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Felix Hupka

born Vienna, June 21, 1896; died Amsterdam, Aug 11, 1966

Documents associated with this person:

Austrian conductor, pianist, teacher; pupil of Schenker's.

Career Summary

The son of Hungarian-Jewish concert pianist Sigmund Hupka and grandson of the composer-performer Ignaz Brüll (on his mother's side), Felix Hupka studied piano, harmony, and counterpoint with Leon Erdstein 1905-11, then piano with Eugen d'Albert (1911-12), before moving to Schenker in October 1912. By then, he had already begun appearing as a concert pianist in 1910, at the age of 15.

Hupka was active as an opera conductor from 1922 in Frankfurt, Berlin, and Cologne, and then in Paris 1930-33. In 1939 he emigrated to Holland, where after the war he was active as a teacher at the Amsterdam Sweelinck-Konservatorium, among his pupils being Bernard Haitink. (Felix Hupka was the uncle of the celebrated photographer and recording engineer Robert Hupka.)

Hupka and Schenker

Hupka was proposed to Schenker as a prospective pupil by Eugen d’Albert in early May 1912. He visited Schenker on May 11, and was formally accepted in June. He was a pupil of Schenker's from October 2 of that year to the 1921/22 season. Schenker, who often called him "the little Hupka” (d’Albert had called him an “elf” (“Kobold”)), took evident delight in his youthful enthusiasm (so much so that Hans Weisse showed signs of jealousy), and was sympathetic to the fact that he was poor. In addition to working on piano repertory and interpretation, Hupka underwent a year's study of harmony, at least one year of counterpoint, and also use of instruments, and form.

Hupka's sister, Frau Kaposy, was also a pupil of Schenker's.

Correspondence with Schenker

Much correspondence between Hupka and Schenker is recorded in Schenker's diary; only two items are known to survive from Hupka to Schenker (misfiled with the correspondence from Felix Salzer to Schenker in OJ 14/1).

Sources:

  • Fink, Evelyn, ed., Rebell und Visionär: Heinrich Schenker in Wien (Vienna: Lafite, 2003)
  • "Felix Hupka," in Schenker-Traditionen: Eine Wiener Schule der Musiktheorie und ihre internationale Verbreitung, ed. M. Eybl & E. Fink-Mennel (Vienna: Böhlau, 2006), pp. 242-43
  • Private communication from Robert Kosovsky (July 9, 2008)
  • Private communication from Hedi Siegel (August 10, 2009)

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Correspondence

Diaries

Lessonbooks