When one thinks of the pupils of Liszt, those that usually come to mind first are Rosenthal, Sauer and Friedheim. These three legendary pianists, along with Siloti, Reisenauer, Stavenhagen, Liebling and others were all members of Liszt's master classes of 1884-85. The famous group photo showing Liszt with many of these pupils was taken on Liszt's 73rd birthday on October 22, 1884.
Emil von Sauer (1862- 1942) first studied with Nicholas Rubinstein, (the brother of Anton) Sauer later wrote that My most important teacher was Nicholas Rubinstein, without a doubt. Even so, Sauer came to Liszt in 1884 when he was already a finished artist and studied with him for two summers. Sauer was not pleased with the number of untalented pupils Liszt admitted to his master classes. Sauer wrote that these students simply did not belong there and what was worse, they often hindered the advancement of those who were really gifted. The race of idlers consisted of two groups: young woman who instead of smooth scales brought pretty faces and young men who employed the most refined art of flattery in order to endear themselves to the old master. It was during one of the after noon gatherings that Sauer heard Liszt play. Liszt, writes Sauer, was good-humored enough to sit down at the piano and play one of his own Consolations, the Chopin Nocturne in B flat Minor and Webers Perpetuum Mobile for us. Notwithstanding my best will to the contrary, I could not but find what he gave us entirely too slight to warrant my joining in the rapture. I was prepared for the fact that that flexibility and elasticity of touch could not be expected from a septuagenarian, but not for the surprise of finding that his musical performance produced no impression to speak of upon me. However, after hearing Liszt play the piano part of Beethovens Kreutzer Sonata, Sauer was reported by Arthur Friedman to have been so transported that he turned somersaults in the adjoining room. Even though Sauers attitude regarding Liszts playing seems to be conflicted, ( he later wrote favorably of Liszts performance of La Campanella), Sauers great respect for Liszt is apparent in this quote from his book Meine Welt, ----one must not be ungrateful to Liszt, for we get the whole of our technique and the whole system of modern pianoforte playing from him.
During the Weimar-Liszt period Sauer experienced his first great success on January 13 1885 in the presence of the Imperial German family at the Singakademie in Berlin. His performance was enthusuiastically received. After this he gave a series of eight recitals in London within a few weeks. After highly successful tours of Russia, Denmark and Sweden, Sauer returned to Berlin in 1889 where he performed the first two piano concertos of Tchaikovsky with the composer conducting.
Emil Sauer received an array of orders and decorations during his illustrious career. Among them was the French Legion of Honor. Up to that time only three other pianists had received that honor --Franz Liszt, Anton Rubinstein and Paderewski. In 1917, Sauer was made a Hereditary Knight and he was permitted to use von before his family name by the Austro-Hungarian monarchy.
Sauers students included Elly Ney, Alexander Brailowsky and Maryla Jonas. David Doscher wrote of this consummate artist, His was a lifetime of success, gained by hard work and strength ---a poet and perfectionist befriended by musical greats. Emil von Sauer died at the age of 79 in Vienna on October 28, 1942.
30 май 2013
