1895: Walter Wilhelm Gieseking, born November 5 in Lyon, France.
His father, Karl Dietrich Wilhelm Gieseking, medical doctor and
entomologist; his mother, Martha Auguste Emilie, nee Bethke.
1902: The family moves to Menton.
1903: First attempts at composition. They move to Villefranche-sur-Mer.
No formal schooling: mainly dedicated to butterfly collecting
with his father. Unsuccessful violin lessons with Eugène
Gandolfo.
1911: The family moves to Germany, staying with Gieseking's grandfather
in Lahde (Minden/Wesphalia). Studies begin at the Hannover Conservatory
with its director, Karl Leimer, and playing violin and viola in
the orchestra. [Gieseking later wrote a book on piano technique
with Leimer.] 1912: First appearance in a school concert (February
7), with other performances on September 4, in October, and on
November 25: very favorable reviews from the Hannoverschen Zeitung.
1913: Moves with his mother to Hannover. Conservatory recitals
on February 3 (Chopin), April 28 (Schumann), two Beethoven recitals
in September. First solo recital on October 24 in Minden: receives
fee of 144 gold Marks! A solo recital by Eugen d' Albert leaves
an unforgettable impression.
1914: First Debussy recital in Hannover.
1915-1916 (November-February): Beethoven's 32 Sonatas in six evenings.
1916: The "music-devotee" W.G. is drafted into the military
on August 11. Peculiar decision is made to assign him to serve
as a stretcher bearer and military musician, playing in Hannover
pubs.
1917: Transferred to North Sea island of Borkum - plays in cafes
and for silent films.
1918: Returns to Hannover on December 1st. Piano teacher in the
home of Hermann Bahlsen, biscuit manufacturer, who provides generous
support.
1919: Many concerts, mostly as accompanist. Performs modern music:
Debussy, Ravel, Cyril Scott, Korngold, Busoni, Walter Niemann,
Schönberg, Joseph Marx.
1920: Concert manager Arthur Bernstein arranges for a Berlin concert
(Singakademie) on October 23. Outstanding reviews in Deutsche
Zeitung and Vossichen Zeitung.
Concerts in the Philharmonie:
1921: First performances of Joseph Rosenstock's Symphonic Piano
Concerto on April 8th with the Dresden Staatsoper under Fritz
Busch and German premiere of Joseph Marx's Romantic Piano Concerto
(June, Hannover). First concert abroad, in Zürich, arranged
by Pianohaus Jecklin (September 21): Scott, Debussy, Scriabin.
Two performances of Beethoven's G major Concerto (Dresden Staatsoper
under Fritz Busch). 137 concerts given in 1921.
1922: Vienna debut. Takes part in Salzburg Festival's International
Association for New Music. Meets Paul Hindemith, who soon becomes
one of his closest friends. Plays in Sweden, Finland and Denmark
(October - November). First concert (October 30) with Leipzig
Gewandhaus Orchestra under Furtwängler (Marx Concerto).
1923: Italian tour, concerts throughout Switzerland, Scandinavia,
Germany. Premiere of Pfitzner's Concerto with Fritz Busch (March
16). Further concerts in Berlin with Furtwängler; Bruno Walter
and the Concertgebouw (The Hague and Amsterdam); Munich and other
cities with Pfitzner. Concerts in Spain, England, Poland &
Budapest.
1924: First radio broadcast in England.
1925: Marries Annie Haake.
1926: First American tour. Meets Elly Ney, Toscanini, and Titta
Ruffo.
1927: Birth of daughter Jutta.
1928: First concerts in Prague and Paris (with Ansermet).
1929: First performance of Castelnuovo-Tedesco's Sonata (dedicated
to Gieseking). Contemporary music program in Berlin: Hermann Reutter,
Richard Wintzer, Fidelio F. Finke, Toch, Rathaus, Schulhoff. In
New York, plays Scott, Niemann, Hindemith, Castelnuovo-Tedesco,
Tansman, Schulhoff, Ravel: poor reception by public and critics.
1930: U.S. tour. Gives eleven North American tours from 1926-1939.
1931: Birth of daughter Freya.
1933: North America.
1934: Family moves to Wiesbaden.
1935: Concerts in Mexico. First performance of Max Trapp's Concerto
(Holland).
1936: Liszt's E-flat Concerto played in Berlin at the Olympics.
1937: Great success in New York with Rachmaninoff's 2nd Concerto.
1938: Plays Rachmaninoff's 3rd Concerto for the first time.
1939: Great success in New York with Rachmaninoff's 3rd Concerto.
Beethoven's 4th concerto at Salzburg (Böhm/Vienna Philharmonic).
With the outbreak of World War II, his concert obligations are
cancelled. During the War, concerts given in Germany under difficult
conditions as well as in allied and neutral countries.
1943/44: Summer master classes in Braunwald, Switzerland. [According
to Jutta Hajmassy, the family went together in 1944 and had access
to uncensored newspapers: Gieseking was shocked by what he read
and asked the family to defect. Mrs. Gieseking insisted they return
to Germany to help their parents through the War, whatever the
outcome may be. Her decision prevailed.] 1945: Serious illness
at the war's end (Wiesbaden). He is banned from performing in
public for allegedly having been a member of the Nazi Party, which
is later found to be not true. Invited to give house concerts
for American officers during his de-Nazification hearings and
performs in a trio with Ludwig Hoelscher and Gerhard Taschner
at private concerts in Rüdesheim.
1947: Nominated to head newly founded master classes in piano
at the Saarbrücken Conservatory which draws young pianists
from all over the world. First concert abroad, in Paris, acclaimed
with extraordinary enthusiasm.
1948: Concert tour in South America.
1949: Teaches seminars on interpretation and Debussy's complete
piano works at the University of Tucuman, Argentina.. A planned
concert tour in North America is abruptly cancelled due to misinformed
agencies which prevent him from playing.
1951: Highly successful tour in Japan; concert for the royal family.
1952: World tour with his wife and daughter Freya: Australia,
Indonesia, Hawaii, Canada, U.S.A., Brazil, Agentina, Chile, Uruguay.
Success in the U. S. A., with many concerts.
1953: Recital in Carnegie Hall. Standing ovations. National tour.
1955: Severe bus accident in Stuttgart on December 2 on return
from airport. His wife dies and he is badly injured.
1956: Tour in America. September: Luzerne Festival. October 6:
celebration of Edwin Fischer's 70th birthday in the home of Dr.
Hans and Susanne Brockhaus, with both masters playing together
in joy and harmony. Concerts in Germany, Beethoven recitals in
London. October 23: Taken seriously ill, undergoes urgent operation,
suddenly dies in London on October 26.
The following memoir was written for this booklet by Imre Hajmassy,
Gieseking's assistant and son-in-law. When I studied in Budapest
at the Liszt Academy in the late 1930's my fellow students and
I attended the concerts which took place at the Vigado Hall. Here
we heard famous artists such as Sauer, Rosenthal, Rachmaninoff.
When Walter Gieseking was announced we knew that he represented
the new generation which changed the style of the "Golden
Age of Piano Virtuosi".
None of the grandiose Liszt disciples ever played Bach in concert
in the original, unarranged, or any Partitas or Suites. Hardly
anybody presented Debussy or Ravel or Scriabin in their programs
as Gieseking did. He altered the shape and character of a piano
recital in a revolutionary fashion. I only knew his playing from
records and radio, so to experience him on stage was an overwhelming
experience for me. Once during his encores I stood in close proximity
to the concert grand and watched his hands spellbound; their reach
easily encompassed a tenth. The sensitivity with which he touched
the keys and the sound he drew forth from the instrument were
fascinating. During the Second World War I left Budapest for Salzburg
to study for two years with Elly Ney. As Gieseking's playing style
had always been my ideal I decided to become his student. In 1945
I arrived in Wiesbaden, played for him, and was accepted as a
pupil. This meant a decisive change in both the human sphere as
well as musically.
Gieseking's intention was to communicate to the student the need
to learn a composition by heart with utmost accuracy. Subsequently
the fingers had to execute what was in the notes: Easier said
than done if one has such a head and fingers to follow these commands!
He had both. This ability, and his phenomenal photographic memory,
are very special divine gifts which are only attainable in a limited
way. One has them or doesn't! Gieseking was also a very extremely
patient teacher who let his students know which mistakes were
made, what he disliked in their performances, but never "tore
their heads off". If one had to hear the phrase "That
doesn't sound", one could be sure this meant a sharp and
decisive reprimand. It was essential to realize the intention
of the composer to the utmost, what could be defined with the
word Werktreue (faithful to the work).
Aside from the lessons I was soon a frequent guest in Gieseking's
house and was embraced warmly by the family. Countless images
are before my eyes after such a long time but which would exceed
the framework of this reminiscence. Just to mention a few instances:
Sometimes Mrs. Gieseking, who was highly musical, was present
during my lessons. After the eldest daughter Jutta had become
my fiancée I dedicated my own arrangements of Hungarian
folksongs to her and had to play them for my in-laws, which caused
me almost to sink into the ground from embarrassment. Also my
corporeal well-being was taken care of: hungry and haggard as
I was, the Giesekings shared with me the care packages which they
received from caring fans in the U.S. [Food was rationed and scarce
in the two years following Germany's defeat. The family was undernourished
and frequently ill as a result.]
Because of the tragic deaths of my in-laws, who were torn away
from us in the span of one year, we could only enjoy a few years
together, which I remember with gratitude. It is very hard to
express in words what Gieseking has meant for my life. The genius,
the exceptionally human and artistic personality, the loving family
father will always remain unforgettable.
-Imre Hajmassy. Wiesbaden, July 21, 1996.
Jutta Gieseking-Hajmassy has kindly made available a letter written
by her recently-married father, then 30, from New York, during
his first American tour (winter of 1926). Their family was close
and missed him during absences: his letters were eagerly awaited
and delighted them with their candor, humor, and observations
of life and the musical world.
New York, February 4, 1926
Dear exemplary wife (I presume that this is correct),
Tomorrow there will again be mail to Europe (for the first time
this week), meaning that this letter has to go, therefore I start,
and that means fff: It is miserable, exceptionally miserable,
astonishingly unpleasantly miserable, because this nest [hick
town] is, as it were, to puke from, unless one doesn't have enough
work like I had during these last days. Or is it only me and the
bad weather? Regardless, [Alfredo] Casella and I re-enforced each
other daily; the best thing would be to board a boat tomorrow.
This consensus of opinion unfortunately leads to much (leads to
nothing). The Casellas also stay here till March while the Baldwins
frantically look for engagements for him which should reimburse
them for the lost orchestral concerts. He will do some radio concerts
pretty soon, I believe, which are pretty good in this country.
We might also play on two pianos over the radio, there is also
a concert with Szigeti, and the one in public is planned for me.
But this doesn't change at all the fact that I find it extremely
miserable (like most of the Europeans who are here). It is also
very stupid to be engaged listening to concerts as one's activity
for a whole week. Friday evening I practiced Mozart, etc., during
lunch the Casellas invited Signorina Toscanini to our favorite
pub. In the afternoon I was dozing around and in the evening went
to Toscanini's concert: he conducted incredibly beautifully. Afterwards
there was a big gathering of men at Steinway's; many colleagues
there but as we were not introduced, only the people who knew
each other talked to each other. Ole Steinway was extremely endearing,
despite the competition. [Gieseking was a Baldwin artist.] [Carl]
Friedberg was also there: he is always seen at most concerts and
is otherwise only involved in giving lessons and doesn't seem
to be enough of a pianist for here. At the end a conductor of
a male chorus who had led the choral festival in Hannover threw
himself all over me and, because he had consumed a lot of whisky
his tongue had become very lazy, which meant he needed a long
time to express his excitement, and he always went over everything
from the start. Then on Sunday I was invited to lunch at the Damrosches
(the Boss [Gieseking's nickname for Karl Leimer] calls him the
"Director of the Conservatory".) The whole symphony
orchestra was there because of his birthday. It was quite gemütlich:
Members of the orchestra were quite good pranksters, especially
the flutist, the Frenchman [Georges] Barrère, who plays
very beautifully. This one also presented at the Steinways a summary
of 35 symphonies in 15 minutes, very funny, all the well-known
themes mixed together. A Chinese choir was singing during lunch,
to whom some players were bellowing out "Crescendo".
I played something by Bach. By the way, Klemperer, who was also
there, doesn't seem to like these musical pranks. He always looks
rather sinister and is also terribly nervous. It is reported that
he was bawling in such a way at his cleaning woman during a rehearsal
that she almost threw a bucket of water at his head. He was so
piqued - asking his wife the other day at Zucca's not to eat any
macaroni - that I believe he is a dragon (and if your husband
were that way?). Before I went to this lunch I noticed the museum
is closed on Sunday morning and therefore stood in the snow. I
rescued myself to the Kaplick's [singer and voice teacher] who
do not live far from there. They seemed not to have gotten up
yet (at 12:30!). Those are little mishaps!
On Sunday afternoon I read the Stadts-Zeitung (fine activity).
Ate in the evening and then went at nine to a harpsichord-flute
concert with the aforementioned Barrère - mostly Bach sonatas,
which were for the most part very beautiful. There was also a
Sonatina for two flutes by Paule [Paul Hindemith] which was fun.
On Monday, before lunch, I worked at Welte [recording player-piano
rolls]: Allerseelen by [Richard] Strauss [arr. Reger, Op. 10,
no.8] and Du bist die Ruh by Schubert-Liszt, were completed. Then
I played a scandalous piece by Rubinstein [Kammenoi-Ostrow] which
Welte wanted to include at all costs, supposedly because they
sell that piece as much as all my other rolls combined. And for
that money, one can play a piece which other people find very
beautiful, and Debussy's Children's Corner which came out very
well, I think. I've received again a comfortable check of $750
(a small consolation!).
In the afternoon I went to the Museum [American Museum of Natural
History]: many interesting things, but very few butterflies, a
big collection of the Entomological Society seems to be there
but I don't know how to find it. For 15 cents I bought a book
about the most common butterflies here, with photographs, according
to which there are three very beautiful species (three kinds of
giant swallowtails - beautiful, big, brown with silver Argynnis
- but before April, nothing). Therefore . . . again a reason for
grief. In the evening Szigeti and Toscanini played, I had promised
the former to come and therefore I went. He also played beautifully
the Debussy Sonata. But despite the fact, I should have gone to
Toscanini who supposedly conducted quite incredibly. With Szigeti,
Murray and some others, we were again at a German pub where they
served a good pancake with cranberries.
(Now I just have to go to Welte at noon today and will continue)
I'm back but in the meantime it is 6 p.m. I was at Welte from
11 to 1:30 because there was much to improve regarding the Debussy
(Cathedrale, Puck, Minstrels) [piano rolls were heavily edited].
Then I had to go to lunch in an incredible blizzard on foot because
I couldn't get a cab (in this weather) and at 3:00 was Klemperer's
concert: Meistersinger Prelude, Beethoven G major concerto not
badly played by Harold Bauer (he's dragging too much), and Bruckner's
8th Symphony, which Klemperer beautifully interpreted and which
therefore got on my nerves extraordinarily. I still have not quite
recovered yet. It is not the right music when one is already depressed
and this at a time when not even half the [tour] period is over!
[In a letter written after Klemperer's rehearsal seven days earlier,
Gieseking commented, "Above all else, the 'Moral of the Story':
When one is out of sorts, do not listen to Bruckner!"] I'm
really much too crestfallen to write anything at all - but want
to continue reporting, nevertheless! But I have absolutely no
recollection of what happened on Tuesday, I believe: nothing happened.
Before lunch I was probably at home and in the afternoon I was
also bored as well. In the evening I took the subway (cheap) to
Kaplick's house. First we ate something, then a pupil of Kaplick's
came (a tenor), Kaplick sang and unfortunately his pupil did too,
who has a huge windpipe but not the slightest idea of bar-lines.
One couple and an American woman also came (I don't think it was
the tenor's wife) and the whole gang sat down and played poker!
I obviously didn't participate and therefore had the dubious pleasure
to just watch - which I tolerated for some time but then sat down
at the piano and retired after 11:30. Such imbecility - to watch
poker - I haven't experienced for a long time! And this really
means something here.
Actually I should really write the Boss? Please excuse me somehow,
I'm so uncomfortable to write him with "Du"![colloquial
form of you] . . .but we will have to do it sometime!
- translated from the German by Heiner Stadler.