Album insights
In our century, the established music world previously viewed the works of Moszkowski and other composers of the so-called "salon music" from the 19th century with disdain. It was fashionable to dismiss this music as third-rate, trivial, and insignificant. However, these prejudices are now being reassessed in light of the renewed interest in Romanticism. Today, the immediate charm of Moszkowski's piano music is indeed a delightful rediscovery, as Paderewski considered him the best composer of piano music after Chopin.
Moritz Moszkowski was born on August 23, 1854, in Breslau, part of the then Silesian capital, now known as Wroclaw, Poland. He came from a wealthy Polish-Jewish family and received his initial musical training at home. Subsequently, the family relocated to Dresden in 1865, where he attended the conservatory. During this period, he made his first attempts at composition, and at just thirteen years old, he composed a piano quintet. Moving to Berlin in 1869, he continued his education at various institutions, studying under notable musicians like Julius Stern, Eduard Franck, and Friedrich Kiel, and later at Theodor Kullak's New Academy of Music, alongside the Scharwenka brothers.
Making his successful pianist debut in Berlin in 1873, Moszkowski quickly embarked on tours to provincial towns, building up his reputation. In 1875, he collaborated with Philipp Scharwenka for a concert evening, where Moszkowski performed as a soloist in one of his piano concertos. This work garnered significant praise, with Franz Liszt himself even hosting a private matinee performance where he accompanied the young composer on a second piano. Moszkowski's early works started to be published around this time, including the popular Spanish Dances, Op. 12, originally composed for two pianos and later orchestrated by Philipp Scharwenka. While these pieces secured Moszkowski's fame well into the 20th century, his other works faded into obscurity.
Over the next twenty years, Berlin became the center of Moszkowski's musical activities. Alongside teaching, he traveled extensively through Europe and gave numerous concerts. Despite his reputation as a brilliant pianist and composer, he found recognition as a conductor as well, conducting several of his orchestral works in London, where he was invited by the Philharmonic Society. Although his London debut as a pianist occurred during the English premiere of the Piano Concerto in E major on May 12, 1898, he had already established himself as a significant musical figure.
At the peak of his fame, Moszkowski moved to Paris in 1897 as a wealthy man. Having married Cécile Chaminade's sister, he had a son and daughter. Highly sought after as a teacher, Moszkowski supported budding musicians generously. His decline began around 1908 as his health deteriorated and he faced personal tragedies. As musical tastes evolved into the new century, he struggled to adapt, holding onto 19th-century traditions. Despite retaining his creative abilities, his ambition waned, leading to fewer compositions. Spending his final years in poverty after losing his investments during World War I, Moszkowski passed away in Paris on March 4, 1925.
While he composed various works such as the opera "Boabdil" (1892) and the ballet "Laurin" (1906), Moszkowski was primarily renowned for his brilliant and impactful piano music. Focusing mainly on smaller pieces, his distinctive style became more pronounced with deeper exploration. Pieces like the Fantasy-Impromptu, Op. 6, from the early 1870s to the Grande Valse de Concert Op. 88 of 1912, showcase his evolution as a composer. Noteworthy compositions like the Three Concert Studies, Op. 24, reflect his technical brilliance, while the Trois Morceaux Poétiques, Op. 42, and Trois Morceaux, Op. 73, exhibit his refined salon music style. The impressive paraphrase of the finale from Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde," dedicated to Ferruccio Busoni and published in 1914, stands out as a testament to Moszkowski's enduring legacy.