Emil von Sauer facts for kids
Emil Georg Conrad von Sauer was a talented German composer, pianist, and music teacher. He was born on October 8, 1862, and lived until April 27, 1942. Emil von Sauer was a student of the famous composer Franz Liszt. Many people thought he was one of the best pianists of his time. Another famous pianist, Josef Hofmann, even called him "a truly great virtuoso," which means someone with amazing skill.
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His Life Story
Emil Sauer was born in Hamburg, Germany. He started his music journey by studying at the Moscow Conservatory from 1879 to 1881. His teacher there was Nikolai Rubinstein.
In 1884, while visiting Italy, he met a countess who suggested he meet Franz Liszt. Emil then studied with Liszt for two years. At first, he didn't really think of himself as Liszt's student. He even said in an interview in 1895 that Liszt was very old and couldn't teach him much. He felt Nikolai Rubinstein was his main teacher. However, as he got older, Sauer realized how much Liszt had influenced him and music in general.
From 1882, Emil von Sauer traveled a lot, performing as a virtuoso pianist. A virtuoso is someone with incredible technical skill in music. His performing career lasted a long time, until 1940! He first played in London in 1894 and in New York in 1899.
In 1901, he became the head of a special piano school at the Vienna Academy. He left this job in 1907 but came back to it in 1915. Many of his students became successful musicians themselves.
In 1917, the Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy honored Sauer. They added "von" to his name, which was a special title. He also received a Gold Medal from the Royal Philharmonic Society in London.
Emil von Sauer was married twice. His second wife, Angelica Morales, also taught music and helped keep his musical ideas alive. They had two sons, Julio and Franz. Emil von Sauer passed away in Vienna, Austria, on April 27, 1942, when he was 79 years old.
His Piano Playing Style
Even though he didn't always see himself as Liszt's student, many people believed Sauer played the piano in a way that showed Liszt's influence. This style needed complete control of the piano keys.
Unlike some other pianists who played with a lot of power, Emil von Sauer was known for his smooth and gentle touch on the piano. People said he "caressed" the piano. His recordings show that he played with a calm speed and paid close attention to every detail, rather than just playing with strong emotion. His playing was always elegant and beautifully finished.
His Compositions
Besides playing the piano, Emil von Sauer also wrote music. He composed piano concertos (pieces for piano and orchestra), piano sonatas (pieces for solo piano), and other piano works. He also edited the complete piano music of Johannes Brahms and other academic music books.
While his own compositions are not as famous as his piano playing, they are still important. Six CDs of his piano music have been recorded by the pianist Oleg Marshev.
Selected Works
Here are some of the musical pieces Emil von Sauer wrote:
- Two piano concertos
- Two piano sonatas
- Études de Concert (study pieces for piano)
- Suite moderne
Selected Recordings
A discography is a list of recordings. Here are some of Emil von Sauer's recordings:
Playing
- Emil von Sauer—1940 live recordings. This CD includes music by Chopin, Sauer, Schubert, Schumann, and Sgambati. The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is led by Willem Mengelberg.
- Emil von Sauer: The Complete Commercial Recordings (a set of 3 CDs).
- Emil von Sauer Plays Liszt: Piano Concertos Nos 1 and 2. He plays with the Orchestre des Concerts du Conservatoire, conducted by Felix Weingartner.
Compositions
- Piano Concerto No. 1 played by Stephen Hough with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
- Piano Concerto No. 2 played by Oleg Marshev with the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra.
- Piano Sonata No. 2 and Other Piano Works played by Oleg Marshev.
- Études de Concert played by Oleg Marshev.
Images for kids
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Emil von Sauer, November 25, 1905, recording for Welte-Mignon in Leipzig. Karl Bockisch is on the left.
External links
- Emil von Sauer: Free scores at the International Music Score Library Project
Recordings
See also
In Spanish: Emil von Sauer para niños
