Henri Gobbi

Henri Gobbi ( born June 7, 1841 in Pest, † March 22, 1920 in Budapest) was a Hungarian composer and piano professor and student and friend of Franz Liszt.

Life

Henri of Gobbi Ruggieri was born in Pest, the son of Alois and Mary (nee Roth) 1841. His father was also a very talented musician ( violin professor in Budapest) and came from an aristocratic Italian - Padua - noble family. After his marriage with a Viennese woman he remained settled in Hungary. His eldest son, Henri Gobbi, already showed in childhood an extraordinary musical talent and played violin at age seven and later learned to play the piano.

At 18, he was already part of the then well-known trio Grünwald -Müller Gobbi and took over the piano part. He graduated from the Royal Conservatory. As a teacher he had the famous musician Johann Dunkl, Charles Thern, Robert Volkmann, and finally from 1869 Franz Liszt, whose favorite pupils, he was allowed to count.

Liszt was first aware of Gobbi through his compositions. Gobbi sent his first sonata ( in Hungarian style, opus 13 ) for assessment of Franz Liszt, who expressed an unusual interest in his reply, and expressed a wish to meet the young artist personally. When Liszt 's talent Gobbis recognized at their first meeting in Budapest, he gave his young student attention and this proved an apt pupil. Henri Gobbis compositional activity turned under the influence of Franz Liszt's a specific direction, namely the transcriptions on two pianos.

His work has been considered by other composers such as Brahms, Taussing, Rubinstein, Volkmann, Bülow, which Gobbi was in friendly relations with appreciation. Brahms, for example, recycled in the revised version of his Piano Trio in B flat major (Op. 8, in the Scherzo ) ideas that Gobbi had in his Arrangement for Two Pianos. The other transcriptions of Brahms Gobbis plants were observed by him and Liszt with high interest. The latter took the initial mentioned Sonata and several other compositions on his own concert program and let it play from his students. Many of Gobbi's works are unpublished.

He became a member and secretary of his master, who, when the Hungarian State Music Academy was it built, whose founder and Präses Franz Liszt, the piano department handed over as Chair by the very friendly relations with Franz Liszt. He was almost ten years this Institute remained faithful and was one of the most important representatives of the then world music in Hungary. This decade was probably one of the most interesting periods in the history of this institution, as Franz Liszt's frequent presence in Budapest avid music students herbeizog from many countries. They gathered around the great composer and his professor rod ( Robert Volkmann, Hans von Koessler, Henri Gobbi, David Popper, etc. ). Henri Gobbi, who probably had the greatest reputation among his students, was as dutiful, strict but fair professor known, the new talents and ideas supported with enthusiasm and promoted. When Brahms was still terra incognito in Hungary, several of his works were presented by Henri Gobbi and so made ​​known to the public. He helped the Bach Culture to bloom in Hungary and breathed the Beethoven pieces by deep understanding and interpretation farbenprächter new life.

In Liszt's circles Gobbi spent with little disruption to almost 17 ​​years, partly in Budapest, Rome and Weimar. Art enthusiasts disciples who wanted to learn how Franz Liszt thought in the interpretation of his own work and felt could be contacted at the Liszt expert Gobbi. There were Henri Gobbi made ​​in time also offers abroad, even a professorship in New York. He preferred, however, to devote himself to his personal goal of an independent Hungarian music culture.

Gobbi had two children with Elisabeth Grimschaw. His daughter Gisela later became the second wife of Dr. Julius Adrian Pollacsek, Franz Liszt took over the sponsorship for his son Franz Xaver.

Works (selection)

Piano Works

  • Fantasy Pictures, Op 17: alone
  • Begging child
  • Intermezzo
  • Near the monastery
  • Outdoors
  • Returning Zecher
  • Six sound images:
  • Six small character pieces, op 19:
  • An Album Leaf, Op 27:
  • Waltz No. 1, Op 8
  • Waltz No. 2, Op 8
  • Waltz No. 3, Op 9
  • Waltz No. 4, Op 11
  • Waltz No. 5, Op 12
  • Waltz No. 6, Op 22
  • Waltz No. 7, Op 10
  • Waltz No. 8, Op 22
  • Nocturne, Op 5
  • What is my zodiac, op 5
  • Impromptu, Op 5
  • Kronázási induló - Abrand, op 20
  • Concert Study No. 3, Op 25
  • Prelude and Toccatina, op 28
  • First Grande Sonata, Opus 13

Four Hands Piano Works

  • Hungarian Suite No. 1
  • Hungarian Suite No. 2
  • Hungarian Suite No. 3
  • Hungarian Suite No. 4
  • Hungarian Serenade
  • Hungarian Sketches, Op 23
  • Hungarian ways
  • Gyászra Ébredés ( sad awakening )

Works for Violin and Piano

  • Serenade No. 1 in F sharp minor, Op 6
  • Serenade No. 2 in F major, Op 6
  • Serenade No. 3 in D minor, Op 6
  • Serenade No. 4 in F sharp minor, Op 6
  • Serenade No. 5 in E flat major, Op 6
  • Serenade No. 6 in D major, Op 6
  • To my friend, A. Sipos, Opus 16, No. 1
  • Miss Mary Stevens, Opus 16, No. 2
  • To my friend F. Plotényi, Opus 16, No. 3
  • My brother Alois, Opus 16, No. 4
Transcription (music) Johannes Brahms A Pallas Nagy Lexikona Integrated Authority File
385725
de