Franz Rupp (February 24, 1901 – May 27, 1992) was a German-American pianist and

accompanist Accompaniment is the musical part which provides the rhythmic and/or harmonic support for the melody or main themes of a song or instrumental piece. There are many different styles and types of accompaniment in different genres and styles of ...

Life

Rupp was born in the town of Schongau, Bavaria, the son of Ludwig and Lina Rupp, ''née'' Gartner. In 1912 his father was transferred to the revenue office in Munich. Rupp studied at the Akademie der Tonkunst in Munich from 1916 – 1922. Among his teachers were August Schmid-Lindner, Friedrich Klose und Walter Courvoisier. In 1920 he undertook his first American tour with the violinist Willy Burmester. From 1926 he lived in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

and established his reputation as an accompanist. He married Warsaw-born opera singer Stephanie Schwarz in 1930. From 1927 to 1934 he was the constant accompanist of the famous German baritone

Heinrich Schlusnus Heinrich Schlusnus (6 August 1888 – 18 June 1952) was Germany's foremost lyric baritone of the period between World War I and World War II. He sang opera and lieder with equal distinction. Career A native of Braubach, Schlusnus studied with ...

, but he fell out with him when the singer made a career under the National Socialists. As Rupp's wife was Jewish he was no longer allowed to perform in public. But he accompanied the outstanding Austrian violinist and composer

Fritz Kreisler Friedrich "Fritz" Kreisler (February 2, 1875 – January 29, 1962) was an Austrian-born American violinist and composer. One of the most noted violin masters of his day, and regarded as one of the greatest violinists of all time, he was known ...

, with whom he went to tour South America in 1935. Kreisler recorded Beethoven’s complete violin sonatas with Rupp in London in 1935/36. Rupp also accompanied singers

Lotte Lehmann Charlotte "Lotte" Lehmann (February 27, 1888 – August 26, 1976) was a German soprano who was especially associated with German repertory. She gave memorable performances in the operas of Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner, Ludwig van Beethoven, ...

, Sigrid Onégin, Maria Stader and Beniamino Gigli, and was a highly esteemed chamber musician who, among others, performed with cellist

Emanuel Feuermann Emanuel Feuermann (November 22, 1902 – May 25, 1942) was an internationally celebrated cellist in the first half of the 20th century. Life Feuermann was born in 1902 in Kolomyja, Galicia, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now Kolomyia, Ukraine) to ...

and violist

William Primrose William Primrose CBE (23 August 19041 May 1982) was a Scottish violist and teacher. He performed with the London String Quartet from 1930 to 1935. He then joined the NBC Symphony Orchestra where he formed the Primrose Quartet. He performed i ...

. He also played as a soloist with various German conductors, among them

Wilhelm Furtwängler Gustav Heinrich Ernst Martin Wilhelm Furtwängler ( , , ; 25 January 188630 November 1954) was a German conductor and composer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest symphonic and operatic conductors of the 20th century. He was a major ...

. In 1938 he moved to New York and soon became the permanent accompanist of contralto

Marian Anderson Marian Anderson (February 27, 1897April 8, 1993) was an American contralto. She performed a wide range of music, from opera to spirituals. Anderson performed with renowned orchestras in major concert and recital venues throughout the United ...

, until her retirement from the stage in 1965. Anderson gives credit to Franz and Stephanie Rupp in her autobiography ''My Lord, What a Morning''. Rupp taught at the Curtis Institute of Music in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

from 1945 to 1952, and again from 1968. After the death of his first wife, Rupp married Sylvia Stone in 1976. His last recording, more than forty years after the famous recording with Fritz Kreisler, was Beethoven's 10 violin sonatas again, this time with the Japanese violinist Takaya Urakawa. His last public performance took place at the Lockenhaus Festival in Austria in 1985 when he accompanied violist

Rivka Golani Rivka Golani ( he, רבקה גולני , born 22 March 1946) is a world–renowned Israeli-born viola player. She has performed as soloist with many orchestras throughout the world including the Boston Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Royal Conc ...

.See his obituary in the
New York Times
'. Rupp lived in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

until his death at the age of 91. He is survived by his second wife Sylvia.

Recordings

* Isaac Albeniz, Tango from Suite España, op. 165, Georg Kulenkampff, violin, Franz Rupp, piano, Telefunken master 19191 * Ludwig van Beethoven, violin sonatas, Fritz Kreisler, violin, Franz Rupp, piano; HMV D.B 2554-2560, "The Beethoven Violin Sonata Society", 7 records * Ludwig van Beethoven, violin sonatas, Takaya Urakawa, violin, Franz Rupp, piano; Indie (Japan) B006C0P0W0 * Johannes Brahms, Gestillte Sehnsucht and Geistliches Wiegenlied, Op. 91, Marian Anderson, contralto, William Primrose, viola, Franz Rupp, piano; 2-RCA Victor M 882 (78) * Carry Me Back to Old Virginny, Marian Anderson, contralto, Gregor Piatigorsky, cello, Franz Rupp, piano * Georg Friedrich Handel, Caro Mio Ben/Largo from ''Xerxes'', Heinrich Schlusnus, baritone, Franz Rupp, organ, Julius Prüwer, conductor Staatsoper Berlin; Grammophon (66984) * Franz Liszt, Die drei Zigeuner and O komm im Traum, Theodor Scheidl, baritone, Franz Rupp, piano * Jules Massenet, Élégie, Marian Anderson, contralto, William Primrose viola, Franz Rupp, piano; Victor 10-1122 in set M 986 (78) * Felix Mendelssohn-Bartoldy, Sonata no 2 in D major for Violoncello and piano, op. 58, Emanuel Feuermann violoncello, Franz Rupp, piano * Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Adagio E major, KV 261, Georg Kulenkampff, violin, Franz Rupp, piano; Grammophon 67156 * Sergei Rachmaninoff, In the Silent Night, Marian Anderson, contralto, William Primrose, viola, Franz Rupp, piano; Victor 10-1122 in set M 986 (78) * Franz Schubert, Quintett A major D 667, Franz Rupp piano, Wilhelm Stross violin, Valentin Hartl, viola,

Anton Walter Gabriel Anton Walter (5 February 1752 – 11 April 1826) was a builder of pianos. The '' Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' describes him as "the most famous Viennese piano maker of his time".Latcham (2009) Life Walter was born in Neuha ...

, cello, Ludwig Jäger, Bass; Telefunken E 2113/15 * Franz Schubert, An die Musik, Heinrich Schlusnus, baritone, Franz Rupp, piano; Polydor 62644 * Franz Schubert, Frühlingstraum and Gretchen am Spinnrade, Hertha Glatz, contralto, Franz Rupp, piano, 15247 Victor * Robert Schumann, Die Lotosblume", op 25, No 7, Franz Völker, tenor, Franz Rupp, piano * Richard Strauß, Allerseelen, op 10, no 8, Franz Völker, tenor, Franz Rupp, piano * Richard Strauß, op. 29, 1, Traum durch die Dämmerung and op. 28, 1, Freundliche Vision, Heinrich Schlusnus, baritone, Franz Rupp piano; Grammophon 90167

External links

''New York Times'' obituary of June 3, 1992

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rupp, Franz 1901 births 1992 deaths German classical pianists Male classical pianists Classical accompanists 20th-century classical pianists 20th-century German musicians People from Weilheim-Schongau 20th-century German male musicians Emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United States