Carl Friedberg facts for kids
Carl Rudolf Hermann Friedberg (born September 18, 1872, in Bingen, Germany – died September 9, 1955, in Meran, Italy) was a famous German pianist and a respected teacher. He was known for his amazing piano playing and for teaching many talented musicians.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Education
Carl Friedberg came from a family of wine merchants in Bingen, Germany. His family had been in the wine business since the 1700s.
He learned to play the piano from great teachers. He studied with James Kwast and also with Clara Schumann. Clara Schumann was a very famous pianist and composer herself. Carl Friedberg studied with them at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt.
Teaching Career
After his studies, Carl Friedberg became a piano teacher. He taught at the Hoch Conservatory from 1893 to 1904. Later, he taught at the Cologne Conservatory from 1904 to 1914.
From 1923 until he retired in 1946, Carl Friedberg was the main piano teacher at the Institute of Musical Art in New York. This school later became the famous Juilliard School. Many of his students became well-known musicians. Some of them include Malcolm Frager, William Masselos, and even the legendary singer and pianist Nina Simone. See: List of music students by teacher: C to F#Carl Friedberg.
Performing Career
Carl Friedberg had a long career as a performer, lasting over 60 years. He played concerts in both Europe and America. His first big performance was in 1892 with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. He played under the famous conductor Gustav Mahler. This performance was highly praised.
In 1893, he played a concert featuring only music by the composer Johannes Brahms. Brahms himself was there and loved Friedberg's playing. Brahms even gave him private lessons on how to play most of his piano pieces.
Carl Friedberg also played in chamber music groups. These are small groups of musicians who play together. From 1920 to 1932, he played in the Schnabel-Flesch-Becker Trio. He also gave many concerts with the famous violinist Fritz Kreisler across America. In 1937, he started his own trio with Daniel Karpilowsky and Felix Salmond.
Recordings and Legacy
Even though Carl Friedberg didn't really like the sound of recorded piano music, he made one commercial recording when he was 81 years old in 1953. This recording was released on Zodiac Records. Other recordings from this session were released many years later.
Carl Friedberg knew how to play a lot of different music. However, he was especially known for playing the music of Beethoven, Schumann, and Brahms.
Later Life
In 1955, when he was 82, Carl Friedberg planned to go on a concert tour in Europe. He traveled by ship to Italy. Sadly, he became sick with pneumonia during the trip. He went to Meran, Italy, to get better, but he passed away there. He is buried in Meran.
See also
In Spanish: Carl Friedberg para niños
