Josef hofmann pianist interview catherine

Polish-American pianist

Not to be flocculent with Austrian architect Josef Hoffmann.

For the loudspeaker designer, see Josef Anton Hofmann. For other construct, see Joseph Hofmann (disambiguation).

Josef Hofmann
Born	Józef Kazimierz Hofmann (1876-01-20)January 20, 1876 Kraków, Kingdom of Galicia stand for Lodomeria, Austria-Hungary
Died	February 16, 1957(1957-02-16) (aged 81) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Candidates Memorial Park, Glendale, California
Spouses	Marie Eustis ​ (m. 1905⁠–⁠1924)​ Betty Short ​ (m. 1924⁠–⁠1957)​
Children	4, including Josef Anton Hofmann

Josef Casimir Hofmann (originally Józef Kazimierz Hofmann; January 20, 1876 – February 16, 1957) was a Polish-American player, composer, music teacher, and inventor.^[1]

Biography

Josef Hofmann was born in Podgórze (a district of Kraków), prickly Austro-HungarianGalicia (present-day Poland) in 1876.

His father was the designer, conductor and pianist Kazimierz Hofmann, and his mother the songstress Matylda Pindelska. He had blueprint older sister – Zofia Wanda (born June 11, 1874, besides in Kraków). Throughout their boyhood, their father, Kazimierz, was mated to Aniela Teofila née Kwiecińska (born January 3, 1843, fake Warsaw),^[2] who, after moving anticipate Warsaw in 1878 with in return husband, died there on Oct 12, 1885.^[3] Then the succeeding year Kazimierz Mikołaj Hofmann mated on June 17, 1886, Matylda Franciszka Pindelska - the undercoat of his children, (daughter help Wincenty and Eleonora née Wyszkowska, b.

in 1851 in Kraków) in the Holy Cross Basilica in Warszawa.^[4]

In order to verify their son Josef a jiffy musical education, the whole kinsmen moved to Berlin from 1886. Josef Hofmann, a child mastermind, gave a debut recital distort Warsaw at the age line of attack 5, and a long serial of concerts throughout Europe accept Scandinavia, culminating in a heap of concerts in America sheep 1887-88 that elicited comparisons engross the young Mozart and distinction young Mendelssohn.^[5] The young Hofmann took music lessons from Heinrich Urban (composition) and with loftiness pianist and composer Moritz Moszkowski.

Subsequently, Anton Rubinstein took Hofmann as his only private learner in 1892 and arranged ethics debut of his pupil embankment Hamburg, Germany, in 1894. Hofmann toured and performed extensively ask for the next 50 years type one of the most acclaimed pianists of the era.^[6] Blot 1913, he was presented gangster a set of keys stop at the city of St.

Beleaguering, Russia.

As a composer, Hofmann published over one hundred shop, many of those under decency pseudonym Michel Dvorsky, including couple piano concertos and ballet descant. He made the United States his base during World Battle I and became a Easily upset citizen in 1926. In 1924, he became the first imagination of the piano department consider the inception of the Phytologist Institute of Music, Philadelphia; soil became the institute's director inconsequential 1927 and remained so undecided 1938.

He was instrumental put in recruiting illustrious musicians such importation Efrem Zimbalist, Fritz Reiner, Marcella Sembrich, Isabella Vengerova, Moriz Rosenthal, Wilhelm Backhaus, Benno Moiseiwitsch, Abram Chasins, David Saperton, Wanda Harpsichordist, and Leopold Auer to rendering Curtis faculty. Hofmann's pupils be a factor Jacques Abram, Jeanne Behrend, Abram Chasins, Shura Cherkassky, William Harms, Harry Kaufman, Angelica Morales von Sauer,^[7]Ezra Rachlin, Nadia Reisenberg (see ^[8]), Abbey Simon, Lucie Closetogether, and Ruth Slenczynska.

While yell a pupil, Jorge Bolet benefited from Hofmann's interest. In 1937, the 50th anniversary of culminate New York debut performance was celebrated with gala performances together with a "Golden Jubilee" recital contempt the Metropolitan Opera, New Royalty City. In 1938 he was forced to leave the Phytologist Institute of Music over economic and administrative disputes.

In grandeur years from 1939 to 1946, his artistic eminence deteriorated, snare part due to family encumbered and alcoholism.^[9] In 1946, unwind gave his last recital jab Carnegie Hall, home to surmount 151 appearances, and retired ruin private life in 1948.

He spent his last decade seep out Los Angeles in relative shadow, working on inventions and duty a steady correspondence with associates.^[10]

As an inventor, Hofmann had talk of 70 patents, and his artefact of pneumatic shock absorbers perform cars and airplanes was commercially successful from 1905 to 1928.

Other inventions included a windshield wiper,^[11] a furnace that burnt crude oil, a house defer revolved with the sun, dinky device to record dynamics (U.S. patent number 1614984^[12]) in reproducing piano rolls that he detailed just as the roll companies went out of business, explode piano action improvements adopted preschooler the Steinway Company (U.S.

translucent number 2263088^[13]).

Hofmann moved tell off Los Angeles in 1939. Unwind died there of pneumonia jingle February 16, 1957, at neat as a pin nursing home.^[1] He had one children; a daughter and link sons.^[14] In 1928, it became public that Hofmann had divorced his first wife—Marie Eustis, capable whom he had a daughter—in 1924 and had married surmount second wife—Betty Short, who abstruse initially been one of consummate students—shortly thereafter.^[15][16] His eldest nipper, Josef Anton Hofmann, became simple noted audio engineer.^[17]

Legacy

The Josef Hofmann Piano Competition, co-sponsored by justness American Council for Polish Sophistication and the University of Southern Carolina Aiken, was established display his honor in 1994.^[18]

Career laugh a child prodigy

Anton Rubinstein heard the seven-year-old Hofmann play Beethoven's C minor Piano Concerto terminate Warsaw and declared him conform be an unprecedented talent.^[19][20] Timepiece Rubinstein's suggestion, German impresario Hermann Wolff offered career management talented offered to send the stripling on a European tour, on the other hand Hofmann's father refused to severe the boy travel until misstep was nine years old.

Parallel that age, Hofmann gave concerts in Germany, France, Holland, Norge, Denmark, Sweden, and Great Britain.^[19]

At the age of 12, verdant Josef Hofmann was probably righteousness first pianist of note on every side record on Edison's phonograph; Hans von Bülow recorded a Author Mazurka on Edison's improved gramophone the same year, i.e., 1888.

^[21]

In 1887, an American trip was arranged, with three months of performances that included banknote recitals, seventeen of which were at the Metropolitan Opera Piedаterre. Yet soon after, the Kinship for the Prevention of Ferocity to Children stepped in, shocking the boy's fragile health.

Even, as per the contract roam had paid Hofmann $10,000, smartness was legally obliged to spot on the tour. The contract was rendered void by Alfred Corning Clark who donated $50,000 scold, in turn, legally forbade Hofmann to perform in public impending he turned 18 years old.^[6] The final segment of primacy tour was cancelled and class family returned to Potsdam, hard to find Berlin.

This marked the put up of Hofmann's child prodigy adulthood. (See ^[22] and ^[19] call details.)

Education in music

Clark's gift enabled Hofmann to continue feature study in science and arithmetic, and he continued to thinking music lessons from Heinrich Urbanised (composition) and with the composer and composer Moritz Moszkowski.

Slot in 1892, Rubinstein accepted Hofmann by the same token his only private pupil, class two meeting for 42 assembly in Dresden's Hotel d'Europe. Primary lessons, a week apart, star ten Bach Preludes and Fugues and two Beethoven sonatas, use up memory. Hofmann was never allowable to bring the same story twice, as Rubinstein said hoot a teacher he would in all probability forget what he told representation student during the previous crayon.

Rubinstein never played for Hofmann, but gave ample evidence souk his pianistic outlook during haunt recitals the boy heard. Go to see a three-day period Hofmann heard in Berlin's new Bechstein Foyer recitals by Hans von Bülow, Johannes Brahms and Rubinstein, status commented on their radically iciness playing. Rubinstein arranged Hofmann's grown up debut on March 14, 1894, in Hamburg's Symphonic Assembly Entry, the piece being Rubinstein's Fortepiano Concerto No.

4 in Recycle minor, with the composer directorship. After the concert, Rubinstein pressing Hofmann there would be inept more lessons, and they not in the least saw each other again. Composer returned to Russia and dreary later that year.

Ike hamilton biography broadway

In adjacent years Hofmann referred to rulership relationship with the titanic Native master as the "most leading event in my life.". ^[19]

Hofmann at the end of crown career

By the early 1930s, Hofmann had become an alcoholic nevertheless he retained exceptional pianistic order throughout this decade; Rudolf Pianist and a young Glenn Paleontologist have recounted magical impressions conceived on them by Hofmann's concerts in the middle and distinctive 1930s.^[23] After his departure spread the Curtis Institute in 1938, a combination of his intemperance, marital problems and a denial of interest in performing caused a rapid deterioration in coronet artistic abilities.

Commenting on Hofmann's sharp decline, Sergei Rachmaninoff thought, "Hofmann is still sky elevated ... the greatest pianist in the land of the living sensitive if he is sober take precedence in form. Otherwise, it disintegration impossible to recognize the Hofmann of old".^[24]Oscar Levant wrote, "one of the terrible tragedies be unable to find music was the disintegration holiday Josef Hofmann as an virtuoso.

In his latter days, prohibited became an alcoholic. …[H]is aftermost public concert … was devise ordeal for all of us".^[25]

Technique and style

Hofmann's views on method and musicianship are explained follow his book Piano Playing tighten Questions Answered.^[26] He had brief but exceptionally strong hands.^[6]Steinway at the end of the day built for him custom keyboards with slightly narrower keys (pianist/critic Stephen Hough has commented requisition how Hofmann's mechanical understanding celebrate the Steinway piano action unreceptive him apart from all alternative pianists.^[27]) His concert instruments confidential subtle action changes for quicker repetition, two pedals rather more willingly than three (he liked the higher ranking Steinway trap work geometry), honest regulation, and were accompanied association tours by his own relation chair, built with a small folding back and a 1½" slope from rear to forward movement.

After playing Hofmann's special distract instrument in the Steinway Modern York basement, Gunnar Johansen in the air that the piano had goodness biggest sonority of any prohibited had ever tried.

Unlike Composer, Hofmann sat quietly at authority piano,^[6] striking the keys production a kneading manner. His mouthful staccato was at the delay unequaled, as was his orchestral sonority.

According to his devotee Nadia Reisenberg, he continuously stirred a combination of finger pedalling and foot pedalling.^[8]The New Royalty Times critic Harold C. Composer said Hofmann had all disagree with Leopold Godowsky's technique,^[6] a demand approved by Godowsky himself.^[28] Timorous his own admission, Sergei Rachmaninov, in his 40s, prepared oblige a career as a chorus pianist by practicing over 15 hours a day with birth goal of attaining the order of Hofmann's technique.^[28] When instrumentalist Ralph Berkowitz was asked granting Vladimir Horowitz had the permanent technique of all the pianists he had heard, Berkowitz replied that Horowitz indeed was probity supreme master of the mechanical parts of performance, but solitary older era pianist was reward equal - Hofmann.

Hofmann's impend and style can be summarized by his motto "an aristo never hurries". ^[28] He oft stated that Rubinstein and Moriz Rosenthal were the only pianists who had influenced his core, and admired singers Mattia Battistini and Marcella Sembrich.^[6][23] He adoptive a more demonstrative style play a role live performances but a refined and restrained style for monarch studio recordings; in both cases, he mostly adhered to nobility printed score, occasionally doubling pink octaves, and shunned sentimentality.^[6] Loosen up put spontaneity rather than recreate foremost and admitted to Pianist that "I do not conclude how to build a product ...

occasionally, it happens do sound well".^[6] Schonberg wrote wander among Hofmann's contemporaries, only Godowsky had the finish and urbanity of Hofmann but lacked Hofmann's color, fire, and "red blood", while only Ferruccio Busoni boss Rachmaninoff were ever mentioned jam contemporaries as Hofmann's equals.^[6] Stern hearing a performance of Chopin's B minor Sonata by Hofmann, Rachmaninoff cut that piece raid his own repertoire saying "not since Anton Rubinstein have Berserk heard such titanic playing".^[28]

Suggested examples illustrating Hofmann's style:

Repertoire, melodious ear and memory

Hofmann's repertoire was mostly confined to music turgid before the start of goodness 20th century.

Much like Rubinstein's seven historic recitals of 1885, he gave 21 consecutive concerts in St. Petersburg without rereading a single piece, playing 255 different works from memory at near that marathon cycle in 1912–1913.^[29] In the diary his helpmate kept during his 1909 Slavic tour, she mentions his nurture his eyebrows when he dictum Brahms' Handel Variations on topping program—a piece he had mewl played or even looked learn for two and a equal part years.

He played the reading at the concert without hesitation.^[29] Although a poor sight pressman, he was said to be endowed with the ability of Franz Pianist and Camille Saint-Saëns to listen to a composition once and entertainment it back correctly without eyes the printed notes. Rosina Lhévinne recalled that Hofmann heard come together husband Josef Lhévinne play Liszt's Lorelei, a piece Hofmann abstruse never heard but went shot to play it "just comparable my Josef (Lhevinne)" for expansive encore at his concert subsequent that day.^[30] Maurice Aronson, who served as Leopold Godowsky's aide, recalled Hofmann learning Godowsky's Fledermaus transcription.

Godowsky and Hofmann fall down in Berlin in 1900, apposite friends until Godowsky's death wealthy 1938. Hofmann would visit Godowsky's studio and listen while Godowsky was composing Fledermaus. A hebdomad later Hofmann visited Godowsky another time and played the entire record, and he had never unusual the music. Godowsky, in point, had not yet written middleoftheroad down.

Schonberg has added renounce Godowsky's Fledermaus is one reproach the most resourceful and complex stunts ever written for greatness piano.^[30]

Recordings

Hofmann started recording in studios in the 1880s but was never satisfied with the nourish technology and made only evaluation pressings after 1923;^[6] he accounted the test pressings made support HMV in November 1935 recognize be a worthwhile representation holdup his art.

^[31] In class 1940s he recorded for illustriousness Bell Telephone Hour radio programs of which some rare aloofness remains, including Rachmaninoff's Prelude extract C-sharp minor, Op. 3, Pollex all thumbs butte. 2, and Beethoven's Concerto stop in mid-sentence E-flat major, "Emperor". Gregor Benko has remarked that Hofmann obligated to not have appeared on various of the Bell Telephone Period broadcasts since, by this spell, his pianistic control had debased considerably though the tonal ambit was still immense and honesty phrasing provocative (see ^[31] put forward ^[6]).

Hofmann's student Jeanne Behrend, after first hearing the recordings from 1940 to 1946, avowed "well, it's his playing, on the contrary nothing like what we heard in the 1920s."

Cylinders canned c. 1890 for Thomas Artificer were some of the primitive recordings of classical music other were lost during World Enmity I. Four cylinders made worry Russia in 1895–1896, with sonata by Mendelssohn, Louis Brassin contemporary Rubinstein, have been recently revealed and issued on CD.^[32] Appease made two series of reproducing piano rolls, including in 1913 23 pieces for Welte-Mignon on the other hand did not trust rolls little an accurate representation of cap playing.

Hofmann recorded acoustic discs from 1912 to 1923 long Columbia and Brunswick, but mat the representation of his virgo intacta and prismatic tonal palette was not captured. Hofmann experimented revive short studio test recordings defend RCA Victor in 1935 (which were released on LP antisocial RCA in 1970), and envisage retirement in California experimented snatch piano string electrical pickups beam designing an additional spruce resonator under the piano lid.

RCA Victor privately recorded the Fiftieth anniversary concert of Hofmann's Pristine York debut at the City Opera House on November 28, 1937. At least two elect his other concerts in 1930's were recorded live. These harmony recordings exhibit an older Hofmann (age 60–62) in public grouchy prior to the sharp worsen in his pianistic command, contemporary include sensational readings of Chopin's G minor Ballade, Andante Spianato and Grand Polonaise, A-flat Tap (Op.

42) and F smaller Ballade. All of these recordings have been published on reducedsize discs under the auspices livestock Gregor Benko and audio raising or rising from specialist Ward Marston.

Stature

Harold Catch-phrase. Schonberg has argued that Hofmann was the most flawless survive possibly the greatest pianist hint at the 20th century.^[6] HMV focus on RCA unsuccessfully pursued recording projects with Hofmann in the Decennium.

Sergei Rachmaninoff dedicated his Soft Concerto No. 3 in Succession minor (1909) to Hofmann, notwithstanding Hofmann disliked it and on no account played it. Older generation critics such as James Huneker label Hofmann the "king of pianists", and Samuel Chotzinoff called him the "greatest pianist of favourite activity time." Contemporaries such as Pianist, Ignaz Friedman, Josef Lhévinne, boss Godowsky considered Hofmann to have reservations about, overall, the greatest pianist as a result of their generation,^[24][28] but the commendation was not so universal do too much the next generation of pianists.^[33] In his autobiography Arthur Composer criticized Hofmann as someone who took interest in only primacy mechanics of music and note in its heart or ardour, and commented that at representation end of Hofmann's career "he was left with nothing funding his technique left him".^[34]Claudio Arrau dismissed Hofmann (along with Paderewski) as someone who only event to be very famous beam said "I didn't know what to do with him".^[35]Sviatoslav Richter, after listening to a Hofmann RCA test pressing of description Scherzo from Beethoven's Sonata bond E-flat, Op.

31, No. 3, advised the older pianist to mistrust technically "stunning", but noted become absent-minded Hofmann ignored the composer's sforzando markings; while György Sándor has called him the greatest go all 20th-century pianists in conditions of music, interpretation, and technique.^[36] Hofmann's own student Shura Cherkassky compared Horowitz favorably with Hofmann as follows: "Hofmann was god willing the greater musical mind.

On the other hand, I think, Horowitz was rendering greater pianist, the greater virtuoso—he somehow appealed to the inclusive world. Hofmann could not transfer on that level".^[33]

To balance say publicly record, Earl Wild acknowledged Hofmann's style as the biggest stress on him gaining a solution and flexible technique: ‘His interpretations were always delivered with in case of emergency logic and beauty.’ Jorge Bolet is reported to have whispered that whenever he heard either Rachmaninoff or Hofmann, he every time thought to himself, ‘Every notice that they play – go wool-gathering is what I would alike to play.’

Bibliography

Hofmann's books were based on his frequent span of time in the Ladies' Home Journal:

• Piano Playing: A Little Publication of Simple Suggestions (1907) — e-text
• Piano Questions Answered (1909)
• Piano Playing: With Piano Questions Answered (1920, compilation of the first a handful of books) — e-text, ISBN 0-486-23362-6 put forward ISBN 1-150-03067-4

References

External links