Josef Hofmann

Józef Kazimierz Hofmann (usually Josef Hofmann, born January 20, 1876 in Podgórze in Krakow, † February 16, 1957 in Los Angeles, USA) was a Polish inventor, composer and one of the greatest pianists of all time.

Life

Hofmann's father Kazimierz Hofmann was a renowned composer, conductor and pianist, and his mother was a singer Matylda Pindelska. Showed early Józef Hofmann's extraordinary talent, so he has already performed with 8 years in Warsaw. He made his debut at age 10 in the U.S. and was in the 70 days after 52 concerts. After the New York " Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children" intervened, U.S. $ 50,000 donated to the patron Alfred Corning Clark, son of co-founder of the Singer Sewing Machine Company, Edward Clark, under the condition that no longer Hofmann would occur before his 18th birthday. Then, Hofmann was able to study at Moritz Moszkowski in Berlin and Anton Rubinstein, whose only private pupil he was, in Dresden, also in Eugen d' Albert. From 1894 to 1926 Hofmann traveled the world as a pianist. In 1924 he became a U.S. citizen and began at the newly founded Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia as its director from 1927 to 1938 was also to teach. He has produced several famous student, was best known Shura Cherkassky. In 1946 he gave his last solo recital at Carnegie Hall. He died after a few years of alcoholism in 1957 in Los Angeles.

Hofmann is one of the best pianists of all time. His technique was unlimited, his taste absolutely stylish. Sergei Rachmaninoff, the higher einschätzte Hofmann's pianistic than his own, dedicated to him in 1909 his Piano Concerto No. 3, Hofmann never played, however, as it seemed to him informally. Hofmann played with some romantic freedoms, but still far more sober than the generation of Liszt and Thalberg student in front of him. From today's perspective, particularly unfamiliar improvised modulating appear before the start of work in the concert.

In 1913 he took on 23 pieces for Welte - Mignon, including his own composition Barcarolle in F sharp minor. However, recordings were never Hofmann thing, as with many of his contemporaries. Without audience he was sober and impatient. He also disapproved that only one version of a work is recorded, but he never played the work twice in the same way. But are legendary private concert recordings, particularly the 50 - year anniversary ( Golden Jubilee) 1937.

Hofmann composed to 1916 a series of works, in addition to a symphony, two piano concertos, of which he first not published, numerous piano pieces and as a best-known thanks to the recordings with the composer at the piano Cromaticon for piano and orchestra. Some of these works were published under the pseudonym Michel Dvorsky ( Dvorsky is the Polish translation of Hofmann ). He wrote many articles on the correct piano and focused on the optimization of the mechanics of pianos, including he let himself be built by Steinway & Sons piano with narrower keys for his small hands. He was also interested in general technical issues and reported on over 70 patents, such as a gas pressure spring for cars and planes that brought him early 20th century some income.

Works

• Character sketches for piano op 40 2- hdg. , Leipzig 1908 ( Reprint Frankfurt from No. 4 Kalaidoskop 2010 ISMN 979-0-010-35910-6 )
• Piano playing. With piano questions answered, Philadelphia 1920 ( Reprint 1976 ISBN 0-486-23362-6 New York )