Hungarian virtuoso violinist and teacher.

Career Summary

Flesch studied at the Vienna Conservatory 1886-89 (contemporaneously with Schenker), then in Paris, and made his debut in Vienna in 1895. He was a professor at the Amsterdam Conservatory 1903-08, then settled in Berlin. Among his pedagogical publications are Urstudien (Fundamental Studies) (1911), and Die Kunst des Violin-Spiels (The Art of Violin Playing) (Berlin, 1923). He was famous also as a chamber player, including playing recitals with Artur Schnabel, and in the Schnabel-Flesch-Becker piano trio.

Flesch and Schenker

Flesch recalls Schenker in his memoirs from Conservatory days:

"Towering way above us 'ignoramuses' was a young, half-starved, visionary university student who was doing music on the side. This was Heinrich Schenker, who was later to enjoy high repute on account of his unique musical theories and his all-encompassing practical and theoretical musicality." (Erinnerungen eines Geigers (Freiburg and Zurich: Atlantis Verlag, 1961), p.31; quoted Federhofer, p.11.)

There appears to be no correspondence between the two men. Schenker once speaks disparagingly of his editions (WSLB 211).

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