Role

:

Composer

Country

:

Poland

Birth

:

February 16, 1847 in Samter, Poland

Death

:

July 16, 1917 in Bad Neuheim, Germany

Period

:

Romantic

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Keyboard

 

Philipp Scharwenka was a German-Polish composer and pianist who lived from 1847 to 1917. He was born in Szamotuły, Poland, to a musical family. His father was a music teacher and his older brother, Xaver Scharwenka, was also a composer and pianist. Philipp showed an early talent for music and began studying piano with his father at a young age. In 1865, Philipp and his brother Xaver moved to Berlin to study at the newly founded Hochschule für Musik. Philipp studied piano with Theodor Kullak and composition with Richard Wüerst. He quickly established himself as a talented pianist and composer, and his works began to be performed in Berlin and other cities in Germany. In 1874, Philipp married the pianist Marie Rosenthal, and the couple had two children. Philipp continued to compose and perform throughout his life, and he also taught at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin. Philipp Scharwenka's music is characterized by its Romantic style and virtuosic piano writing. He wrote a number of works for solo piano, including several sets of études and character pieces. His piano concerto in B-flat minor, Op. 32, is one of his most famous works and is still performed today. In addition to his piano music, Scharwenka also wrote chamber music, including a piano trio and a string quartet. He also wrote several orchestral works, including a symphony and a suite for orchestra. Scharwenka's music was well-received during his lifetime, and he was considered one of the leading composers of his time. However, his music fell out of favor in the 20th century, and he is now largely forgotten. Nonetheless, his music remains a testament to the Romantic era and the virtuosic piano writing that characterized it.

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