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

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

Life

Rupp was born in the town of

Schongau, Bavaria Schongau () is a town in Bavaria, southern Germany, near the Alps. It is located along the Lech, between Landsberg am Lech and Füssen. It has about 12,000 inhabitants. Schongau has a well-preserved old wall around the center. History Schong ...

, 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 Friedrich Klose (born 29 November 1862 in Karlsruhe, Margraviate of Baden-Durlach; died 24 December 1942 in Ruvigliana, Switzerland) was a German composer. He studied with Vinzenz Lachner in Karlsruhe, and then with Anton Bruckner in Vienna, and ...

und Walter Courvoisier. In 1920 he undertook his first American tour with the violinist

Willy Burmester Carl Adolph Wilhelm “Willy” Burmester (16 March 186916 January 1933) was a German violinist. Life and career Willy Burmester was born in Hamburg and was a pupil of Joseph Joachim, with whom he studied for many years in Berlin. In 1885, howev ...

. From 1926 he lived in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

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 interwar period. He sang opera and lieder with equal distinction. Career A native of Braubach, Schlusnus studied with voice teachers in Berlin and F ...

, 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, he was known for his sweet tone and expressive phrasing, with marked por ...

, 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" Pauline Sophie Lehmann (February 27, 1888 – August 26, 1976) was a German-American dramatic soprano noted for her successful performances with international opera houses, on the recital stage and in teaching.She gave memorable ...

Sigrid Onégin Sigrid Onégin (June 1, 1889 – June 16, 1943) was a Franco-German operatic dramatic contralto who enjoyed a major international career prior to World War II. She was celebrated for the richness of its tone, its flexibility, its size, and its exp ...

, Maria Stader and

Beniamino Gigli Beniamino Gigli ( , ; 20 March 1890 – 30 November 1957) was an Italian opera singer ( lyric tenor). He is widely regarded as one of the greatest tenors of his generation. Early life Gigli was born in Recanati, in the Marche, the son of a sho ...

, 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 (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 in v ...

. 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 regarded as one of the greatest Symphony, symphonic and operatic conductors of the 20th century. He was a majo ...

. 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 S ...

, 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 The Curtis Institute of Music is a private conservatory in Philadelphia. It offers a performance diploma, a Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in opera, and a Professional Studies Certificate in opera. All students attend on a full scholarshi ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

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

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

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 Julius Prüwer (20 February 1874 – 8 July 1943) was an Austrian conductor, pianist and academic teacher. Life Born in Vienna, Prüwer studied piano at the Vienna Conservatory from 1886 to 1891 with Arthur Friedheim and Moriz Rosenthal and mu ...

, 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 Wilhelm Stross (5 November 1907 – 18 January 1966) was a German violinist and composer. He was professor at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München and the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln as well as first violin of the Stross Quartet ...

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) Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and S ...

, 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