Felix Blumenfeld facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Felix Blumenfeld
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Felix Mikhailovich Blumenfeld
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| Born | 7 April 1863 Elizavetgrad, Russian Empire
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| Died | 21 January 1931 (aged 67) |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Occupation | Pianist, composer, conductor |
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Felix Mikhailovich Blumenfeld (born April 19, 1863 – died January 21, 1931) was a talented Russian musician. He was a composer, a conductor, a pianist, and a teacher. He worked at the famous Imperial Opera in St. Petersburg.
Felix was born in Kirovograd, which is now part of Ukraine. His father, Mikhail Frantsevich Blumenfeld, was of Austrian Jewish background. His mother, Maria Szymanowska, was Polish.
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Becoming a Musician
Felix Blumenfeld studied music at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. He learned how to compose music from Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Rimsky-Korsakov was a very famous Russian composer. Felix also studied piano with Fedor Stein. He attended the conservatory from 1881 to 1885.
Teaching and Conducting Career
After finishing his studies, Felix Blumenfeld started teaching piano at the same conservatory. He taught there from 1885 until 1918. During this time, he also became a conductor. He led the orchestra at the Mariinsky Theatre until 1911.
The Mariinsky Theatre was a very important place for opera. Felix conducted the first performances of operas by his teacher, Rimsky-Korsakov. He also conducted the first Russian performance of Richard Wagner's opera Tristan und Isolde. This was a very famous and challenging opera.
In 1908, Felix Blumenfeld traveled to Paris, France. There, he conducted the first performance of Modest Mussorgsky's opera Boris Godunov.
Later Years and Famous Students
From 1918 to 1922, Felix Blumenfeld became the director of the Music-drama school of Mykola Lysenko in Kiev. Many talented students learned from him there. One of his most famous pupils was Vladimir Horowitz, who became a world-renowned pianist.
In 1922, Felix returned to the Moscow Conservatory. He continued to teach piano there until he passed away in 1931. Other famous pianists who studied with him include Simon Barere, Maria Yudina, Anatole Kitain, and Maria Grinberg.
His Music
As a pianist, Felix Blumenfeld often played music by other Russian composers of his time. He also wrote his own music. His compositions were influenced by composers like Frédéric Chopin and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
His works include a symphony, which is a large piece for an orchestra. He also wrote many pieces for solo piano. One notable work is an Allegro de Concert for piano and orchestra. He also composed lieder, which are German songs. His piano pieces, especially the ones that show off a performer's skill, have become popular again recently.
Felix Blumenfeld was related to other musicians. He was the uncle of Heinrich Neuhaus, who was also a famous pianist and teacher. He was also a cousin of the Polish composer Karol Szymanowski.
See also
In Spanish: Félix Blumenfeld para niños
