Karl Tausig (sometimes "Carl"; born Karol Tausig; 4 November 184117 July 1871) was a Polish virtuoso pianist, arranger, and composer. He is widely regarded as Franz Liszt's greatest pupil and one of the greatest pianists of all time. Today, he is mostly remembered for transcriptions for piano, in particular of works by J.S. Bach, as well as his piano exercises.
Life Tausig was born in Warsaw to Jewish parents and received his first piano lessons from his father, pianist and composer Aloys Tausig (1820–1885),Karl Tausig (Piano) Bach Cantatas Website a student of Sigismond Thalberg. His father introduced him to Franz Liszt in Weimar, where he studied under Liszt for four years. He quickly became one of Liszt's favorite pupils, traveling with him on concert tours and studying counterpoint, composition, and orchestration in addition to his piano lessons.Dannreuther, New Grove (2001), 25:125–126. He even took on one of Liszt's students, Regina Watson, as his own pupil. At the age of 16, he met Richard Wagner, of whom he became a devoted follower and friend. He made piano arrangements of many of Wagner's operas. He also introduced Wagner to his friend Peter Cornelius, another Wagner devotee. While he also became a great admirer and friend of the conservative Beethoven follower Johannes Brahms, Tausig became one of the stanchest champions of the "music of the future" and the New Weimar School founded by Liszt.Unknown composer #3: Carl Tausig Articles by pianist Artur Cimirro: Biography (excerpts 2010), List of Works (updated 2017), Some recordings. He single-handedly raised the money to build the Bayreuth Theater for performances of Wagner's operas.
In 1858, Tausig made his debut in Berlin at a concert conducted by Hans von Bülow. While some critics admired his technical feats at the keyboard, others found his playing noisy and overbearing. Even some who were more accommodating of Tausig's "Lisztian eccentricities" felt he would play better as he matured.Dannreuther, New Grove (2001), 25:126. Tausig toured through various German towns in 1859–60, making Dresden his base. He moved to Vienna in 1862; there he gave concerts of modern orchestral music, including some of his own symphonic poems. These concerts were only partially successful artistically and a failure financially.
After staying out of public view for a few years, in 1864 he married pianist Seraphine von Vrabely (1841–1931), but divorced her soon after. The following year he had settled in Berlin and resumed concertizing. In 1866 with two others he opened a school for virtuoso pianists "Schule des Höheren Klavierspiels", known as the "Virtuosenakademie", teaching there and occasionally giving recitals. Some of his students were Rafael Joseffy, Alexander Michalowski, Andrey Schulz-Evler, Sophie Menter, Vera Timanoff, Amy Fay, and Gustav V. Lewinsky. Eventually, Tausig's busy tour schedule of concerts and recitals took up most of his time away from the school, and the school closed in October 1870.
He made several concert tours in Germany and Russia, and throughout Europe, and was now considered a pianist of breadth and dignity of style. However, the strain of travelling weakened his health. In June 1871 toward the end of his life, too weak to concertize, he was cared for by his longtime friend, Marie von Mouchanoff-Kalergis, a pianist who in her youth had been a pupil of Chopin, and to whom Tausig had dedicated his first composition, an Impromptu. He died in Leipzig in July from typhoid at the age of 29.
His grave is preserved in the Protestant Friedhof III der Jerusalems- und Neuen Kirchengemeinde (Cemetery No. III of the congregations of Jerusalem's Church and New Church) in Berlin-Kreuzberg, south of Hallesches Tor. Wagner wrote the epitaph inscribed on Tausig's tombstone.
Pianism Tausig was considered by some critics to be the greatest of Liszt's pupils and to carry pure piano virtuosity to heights only suggested by Liszt. The master said he had "fingers of steel". Anton Rubinstein called him "the infallible."Quoted in Schonberg, 256. Where Tausig differed from his teacher was in his lack of flamboyant gestures while playing. Tausig sat motionless at the piano and abhorred what he called Spektakel. While his fingers were working miracles at the keyboard without any digital errors, the only sign of tension from Tausig would be a slight tightening of one corner of his mouth.Schonberg, pp. 256–59.
Until his early death, some critics surmise that Tausig may not have had a pianistic equal, combining Liszt's force and range of tone color with the intellectuality of his fellow pupil Hans von Bülow. Another Liszt pupil, Eugen d'Albert, compared Tausig very favorably with their teacher. He said that while Liszt's musical conceptions were grander, Tausig possessed a better and more accurate technique coupled with a good deal of poetry.Schonberg, p. 261.
Repertory Tausig's repertory was extensive; he could play from memory works ranging from Scarlatti to Liszt. He was especially noted for his interpretations of Chopin, Weber and Beethoven, both for pianistic finish and intensity of emotion.
Works
As well as entirely original works, Tausig arranged for piano the music of a number of composers, as well as a pedagogic work for teaching and practice.
In the following list, lost works are included, mostly original compositions, but a few transcriptions as well. Many of these, including several orchestral works, were given their first public performances by Tausig at the piano or conducting. With the exception of Das Geisterschiff, the orchestral scores have not been located since. All of these are unpublished, except for a couple compositions where no printed copies can be found and the original engravings were destroyed.
Some compositions are unfinished in existing manuscripts, left incomplete by Tausig for reasons unknown, most particularly a number of the transcriptions of Liszt's symphonic poems.Dennis Hennig: article in the Liszt Society (UK) Journal volume 17 (1992), p.65 Where possible, details of the state of the manuscript are given.
All works listed are for piano solo unless indicated otherwise.
Works marked by * have been recorded.
Original compositions
Early works
Impromptu, in F minor, Op. 1 [1a] (dedicated to Marie von Mouchanoff-Kalergis) (1855)* Introduction and Tarantella, in A minor, Op. 2 [2a] (1855)* L'Éspérance (Hope), Nocturne varié, in A-flat major, Op. 3 [3a] (1856)* Sérénade, Op. 4 [publication lost] (1856) Rêverie, Fantasie, in A major, Op. 5 (1856)* Le Ruisseau (The Brook), Etude, in A major, Op. 6 (c1856)*
Mature works
Das Geisterschiff, Ballade (piano version) (The Ghost Ship), in A minor/D major, Op. 1 [1b] (1860)* Réminiscences de Halka, Op. 2 [2b] (1860) [see Paraphrases section]* Hernani-Galop, Op. 3 [3b] [lost] (c1860) Das Geisterschiff, Symphonische Ballade, for orchestra (The Ghost Ship, Symphonic Ballad based on a poem by Strachwitz) [unpublished] (c1862-63) Manfred, symphonic poem for orchestra (after Byron) [lost] (c1862-63) Der Triumph der Liebe, symphonic poem for orchestra with chorus and soloists on text by Schiller [only 1 page found, remainder lost] (c1862-63) Der Triumph der Liebe (piano version) [only 1 page found, remainder lost] (c1862-63) One or more other symphonic poems for orchestra [all lost] (c1862-63) Fantaisie in polonaise style, for piano and orchestra, (sometimes erroneously called a Concerto or a Polonaise) [lost] (c1862-63) Five Nouvelles soirées de Vienne (1862-63) [see Paraphrases section]* Ungarische Zigeunerweisen (Hungarian Gypsy Airs) (Fantasia on Hungarian-Gypsy Themes), in B minor/major (written for and dedicated to his Hungarian pianist wife Seraphine von Vrabely) (1864)* Tägliche Studien für Pianoforte von Tausig (Tausig's Daily Exercises for Piano) (c1864-70?) [published 1873] [American revised edition with additional exercises by Heinrich Ehrlich published 1880]: Vol. 1: Exercises with motionless hands. (#1–26) Exercises with the hands in progressive motion. Turning the fingers over and under. (#27–51) Vol. 2: Studies in Chords. (#52–68) Stretching exercises. (#69–76) Wide Jumps. (#77–84) Double-Notes. (#85–100) Scales in thirds in all major and minor keys. Chromatic scales with double-notes. (#101–102) Six Exercise Pieces. [called Ten Préludes in the American revised edition, the last four written by "H. Ehrlich"]*: No. 103: Moderato in E-flat minor No. 104: Allegro in E-flat major No. 105: Allegro moderato in C minor No. 106: Allegro in A major No. 107: Andante in F-sharp major No. 108: Moderato in D-flat major Octave-exercise. (#109)
Late works
Deux Études de concert (Two Concert Etudes), Op.1 [1c] [published 1871] (c1870-71)*: No. 1: Presto appassionato in F-sharp major No. 2: Moderato in A-flat major
Paraphrases, fantasies, elaborations
Berlioz: Gnomenchor und Sylphentanz, aus Fausts Verdammung (from the Damnation of Faust, Op. 24) Brahms: Variations on a Theme of Paganini (Op. 35), manuscript sketches elaborated on (given a more virtuosic flavor) by Tausig and returned to Brahms for completion (c1862-63) Chopin: Étude (Op. 10 No. 2) [reconstructed] (c1862-63) Chopin: Étude (Op. 25 No. 2), transcription in double notes (sixths and thirds in the right hand) [lost?] (c1862-63) Clementi: Gradus ad Parnassum (Op. 44), selection of studies "revised" by Tausig Moniuszko: Réminiscences de Halka, de St. Moniuszko. Fantaisie de concert, (Fantasie Halka. Oper von Moniuszko) (Concert Fantasy (Fantasia) on Themes from the Opera 'Halka' by Moniusko), Op. 2 [2b] (1860)* Schumann: Der Kontrabandiste (The Smuggler), from Spanisches Liederspiel (Op. 74 No. 10), "transcribed for concert performance"* Strauss: Nouvelles soirées de Vienne: Valses-Caprices d'après J. Strauss (Valses Caprices on Themes of Johann Strauss Jr.) (Waltz-Caprices Nos. 1–3 [First Suite]) (dedicated to Liszt) (1862)*: No. 1: Nachtfalter (Moth Waltzes, Op. 157) No. 2: Man lebt nur einmal (You Live Only Once!, Waltzes, Op. 167) No. 3: Wahlstimmen (Election Waltzes, Op. 250) Strauss: Nouvelles soirées de Vienne: Valses-Caprices d'après J. Strauss (Valses Caprices on Themes of Johann Strauss Jr.) (Waltz-Caprices Nos. 4 and 5 [Second Suite, posth.]) (1862-63)*: No. 4: Immer heiterer (Always Cheerful Waltzes, Op. 235) No. 5: Wiener Chronik, in A major (Vienna Chronicle Waltzes, Op. 268) Wagner: Vorspiel (Prelude) to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, for solo piano* Wagner: Vorspiel (Prelude) to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, for piano four-hands Wagner: Meditation, Einleitung zum dritten akt (Introduction to the 3rd act) of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg* Wagner: Two "Free Transcriptions" from Die Walküre (1863)*: Siegmunds Liebesgesang (Siegmund's Love Song) Der Ritt der Walküren (The Ride of the Valkyries) Wagner: Der Ritt der Walküren von Richard Wagner, for piano four-hands* Wagner: Tristan und Isolde, Drei Paraphrasen (3 Paraphrases on Wagner's opera) (c1865)*: No. 1: Liebesscene - Verklärung (Love Scene & Transfiguration) No. 2: Brangänens Gesang - Matrosenlied (Brangäne's Song & Sailors Shanty) No. 3: Melodie des Hirten (The Sheep Herders Melody) Wagner: Kaiser-Marsch (WWV 104) (1871)* Weber: Aufforderung zum Tanz, Mit Arabesken für den Concertvortrag (Invitation to the Dance, Op. 65), "with arabesques for concert performance", concert arrangement for piano*
Transcriptions, adaptations, piano scores, editions
Bach: Toccata und Fuge in D minor (BWV 565), transcription for piano ("concert arrangement") (c1862-63)* Bach: Sechs Choralvorspiele für Orgel (6 Chorale Preludes), transcriptions for piano (dedicated to Brahms) (c1862-63): No. 1: Wir glauben all' an einen Gott, Schöpfer (BWV 680)* No. 2: Das alte Jahr vergangen ist (BWV 614)* No. 3: O Mensch, bewein' dein' Sünde gross (BWV 622)* No. 4: O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig (BWV 656)* No. 5: Vater unser im Himmelreich (BWV 737)