Moszkowski
Moritz Moszkowski was a famous pianist in
the later 19th and early 20th century, who is now mainly remembered for the set
of Spanish dances he composed. Although Moszkowski often
played first violin in ensembles and even wrote a Violin Concerto, Moszkowski
was more famous for his enormous success as a concert pianist, conductor,
distinguished teacher, and composer whose appealing piano music was found a
century ago in nearly every living room (In contrast today, few living
rooms boast a piano, now replaced by "Home Theatre").
He was born in what is now called Wroclaw in Poland, but in his day it was
part of Germany, and called Breslau, East Prussia.. He studied at three of
Germany's finest music schools. At the Dresden Conservatory, he created his
first compositions. When the family moved to Berlin in 1869, he studied in turn
at the Stern Conservatory and at Germany's largest private institution for music
education, the Kullak Academy. Founded by one of Czerny's pupils, the Academy
specialized in piano instruction and Moszkowski later served on the faculty for
many years.
Moszkowski's impressive debut as a pianist in 1873 in Berlin was followed by
the first in a long succession of triumphant European concert tours. At the peak
of his celebrity, he left Berlin in 1897 to settle permanently in Paris with his
wife, the sister of French composer-pianist Cecile Chaminade, and their two
children. He remained active as performer and composer and was a much
sought-after teacher.