Brangänens Gesang - Matrosenlied'' (Brangäne's Song & Sailors Shanty)
:: No. 3: ''Melodie des Hirten'' (The Sheep Herders Melody)
* Wagner: ''Kaiser-Marsch'' (WWV 104)
*
Weber: ''
Aufforderung zum Tanz, Mit Arabesken für den Concertvortrag'' (Invitation to the Dance, Op. 65), "with arabesques for concert performance", concert arrangement for piano
Transcriptions, adaptations, piano scores, editions
*
Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wor ...
: ''
Toccata und Fuge'' in D minor (BWV 565), transcription for piano ("concert arrangement") (c1862-63)
* Bach: ''Sechs Choralvorspiele für Orgel'' (6 Chorale Preludes), transcriptions for piano (dedicated to Brahms) (c1862-63):
:: No. 1: ''Wir glauben all' an einen Gott, Schöpfer'' (BWV 680)
:: No. 2: ''Das alte Jahr vergangen ist'' (BWV 614)
:: No. 3: ''O Mensch, bewein' dein' Sünde gross'' (BWV 622)
:: No. 4: ''O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig'' (BWV 656)
:: No. 5: ''Vater unser im Himmelreich'' (BWV 737)
:: No. 6: ''Meine Seele erhebt den Herren'' (BWV 648)
* Bach: ''Praeludium, Fuge und Allegro'' in E-flat major (BWV 998), transcription for piano (c1862-63)
* Bach: Well Tempered Clavier, selections edited and fingering by Tausig
*
Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...
: ''Sechs Sätze aus Streichquartetten'' (6 Pieces from String Quartets), transcriptions for piano:
:: No. 1: Adagio (Op. 59 No. 1, 3rd mvt)
:: No. 2: Scherzo (Op. 59 No. 2, 3rd mvt)
:: No. 3: Andante (Op. 59 No. 3, 2nd mvt)
:: No. 4: Kavatine (Cavatina) (Op. 130, 5th mvt)
:: No. 5: Presto (Op. 131, 5th mvt)
:: No. 6: Scherzo (Op. 135, 2nd mvt)
* Beethoven: ''Missa solemnis'' (Op. 123), piano reduction
econstructed* Beethoven: ''Sechs Minuetten'' (WoO 10), arranged from Beethoven's unpublished orchestral manuscript (since lost)
* Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 (Op. 58), transcription for piano solo, and edited and fingering by Tausig
* Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor (Op. 11), transcription for solo piano (c1865?)
* Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor (Op. 21), 2nd movement, transcription for solo piano
econstructed* Clementi: ''Gradus ad Parnassum'' (Op. 44), edited and fingering by Tausig
ee also selections in Paraphrase section*
Lassen: Albumleaf
ncomplete*
Liszt
Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...
: ''
Faust-Symphonie''
nd movement 'Gretchen' incomplete, remainder mostly complete; reconstructed* Liszt: ''
Dante-Symphonie''
npublished* Liszt: 12 Symphonic Poems, transcriptions for piano (1855-71):
:: No. 1: ''
Ce qu'on entend sur la montagne''
npublished:: No. 2: ''
Tasso
TASSO (Two Arm Spectrometer SOlenoid) was a particle detector at the PETRA particle accelerator at the German national laboratory DESY. The TASSO collaboration is best known for having discovered the gluon, the mediator of the strong interaction an ...
''
ssentially complete, only last 4 bars not finished, ms in Library of Congress; ending reconstructed:: No. 3: ''
Les préludes
' ("Preludes" or "The Beginnings"), S.97, is the third of Franz Liszt's thirteen symphonic poems. The music was composed between 1845–54, and began as an overture to Liszt's choral cycle ' (The Four Elements), then revised as a stand-alone co ...
''
ublished by Editio Musica Budapest:: No. 4: ''
Orpheus
Orpheus (; Ancient Greek: Ὀρφεύς, classical pronunciation: ; french: Orphée) is a Thracian bard, legendary musician and prophet in ancient Greek religion. He was also a renowned poet and, according to the legend, travelled with J ...
''
o phrasing, dynamics or tempo markings; unpublished:: No. 5: ''
Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning " forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titan god of fire. Prometheus is best known for defying the gods by stealing fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technology, kn ...
''
econstructed:: No. 6: ''
Mazeppa''
ost, possibly never written:: No. 7: ''
Festklänge''
nfinished; 3/4 reconstructed:: No. 8: ''
Heroïde funèbre''
o phrasing, dynamics or tempo markings; unpublished:: No. 9: ''
Hungaria''
ast 13 bars incomplete; unpublished:: No. 10: ''
Hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
''
npublished:: No. 11: ''
Hunnenschlacht''
econstructed:: No. 12: ''
Die Ideale
' ("The Ideals"), S. 106, is a symphonic poem composed by Franz Liszt in 1856–1857 and published in 1858 as No. 12. It was first performed on 5 September 1857. Die Ideale was composed for the unveiling of a Goethe and Schiller monument on Sep ...
''
ast 25 bars incomplete; unpublished*
Scarlatti: Five Sonatas, "concert arrangements" for piano from the original harpsichord pieces:
:: No. 1: ''Pastorale'' (in E minor K. 9), transposed to D minor
:: No. 2: ''Capriccio'' (in E major K. 20)
:: No. 3: (in G minor K. 12)
:: No. 4: (in G minor K. 426)
:: No. 5: (in F minor K. 519)
* Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonata in C major (K. 487)
*
Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wor ...
: ''
Militär-Marsch'' (Military March) No. 1 in D (Op. 51 No. 1), transcription for solo piano ("concert arrangement")
* Schubert: ''Andantino und Variationen'' (Andantino and Variations) & ''Rondo, über französische Motive'' (Rondo, on a French Theme) (Op. 84 Nos. 1–2), transcriptions for solo piano ("concert arrangement")
* Schubert: ''Polonaise mélancolique d'après F. Schubert'' (Op. 75 No. 3), transcription for solo piano
* Wagner: ''Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg'', piano reduction of complete orchestral score, with vocal score
ee also selections in Paraphrase section
Wrongly attributed works
* ''"Morgenblätter", Walzer von J. Strauss Op. 279 – Paraphrasiert für den Concert Vortrag von Karl Tausig – Oeuvre Posthume''
ublished_c1878;_actually_composed_by_American_pianist_Julie_Rivé-King_(1854-1937).html" ;"title="Julie_Rivé-King.html" ;"title="ublished c1878; actually composed by American pianist Julie Rivé-King">ublished c1878; actually composed by American pianist Julie Rivé-King (1854-1937)">Julie_Rivé-King.html" ;"title="ublished c1878; actually composed by American pianist Julie Rivé-King">ublished c1878; actually composed by American pianist Julie Rivé-King (1854-1937)* ''"Kiss Waltz", Walzer von J. Strauss'' [recorded by Benno Moiseiwitsch; actually composed by Russian composer and pianist Eduard Schütt (1856-1933) as "Concert Paraphrases on J. Strauss' Waltz Motives"]
Recordings
Michael Ponti was the first to record an all-Tausig album, in the 1970s on the Candide LP label. Beginning in 1989,
Dennis Hennig released three all-Tausig albums for the Etcetera label: all five of the Valse-Caprices and the three Schubert transcriptions, an album of Tausig's Wagner transcriptions including the four-hand version of Ride of the Valkyres, and four of Tausig's transcriptions of Liszt symphonic poems.
Orazio Sciortino made an album of the Wagner transcriptions as well in 2013.
Artur Cimirro recorded Tausig's complete original piano works for the
Acte Préalable
Acte Préalable is a Polish classical music record label founded in 1997. The name makes reference to an unfinished mystical composition by Scriabin
Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin (; russian: Александр Николаевич Скря ...
CD label in 2016.
Karol Tausig - Complete Original Piano Works
Artur Cimirro, piano; Acte Préalable AP0359; 2016.
Many other modern-day pianists have recorded Tausig compositions, such as Rian de Waal, Giulio Draghi, Stephen Hough
Sir Stephen Andrew Gill Hough (; born 22 November 1961) is a British-born classical pianist, composer and writer. He became an Australian citizen in 2005 and thus has dual nationality (his father was born in Australia in 1926).
Biography
Houg ...
, and Menachem Har-Zahav. There are several recordings of Tausig's piano music on YouTube. Setrak Setrakian has recorded the rare Chopin E minor concerto transcription.
Historically, Tausig's arrangement of Strauss's waltz ''You Only Live Once!'' was recorded by Sergei Rachmaninov and Ignacy Jan Paderewski
Ignacy Jan Paderewski (; – 29 June 1941) was a Polish pianist and composer who became a spokesman for Polish independence. In 1919, he was the new nation's Prime Minister and foreign minister during which he signed the Treaty of Versaill ...
. Rachmaninov also made recordings of Tausig's transcription of Schumann's ''Der Kontrabandiste'' (also recorded by Josef Lhévinne
Josef Lhévinne (13 December 18742 December 1944) was a Russian pianist and piano teacher. Lhévinne wrote a short book in 1924 that is considered a classic: ''Basic Principles in Pianoforte Playing''. Asked how to say his name, he told ''The ...
, Josef Hofmann
Josef Casimir Hofmann (originally Józef Kazimierz Hofmann; January 20, 1876February 16, 1957) was a Polish-American pianist, composer, music teacher, and inventor.
Biography
Josef Hofmann was born in Podgórze (a district of Kraków), in A ...
, and Emil Gilels
Emil Grigoryevich Gilels ( Russian: Эми́ль Григо́рьевич Ги́лельс; 19 October 1916 – 14 October 1985) was a Russian pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest pianists of all time.
Early life and educati ...
) and Tausig's Pastorale in E minor, adaptated from Scarlatti's harpsichord Sonata, L. 413, the latter also being popular with several other pianists of that era, including Vladimir Horowitz
Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz; yi, וולאַדימיר סאַמוילאָוויטש האָראָוויץ, group=n (November 5, 1989)Schonberg, 1992 was a Russian-born American classical pianist. Considered one of the greatest pianists of al ...
. The Bach Toccata and Fugue in D minor adaptation and the Schubert/Tausig ''Marche Militaire'' were also quite popular in recordings, the latter being recorded by Eugen d'Albert
Eugen (originally Eugène) Francis Charles d'Albert (10 April 1864 – 3 March 1932) was a Scottish-born pianist and composer.
Educated in Britain, d'Albert showed early musical talent and, at the age of seventeen, he won a scholarship to stud ...
, Leopold Godowsky
Leopold Mordkhelovich Godowsky Sr. (13 February 1870 – 21 November 1938) was a Lithuanian-born American virtuoso pianist, composer and teacher. He was one of the most highly regarded performers of his time, known for his theories concernin ...
, Mischa Levitzki, Lhévinne, Ignaz Friedman
Ignaz Friedman (also spelled ''Ignace'' or ''Ignacy''; full name ''Solomon (Salomon) Isaac Freudman(n)'', yi, שְׁלֹמֹה יִצְחָק פֿרײדמאַן; February 13, 1882January 26, 1948) was a Polish pianist and composer. Critics (e.g ...
, Egon Petri
Egon Petri (23 March 188127 May 1962) was a Dutch pianist.
Life and career
Petri's family was Dutch. He was born a Dutch citizen but in Hanover, Germany, and grew up in Dresden, where he attended the Kreuzschule. His father, a professional vio ...
, Wilhelm Backhaus
Wilhelm Backhaus ('Bachaus' on some record labels) (26 March 1884 – 5 July 1969) was a German pianist and pedagogue. He was particularly well known for his interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin and Brahms. He was also much ...
, Alexander Brailowsky
Alexander Brailowsky (16 February 1896 – 25 April 1976) was a Russian-born French pianist who specialised in the works of Frédéric Chopin. He was a leading concert pianist in the years between the two World Wars.
Early life
Brailowsky was bo ...
, Horowitz, and György Cziffra
Christian Georges Cziffra (; born Cziffra Krisztián György; 5 November 192115 January 1994) was a Hungarian-French virtuoso pianist and composer. He is considered to be one of the greatest virtuoso pianists of the twentieth century. Among ...
. Most of those pianists recorded other Tausig works as well, such as Lhévinne's rare recording of the Hungarian Gypsy Dances. Benno Moiseiwitsch recorded Tausig's piano arrangement of Weber's orchestral Invitation to the Dance. Winifred Christie
Winifred Christie (26 February 1882 – 8 February 1965) was a British pianist and composer best known as an advocate of the Moór-Duplex piano. She was born in Stirling, Scotland.
The Moór-Duplex piano
Winifred Christie spent a significan ...
even recorded the Bach Toccata and Fugue in D minor adaptation on her husband's invention, the Moór-Duplex piano.
Notes
References
* Dannreuther, Edward, ed. Stanley Sadie, "Tausig, Carl arol" ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Second Edition'', 29 vols. (London: Macmillan, 2001). .
* Schonberg, Harold C., ''The Great Pianists'' (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1987, 1963). .
* Mephistopheles on Parnasus - The Life of Carl Tausig - 1841-1871. by Artur Cimirro. (2010)
Unknown composer #3: Carl Tausig
Articles by pianist Artur Cimirro: Biography (excerpts 2010), List of Works (updated 2017), Some recordings.
Older composition list (2016) by Artur Cimirro, but with more details; Some more recordings.
External links
*
*
Bach Cantatas Website
* Isidore Singer, Joseph Sohn
Tausig, Carl
Jewish Encyclopedia
* James M. Tracy
in ''The World's Greatest Pianists''
*
*
Scores by Karl Tausig
in digital library Polona
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tausig, Carl
1841 births
1871 deaths
19th-century classical composers
19th-century classical pianists
19th-century Polish composers
Polish Romantic composers
Polish classical pianists
Male classical pianists
19th-century Polish Jews
Jewish classical composers
Jewish classical pianists
Pupils of Franz Liszt
19th-century male musicians
Musicians from Warsaw