Mitja Nikisch facts for kids

Mitja Nikisch was a talented musician from Leipzig, Germany. He was born on May 21, 1899, and passed away in Venice, Italy, on August 5, 1936. Mitja was known for two main things: he was a skilled classical pianist and also led a very popular jazz band.

Mitja Nikisch's Musical Journey

Mitja's parents were also famous musicians. His father, Arthur Nikisch, was a well-known orchestra conductor. His mother, Amélie Nikisch, was a singer and composer. Mitja followed in their footsteps, becoming very good at playing classical music.

He played his first big piano concert with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra on April 22, 1918. He also performed with famous conductors like Wilhelm Furtwängler and Sir Henry J. Wood. Even though he was respected in classical music, he became most famous for leading a popular jazz band. This was in Berlin during the Weimar Republic era.

His band played in fashionable clubs. It included some of the best popular musicians in Germany at that time. A famous guitarist, Otto Sachsenhauer, even called it "the best dance band ever heard in Berlin."

Later Life and Final Work

Later in his life, Mitja wanted to focus on playing the piano again. He hoped to restart his career as a concert performer. While on a summer holiday in Italy, he was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer.

Mitja had recently fallen in love with Alexandra Mironova. She was a well-known actress in Berlin. Mitja called her Barbara. They were planning to get married when he received his diagnosis. Knowing he did not have much time left, he began to compose a piano concerto.

He spent many hours each day working on this big musical piece. His illness seemed to give him a lot of energy. On August 5, 1936, Mitja Nikisch finished his concerto. He died that same day at the age of 37. Barbara was in London when he passed away. When she returned to Venice, she found the handwritten music score. Mitja had dedicated it to her.

Mitja had also been married to, and later divorced from, the actress Nora Gregor.

Mitja's Recordings

As a classical musician, Mitja Nikisch made a few recordings. He left some special piano rolls that could "reproduce" his playing. He also made one commercial recording in 1934. This was Mozart's Piano Concerto no. 20 in D Minor, K. 466. He played it with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Rudolf Schulz-Dornburg conducted the orchestra.

This recording was re-released in 2007. It was part of a set of 4 compact discs.

His jazz band, the Mitja Nikisch Tanz Orchester, also made recordings. One recording from 1931 was of the song Should I (Reveal Exactly How I Feel). This song was from the MGM film Lord Byron of Broadway. His band played it in German as Ich kann, ich will with the singer Paul Dorn.