Adolf Ruthardt

Adolf Ruthardt, 1889

Adolf Ruthardt (born February 9, 1849 in Stuttgart , † September 12, 1934 in Leipzig ) was a German pianist , composer and editor of numerous classic editions for Edition Peters .

Life

Ruthardt grew up in a musical family, his father was the oboist Friedrich Ruthardt (1800–1862). His brother Julius Ruthardt (1841–1909) became a violinist and composer. Ruthardt studied from 1864 to 1868 at the Conservatory in Stuttgart with Sigmund Lebert , Ludwig Stark , Immanuel Faißt and Wilhelm Speidel . He then moved to Geneva as a piano teacher and stayed there until 1885. He also wrote articles for magazines such as the Musikalisches Wochenblatt . From 1886 he taught as a piano teacher at the Leipzig Conservatory , where he was appointed royal professor in 1910. In 1914 he retired. His successor was Carl Adolf Martienssen . In addition, he was music editor of the " Leipziger Tageblatt " for several years . Curt Beilschmidt , Houston Stewart Chamberlain , Joseph Haas , Friedrich Klose and Max Ernst Unger were among his students .

His works are largely forgotten today. Ruthardt wrote, with one exception, works for piano or piano four hands. In addition to his work as a composer, he was the author of several books on the piano and piano playing. His guide through piano literature , which he had taken over from Johann Carl Eschmann , was published in eight editions between 1888 and 1925. The School of Claviertechnik of Carl Eschmann-Dumur he submitted in authorized German translation. Most recently he lived at Scheffelstrasse 35 in Leipzig-Connewitz.

Walter Niemann wrote about Ruthardt's compositions in 1913:

"His many special études are among the best and most widespread of our time, because he understands the rare art of hiding the prosaic purpose of technical support behind poetic and witty content. So clever that many of them - [...] - are beautiful at the same time Depict character pieces of poetic inspiration, "

He is remembered to this day as the editor of numerous piano works by famous composers for Edition Peters . His editions, which have now largely been replaced by Urtext editions, were provided with the most precise fingering, which reflected the older state of pianistics and piano pedagogy, but was of great help to generations of pianists, especially to laypeople. Alfred Brendel writes, referring to the common practice of the editors at the time of changing the musical text on the basis of personal interpretations, without indicating this in any way:

"Every publication of older works was [...] an arrangement. Bülow " corrected "Beethoven. Adolf Ruthardt, neither qualified as a composer, nor as a virtuoso nor as a musical thinker nor as a guardian of tradition, transformed every masterpiece he entered into an Augean stable ."

Works

Compositions

Unless otherwise stated, the works were composed for piano. The year numbers refer to the year of first publication.

• Op. 4 - Menuet, 1872
• Op. 6 - Romance, 1874
• Op. 7 - 3 piano pieces, 1873
• Op. 9 - Tryst - fantasy picture, 1871
• Op. 11 - 6 pieces for a lecture for young people who play the piano in a progressive order, 1883
• Op. 14-6 Preludes, 1883
• Op. 15-2 Preludes and Fugues, 1883
• Op. 16 - Nordic serenade, 1884
• Op. 17 - 3 rondos (easy to carry out), 1883
• Op. 18-2 Melodies intimes, 1883
• Op. 20 - La Soirée dansante, 1883
• Op. 21 - 6 waltzes, 1883
• Op. 24 - Introduction et Scene de Bal, 1886
• Op. 25 - Ballade from the Rhine, 1886
• Op. 27 - Step by Step for piano four hands, 1887
• Op. 28 - Gavotte, 1887
• Op. 29 - Scherzo Idyll, 1886
• Op. 30 - Commemorative sheets for piano four hands, 1887
• Op. 31 - Sonata quasi Fantasia, 1888
• Op. 32 - Variations on Teaching for the Intermediate Level, 1893
• Op. 33 - 3 fantasy pictures for piano four hands, 1889
• Op. 34 - Trio for piano, oboe and viola, 1890
• Op. 35 - 6 Lander, 1893
• Op. 36 - 2 sonatinas (in C and G), 1895
• Op. 37 - 2 sonatinas (in F and C), 1925
• Op. 40 - Trill Studies, 1902
• Op. 41 - Octave Studies, 1902
• Op. 42 - Scale Etudes, 1903
• Op. 43-15 Preludes - Studies in the Polyphonic Style, 1903
• Op. 44 - An elementary piano school without text, 1903
• Op. 45-15 Studies in Broken Chords, 1905
• Op. 46 - Prelude and two-part fugue, 1905
• Op. 47 - Minuet for piano left hand, 1905
• Op. 48 - 12 studies, 1905
• Op. 49-14 Fluency Etudes for Piano, 1906
• Op. 50-10 studies, 1906
• Op. 51 - 6 lecture pieces, 1906
• Op. 52 - Summer Idylls, 1906
• Op. 53 - Etudes of thirds, 1906
• Op. 54 - Sixth Studies, 1907
• Op. 55 - The first performance pieces for piano four hands
• Op. 56 - 8 Pedal Studies, 1907
• Op. 57 - 4 sonatinas, 1909
• Op. 58 - The main daily exercises
• Op. 59 - Rhythmic Etudes, 1909
• Op. 60 - Military Suite, 1910
• Op. 61 - Poetic Studies for the Young
• Op. 62 - Studies and pieces for the piano left hand, 1925?
• 6 Aquarelles, 1873
• Major and minor, 1873
• Polka-caprice, 1873
• Idyll, 1894
• Preschool for Louis Köhler's Etude Album, 1891
• Teachers and Students - Practical Course in Four-Hand Piano Playing in First Lessons, 1893

Books

• The piano. Historical outline of the origin and the development of the style and technology of this instrument, 1888
• Choirmaster booklet. A collection of 41 brief biographies (with portraits), 1890
• Guide to the literature of male singing, 1893
• Guide to piano literature, 3rd (1888) - 10th (1925) edition

literature

• Baker, Theodore: Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, 1940 (English).
• Blume, Friedrich [Hrsg.]: Music in the past and present, 1st edition, 1949–1986.
• Müller, Erich H .: Musicians' Lexicon, 1929.
• Niemann, Walter: The Piano Book, 1913.
• Niemann, Walter: Piano Lexicon, 1918.

Web links

• Sheet music and audio files by Adolf Ruthardt in the International Music Score Library Project

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Johann Carl Eschmann wrote the first two editions. After his death in 1882, Ruthardt took over the publication of the third to tenth editions, which were constantly expanded and revised.
2. ^ Niemann, Walter: Das Klavierbuch, 1913, p. 120.
3. ^ Brendel, Alfred: About Music, 2005, p. 356.