Alfred Reisenauer

Alfred Reisenauer (1 November 1863 – 3 October 1907) was a German pianist, composer, and music educator.

Portrait by J. C. Schaarwächter

Biography

Reisenauer was born in Königsberg. He was a pupil of Louis Köhler and Franz Liszt. As one of the most important piano teachers and players of his time, Reisenauer became principal professor of piano at the Sondershausen Conservatory in 1885, and after beginning to teach piano at the Leipzig Conservatory in 1900, he was eventually appointed director of the same institution. His own students included Sigfrid Karg-Elert, Sergei Bortkiewicz, and Anatol von Roessel.

Reisenauer led a highly successful career as a pianist, especially in Germany and Russia, and was well known for his sensitive playing, especially of Schumann. He also made a speciality of Liszt's virtuosic piano music. Starting in 1886 he toured Central Asia and Russia as far east as Siberia.[1] On 10 April 1905, he recorded ten piano pieces for the Welte-Mignon player piano at the Welte Studio in Leipzig.[2] Reisenauer also set numerous lieder to music.

He was known to suffer from stage fright and sometimes appear to be drunk on stage during a concert.[3] He died suddenly at Libau in 1907 during a concert tour.

References
  1. Slonimsky, Nicolas (1958). Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. New York: Shirmer. pp. 1325.
  2. "Alfred Reisenauer | Beethoven, Bagatelle "Für Elise" WoO 59 (Welte-Mignon piano roll, 1905)". 1905.
  3. Carl V. Lachmund: Living with Liszt: from the diary of Carl Lachmund, an American pupil of Liszt, 1882-1884. p 129. Pendragon Press, 1995. ISBN 0-945193-56-4; ISBN 978-0-945193-56-2.
  • Josephine Gräfin Schwerin: Erinnerungen an Alfred Reisenauer. Königsberg: Gräfe & Unzer, 1909


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