Who taught Horowitz?

[henrah]

And is there anyone around who still teaches whatever method he was taught?

Or did he invent his own way of playing?
Henrah

[arensky]

Age 6-9.... his mother, Sophia Horowitz.

Age 9-11.... Vladimir Pulchasky

Age 11-16... Sergei Tarnowsky

Age 16-19.... Felix Blumenfeld

Horowitz is usually described as a student of Blumenfeld, but it was Tarnowsky who did the formative work that laid the foundation that the house of Horowitz was built on. Tarnowsky and Horowitz clashed frequently, and when Tarnowsky was stranded in the Crimea for several months and was unable to return to Kiev during the Russian Revolution, Horowitz switched to the famous Blumenfeld. Horowitz and his sister (Genya, also a talented pianist) were shocked when Tarnowsky, who was presumed dead, walked into the Kiev Conservatory after many months. Tarnowsky evantually settled in Los Angeles, teaching into his 90's; he passed away in the 70's or 80's. Horowitz never gave him credit for being his teacher, an easy thing for him to do and it would have helped Tarnowsky a great deal. People in the know knew the real story though, and Tarnowsky was one of the most sought after private teachers in Southern California from the 1940's through the 70's. The American pianist Horacio Gutierrez is another alumnus of the Tarnowsky studio.

to be continued, have to teach....

[pianowelsh]

They should be shot! look at the way he curls his fingers up! piano teachers mightmare!! Still the effect isnt intolerable.  However I think most of his musical intuition was not taught

[arensky]

Age 6-9.... his mother, Sophia Horowitz.

Age 9-11.... Vladimir Pulchasky

Age 11-16... Sergei Tarnowsky

Age 16-19.... Felix Blumenfeld

Horowitz is usually described as a student of Blumenfeld, but it was Tarnowsky who did the formative work that laid the foundation that the house of Horowitz was built on. Tarnowsky and Horowitz clashed frequently, and when Tarnowsky was stranded in the Crimea for several months and was unable to return to Kiev during the Russian Revolution, Horowitz switched to the famous Blumenfeld. Horowitz and his sister (Genya, also a talented pianist) were shocked when Tarnowsky, who was presumed dead, walked into the Kiev Conservatory after many months. Tarnowsky evantually settled in Los Angeles, teaching into his 90's; he passed away in the 70's or 80's. Horowitz never gave him credit for being his teacher, an easy thing for him to do and it would have helped Tarnowsky a great deal. People in the know knew the real story though, and Tarnowsky was one of the most sought after private teachers in Southern California from the 1940's through the 70's. The American pianist Horacio Gutierrez is another alumnus of the Tarnowsky studio.

to be continued, have to teach....

Ok, picking up....

Horowitz and Tarnowsky's relationship was always stormy; you can read about this in Glenn Plaskin's "Horowitz", and David Dubal's books. Horowitz never gave Tarnowsky credit except once in the 1930's and in the 70's. Everything I've read about these two and their relationship doesn't make either one of them look good. Tarnowsky seems to have been an arrogant martinet and Horowitz was clearly a spoiled punk, albeit one with an extraordinary talent and a work ethic (when he was young) that makes the rest of us look like slackers.

Read David Dubal's "Remembering Horowitz", pp. 350-351. It describes their last meeting, told by Horacio Gutierrez, who was there; seems all was OK in the end.

[henrah]

So who do you think taught him his technique?

[zheer]

So who do you think taught him his technique?

  Felix Blumenfeld was an assistant of Anton Rubenstine, Horowitz was very proud of that and believed that he was some-haw related to Anton Rubenstines musically, and therefore part of the famous russian school of piano playing. Horowitz called himself the last romantic.

[arensky]

So who do you think taught him his technique?

Horowitz was writing his autobiography with Harold C. Schoenberg, who tape recorded many conversations they had while doing this project: it was never finished, Horowitz started some recording projects, and then he was gone. Schoenberg published a book about Horowitz using these tconversations as a groundwork; fascinating stuff, he said things he had never said before... a must read if you are into Horowitz, I unfortunately do not have it, but I re member reading the following in it.

He said that he had been a terrible student, he never practiced his scales or exercises until examination time and drove his teachers (pre-Blumenfeld) crazy with his erratic practice habits and screwy hand position, etc. He then went on to say that artists have to figure these things out for themselves, or something to that effect. Don't remember exactly...

The reason for the flat handed position he frequently (not always) employed had to do with his fingers being double jointed; double jointed people either cannot or don't have to keep their fingers curved in passagework, not sure why as I am not double jointed; I had a student who was, and her playing was fine; she came to me from a teacher who wouldn't teach her anymore because her fingers wouldn't stay curved  .  It didn't hinder her, and it certainly didn't hinder Horowitz.  I've also read that Horowitz observed Blumenfeld playing flat fingered owing to the effects of syphilis (sp?) and that he imitated this, and that this was the secret of his sound, if not his dexterity.

Horowitz himself said that his technique was not extraordinary, but that his ability to control dynamics and produce many different sounds from the piano was what made him unique. I agree with him; yes his digital dexterity (particularly octaves ) was extraordinary but other pianists such as Cziffra, Hofmann, Michelangeli and Hamelin have a cleaner and more precise digital and physical mechanism than he did. I heard him live several times, and the sounds he made come out of the piano were unbelievable, as his recordings  bear out. There was also something else, that undefinable thing, when he sat down at the piano, this strange almost supernatural energy would fill the hall, it would have been terrifying if it was not so beautiful. Watch this....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XebJY_y4zrE&search=scriabin

[franzliszt2]

They should be shot! look at the way he curls his fingers up! piano teachers mightmare!! Still the effect isnt intolerable.  However I think most of his musical intuition was not taught

How is it intolerable?, it worked for him. He had a great technique, out of the ordinary or not, it was great. He plaed some of the most difficult music in the repertoire, and played it all well. He was a true artist, I would much rather see Horowitz than Cziffra, and Michalangeli!!  Michalangeli is the most boring pianist on this planet! He is so mechanical, and plays the same pieces. And why doesd he miss loads of variations out of the paganini variations?