Oskar Ziegler

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Oskar Ziegler , also Oscar Ziegler (born February 14, 1893 in Bern , † January 15, 1962 in Muri near Bern ), was a Swiss - American pianist who made outstanding contributions to promoting modern piano music.

Life

Oskar Ziegler was born as the son of Friedrich and Rosa Ziegler, b. Beer born in Bern. At the age of 14 he performed there for the first time in public with one of Carl Reinecke's piano concertos. He was taught by Bernhard Stavenhagen , the most important Liszt student , Rudolph Ganz and Ferruccio Busoni .

In March 1921 he emigrated to New York with Simone Brüstlein (1895–1950), daughter of the lawyer and politician Alfred Brüstlein , where the couple married in June 1922.

Ziegler consistently advocated modern composers such as Alban Berg , Arthur Honegger , Charles Ives , Arnold Schönberg and Edgar Varèse , with whom the couple was friends in New York. The American premieres of Schönberg's Suite op. 25 and Alban Berg's Chamber Concerto for piano and violin with 13 wind instruments are attributed to him.

In August 1926 and July 1928 he gave solo piano evenings in the Mozarteum at the Salzburg Festival , which were enthusiastically received. This not least because of their unconventional, highly demanding programs, which also included the latest compositions, as his appearance in 1928 exemplifies:

  • Franz Liszt, Sonata for Piano in B minor
  • Eric Satie , Croquis et agaceries d'un gros bonhomme en bois
  • Arnold Schönberg, Suite for piano op.25
  • Charles Ives, The Alcotts - 3rd movement from Piano Sonata No. 2 (Concord Sonata)
  • Frédéric Chopin , Fantasy in F minor op.49
  • Ludwig van Beethoven , Sonata for Piano No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111

In September 1928 he received a professorship as director of the piano department at the college in Ithaca . In October 1929 he performed at Carnegie Hall in New York.

Ziegler performed well into the 1950s. Presumably after his wife's early death, he moved from Manhattan to Tyler , Texas.

He died of a stroke in his old home in Muri near Bern at the age of 68.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The Ithacan. April 28, 1932, p. 1.
  2. ^ Louise Varèse: Varèse. A Looking-Glass Diary. 1972, pp. 275-276.
  3. ↑ Salzburger Volksblatt. August 31, 1928, p. 5.
  4. ^ Andres Müry: Little Salzburg Festival History. 2002, p. 62.
  5. ↑ The Ithacan. April 28, 1932, p. 1.
  6. ↑ Sound recordings could not be determined.
personal data
SURNAME Ziegler, Oskar
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ziegler, Oscar
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss-American pianist
DATE OF BIRTH February 14, 1893
PLACE OF BIRTH Bern
DATE OF DEATH January 15, 1962
Place of death Muri near Bern