Nicolai was born at Königsberg, June 9, 1810, and died May 11, 1849, at Berlin. Czerny’s technical studies are found wherever the piano is taught, and his influence on piano study is uncalculable. Leschetizky also studied with Czerny, and in popularity as a teacher seems to be his natural successor in Vienna. The most famous of his pupils were Franz Liszt, Döhler, Thalberg and Jaell. His industry, both as teacher and composer, was enormous, and he produced over 1,000 published works, of which many single numbers consisted of fifty or more pieces. His first work as a composer consisted of Twenty Concert Variations, and this was so popular that he was fairly besieged by publishers. He was soon immensely popular as a teacher in Vienna, and was able to refuse all pupils save those who showed exceptional talent. Subsequently he only left Vienna three times, visiting Leipsic in 1836, Paris and London in 1837, and Lombardy in 1846. He was to have gone on tour in 1804, but Napoleon was interfering with the peace of Europe at that time, and the idea was given up. Czerny made many friends, including Prince Lichnowsky, Beethoven’s patron, and the pianists Hummel and Clementi. His father was his first teacher, but subsequently Beethoven instructed him, and the great composer was much impressed with the boy’s talent. His works are remarkable for their warmth of orchestral and harmonic coloring, and for the richness of their melodies.Ĭzerny was born February 20, 1791, at Vienna, and died there July 15, 1857. He has, nevertheless, written excellent works in all forms, and is admittedly one of the foremost living composers. His chief opera is his first, The Queen of Sheba. This work, the overture, Sappho, and the Country Wedding Symphony are his best-known orchestral compositions. His Sakuntala overture was produced at a Philharmonic concert in Vienna in 1865, and was greatly liked. Goldmark spent two years in Pesth, but returned to Vienna in 1860 to give piano lessons. He returned to Vienna in 1850, and worked hard at orchestration and similar studies, gradually winning recognition as a composer. He obtained a position in a theatre orchestra in Raab, and when that town was captured by the government troops he was arrested as a rebel, and would have been shot had not a friend come to his rescue with an explanation. In 1848 the institution was closed owing to political disturbances and Goldmark had to fend for himself. In 1847 he entered the Conservatorium and studied with Böhm (violin) and Preyer (harmony).

He evinced musical talent at an early age, and in 1844 went to Vienna, where he became a pupil of Leopold Jansa. Goldmark was born at Keszthely, Hungary, May 18, 1830, and is of Jewish descent. It is noteworthy that Spohr was among the first to champion the cause of Wagner. Spohr’s Violin School is still popular among advanced violin students. He played with great breadth and beauty of tone. As a violinist he ranks among the greatest of all time. Of all these only two of the oratorios, The Last Judgment and Calvary, and three or four of the violin concertos retain any popularity. He produced over 160 works, including 11 operas, 4 oratorios, 9 symphonies, 15 violin concerts, and other works in all forms. In 1820 he visited England, and speedily became immensely popular as a virtuoso, conductor and composer.

He also toured Germany, Holland and Italy. His musical career was spent at Gotha (1805), where he met his wife at Vienna (1812-15), where he met and severely criticised Beethoven Frankfort (1817), where he introduced conducting with a baton, and finally at Cassel (1822-57), where he was Court Capellmeister. He was also much influenced by Rode, the French violinist. Thanks to the assistance of the Duke, he was able to study with Franz Eck in 1802-3, with whom he subsequently went on tour. He played the violin when he was five, and for a time studied with Kunisch, of the Duke’s orchestra. Spohr was born at Brunswick, April 5, 1784, and died at Cassel, November 22, 1859.

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