Adolf Schiffer (1873–1950) was a Hungarian-born Czech [1] cellist and teacher of Jewish heritage, who for many years served as professor in cello at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest. He is best remembered as being the link between two great cello teachers – being a student of David Popper and the teacher of János Starker.
Adolf Schiffer was born in Apatin, Kingdom of Hungary in 1873. He is reported to have worked as a book keeper while teaching himself cello. [2] He reached a sufficient standard to gain a place at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, studying under the illustrious cellist, teacher and composer, David Popper, and being his "final protégé". [3] János Starker has described him as “a great teacher... [whose] forte was in assisting his students to develop their natural abilities. He was a superb cellist and musician, but because of a rather late start as an instrumentalist, he limited his performances to string quartet playing." [4]
Schiffer served as assistant to Popper, [5] and after Popper retired, Schiffer was appointed as Professor in cello studies, a role he held until his own retirement in 1939. His most celebrated student was János Starker, who coincidentally was also one of his last students, and continued lessons with him even after Schiffer's retirement. [4] Schiffer’s pupils include Paul Abraham, Tibor de Machula, Gábor Rejtő, Mátyás Seiber and Laszlo Varga.
In describing his teaching, Starker notes that "He used no method. He assigned material, corrected musical errors, played fragments to clarify his suggestions, and ridiculed unnatural motions that were contrary to the music. Theatricality was discouraged and dismissed as fitting only for clowns to employ in lieu of talent." [4]
Schiffer used a Tubbs bow, which has now passed to János Starker, and has Schiffer’s name engraved on the silver of the frog. [4]
Zoltán Kodály was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, music pedagogue, linguist, and philosopher. He is well known internationally as the creator of the Kodály method of music education.
An étude or study is an instrumental musical composition, usually short, designed to provide practice material for perfecting a particular musical skill. The tradition of writing études emerged in the early 19th century with the rapidly growing popularity of the piano. Of the vast number of études from that era some are still used as teaching material, and a few, by major composers such as Frédéric Chopin, Franz Liszt and Claude Debussy, achieved a place in today's concert repertory. Études written in the 20th century include those related to traditional ones and those that require wholly unorthodox technique.
David Popper was a Bohemian cellist and composer.
Adolph Baller was an Austrian-American pianist who played classical and romantic music. He performed with Yehudi Menuhin for several years, toured internationally for decades with the Alma Trio, and was a renowned piano teacher at Stanford and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
János Starker was a Hungarian-American cellist. From 1958 until his death, he taught at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he held the title of Distinguished Professor. Starker is considered one of the greatest cellists of all time.
The Franz Liszt Academy of Music is a music university and a concert hall in Budapest, Hungary, founded on November 14, 1875. It is home to the Liszt Collection, which features several valuable books and manuscripts donated by Franz Liszt upon his death, and the AVISO studio, a collaboration between the governments of Hungary and Japan to provide sound recording equipment and training for students. The Franz Liszt Academy of Music was founded by Franz Liszt himself.
Jenő Hubay, Jenő Hubay von Szalatna, Hungarian: szalatnai Hubay Jenő, also known by his German name Eugen Huber, was a Hungarian violinist, composer and music teacher.
Leó Weiner was one of the leading Hungarian music educators of the first half of the twentieth century, and a composer.
Gábor Rejtő, also known as Gabor Rejto, was a Hungarian cellist who performed with various artists and chamber music ensembles in the 20th century.
János Sebestyén was a Hungarian organist, harpsichordist, pianist and journalist.
Paul Katz is an American cellist, who was a member of the Cleveland Quartet from 1969 to 1995. He and his wife, pianist Pei-Shan Lee, reside in Boston and teach at the New England Conservatory of Music.
Károly Schranz is a Hungarian violinist and founding second violinist of the Takács Quartet. During his forty-three year career with the quartet he received awards from the Hungarian Government of the Knight's Cross and the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary. As a member of the Takács he was awarded one Grammy and four nominations, several Gramophone Awards, as well as other awards of excellence.
Rudolf Matz was a Croatian composer who wrote about 500 instrumental and vocal compositions. Matz lived in the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia. He was born in Zagreb, 1901 and died in that same city in 1988. He was an important figure in the musical life of Zagreb in the 20th century. In addition to working as a composer, he was a cellist, teacher, conductor and choirmaster. He worked in music for more than six decades – from 1920 right up to his death. He performed with eminent professional musicians as well as with skilled amateurs. His wife Margita was a pianist, harpsichordist and keyboard teacher.
György Sebők was a Hungarian-born American pianist and professor at the Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana, United States.
Pál Lukács was a Hungarian viola virtuoso, concert and recording artist, and music educator.
Miklós Perényi is a Hungarian cellist. He was born in Budapest into a musical family and studied at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest with Ede Banda and Enrico Mainardi. He continued his studies at the Accademia Santa Cecilia, graduating in 1962. In 1963 he won a prize at the Pablo Casals International Violoncello Competition in Budapest.
Henri Gobbi, was a 19th-century Hungarian classical composer and piano professor. He was also a student and close friend of Franz Liszt. Many of Henri Gobbi's most important works still remain unpublished to date.
Attila László is a Hungarian jazz guitarist and composer. László is one of the leaders of Hungary's second generation of jazz musicians, which includes Lakatos, Dés, Kőszegi, and Pege. He was president of the Hungarian Jazz Federation (1999–2005) and performed with Anthony Jackson, Randy Brecker, James Moody, David Friedman, Gary Willis, Bob Mintzer, Peter Erskine, Hiram Bullock, Miroslav Vitous, Ilaiyaraaja, Russell Ferrante, and Jimmy Haslip. Laszlo won the Golden Cross of Merit prize.
Paul Hermann, also known as Pál Hermann, was a virtuoso cellist and composer.
András Mihály [ˈɒndraːʃ ˈmihaːj] was a Hungarian cellist, composer and academic teacher.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
