Friedrich Kalkbrenner — 5 Variations on Chopin’s Mazurka in B-Flat Major (Op.120)

Friedrich Kalkbrenner

Friedrich Wilhelm Michael Kalkbrenner (2–8 November 1785 – 10 June 1849), also known as Frédéric Kalkbrenner, was a pianist, composer, piano teacher and piano manufacturer. German by birth, Kalkbrenner studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, starting at a young age and eventually settled in Paris, where he lived until his death in 1849. Kalkbrenner composed more than 200 piano works, as well as many piano concertos and operas.

When Frédéric Chopin came to Paris, Kalkbrenner suggested that Chopin could benefit by studying in one of Kalkbrenner's schools. It was not until the late 1830s that Kalkbrenner's reputation was surpassed by the likes of Chopin, Thalberg and Liszt. Author of a famous method of piano playing (1831) which was in print until the late 19th century, he ran in Paris what is sometimes called a "factory for aspiring virtuosos"[1] and taught scores of pupils from as far away as Cuba. His best piano pupils were Marie Pleyel and Camille-Marie Stamaty. Through Stamaty, Kalkbrenner's piano method was passed on to Louis Moreau Gottschalk and Camille Saint-Saëns.

He was one of the few composers who through deft business deals became enormously rich. Chopin dedicated his first piano concerto to him. Kalkbrenner published transcriptions of Beethoven's nine symphonies for solo piano decades before Liszt did the same.[2] He was the first to introduce long and rapid octave passages in both hands – today so familiar from 19th century piano music – into his piano texture.

 

5 Variations on Chopin’s Mazurka in B-Flat Major (Op.120) 

5 Variations on Polish composer Frédéric Chopin’s (1810-1849) Mazurka in B-Flat Major was written by German composer Friedrich Kalkbrenner (1785-1849) in about 1840. Performed by Olga Collins.

 

Notice: the recording of Collins is owned exclusively by Russian Programs, was licensed to YouTube by CDBaby, and is not used for any commercial purposes in this video.

 

2:15 — Theme 3:27 — Var.1, Leggiero 4:36 — Var.2, Brillante con spirito 5:54 — Var.3, Piu adagio, molto espressivo 8:20 — Var.4, Molto Allegro 8:53 — Var.5, Vivace leggiero

 

Olga Filatova, piano