Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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SCHARWENKA SCHAEWENKA 249
elude a vast number of piano pieces—Landler,
waltzes, minuets, mazurkas, etc.—of which
'Album Polonais' (op. 33) is best known, many
songs, three concert pieces for violin and PF.
(op. 17), studies for violin, studies for violoncello,
three sonatas for pianoforte (op. 61) ;
two
choral works with soli and orchestra, ' Herbstfeier'
(op. 44) and 'Sakuntala'; a choral work
with pianoforte accompaniment (mJ Kft., 'Dbrpertanzweise'
; a PF. trio in Cf minor (op. 100) ;
and some orchestral works, two symphonies, a
Serenade (op. 19), a Fantasiestiick 'Liebesnacht,'
a Festival Overture (op. 43), an 'Arcadian
Suite' (op. 76), and a Symphonic Poem,
' Friihlingswogen ' (op. 87). H. v. H.
His brother, Fkanz Xaver, was also bom
at Samter, Jan. 6, 1850 ;
and like his brother
was at Kullak's Academy in Berlin, where
he was well known, whUe still a pupil, for
his PF. playing and composition, which he
studied under KuUak and Wiierst respectively.
He made his first appearance in public in Berlin
at the Singakademie in 1869, and remained for
some time at Kullak's as a teacher, imtil compelled
to leave it for his military duties in 1873.
After this he began to travel, and was soon
renowned as a fine and brilliant player, and a
'young composer of remarkable endowments.'
In 1877 he produced his first Concerto for the
PF. (in B|) minor, op. 32), playing it to the
meeting of German musicians at Hanover in
May ; it was played in England for the first
time by Mr. Edward Dannreuther at the Crystal
Palace, Oct. 27, 1877. In 1878, Feb. 14,
Scharwenka himself played it at the Gewandhaus,
Leipzig. In 1879 he made his first
appearance in England, playing the same work
at the Crystal Palace, March 1, and played
at the Musical Union, April 29. In 1880
he returned and played his B|> minor Concerto
at the Philharmonic, Feb. 19, and the Beethoven
Eb Concerto on June 9. In 1881 he made a
third visit, and played his second Concerto (in
C minor, op. 56) which he had produced at the
Gesellschaftsooncert at Vienna, Feb. 24 ; but
his stay was shortened by his recall to Germany
for his military duties, though he found time to
appear several times, and deepened the favourable
impression he had previously made. In 1899 he
made another visit to England and played his
Third Concerto (Cs minor, op. 80).
On Oct. 1, 1881, Scharwenka opened his
own Conservatorium in Berlin (staff including
his brother Philipp's wife, nie Marianne
Stre.sow, Albert Becker, Philipp Riifer, J. Kotek,
O. Lessmann, W. Langhans, M. Rbder, W.
Jahns, A. Hennes, and Philipp Scharwenka),
which became amalgamated with that of Klindworth
in 1893, is now known as the Klindworth-
Scharwenka Conservatorium (and School for
Opera and Drama), and run under the artistic
direction of the brothers Scharwenka and
Capellmeister Robitschek and the administration
of the latter, of which Xaver Scharwenka
is the principal.
On Dec. 18 and 19, 1906, the twenty-fifth
anniversary of the foundation of the Conservatorium
was celebrated.
In 1891, answering a call to found and direct
a branch of his Conservatorium in New York,
Xaver Scharwenka, his wife and family, with all
their belongings, emigrated to the States, where
they remained seven years ; he, however, crossing
to Europe and back no less than seven times
during that period. In the Kew World he
made numerous tours, and to his astonishment
discovered that in the West he had already
earned a, reputation as a pianist through a
former pupil of his brother's who had adopted
his name and given concerts for two years
without his identity being discovered. At
present the Scharwenka family live in Berlin,
where the Professor is busy morning, noon, and
night as composer and teacher.
As a pianist Xaver Scharwenka is renowned
above all his other qualifications for the beautiful
quality of his tone, which is rich, round,
soft, yet great, and singing, for which it would
be difficult to name another living pianist as
his equal. His power is enormous, yet he
never bangs, and has no mannerisms, his arms
and body at the piano appearing to be almost
entirely without movement. If he is a specialist
as interpreter of one composer rather than
another it is of Chopin, whose nationality he
partly shares, but of the other great masters
his readings are always grand and musicianly,
while to hear him play a waltz of Strauss is as
dance-inspiring as the magic bells of Papageno.
His compositions, which possess energy, harmonic
interest, strong rhythm, many beautiful
melodies, and much Polish national character,
include a symphony in C minor (op. 60) ; three
PF. concertos in B|> minor, C minor, and CJ!
minor (opp. 32, 56, and 80) ; two PF. trios in
Fs minor and A minor (opp. 1 and 42) ; two
v'cello sonatas in D minor and E minor (opp. 2
and 46) ; a PF. quartet in F (op. 37) ; two PF.
sonatas in Cj minor and El> (opp. 6 and 36) ;
very many piano pieces, mostly Polish dances,
but also a scherzo in G, a ballade (op. 8), a
concert menuet in B (op. 18), h theme and
variations, studies and some songs, besides some
books of technical exercises of great value to
the modern pianist. A grand opera, without
opus number, in four acts, to a libretto by Dr.
Ernst Koppel, Mataswintha ' ' (from the novel
of Felix Dahn, Ein Kampf uni Rom), was produced
at Weimar, Oct. 4, 1896, and at the
Metropolitan Opera-House, New York, April 1,
1897. In New York Scharwenka himself
conducted ; at Weimar, Stavenhagen.
Xaver Scharwenka is Royal Professor, Imperial
and Royal 'Kammervirtuos,' Ordinary
Member and Senator of the Royal Prussian
Academy of Arts, President of the 'Musik