Robert Goldsand
Encyclopedia
Robert Goldsand was an Austria
n-American
classical pianist.
, Austria
in 1911. He began musical studies at age four on the violin, but discovery of his talent for the piano, and consequent concentration on that instrument, began within a year. A student of Camella Horn, Joseph Marx
, Emil von Sauer
, and Moriz Rosenthal
, Goldsand launched his performing career at age 10, in November 1921, with a concert in Vienna. Thereafter, he engaged in European and South American tours. http://www.lib.umd.edu/PAL/IPAM/IPAMgoldsand.html His US debut came in 1927 at Town Hall in New York City
. Upon leaving Vienna to flee the Nazis, in 1940 he settled in the United States, where he gave concerts and took a teaching position at the Cincinnati Conservatory. In 1949, at the invitation of the Chopin
Centennial Committee, he performed a complete cycle of that composer's recital repertoire in six concerts. In 1951, Goldsand joined the faculty at the Manhattan School of Music
http://www.msmnyc.edu/ouralumni/archives/default.asp, where he continued to teach until 1990. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE6DA173BF934A2575AC0A967958260# In concert, his repertory ranged widely, embracing music ranging from J.S. Bach
's Goldberg Variations
through works of major 19th century composers such as Beethoven
, Chopin, Schumann
, and Schubert
; virtuoso performer-composers like Godowsky
and Schulz-Evler; and such 20th century composers as Hindemith
. http://www.wyastone.co.uk/nrl/gpiano/8811c.html
http://www.ivoryclassics.com/releases/72007/, and Anne Koscielny http://www.matthay.org/bios2002.shtml. Henry Edmundson, a student for one year not long before Goldsand’s death, indicates that Goldsand, like any artist-teacher of his rank, expected the student to have memorized the work under study before taking a lesson, which would concentrate on interpretation; according to Edmundson, Goldsand was "a stickler for tradition" and demanded that the student adhere to Goldsand’s way of playing a piece. http://www.seed.slb.com/en/scictr/watch/musicians/teacher.htm Harris Goldsmith recalls Goldsand as a "pianistic charmer" with "debonair technical ease," citing an instance when Goldsand demonstrated with his left hand how to obtain the desired legato in the coda of Chopin's fourth ballade. http://www.wyastone.co.uk/nrl/gpiano/8811c.html
Goldsand's passion for Beethoven was likely a major influence on his pupils, particularly in the case of Dr Kevin Moore, a prominent professor of piano at OCC college in upstate New York. Dr Moore has performed all 32 of Beethoven's piano sonata's, in local performances to the public, which have become immensely popular.
labels. Very few of these LP
issues have reappeared on compact disc
.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
classical pianist.
Life
Goldsand was born in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
in 1911. He began musical studies at age four on the violin, but discovery of his talent for the piano, and consequent concentration on that instrument, began within a year. A student of Camella Horn, Joseph Marx
Joseph Marx
Joseph Rupert Rudolf Marx was an Austrian composer, teacher and critic.-Life and career:Marx pursued studies in philosophy, art history, German studies, and music at Graz University, earning several degrees including a doctorate in 1909. He began composing seriously in 1908 and over the next four...
, Emil von Sauer
Emil von Sauer
Emil Georg Conrad von Sauer was a notable German composer, pianist, score editor, and music teacher. He was a pupil of Franz Liszt and one of the most distinguished pianists of his generation...
, and Moriz Rosenthal
Moriz Rosenthal
Moriz Rosenthal was a great Polish pianist. He was an outstanding pupil of Franz Liszt and a friend and colleague of some of the greatest musicians of his age, including Johannes Brahms, Johann Strauss, Anton Rubinstein, Hans von Bülow, Camille Saint-Saëns, Jules Massenet and Isaac...
, Goldsand launched his performing career at age 10, in November 1921, with a concert in Vienna. Thereafter, he engaged in European and South American tours. http://www.lib.umd.edu/PAL/IPAM/IPAMgoldsand.html His US debut came in 1927 at Town Hall in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Upon leaving Vienna to flee the Nazis, in 1940 he settled in the United States, where he gave concerts and took a teaching position at the Cincinnati Conservatory. In 1949, at the invitation of the Chopin
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
Centennial Committee, he performed a complete cycle of that composer's recital repertoire in six concerts. In 1951, Goldsand joined the faculty at the Manhattan School of Music
Manhattan School of Music
The Manhattan School of Music is a major music conservatory located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers degrees on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition...
http://www.msmnyc.edu/ouralumni/archives/default.asp, where he continued to teach until 1990. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE6DA173BF934A2575AC0A967958260# In concert, his repertory ranged widely, embracing music ranging from J.S. Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
's Goldberg Variations
Goldberg Variations
The Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, is a work for harpsichord by Johann Sebastian Bach, consisting of an aria and a set of 30 variations. First published in 1741, the work is considered to be one of the most important examples of variation form...
through works of major 19th century composers such as Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
, Chopin, Schumann
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
, and Schubert
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
; virtuoso performer-composers like Godowsky
Leopold Godowsky
Leopold Godowsky was a famed Polish American pianist, composer, and teacher. One of the most highly regarded performers of his time, he became known for his theories concerning the application of relaxed weight and economy of motion in piano playing, principles later propagated by Godowsky's...
and Schulz-Evler; and such 20th century composers as Hindemith
Paul Hindemith
Paul Hindemith was a German composer, violist, violinist, teacher, music theorist and conductor.- Biography :Born in Hanau, near Frankfurt, Hindemith was taught the violin as a child...
. http://www.wyastone.co.uk/nrl/gpiano/8811c.html
Pedagogy
Goldsand taught legions of students during his long tenure at the Manhattan School, as an Internet search for his name quickly reveals. Among the more celebrated were Harris Goldsmith http://www.observer.com/node/39385, Thomas Schumacher http://esm.rochester.edu/faculty/?id=128, Ralph VotapekRalph Votapek
Ralph Votapek is an American pianist notable for winning the First Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1962....
http://www.ivoryclassics.com/releases/72007/, and Anne Koscielny http://www.matthay.org/bios2002.shtml. Henry Edmundson, a student for one year not long before Goldsand’s death, indicates that Goldsand, like any artist-teacher of his rank, expected the student to have memorized the work under study before taking a lesson, which would concentrate on interpretation; according to Edmundson, Goldsand was "a stickler for tradition" and demanded that the student adhere to Goldsand’s way of playing a piece. http://www.seed.slb.com/en/scictr/watch/musicians/teacher.htm Harris Goldsmith recalls Goldsand as a "pianistic charmer" with "debonair technical ease," citing an instance when Goldsand demonstrated with his left hand how to obtain the desired legato in the coda of Chopin's fourth ballade. http://www.wyastone.co.uk/nrl/gpiano/8811c.html
Goldsand's passion for Beethoven was likely a major influence on his pupils, particularly in the case of Dr Kevin Moore, a prominent professor of piano at OCC college in upstate New York. Dr Moore has performed all 32 of Beethoven's piano sonata's, in local performances to the public, which have become immensely popular.
Recordings
Most of Goldsand's recordings appeared on the American Concert Hall Society label. Later, Goldsand recorded for the American Desto and DeccaDecca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
labels. Very few of these LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
issues have reappeared on compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
.