Description

GEORG LIEBLING (BERLIN, GERMANY, 22 JANUARY, 1865 – NEW YORK CITY, U.S., 7 FEBRUARY, 1946)

Born in Berlin, Liebling was a child prodigy on the piano and began his studies at a young age at the Kullak Conservatory where he was a pupil of Theodor Kullak and his son Franz. He was from a prominent Jewish family of musicians. His three brothers, Sally, Emil, and Max Liebling, were also successful pianists, and all four of them studied the piano with Franz Liszt at some point during their training. In addition to his training on the piano, Liebling studied music composition with Heinrich Urban and Albert Becker, and orchestration with Heinrich Dorn. By the age of 16 he was teaching students of his own as a member of the piano faculty at the Kullak Conservatory, and began his career as a concert pianist at the age of 17 touring throughout Germany and Austria. His studies with Liszt were in Weimar in 1883-1884 after this tour. In October 1884 he made his Berlin recital debut at the Sing-Akademie zu Berlin. In 1885 he was the accompanist of the violinist sisters Teresa and Maria Milanollo for their tour of Germany, including performances at the Berliner Philharmonie. He toured Europe as a concert pianist and recitalist from 1885 to 1889, performing for Nicholas II of Russia, Oscar II of Sweden, Princess Stéphanie of Belgium, Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria, and Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse among other notable individuals. In 1890 Georg became court pianist for Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. In the mid 1890s he assisted his nephew Leonard in establishing his career as a concert pianist in Europe by including him within his own concerts. From December 1897 through July 1898 Liebling gave a series of ten recitals at St James’s Hall in London which were well received by critics. In August 1898 Liebling joined the piano faculty of the Guildhall School of Music in London. He remained active as a concert pianist in London and a teacher at the Guildhall School of Music through 1906. Liebling returned to Germany in 1906 where he was active as a pianist and teacher in Munich and Berlin into the 1920s. In 1923 he and soprano Elsa Alsen performed in a twenty-week-long concert tour in the United States. He taught at the Hollywood Conservatory of Music in California in the early 1930s, where one of his students was composer and pianist Edith Wire. He was active as a teacher of piano in New York City during the latter part of his life. He died there in 1946.

TRACKLIST

1. 3927a BEETHOVEN – Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 73, Eb “Emperor” 2nd mvt.
2. 3927b BEETHOVEN – Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 73, Eb “Emperor” 3rd mvt.
3. 3928 LISZT – Hungarian Rhapsody No. 4, Eb
4. 3931 NIEMANN – Playing Waters, Op. 69
5. 3935 GOUNOD – Juliet’s Waltz from the Opera “Roméo et Juliette”
6. 7652 VARIOUS-LIEBLING – Opera Reminiscences – Series No. 4
7. 7693 J. STRAUSS, JR.-LIEBLING – “Strauss Reminiscences”
8. 7706 VARIOUS-LIEBLING – Opera Reminiscences – Series No. 5