Moritz_Moszkowski

Moritz Moszkowski

[mawsh-kawf-skee, -kof-]

Moritz (Maurice) Moszkowski (23 August 1854, Breslau, Prussia (now Wroclaw, Poland) - 4 March 1925, Paris, France) was a German Jewish composer, pianist, and teacher of Polish descent. Ignacy Paderewski said, "After Chopin, Moszkowski best understands how to write for the piano". Although little known today, Moszkowski was well-respected and popular during the late nineteenth century.

He studied music in Breslau, Dresden and Berlin, under Theodor Kullak and others. He was a teacher in Berlin for many years. His pupils included Frank Damrosch, Józef Hofmann, Joaquin Nin, Vlado Perlemuter, Ernest Schelling and Joaquin Turina. After a successful career as a concert pianist and conductor, he settled in Paris in 1897, where his students included Thomas Beecham and, informally, Gaby Casadesus. In 1899 the Berlin Academy elected him a member. He died in Paris, in obscurity and poverty.

He wrote over two hundred small-scale piano pieces, which brought him much popularity–notably his set of Spanish Dances Op. 12 for piano duet (later arranged for solo piano, and for orchestra ). Today he is probably best known for his fifteen Études de Virtuosité, Op. 72, which have been performed by virtuoso pianists such as Vladimir Horowitz and Marc-André Hamelin. Many of his small but brilliant piano pieces, such as Étincelles (Sparks), are used as encore performances at the end of classical concerts.

He also wrote larger scale works including the Piano Concerto in E major, Op. 59 (1898), the Violin Concerto in C major, Op. 30, two orchestral suites (Opp. 39, 47), and a symphony titled Jeanne d'Arc, Op. 19.

He wrote the opera Boabdil der letzte Maurenkönig, Op. 49, on the historical theme of the capture of Granada. It was premiered at the Berlin Court Opera on 21 April, 1892, and appeared in Prague and New York the following year. It did not stay in the repertoire, but its ballet music was very popular for a number of years. He wrote a three-act ballet Laurin in 1896.

His Suite in G minor for 2 violins and piano, Op.71 has been recorded by such duos as Itzhak Perlman and Pinchas Zukerman.

His complete list of works is at List of compositions by Moritz Moszkowski.

His wife was the sister of Cécile Chaminade. His brother Alexander Moszkowski (1851-1934) was a famous writer and satirist in Berlin.