Stephen Heller facts for kids

Stephen Heller, a famous pianist and composer.

Stephen Heller (born May 15, 1813 – died January 14, 1888) was a talented Hungarian musician. He was a skilled pianist, a dedicated teacher, and a composer who wrote many pieces for the piano. His career lasted from the time of Robert Schumann to Georges Bizet. Heller's music influenced later Romantic composers. However, after his death in 1888, he was almost forgotten for a while.

Stephen Heller's Life Story

Heller was born in Pest, Hungary in 1815. His family wanted him to become a lawyer, but Stephen loved music more than anything. He decided to make music his life's work.

Early Musical Talent

When he was just nine years old, Stephen showed his amazing talent. He performed a concerto for two pianos with his teacher, F. Brauer, at the Budapest Theater. He played so well that he was sent to Vienna, Austria, to study music.

At first, he wanted to study with a famous teacher named Carl Czerny. But Czerny's lessons were too expensive. So, Stephen became a student of Anton Halm instead.

Concert Tours and New Homes

When Stephen was 15, he had a very successful first public concert in Vienna. After this, his father took him on a concert tour. They traveled through Hungary, Poland, and Germany.

Heller later returned to Budapest, passing through cities like Kassel, Frankfurt, and Hamburg. In the summer of 1830, he became ill in Augsburg. He had to stop his tour there. Soon after, a rich person who loved music took him in and helped him.

Life in Paris

When he was 25, Stephen Heller moved to Paris, France. There, he became good friends with many famous composers. These included Hector Berlioz, Frédéric Chopin, and Franz Liszt. In Paris, Heller became well-known as both a concert performer and a piano teacher. One of his students was Isidor Philipp, who later became the head of the piano department at the famous Conservatoire de Paris.

Performances in England

In 1849, Heller performed in England. In 1850, a British music magazine called Musical World wrote a long series of articles about his music. In 1862, he performed Mozart's E-flat concerto for two pianos. He played with Charles Hallé at The Crystal Palace in London.

Stephen Heller spent the last 25 years of his life living in Paris.

Stephen Heller's Music

Stephen Heller's grave in Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.

Heller wrote a lot of music, mostly for the piano. He was known for his "studies," which are musical pieces designed to help students improve their piano skills. Many music teachers and students still use his studies today.

Some of His Piano Works

Heller wrote over 150 pieces with "opus numbers" (a way to number a composer's works). He also wrote many pieces without opus numbers. Here are a few examples of his piano compositions:

• Op. 16: 24 Etudes. L'Art de phraser (Studies on the Art of Phrasing)
• Op. 45: 25 Études. Introduction à l'art du phrasé (Introduction to the Art of Phrasing)
• Op. 46: 30 Études mélodiques et progressives (Melodic and Progressive Studies)
• Op. 47: 25 Études pour former au sentiment du rhythme et à l'expression (Studies for Rhythm and Expression)
• Op. 82: Nuits blanches (Restless Nights) – 18 lyrical pieces
• Op. 90: 24 nouvelles Études (New Studies)
• Op. 119: 32 Preludes (dedicated to Mademoiselle Lili)
• Op. 125: 24 Nouvelles études d'expression et de rhythme (New Studies of Expression and Rhythm)
• Op. 138: Album dédié à la jeunesse (Album for Youth) – 25 pieces
• Op. 154: 21 Études techniques pour préparer à l'exécution des ouvrages de Fr. Chopin (Technical Studies to prepare for Chopin's works)

He also arranged many songs by other composers, like Franz Schubert and Felix Mendelssohn, for the piano.