Grete Sultan

Johanna Margarete (gen. Grete) Sultan ( born June 21, 1906 in Berlin, † 26 June 2005 in New York City ) was a German - American pianist and piano teacher.

Life

Grete Sultan was born into an upper middle class family in Berlin. They first received instruction from her older sister Anni Victorius and two aunts, also of the American pianist Richard Buhlig. The age of 15 she joined the Berlin Academy of Music to study with Leonid Kreutzer. She then continued her studies privately continued with Edwin Fischer. Grete Sultan was a major concert pianist with many acclaimed performances in Germany and Switzerland. Unusual in its programs has always been the juxtaposition of works from the baroque, classical, romantic and contemporary piano literature. With Hitler's seizure of power in January 1933, Grete Sultan received public appearance ban and could only play in the Jewish Cultural Association. Several members of her family were able to go into exile ( for example her half-brother Herbert Sultan ), others were victims of the Nazi regime in time.

After her still allowed a last-minute flight to the United States in 1941, they were there first private piano lessons and later developed an intense activity as a teacher at several institutions, but especially as an exceptional pianist. It was not until the end of 1954 Grete Sultan returned for the first time back to Europe to perform in a series of recitals and radio broadcasts in Germany, Switzerland and Norway.

In their encounter with the American composer John Cage beginning of 1946 grew a long artistic collaboration and deep personal friendship. Cage wrote in 1956 sixteen pieces from his 85- part cycle "Music for Piano" for Grete Sultan. The 1974/75 resulting monumental Etudes Australes he dedicated the pianist who played this into old age in the world. Another close friendship Grete Sultan since their Berlin time with Ruth and Claudio Arrau, and with the poet Vera Lachmann.

Your last piano recital was Grete Sultan 1996: The 90 -year-old interpreted in New York again Bach's " Goldberg Variations ". You could even the publications of some of its historic recordings by Heiner Stadler experience and taught till the end some private students. Among her pupils was, inter alia, the composer Christian Wolff. A few days after her 99th birthday Grete Sultan died in a New York hospital.

In March 2012, the comprehensive, richly illustrated Grete Sultan biography " Rebellious pianist " of the Hamburg author Moritz von Bredow is published by Schott Music in Mainz.

Honors

  • 2002: Cross of Merit 1st class of the Federal Republic of Germany
  • Christian Wolff: In memory of Grete Sultan. Microexercises, 23 - 36, composition 2007

Discography

  • " Grete Sultan - The Legacy Vol 1": Bach ( Goldberg Variations ), Debussy, Schoenberg and Cage { 42030 } Concord
  • " Grete Sultan - The Legacy Vol 2": Beethoven ( Diabelli Variations ), Copland, Wolpe, Hovhaness, Cage and Others { laboratory 7038-2 }
  • John Cage: Etudes Australes { Wergo WER 61522, 3 CDs }
  • Grete Sultan - Piano Seasons (1- Bach; 2- Beethoven; 3-Schubert/Schumann; 4-Schönberg/Copland/Weber/Wolpe/Hovhaness/Cage/Ichiyanagi ) { Wergo WER 40432, 4 CDs }
June 26 Christian Wolff (composer) Name Authority File
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