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Phone: 212-860-5541
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Price: $175.00 |
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NEAR MINT CONDITION |
CARL FRIEDBERG - PIANIST |
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Two page typed letter signed to the American composer Ethel Glenn Hier, The Gladstone Hotel, New York, stationary, September 28. 1938. September 28, 1938 My dear Miss Hier: Presumably our manager, Mr. Willmore, did not know that I returned and therefore did not forward your kind letter of August 17th to me until today. I am terribly sorry for this reason to have kept you waiting for an answer. I am very much interested in your new composition and am looking forward to receiving the piano piece. I am perfectly sure that my Trio would be interested in your poem. Could you sent it to me and are the parts written out? I appreciate your interest in our Trio and hope very much to see you among the audience. Trusting that this line will not come too late and hoping to hear from you again, Always yours most sincerely, Carl Friedberg P.S. Would you kindly let me know from which magazine you found the slipping which you sent me. Friedberg (1872-1955) is among the most highly regarded pianists of the late 19th Century and first half of the 20th Century. He was extraordinarily well trained in pianoforte at the Frankfort Conservatory by Clara Schumann, Ivan Knorr and James Kwast. He studied also studied composition with Bernhard Scholz and Engelbert Humperdinck. Friedberg made his recital debut in Frankfurt at the age of 15 and his debut with orchestra under Gustav Mahler and the Vienna Philharmonic in 1892. In 1893 at the behest of Clara Schumann, he gave an all Brahms recital in Vienna which the composer attended. Brahms took him under his wing and coached him in his piano works. He toured Europe significantly and became a favorite of conductor Artur Nikisch who brought him to his various orchestras, the Berlin Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus and the Hamburg Philharmonic. He also played in the Ysaye concerts in Brussels. In 1898, the pianist played the World Premiere of Richard Strauss’s Burleske for Orchestra. From 1893-1904 he was a professor at the Frankfort Conservatory, from 1904-1914 he was a professor at the Cologne Conservatory. He made his American debut in 1914, touring for three years and becoming the chair of the piano department at the School for Musical Arts in 1916, which became Juilliard. When Artur Schnabel fancied himself a composer in 1920 and stopped playing in public, his highly successful trio with Carl Flesch and Hugo Becker needed a new pianist. For Carl Flesch, the only pianist that rivaled Schnabel was Carl Friedberg. Flesch wrote in his autobiography, Karl Friedberg was equal to Schnabel in his musical and technical gifts, but as a personality was completely different. Their partnership lasted until 1932. Friedberg formed another Trio in 1937 he called The Trio of New York with violinist Daniel Karpilowsky and cellist Felix Salmond, the Trio mentioned in this letter is that configuration. Friedberg was also the oft accompanist of Fritz Kreisler. Friedberg was married had four children and was a vegetarian for most of his life. Ethel Glenn Hier (1889-1971) was an American composer, best known for her songs. She studied at the Cincinnati Conservatory where her piano professor was Marcian Thalberg. She received her initial diploma in 1908 and opened a local, but popular piano school in Cincinnati. In 1911 she decided to continue her musical education at the Conservatory and studied composition with Edgar Stillman Kelly. During the Summer of 1912 she went to Germany to study composition with Hugo Kaun. In 1917 she moved to New York City and enrolled in the School of Musical Arts (Juilliard at is was known then) and studied composition with Percy Goetschius and later with Ernst Bloch. She spent her Summer’s in Europe over several years, Vienna studying with Alban Berg and Egon Wellesz and Italy with Gian Francesco Malpiero. She first published works in 1912 and by 1914 was accepted by the MacDowell Colony, where she received 14 fellowships. Her works included 5 symphonic works, as well as 9 chamber works including string quartets and trios as well as numerous songs and choral pieces. Friedberg made a limited number of records when he was in his early 80’s. He was not fond of the sound of the piano on records and did not record prior to then. This letter represents the second Friedberg autograph item we have seen in 20 years. Scarce as such.
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