27 Facts About Artur Schnabel

Artur Schnabel was an Austrian-born classical pianist, composer and pedagogue.

Artur Schnabel began learning the piano at the age of four, when he took a spontaneous interest in his eldest sister Clara's piano lessons.

Artur Schnabel studied under Leschetizky's tutelage for seven years, between 1891 and 1897.

Mandyczewski was an assistant to Johannes Brahms, and through him Artur Schnabel was introduced to Brahms' circle.

Artur Schnabel made his official concert debut in 1897, at the Bosendorfer-Saal in Vienna.

Artur Schnabel moved to Berlin in 1898, making his debut there with a concert at the Bechstein-Saal.

Artur Schnabel gained initial fame thanks to orchestral concerts he gave under the conductor Arthur Nikisch as well as playing in chamber music and accompanying his future wife, the contralto Therese Behr, in Lieder.

Artur Schnabel was replaced by Hugo Becker and this became the third Schnabel Trio.

Artur Schnabel played with a number of other famous musicians including the violinist Joseph Szigeti and the cellists Pablo Casals and Pierre Fournier.

Artur Schnabel was friends of, and played with, the most distinguished conductors of the day, including Wilhelm Furtwangler, Bruno Walter, Otto Klemperer, George Szell, Willem Mengelberg, and Adrian Boult.

From 1925 Artur Schnabel taught at the Berlin State Academy, where his masterclasses brought him great renown.

Artur Schnabel, who was Jewish, left Berlin in 1933 after the Nazi Party took control.

Artur Schnabel lived in England for a time while giving masterclasses at Tremezzo on Lake Como in Italy, before moving to the United States in 1939.

Artur Schnabel never returned to Germany or Austria after the war.

Artur Schnabel continued to give concerts on both sides of the Atlantic until the end of his life, as well as composing and continuing to make records, although he was never very fond of the whole studio process.

Artur Schnabel died in Axenstein, Switzerland, and was buried in Schwyz, Switzerland.

In 1899, when Artur Schnabel was 17, his daughter Elizabeth Rostra was born in the Czech city of Brno.

In 1905, Artur Schnabel married the contralto and Lieder singer Therese Behr.

Artur Schnabel's wife, son Karl Ulrich and his wife Helen, nee Fogel, a pianist from the US, and their grandson Claude Alain Mottier, who was a pianist as well and died as the innocent victim of a traffic accident, were buried in Artur's grave as well.

Artur Schnabel was best known for his devotion to the core German composers, especially the Viennese classics of Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert.

Artur Schnabel was renowned for his playing of works by Brahms and Schumann, and he played and recorded works by Bach.

Artur Schnabel himself mentioned that he had played the Liszt Sonata in B minor "very often", as well as the Liszt E-flat Piano Concerto.

Artur Schnabel claimed that it was because he decided that he wanted to play only "music which is better than it could be performed".

Artur Schnabel was known for championing the then-neglected sonatas of Schubert and, even more so, Beethoven, including his more challenging late works.

Artur Schnabel did much to popularize Beethoven's piano music, making the first complete recording of the sonatas, completing the set for the British label His Master's Voice in 1935.

Artur Schnabel compositions are published by Peermusic Classical and distributed by Hal Leonard Artur Schnabel scores.

From: Chronological List of Compositions by Artur Schnabel Archived 16 June 2019 at the Wayback Machine.