Celebrated Women Pianists of the Past

Erika Lie, Ingeborg von Bronsart and Annette Essipova

Sep 16, 2008

There were many (famous in their time) women pianists who have been forgotten in the twenty- first century. Here are three who were celebrated in their lifetimes.

One of the most celebrated pianists of the nineteenth century was Annette Essipova, who was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, on February 1, 1851. She was noted as an excellent interpreter of the classical composers...Bach, Mozart and Beethoven, as well as Chopin, Schumann, Mendelssohn and Liszt. Her father was her first teacher and she later attended a French boarding school where the music master was Wielopolski.

Theodore Leschetizky

At the age of fourteen she enrolled at the St.Petersburg Conservatory where she studied with Professor Theodore Leschetizky (born in Poland in 1830; died at Dresden in 1915). Anton Rubinstein had advised her to concentrate on singing as she had a full, rich voice, but she continued with Leschetizky.

Annette had been used to playing in a very unrestrained style, and it took a great deal for her teacher to rein her in. He insisted on her doing exactly as he said, and although it was difficult for this rather wild girl to do so she followed his instructions to the letter, passing her final examination with honor.

Essipova began touring in 1872 and travelled to many places, always with great success. In 1880, Annette Essipova became the wife of her teacher, Theodore Leschetizky, and they made their home in Vienna. Mme.Leschetizky died in 1914, Theodore following in 1915.

Theodore Kullak's Berlin Institute

Norway produced Erika Lie, who was born on January 17, 1845, at Kongsvinger (near Oslo). She also received her early musical education from her father and at the age of fifteen she began lessons with Hafdan Kjerulf (1815-1868). Starting in 1861, she studied for five years at Theodore Kullak's Institute in Berlin. Her playing was described as being masterful in execution, grace, feeling and taste.

After a fine career as a touring pianist throughout Europe and the British Isles, she left the stage to dedicate herself exclusively to teaching. Erika Lie-Nissen died on October 27,1903.

Ingeborg von Bronsart as Composer

Ingeborg Stark was born on August 24, 1840, In St. Petersburg. and studied with Constantine Decker and Nicolaus von Martinoff when she was young. Later she went to Adolf Henselt and from the year 1858 Franz Liszt was her teacher. She began to compose at an early age and was soon appearing in public playing her own compositions.

Ingeborg married the Court Theatre "Intendant", Hans von Bronsart von Schellendorff, in Leipzig. Her career as a concert pianist was successful and her compositional output included three operas, many songs, pieces for piano and violin and cello and marches.She died on June 17,1913, the same year as her husband.

Source

Celebrated Pianists of the Past and Present by A.Ehrlich, Theodore Presser , Philadelphia, 1894

Women of Notes: 1,000 Women Composers Born Before the Year 1900 Anya Laurence, Richards Rosen Press, NYC 1976

The copyright of the article Celebrated Women Pianists of the Past in Classical Music is owned by Anya Laurence. Permission to republish Celebrated Women Pianists of the Past in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.