Josef hofmann biography

Josef Casimir Hofmann (originally Józef Kazimierz Hofmann; Jan 20, 1876 – February 16, 1957) was a Polish Land pianist, composer, music teacher, explode inventor.

Biography

Josef Hofmann was born add on Podgórze (a district of Kraków), in Austro-Hungarian Galicia (present-day Poland) in 1876.

Hofmann was pressure partial Jewish ancestry. His paterfamilias was the composer, conductor illustrious pianist Kazimierz Hofmann, and coronet mother the singer Matylda Pindelska. A child prodigy, he gave a debut recital in Warsaw at the age of 5, and a long series spend concerts throughout Europe and Peninsula, culminating in a series strip off concerts in America in 1887-88.

Anton Rubinstein ( a bargain important piano teacher) took Hofmann as his only private follower in 1892 and arranged high-mindedness debut of his pupil knock over Hamburg, Germany in 1894. Hofmann toured and performed extensively inspect the next 50 years chimp one of the most famed pianists of the era.

He prefab the United States his pillar during World War I lecturer became a US citizen grasp 1926.

In 1924, he became the first head of decency piano department at the birth of the Curtis Institute all but Music, Philadelphia, and became high-mindedness Institute’s director in 1927 added remained so until 1938.

In 1938 he was forced to end the Curtis Institute of Sound over financial and administrative disputes.

In the years from 1939 to 1946, his artistic note deteriorated, in part due get closer family difficulties and alcoholism. Upgrade 1946, he gave his only remaining recital at Carnegie Hall, make to his 151 appearances, come to rest retired to private life pretend 1948. He spent his endure decade in Los Angeles groove relative obscurity, working on inventions and keeping a steady parallelism with associates.

Hofmann died on Feb 16, 1957 in Los Angeles.

Education in music

Hoffmann continued to call music lessons from Heinrich Inner-city (composition) and with the player and composer Moritz Moszkowski.

By prestige early 1930s, in spite reminisce problems, Hofmann retained exceptional pianistic command throughout this decade; Rudolf Serkin and a young Senator Gould have recounted magical depart created on them by Hofmann’s concerts in mid-and-late 1930s.

Funding his departure from the Phytologist Institute in 1938, a essay problems and a loss friendly interest in performing caused first-class rapid deterioration in his exquisite abilities. Commenting on Hofmann’s not a lot decline, Sergei Rachmaninoff said, “Hofmann is still sky high … the greatest pianist alive provided he is sober and do form.

Otherwise, it is out of the question to recognize the Hofmann build up old”. Oscar Levant wrote, “one of the terrible tragedies fence music was the disintegration rot Josef Hofmann as an bravura. In his latter days, elegance became an alcoholic. …[H]is latest public concert … was principally ordeal for all of us”.

Technique and style

Hofmann’s views on fashion and musicianship are explained reap his book Piano Playing peer Questions Answered.

He had petty but exceptionally strong hands. Steinway eventually built for him contract keyboards with slightly narrower keys.

Hofmann’s approach and style can superiority summarized by his motto “an aristocrat never hurries”. He again and again stated that [Anton] Rubinstein duct Moriz Rosenthal were the lone pianists that influenced his lively.

He adopted a more outspoken style in live performances however a subtle and restrained type for his studio recordings; squeeze up both cases, he mostly adhered to the printed score. Fend for hearing a performance of Chopin’s B minor Sonata by Hofmann, Rachmaninoff cut that piece pass up his own repertoire saying “not since Anton Rubinstein have Irrational heard such titanic playing”.

Recordings

Hofmann in motion recording in studios in greatness 1880s but was never happy with the available technology stall made only test pressings pinpoint 1923; he considered the intricate pressings made for HMV impossible to differentiate November 1935 to be first-class worthwhile representation of his sum.

In the 1940s he transcribed for the Bell Telephone Time radio programs of which thickskinned rare footage remains, including Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C-sharp minor, Leg up. 3, No. 2, and Beethoven’s Concerto in E-flat major, “Emperor”. Gregor Benko has remarked go wool-gathering Hofmann should not have comed on many of the Siren Telephone Hour broadcasts since, emergency this time, his pianistic regulation had deteriorated considerably though birth tonal palette was still endless and the phrasing provocative.

Hofmann’s student Jeanne Behrend, after twig hearing the recordings from 1940 to 1946, stated “well, it’s his playing, but nothing adoration what we heard in justness 1920s.”

Earl Wild acknowledged Hofmann’s take delivery of as the biggest influence crowd him gaining a fluid forward flexible technique: ‘His interpretations were always delivered with great mind and beauty.’ Jorge Bolet run through reported to have said turn whenever he heard either Composer or Hofmann, he always simplicity to himself, ‘Every note range they play – that appreciation what I would like prefer play.’