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Malcolm Bilson (born October 24, 1935) is an American pianist and musicologist specializing in 18th- and 19th-century music. He is the Frederick J. Whiton Professor of Music in
Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...
, Ithaca, N.Y. Bilson is one of the foremost players and teachers of the
fortepiano A fortepiano , sometimes referred to as a pianoforte, is an early piano. In principle, the word "fortepiano" can designate any piano dating from the invention of the instrument by Bartolomeo Cristofori in 1698 up to the early 19th century. Mo ...
; this is the ancestor of the modern piano and was the instrument used in
Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led ...
,
Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...
, 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 classical ...
's time.


Life


Early life and career

Bilson was born in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, California. His family was and is successful in the entertainment world: his father, George Bilson (1902–1981), was a British producer/writer/director of
Ashkenazi Jewish Ashkenazi Jews ( ; he, יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז, translit=Yehudei Ashkenaz, ; yi, אַשכּנזישע ייִדן, Ashkenazishe Yidn), also known as Ashkenazic Jews or ''Ashkenazim'',, Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: , singu ...
extraction originally from
Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...
,
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
,
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was a sovereign state in the British Isles that existed between 1801 and 1922, when it included all of Ireland. It was established by the Acts of Union 1800, which merged the Kingdom of Great B ...
, and his older brother Bruce Bilson had a long and productive career as a film and television director; other relations (descendants of Bruce) are his nephew
Danny Bilson Daniel Bilson (born July 26, 1956) is an American writer, director, and producer of movies, television, video games, and comic books. Together with his frequent collaborator, Paul De Meo, he is best known as the writer for the film ''The Rocke ...
and grandniece
Rachel Bilson Rachel Sarah Bilson (born August 25, 1981) is an American actress. Born to a Californian show-business family, Bilson made her television debut in 2003, and then landed the role of Summer Roberts on the prime-time drama series ''The O.C.'' Bils ...
. Malcolm Bilson graduated from
Bard College Bard College is a private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. The campus overlooks the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains, and is within the Hudson River Historic ...
in 1957. He continued his studies with
Grete Hinterhofer Grete Hinterhofer (18 July 1899 – 27 June 1985) was an Austrian pianist, music teacher and composer. Life Hinterhofer was born in Wels. Her father was a teacher, her mother a piano teacher and composer. At the age of nine Hinterhofer received ...
at the Akademie für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Berlin, later with Reine Gianoli at the
École Normale de Musique de Paris The École Normale de Musique de Paris "Alfred Cortot" (ENMP) is a leading conservatoire located in Paris, Île-de-France, France. At the time of the school's foundation in 1919 by Auguste Mangeot, Alfred Cortot. The term ''école normale'' (Engl ...
. He studied for a doctoral degree at the
University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the University ...
with Stanley Fletcher and
Webster Aitken Webster Aitken (June 17, 1908 in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada – May 11, 1981 in Santa Fe, New Mexico) was an American pianist. He studied piano in Europe with Artur Schnabel and Emil von Sauer. In 1929, he made his professional debut in ...
, obtaining his DMA in 1968. At that time he was appointed as an assistant professor at Cornell.


His encounter with the fortepiano

Arguably the key event in Bilson's career was his first encounter with the fortepiano in 1969, which he narrated to Andrew Willis in a 2006 interview. Interested in historical pianos, he had bought a 19th-century instrument, described to him as a "Mozart piano," and was referred to
Philip Belt Philip Ralph Belt (2 January 1927 - 11 May 2015) was a pioneering builder of pianos in historical style, in particular the 18th century instruments commonly called fortepianos. His pianos were modeled on instruments made by historical builders, part ...
, an expert on early pianos, about the possibility of restoring it:
I wrote Belt and sent some pictures, and Belt wrote back that yes, he could do that, but y pianowasn't at all a piano from Mozart's time. And as a matter of fact, he had just built such a piano, after Louis Dulcken, c. 1785, and he wanted to take it around to show at colleges and music schools. So I said fine, bring it, and I'll play a concert on it. He brought it and left it for a week, and I played an all-Mozart concert ... with K. 330 and the B minor Adagio and the Kleine Gigue,
s well as S, or s, is the nineteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ess'' (pronounced ), plural ''esses''. History ...
the G minor piano quartet with some modern string players at 440.Quoted from Andrew Willis (2006) Jouez le Fortepiano! An Interview with Malcolm Bilson", Early Music America, 12(3), 28-32. On line a

In preparing for this concert, Bilson was startled by the challenges—and opportunities—that playing a fortepiano poses to a traditionally-trained pianist (fortepianos have a far more delicate touch, shallower key dip, lighter framing, and shorter sustain time than modern grands.)


Career as fortepiano specialist

The career shift ultimately proved successful; Bilson developed a reputation as a fortepiano performer, gave concerts widely and was also invited to make recordings (see below). In 1974, he co-founded the Amadé Trio with violinist Sonya Monosoff and cellist John Hsu; the trio performed works on historical instruments. Bilson was promoted to full professor in 1976 and was appointed to the Frederick J. Whiton chair in 1990. Bilson retired in 2006 as a professor, remaining active as a teacher and performer. In 2011, Bilson brought the first fortepiano competition to the United States. Coordinated under the Westfield Center, with a grant from the Mellon Foundation, the competition and academy were held at Cornell University; 31 young musicians from all over the world competed for prize money totaling $13,500.


Pedagogy and scholarship

Bilson created a DVD, "Knowing the Score," which questions many of the basic concepts of musical performance taught in conservatories and music schools around the world, specifically, the lack of adherence to notated articulations and assumptions about the length of rhythmic values. He followed up this DVD with two more: "Performing the Score," with violinist Elizabeth Field, and "Knowing the Score, Vol. 2." Bilson has published several articles on the subject of interpreting late 18th- and early 19th-century compositions by Schubert, Mozart and Beethoven in ''Early Music'' and ''Studia Musicologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae''.


Recordings

* Malcolm Bilson, Tom Beghin, David Breitman, Ursula Dütschler, Zvi Meniker, Bart van Oort, Andrew Willis. Ludwig van Beethoven. ''The complete Piano Sonatas on Period Instruments''. Played on original fortepianos: Salvatore Lagrassa 1815, Gottlieb Hafner 1835, Johann Fritz 1825,
Walter Walter may refer to: People * Walter (name), both a surname and a given name * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968) * Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 19 ...
fortepiano copy by Paul McNulty, Walter copies by
Chris Maene Maene is a piano and harpsichord manufacturer based in Ruiselede, Belgium. The company was founded by Albert Maene-Doutreloigne in 1938. Projects of the company, under the direction of the son Chris Maene, include producing replicas of historica ...
, Johann Schantz copy by Thomas and Barbara Wolf, a Walter and
Conrad Graf Conrad Graf (17 November 1782 in Riedlingen, Further Austria – 18 March 1851 in Vienna) was an Austrian-German piano maker. His pianos were used by Beethoven, Chopin, and Robert and Clara Schumann, among others. Life and career Graf began his c ...
1825 copies by Rodney Regier, Label: Claves. These recordings use a set of nine restored or replica pianos, each of a type contemporaneous with the sonata being performed. * Malcolm Bilson,
John Eliot Gardiner Sir John Eliot Gardiner (born 20 April 1943) is an English conductor, particularly known for his performances of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach. Life and career Born in Fontmell Magna, Dorset, son of Rolf Gardiner and Marabel Hodgkin, Gard ...
, The
English Baroque Soloists The English Baroque Soloists is a chamber orchestra playing on period instruments, formed in 1978 by English conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Its repertoire comprises music from the early Baroque to the Classical period. History The English B ...
. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, ''Piano Concertos Nos. 20&21/ Concertos Pour Piano K. 466 & K.467.'' Played on a replica of Walter fortepiano by
Philip Belt Philip Ralph Belt (2 January 1927 - 11 May 2015) was a pioneering builder of pianos in historical style, in particular the 18th century instruments commonly called fortepianos. His pianos were modeled on instruments made by historical builders, part ...
. Label: Archiv Production. * Malcolm Bilson. Franz Josef Haydn. ''Keyboard Sonatas''. Played on a replica of Walter fortepiano by Philip Belt. Label: Titanic Records. * Malcolm Bilson. Franz Schubert — ''Piano Sonatas D.850, D.568.'' Played on Conrad Graf ca.1835 fortepiano. Label: Hungaraton Classics. * Malcolm Bilson,
Anner Bylsma Anner Bylsma (born Anne Bijlsma, 17 February 1934 – 25 July 2019) was a Dutch cellist who played on both modern and period instruments in a historically informed style. He took an interest in music from an early age. He studied with Carel van ...
. Ludwig van Beethoven. ''Fortepiano and Cello Sonatas''. Played on Alois Graff 1825 fortepiano. Label: Elektra Nonesuch.


Assessment

Fortepiano builder Carey Beebe assesses Bilson's influence as follows:
Malcolm Bilson, who began after 'the Father of the Fortepiano', Phil pBelt, dropped around one of his first reproduction instruments to try, still provides great impetus to modern makers. His Fortepiano Summer Schools in the 1980s were an inspiration, and many of the musicians who attended those schools, along with his Doctoral graduates, have spread the word around the globe. Bilson's DG Archiv recordings of the complete Mozart Concerti were a milestone.


Bilson's instruments

* (acquired 1969) a fortepiano by Philip Belt, based on a Louis
Dulcken The Dulcken family were Flemish harpsichord makers of German origin. Joannes Daniel Dulcken (21 April 1706 – 11 April 1757) was born in Wingeshausen, the son of Georg Ludwig Dulcken (died Wingeshausen, before 1752). In 1736 he was in Maastrich ...
original in the
Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
* (acquired 1977) a copy by Philip Belt of Mozart's concert instrument. The original was built by
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 ...
ca. 1782 and is now kept in the Mozarteum in Salzburg * 1825 fortepiano by Alois Graf *Leschen 1825 *(acquired 2017) a copy of Johann Fritz's piano made by
Paul McNulty Paul Joseph McNulty (born January 31, 1958) is an American attorney and university administrator who is currently the ninth president of Grove City College. He served as the Deputy Attorney General of the United States from March 17, 2006, to Jul ...
*(acquired 2020) a copy of
Gottfried Silbermann Gottfried Silbermann (January 14, 1683 – August 4, 1753) was a German builder of keyboard instruments. He built harpsichords, clavichords, organs, and fortepianos; his modern reputation rests mainly on the latter two. Life Very little is know ...
’s 1749 made by
Paul McNulty Paul Joseph McNulty (born January 31, 1958) is an American attorney and university administrator who is currently the ninth president of Grove City College. He served as the Deputy Attorney General of the United States from March 17, 2006, to Jul ...


Honors

The
main-belt The asteroid belt is a torus-shaped region in the Solar System, located roughly between the orbits of the planets Jupiter and Mars. It contains a great many solid, irregularly shaped bodies, of many sizes, but much smaller than planets, called ...
asteroid 7387 Malbil, discovered 1982, is named in his honor. In 1994 Bilson was elected a Fellow of the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and ...
. In 2015 he was awarded the Hungarian Gold Cross of Merit for his contribution to Hungarian intellectual and cultural life.


Bibliography

Publications by Malcolm Bilson: * "Schubert's Piano Music and the Pianos of his Time," ''Studia Musicologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae'' 22 (1980), 263-71. * "The Viennese Fortepiano of the Late 18th Century," ''Early Music'' (April 1980), 158-62
(abstract)
* "Interpreting Mozart," ''Early Music'' (November 1984), 519-22. * "Execution and Expression in the Sonata in E-flat, K282," ''Early Music'' (May 1992), 237-43. * "The Future of Schubert Interpretation: What Is Really Needed?" ''Early Music'' 25 (1997), 715-722 * "Beyond the Musical Fringe, a Sequel," ''EMAg'' (The Magazine of Early Music America) 21/3 (Fall 2015), 16-19.


Notes


References

* Winter, Robert (no date) "Malcolm Bilson". Article in
Grove Music Online ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language ''Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the history and theo ...
. Accessed 11 March 2012.


External links


Prof. Bilson's Web page at Cornell University

Web page for the multi-piano Beethoven project

Web page Prof. Bilson's "Knowing the Score," "Performing the Score," and "Knowing the Score Vol. 2" DVDs
* Articles on Cornell's celebration of Bilson's 70th birthday on October 24, 2005 *

** ttp://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Oct05/Bilson.1020.html "Bilson to celebrate his 70th with students" *

Malcolm Bilson serves as President of the Westfield Center Fortepiano Competition and Academy {{DEFAULTSORT:Bilson, Malcolm American classical pianists American male classical pianists Fortepianists Jewish classical pianists Jewish American classical musicians Piano pedagogues Cornell University faculty Eastman School of Music faculty Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 1935 births Living people 20th-century American pianists 21st-century classical pianists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century American pianists 21st-century American Jews