Schnabel

Schnabel, Artur, 1882-1951, Austrian-American pianist, b. Lipnik, at that time in Austria. He studied (1891-97) with Leschetizky and began his concert tours in Europe in 1896. Schnabel made his first tour of the United States in the 1921-22 season and appeared there regularly beginning in 1936. Schnabel is best known for his dynamic interpretations and editions of Beethoven's piano works. He recorded all 32 Beethoven sonatas and many other works. Schnabel was also an active composer; among his own works are three symphonies, five string quartets, a piano concerto, chamber and piano pieces, songs, and the Rhapsody for Orchestra (1948). His writings include Reflections on Music (tr. 1934) and Music and the Line of Most Resistance (1942). In 1945 he became a U.S. citizen.

Schnabel, Johann Gottfried, b. 1692, d. after 1742, German author, whose pseudonym was Gisander. He fought in the War of the Spanish Succession. Schnabel's popular novel Die Insel Felsenburg [Felsenburg island] (4 vol., 1741-43) was modeled on Robinson Crusoe but was primarily concerned with utopian ideals.

Schnabel, Julian, 1951-, American artist, b. Brooklyn, N.Y. He studied art at the Univ. of Houston and the Whitney Museum. A neoexpressionist, he became a superstar of the 1980s art world after his first one-man show in New York (1979). Schnabel is particularly noted for large paintings that incorporate broken crockery, e.g., The Walk Home (1985), and for other kinds of work that flout high-art conventions, such as paintings on velvet or linoleum. Later paintings include large portraits of women with lines painted across their eyes and abstract works derived from antique French x-rays. He has also executed a number of sculptures and is well known for his pronouncements on art. In the 1990s he branched out into writing and singing and also became a successful filmmaker, directing Basquiat (1996) and Before Night Falls (2000). Schnabel's reputation as a director was enhanced by his highly acclaimed The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007), which like his other films is a biography and addresses issues of art and suffering.

(born Oct. 26, 1951, New York, N.Y., U.S.) U.S. painter. He studied at the University of Houston and the Whitney Museum of American Art. In the 1980s he was a leading exponent of Neo-Expressionism. His works exhibit an ambivalent emotional tone, jarring colour harmonies, and a rough-hewn style; his best-known works incorporate shards of broken plates. Though he has enjoyed considerable success, there has been controversy regarding both the quality of his art and his aggressive self-promotion. Starting in the 1990s, Schnabel began to pursue film. He received widespread critical acclaim for his direction of Before Night Falls (2000), a film about Cuban poet Reinaldo Arenas.

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(born April 17, 1882, Lipnik, Austria—died Aug. 15, 1951, Axenstein, Switz.) Austrian pianist and composer. When he was seven years old, his family moved to Vienna. There he studied with Theodor Leschetizky and also met Johannes Brahms and others. He made his debut in 1890. Based in Berlin from 1900 to 1933, he composed, taught, and gave legendary performances of the complete sonatas of Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert for centenary celebrations. In the 1930s he became the first to record the complete Beethoven cycle. During the Nazi period, he moved to London, then to the U.S. Though he mostly played works of the past, his own compositions were ultramodern. Today he is uniquely revered by serious pianists.

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(born Oct. 26, 1951, New York, N.Y., U.S.) U.S. painter. He studied at the University of Houston and the Whitney Museum of American Art. In the 1980s he was a leading exponent of Neo-Expressionism. His works exhibit an ambivalent emotional tone, jarring colour harmonies, and a rough-hewn style; his best-known works incorporate shards of broken plates. Though he has enjoyed considerable success, there has been controversy regarding both the quality of his art and his aggressive self-promotion. Starting in the 1990s, Schnabel began to pursue film. He received widespread critical acclaim for his direction of Before Night Falls (2000), a film about Cuban poet Reinaldo Arenas.

Learn more about Schnabel, Julian with a free trial on Britannica.com.

(born April 17, 1882, Lipnik, Austria—died Aug. 15, 1951, Axenstein, Switz.) Austrian pianist and composer. When he was seven years old, his family moved to Vienna. There he studied with Theodor Leschetizky and also met Johannes Brahms and others. He made his debut in 1890. Based in Berlin from 1900 to 1933, he composed, taught, and gave legendary performances of the complete sonatas of Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert for centenary celebrations. In the 1930s he became the first to record the complete Beethoven cycle. During the Nazi period, he moved to London, then to the U.S. Though he mostly played works of the past, his own compositions were ultramodern. Today he is uniquely revered by serious pianists.

Learn more about Schnabel, Artur with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Schnabel is a German surname meaning "beak" and may refer to:

A person's name:

• Artur Schnabel (1882-1951), Polish-Austrian classical pianist and composer
• Charles Francis Schnabel (1895-1974), American agricultural chemist.
• Enrico Schnabel, German athlete participating in Rowing at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's eight
• Ernst Schnabel (1913-1986), German writer
• Franz Schnabel (1887-1966), German historian
• Johann Schnabel (died 1546), German theologian and reformer
• Johann Gottfried Schnabel (1692-1751/8), German author
• Joseph Ignaz Schnabel (1767-1831), German composer
• Julian Schnabel (born 1951), American painter and filmmaker
• Karl Ulrich Schnabel (1909-2001), German classical pianist
• Robert Schnabel, Czech-born professional ice hockey defenseman
• Rockwell A. Schnabel, United States Deputy Secretary of Commerce 1991–1993
• Stefan Schnabel (1912-1999), German actor

See also

• Schnabel car, a specialized type of railroad freight car
• Plague doctor, "Doktor Schnabel von Rom"
• O. P. Schnabel Park, a City Park in San Antonio, Texas