Who is Thalberg?

[Bob]

I saw the name the other day.  I immediately recognized it as a pf member.  Then I realized it is a composer.

Who is he?  In general.

[Skeptopotamus]

He was a composer in the romantic era; a peer of Franz Liszt.  Actually Thalberg and Liszt were sort of competitors.  Both famous pianists.  That's about all I know.

[Nightscape]

Thalberg was a pianist/composer who was born in Geneva in 1812, the illegitimate son of a count and a baroness.

His coined last name means "valley mountain".  He had a priviledged childhood, and studied with Hummel and Moscheles and debuted in Vienna in 1829.  He was extremely attractive, and gathered a large following of young women (like Liszt).  He was very refined and aristocratic, and between him and his rival Liszt, his was the "better-behaved" of the two.

His playing style was extremely expressive and melodious, and he used an approach to playing that is somewhat like kneading velvet.  Liszt said of Thalberg, "Thalberg is the only man who can play the violin on the piano."  He was completely against "banging" the piano, and also against unessecary movements and mannerisms at the piano.  In this way, he was sort of old-fashioned, more like the pianists of the classical era, like Mozart and Clementi.  To contrast this, Liszt was part of a newer generation of pianists who played with more force and virtuosity, and tried pushed the piano to its technical limits.

Thalberg also got the name "Old Arpeggio" because of a trick he invented in his piano works, which imitates a harp effect.  In this trick, he plays the melody with the thumbs of both hands, and arpeggios wash around the melody on either side.  He did this so much, that he got his nickname.  His compositions include a large body of opera fantasias.

Most of the musical experts at the time agreed that Liszt and Thalberg were in a class of thier own, and were the greatest pianists that had ever come forth.  Some, like Mendelssohn and Schumann, loved Thalberg's playing while others like Chopin didn't particularly like it.

He was extremely famous and rich - one fan even gave him a mansion. He retired in 1863, and never played again - he didn't even own a piano.  He died wealthy and admired in 1871.

So that's Thalberg for you!  I actually got most of this information from Harold Schonberg's book and paraphrased it here to make a short bio of him.

[pita bread]

Does anyone know what is the "three hand" effect that Thalberg introduced? Is it the "harp effect" that Nightscape mentioned or something else? I've heard that Liszt used the "three hand" effect often, as well as Sorabji, in the transcription of Ravel's Rhapsodie Espagnole.

[Bob]

Playing in different registers so it sounds like the performer has three hands?  That's my guess.  Like Rubenstien's Melody in F  I think.  A little bit anyway.

If you've move fast and have lines going in different registers it might sound that way.

[quasimodo]

Does anyone know what is the "three hand" effect that Thalberg introduced? Is it the "harp effect" that Nightscape mentioned or something else? 

Yes it is, the "third hand" being the two thumbs playing melody in the middle register.

[thalbergmad]

I must be seeing things.

WHO IS THALBERG?

I have never been able to understand why Thalberg and his music have been consigned to the almost completely forgotten category.

It is true that many of his compostions (especially operatic transcriptions) followed similar lines and that as a composer he stood still instead of progressing like Liszt. However, I personally find some of his transcriptions superior to those of Liszt because he makes the piano sing.

His famous 3 handed effect is cleverly done (he was called old arpeggios) and rather effective. It was his little box of tricks such as all the great pianists had in their arsenal in those days.

The Italian pianist Francesco Nicolosi has recorded many of Thalbergs works that are now available cheaply on the Naxos label.

His transcriptions of Rossini's Semiramide and Bellini's Sonnambula are crying out to be brought back into the regular repetoire.

[ramseytheii]

Here is an anecdote from Norman Lebrecht's compilation, "The Book of Musical Anecdotes."

---
Chopin gave a recital of his own compositions in Paris, which Dreyschock [another pianist] attended in company with Thalberg.  They listened with delight throughout the performance, but on reaching the street Thalberg began shouting at the top of his voice.
"What's the matter?" asked Dreyschock, in astonishment.
"Oh," said Thalberg. 'I've been listening to piano all evening, and now, for the sake of contrast, I want a little forte."


Walter Ramsey

[ptmidwest]

Thalbergmad, we were all waiting your reply...we knew it was coming. 

Give us more, please.

[thalbergmad]

https://www.centrothalberg.it/studycentre.htm

[thalberg]

Wow, this rocks.  A whole thread on Thalberg.  Thanks, Bob!  Yes, I chose the name because I had read about him.  I'm so excited to try those Nicolosi recordings. 

[Bob]

(shakes head)  I've gone to school, studied piano and I never heard of this guy.  I can't believe this.  I think I fit the description of "educated" but I can't believe this.  Oh well... so much piano, so little time.  Something's bound to get left out I guess.

[thalberg]

That's okay Bob!  There's lots I haven't read about, too.  I was just reading Schonberg's Great Pianists book (like nightscape) ten years ago and that's how I came across it.  But it's not like I'm a voracious reader.