Description

EMIL VON SAUER (HAMBURG, GERMANY 8 OCTOBER 1862 – VIENNA, AUSTRIA 27 APRIL 1942)

He was born in Hamburg, Germany on 8 October 1862 as Emil Georg Conrad Sauer. He studied with Nikolai Rubinstein at the Moscow Conservatory between 1879 and 1881. On an 1884 visit to Italy he met the Countess von Sayn-Wittgenstein, who recommended him to her former paramour, Franz Liszt. He went on to study with Liszt for two years, but did not for some time consider himself a Liszt pupil. In an 1895 interview, he even denied it: “It is not correct to regard me as a pupil of Liszt, though I stayed with him for a few months. He was then very old, and could not teach me much. My chief teacher has been, undoubtedly, Nicholas Rubinstein.” In his later years, however, Sauer realized the influence of Liszt on himself and on music in general. From 1882 Sauer made frequent and successful tours as a virtuoso pianist; his performing career lasted until 1940. He premiered in London in 1894 and New York in 1899. In 1901 he was appointed head of the Meisterschule für Klavierspiel at the Vienna Academy. Sauer left this post in April 1907 but returned to it in 1915. Some of his pupils continued on to successful concert or other significant music careers. In 1917, Sauer was raised to the peerage by the Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy, which added the nobiliary particle “von” to his name. He was also awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Philharmonic Society of London. Regardless of his own opinion initially, Sauer was considered as emphasizing the original Liszt approach to pianism as well as a strong Romantic approach to a musical technique that demanded a total command of the keyboard in what was known as the Liszt School of piano. Unlike his fellow pupil Moriz Rosenthal, who could overwhelm the keyboard with orchestral force, von Sauer was said to caress the piano in a suave, polished manner. His recordings show him to have been a smooth pianist who was inclined toward relaxed tempos and exactitude of detail over temperament. While his playing may have sometimes lacked in breadth, it was always elegant and beautifully finished. Emil von Sauer was married twice. Angelica Morales (Sauer), his second wife, carried on his legacy in teaching. Sauer had two sons with Morales — Julio and Franz. He died in Vienna, Austria on 27 April 1942, aged 79.

TRACKLIST

876 MOZART-LISZT – Fantasia on Themes from “Don Giovanni”

877 LISZT – Transcendental Etudes – No. 4, d Mazeppa

879 CHOPIN – Nocturne, Op. 27, No. 2, Db

880 CHOPIN – Bolero, Op. 19, C

881 CHOPIN – Etude, Op. 25, No. 9, Gb “Butterfly”

882 MENDELSSOHN-LISZT – On Wings of Song (Auf Flügeln des Gesänges)

883 SAUER – Echo de Vienne – Valse de concert, D

885 SAUER – Concert Etude No. 6, b  The Aspen Leaf

886 SAUER – Concert Etude No. 7, E Flammes de mer (Glitter of the Sea)