Benno Moiseiwitsch
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Benno Moiseiwitsch (22 February 18909 April 1963) was a Russian and British pianist.


Biography

Moiseiwitsch was born to Jewish parents in
Odessa ODESSA is an American codename (from the German language, German: ''Organisation der ehemaligen SS-Angehörigen'', meaning: Organization of Former SS Members) coined in 1946 to cover Ratlines (World War II aftermath), Nazi underground escape-pl ...
, Kherson Governorate,
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
, and began his studies at age seven with Dmitry Klimov at the Odessa Music Academy. He won the Anton Rubinstein Prize when he was just nine years old. He studied with Theodor Leschetizky in
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
from 1904 to 1908, then joined his own family in England, making his English debut at Reading in 1908, his London debut the following year. While in Dublin during the war he met another Leschetizky student, Mabel Lander, and they began plans to establish a piano school together in London that would use the Leschetizky method. But the plans had to be abandoned due to Moiseiwitsch's increasingly heavy international concert schedule. He toured the United States (first in 1919),
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, India, Japan, and South America. Moiseiwitsch was invited by Director
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 Aus ...
to teach at the Curtis Institute of Music in 1927. He settled in England and took British citizenship in 1937. Moiseiwitsch was appointed a
Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(CBE) in 1946 for services to music during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, having performed hundreds of recitals for servicemen and charities. He married Daisy Kennedy, an Australian concert violinist, and had two daughters, the set designer
Tanya Moiseiwitsch Tatiana Benita Moiseiwitsch (3 December 1914 – 19 February 2003) was an English theatre designer. Born in London, the daughter of Daisy Kennedy, an Australian concert violinist and Benno Moiseiwitsch, a Russian/Ukrainian-born classical ...
and Sandra (1922-1996). He and his second wife Anita had a son, noted New Zealand National Radio broadcaster Boris Moiseiwitsch. He was a friend of
Nikolai Medtner Nikolai Karlovich Medtner (; – 13 November 1951) was a Russian composer and pianist. After a period of comparative obscurity in the 25 years immediately after his death, he is now becoming recognized as one of the most significant Russian com ...
and commissioned the Piano Concerto No. 3 "Ballade" (1940–43). Like his friend Mark Hambourg he was a member of the Savage Club.Summers, Jonathan
'Mark Hambourg', notes to ''A–Z of Pianists''
Naxos CD (2007) 8.558107–10
He was also a skilled wrestler, and arranged several friendly matches with the critic Ralph Hill, also a wrestling enthusiast.


Playing style

Moiseiwitsch was particularly known for his interpretations of the late Romantic repertoire, especially the works of
Sergei Rachmaninoff Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and Conducting, conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a compos ...
(who was an admirer of his playing and referred to Moiseiwitsch as his "spiritual heir") and
Robert Schumann Robert Schumann (; ; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and music critic of the early Romantic music, Romantic era. He composed in all the main musical genres of the time, writing for solo piano, voice and piano, chamber ...
, whose piano music gave Moiseiwitsch "more emotional and spiritual satisfaction than anyone else." At the piano, Moiseiwitsch was noted for his elegance, poetry, lyrical phrasing, brilliance, rhythmic freedom, and relaxed virtuosity. He made recordings for the
His Master's Voice His Master's Voice is an entertainment trademark featuring a dog named Nipper, curiously peering into the horn of a wind-up gramophone. Painted by Francis Barraud in 1898, the image has since become a global symbol used across consumer elect ...
starting in the 78RPM shellac era, continuing with long-playing records and into the early stereo era. His distinctive style can be heard in his recording of Rachmaninoff's '' Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini'' and the
Barcarolle A barcarolle ( ; from French, also barcarole; originally, Italian barcarola or barcaruola, from 'boat') is a traditional folk song sung by Venetian gondoliers, or a piece of music composed in that style. In classical music, two of the most fa ...
, Ballade No. 4 and Nocturne, Op. 62 of
Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period who wrote primarily for Piano solo, solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown ...
. In 1950 critic and musicologist Irving Kolodin said about the Ballade in F minor of Chopin played by Moiseiwitsch: "A featherweight touch in the opening section of this work, an apt feeling for its "once upon a time" narrative quality give Moiseiwitsch pre-eminence among present day interpreters...", thus summing up the sensitivity of the playing by Benno Moiseiwitsch. He worked meticulously and amicably as a chamber musician, including in Rachmaninoff's ''Trio Élégiaque'' and Cello Sonata in G minor. American critic Harold C. Schonberg praised Moiseiwitsch's formidable technique and free approach to the music, adding that such freedom was "always tempered by impeccable musicality."Harold C. Schonberg, ''The Great Pianists from Mozart to the Present'', Simon & Schuster, Second Edition (1987)


Discography

A comprehensive list of Moiseiwitsch's discography does not exist, but much of his recorded output is available on CD. Although there are duplicates of his recordings on various labels, they differ in sound quality because of the different restoration techniques employed by each of the companies.


Releases by Naxos Records Historical

*Vol. 1: Schumann: Kinderszenen / Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition (8.110668) *Vol. 2: Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 / Weber (arr. Tausig): Rondo Brillante, etc. (8.110669) *Vol. 3: Tchaikovsky: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 (8.110655) *Vol. 4: Rachmaninoff: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (8.110676) *Vol. 5: Grieg / Saint-Saëns: Piano Concertos / List: Hungarian Fantasy (8.110683) *Vol. 6: Delius: Piano Concerto / Ravel: Jeux d'eau, etc. (8.110689) *Vol. 7: Rachmaninoff: Preludes / Medtner: Sonata, etc. (8.110675) *Vol. 8: Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 and 5 (8.110776) *Vol. 9: Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 8, 14, and 21 (8.111115) *Vol. 10: Acoustic Recordings 1916–1925 (8.111116) *Vol. 11: Chopin: Piano Works (1917–1927) (8.111117) *Vol. 12: Chopin: 24 Preludes / Ballades / Fantaisie-Impromptu (1938–1952) (8.111118) *Vol. 13: Chopin: Recordings 1939–1952 (8.110770) *Beethoven/Brahms/Franck: Violin Sonatas (Heifetz) — Moiseiwitsch accompanies Jascha Heifetz in Beethoven's Violin Sonata No. 9 in A major, Op. 47


Releases by APR

*The complete Rachmaninov recordings 1937–43 (APR 5505) *Benno Moiseiwitsch plays Saint-Saëns Concerto 2 / Grieg Concerto / Liszt Hungarian Fantasia (APR 5529) *Benno Moiseiwitsch plays Beethoven Volume 1 (APR 5530) *Benno Moiseiwitsch plays Beethoven Volume 2 (APR 5610) *Benno Moiseiwitsch plays Chopin Volume 1 (APR 5575) *Benno Moiseiwitsch plays Chopin Volume 2 (APR 5576) *Benno Moiseiwitsch plays Tchaikovsky


Releases by Pearl

*Benno Moiseiwitsch – The Complete Acoustic Recordings (0142) *Benno Moiseiwitsch Vol 1 – Brahms, Mendelssohn, et al. (9135) *Moiseiwitsch In Recital (9192)


Releases by Testament

*Benno Moiseiwitsch Plays Schumann & Brahms (1023) *Chopin, Schumann, Weber, Medtner, et al. / Benno Moiseiwitsch (1196) *Delius: Concertos for Violin and Piano, Legende, etc. (1014) *Moiseiwitsch – Schumann, Grieg: Piano Concertos (1187) *Benno Moiseiwitsch 3-CD set – Beethoven Piano sonata No. 21 / Schumann – Kreisleriana Op. 16 / Mussorgsky – Pictures at an Exhibition / Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat, Op. 73 / Rachmaninov – Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini, Op. 43 /Chopin – Ballade No. 3 in A flat, Op. 47 / Moiseiwitsch in Interview (SBT31509)


Other releases

*Moisewitsch In Recital – Chopin, Stravinsky, Liszt (ARBITER 120) *Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2, Beethoven Piano Concerto No.5 (BBC LEGENDS 4074) *Benno Moiseiwitsch (Great Pianists of the 20th Century series by Phillips) *Benno Moiseiwitsch (GHCH 2326 Label: Guild Historical) — Live recordings of Delius's Piano Concerto and Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini from the Proms in 1955. Also included is a studio recording of Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto also from 1955.


Bibliography

*Moiseiwitsch, Maurice. ''Moiseiwitsch, biography of a Concert Pianist'', London: F.Muller, 1965.


Filmography

*Georges Cziffra (EMI DVD Classics 4906819) — Bonus footage of Moiseiwitsch playing Wagner-Liszt: Overture to Tannhauser *The Art of Piano: Great Pianists of the 20th Century — Moiseiwitsch plays Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No.2 (excerpt), Prelude in B minor Op.32 (the beginning contains commentary) and speaks about a conversation he had with Rachmaninov.


References


External links


Playing in the Grand Style
– Moiseiwitsch discusses the "Grand Style" {{DEFAULTSORT:Moiseiwitsch, Benno 1890 births 1963 deaths 20th-century classical pianists 20th-century British musicians 20th-century British male musicians British classical pianists British male pianists Ukrainian classical pianists Jewish classical pianists Jewish Ukrainian musicians Male classical pianists Child classical musicians Musicians from Odesa Odesa Jews British people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent Ukrainian emigrants to the United Kingdom Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Honorary members of the Royal Philharmonic Society Pupils of Theodor Leschetizky Russian classical musicians Russian classical pianists Russian pianists Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United Kingdom Jews from the Russian Empire Russian Jews