French pianist and teacher of Italian descent.

Career Summary

Pugno studied at the Ecole Niedermeyer in Paris, then at the Paris Conservatory (1866–69), after which he was organist at the St.Eugène Church (1872–92). He taught harmony at the Paris Conservatory (1892–96) then was appointed professor of piano there (1896–1901). By that time, he was internationally celebrated as both a virtuouso solo recitalist and a chamber player, noted especially for his interpretation of the works of Chopin, Mozart, and César Franck. In 1903, he made gramophone recordings, including works by Liszt, Massenet, Chabrier, and Chopin. He was active also as a composer, writing operas, operettas, ballets, pantomimes, and instrumental works.

Pugno and Schenker

Schenker did not review performances by Pugno during his years as an active music critic (1891–1901), nor is Pugno mentioned in Schenker's early diaries. He seems to have entered Schenker's orbit when c. 1901 he was selected by the newly founded Universal Edition as its editor of the complete works of Chopin. The two men seem never to have met, and their relationship was thus an oblique one. Pugno's name appears along with other members of UE's early editing team in a postcard to Emil Hertzka of 1909. Schenker says he is willing to meet with Hertzka on condition that there be no criticism of him: since I feel myself more competent in this area [i.e. editing] than your advisers, and have at any rate made a better job of it than UE’s other contributors, such as Pugno, Röntgen, Door, etc., and Busoni, who were not subjected to criticism. (WSLB 50, Dec 22, 1909).

Pugno's edition of the complete works of Chopin for Universal Edition was advertised as "revised according to the original sources with fingerings and performance indications." We know that Schenker owned copies of Chopin's music in editions by Klindworth, Mikuli, Scholtz, and others (OC/Scores 52–67), and the following entries in his lessonbooks demonstrate that he occasionally used Pugno's edition in his teaching as a (presumably adverse) means of comparison: "Chopin Etude in F minor, fingerings compared with those of Pugno" (Oct 18, 1913); "Berceuse, new (compared with Pugno)" (1918/19).

There is no known correspondence between Pugno and Schenker.

Pugno Bibliography

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