Theodor Leschetizky
born Lancut, Galicia, June 22, 1830; died Dresden, November 14, 1915
Documents associated with this person:
Galician-Polish pianist, teacher and composer.
Career Summary
Born (like Schenker) in Galicia, Leschetizky moved to Vienna in 1840, where he studied with Czerny and Sechter. After teaching in St. Petersburg, he returned to Vienna in 1878, where he taught privately (like Schenker) and was active as concert pianist and conductor. He taught numerous pupils, many of whom went on to have prominent careers, these including Ignacy Friedmann, Gottfried Galston, Benno Moiseiwitsch, Elly Ney, Ignacy Paderewski, Artur Schnabel, and Paul Wittgenstein.
Leschetizky and Schenker
Schenker had a low opinion of Leschetizky. At the latter’s death he commented: “The case of Leschetizky was a case of vacuity. […] For all questions of art, Leschetizky had only one answer: hand position." (diary, November 17, 1915). Of Schenker’s own pupils, Paula Szalit studied under Leschetizky after she had worked with Schenker in 1896–97 (on hearing news of which, Schenker commented “That’s the last we will see of her.”), Marianne Leibl was a pupil of a pupil of Leschetizky, and Felix Salzer was a pupil of Melvine Brée, Leschetizky’s assistant.
Leschetizky’s view of Schenker may be unknown; however, he supported Schenker’s attempt in 1912 to found an "Organization of Creative and Performing Artists".
No correspondence between Leschetizky and Schenker is known to survive.
Sources:
- Federhofer, Hellmut, Henrich Schenker nach Tagebüchern und Briefen ... (Hildesheim: Georg Olms, 1985), p.236
- New Grove Dictionary of Music (1980)