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Then suddenly in 1814 he arrived in London where he was immediately accepted as one of the leading pianists and composers and where he was about to spend the next successful 10 years. He was also the most expensive and sought for teacher. In London in 1823 is composed and performed his first piano concerto in d minor op.61, a significant example of the early romantic music. Aside Hummel’s concerto in a minor op.85 (1816) [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPrM4mpeqYQ[/youtube] that concerto had greatly influenced Chopin, the dedication is not without reason.

Kalkbrenner Concerto First movement Solo

With the concerto Kalkbrenner went on a Europe tour in 1824. In Vienna he was allowed to use Beethoven’s Broadwood grand piano for a concert. The same instrument that Broadwood sent himself in 1818 from London to Beethoven as a gift. There is at least one letter by Beethoven which shows that it might have been a closer relationship between the two musicians:

“My dearest friend!.. … But I hope that you are going to stay in Vienna a little longer, particularly as in many quarters I hear wishes expressed that you would give another concert, an undertaking that I take most lively interest; and, if you do this, you will most certainly be able to take all those works of mine to London.
With all my heart I embrace you; and my sole desire is to be able in some way to serve you —
In sincere friendship,
Your Beethoven“

For an unknown reason in 1824, after his Europe tour, Kalkbrenner moves again, now to Paris, where he spends the rest of his life.

Kalkbrenner was not only a pianist, composer and teacher; he was a successful businessman too. Already in London he associated with Johann Bernhard Logier. Soon after his arriving in Paris he became an associate of Pleyel’s piano manufactory. So later (1838) Chopin’s Pleyel piano in Mallorca was sent with the help of Kalkbrenner.

In his last years Kalkbrenner played very seldom because of health problems, still he continued his other musical occupations. As not everyone is blessed with never ceasing source of inspiration, Kalkbrenner’s works of this last period cannot be compared with his earlier compositions, which I definitely prefer.

William Newman writes in his book “The sonata since Beethoven”: “And Schumann, ever honest, wrote that he was no “great worshipper” of Kalkbrenner, but in his earlier years had enjoyed the ”first, lively, truly musical sonatas” of Kalbrenner’s youth and, until genuine Romanticism passed him by, continued to enjoy the music of “one of the most skilled, masterly piano composers for finger and hand”.

His stiff old fashioned English manners and pompous appearance looked almost ridiculous in the French capital city and the aging Kalkbrenner was often an object of jokes and mockery. The attempt to promote his son Arthur as a music wunderkind failed lamentably. He died of cholera the same year as Chopin, in 1849.

Only few will be familiar with this name today, although cited in every Chopin biography. Cited not as a gifted composer or pianist, but as a rather dull teacher in Paris. He dared to offer a three years piano course to just arriving, 21-year old Chopin. Some of the biographers are milder in their judgment; some do not spare their indignation and malevolent attitude. Yet is it really that easy to recognize, to understand and above all то accept a new talent, a new artistic world? Many of the older generation musicians weren’t enraptured with Chopin’s music in the beginning at all. To Kalksbrenner’s honor he not only changed his mind, but organized himself the concert where Chopin played for the first time in Paris and so launched his career. Here again the biographers emphasize that Kalkbrenner also took part in this event, but without the participation of the most admired pianist in Paris who would come to listen to an unknown, young pianist? They kept a friendly relationship; Chopin dedicated his first piano concerto to Kalkbrenner. On his turn the older established colleague wrote “Variations brillantes sur une mazurka de Chopin” op.120 (1833).

As with many lesser known composers there is very little information about Kalkbrenner’s youth and many of the sources, like for example much used “Les biographies universelles de musiciens célèbres” by Fetis cannot be trusted. Even his birth date is unknown; it varies from 1784 to 1788! It is known now that 1785 is the year of his baptism. His father Christian Kalkbrenner was a composer himself and they have been occasionally confounded. Guided towards a musician career Friedrich started early his studies with Adam in Paris, later went to Vienna, where he worked with Albrechtsberger, met and admired Clementi, befriended and played with Hummel and A. Klengel. It is possible that he got acquainted with Beethoven and Haydn, with whom he even might have taken some lessons. The only written evidence for this is his sonata op.56, dedicated “to the memory of Haydn by his pupil Kalkbrenner”.

Back in France and after the death of his father (around 1806) his traces are lost. His only letter from Paris (dated 1809) does not give any insight in his life of that period. And here begin the speculations: that he was dreaming to have a military career. Or that he felt in love with a beautiful, rich young lady and spent years with her in a lonely villa. Or that he was a successful farmer. And even that he lived as a modest piano teacher in Paris. None is proved but one thing is evident – his composed works during this period are very scarce.

The romanticism came from the East

This was the title (rather provocative and controversial, I agree) of one of my concerts in the 90s. After years of playing early romantic music, I am convinced that the piano music of this period was greatly influenced by Slavonic musicians and their folk music.

During the 18th century many talented Italian musicians were admired and demanded everywhere. Yet at the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century their role was take over by not less talented Czech musicians. We can name Myslivecek, the only foreigner to make a career in Italy, the Benda family in Germany, Reicha in Paris, Pratch in Russia, Jivny in Warsaw, Dussek – the travelling virtuoso, and an army of Czech musicians in Vienna – among them Stepan, Vanhal, Kozeluch, Gyrovetz, Gelinek, Vitasek, Vorisek, Czerny, Maschek…

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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GazlqD4mLvw[/youtube]

Leopold Kozeluch, Czech composer (1747-1818)

There is little written about Leopold Kozeluch, but on searching in the Internet, you will come across some interesting or controversial contributions. So did I. One of the first articles which struck me immediately is by Gary Smith: “Leopold Kozeluch, The “Real Salieri”. Already the title means nothing good for Kozeluch. Such a beginning would be perfect for any tabloid… but on a Mozart forum? But not only the beginning is unfriendly to Kozeluch, the whole article is written in a sarcastic, negative tone. Somehow it sounds as if the author was personally insulted by the existence of Kozeluch. Of all the biographies of Mozart’s contemporaries written by Gary Smith on the same forum, only Kozeluch merits this poisoning language… Why?! If the author finds him so repellent, why bother to write about him then?

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