Feinberg, Samuel

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Feinberg, Samuel

Feinberg, Samuel, eminent Russian pianist, pedagogue, and composer; b. Odessa, May 26, 1890; d. Moscow, Oct. 22, 1962. He moved to Moscow in 1894, where he studied piano with Goldenweisser at the Cons.; also took theory lessons with Zhilayev; graduated in 1911. In 1922 he was appointed prof, of piano at the Cons., holding this post until his death. He also gave piano recitals in Russia in programs emphasizing new Russian music; he performed all of Beethoven’s sonatas and the complete set of Bach’s Wohl-temperiertes Clavier, as well as Chopin and Schumann. As a composer, he limited himself almost exclusively to piano music, which was influenced mainly by Chopin and Scriabin in its fluidity and enhanced tonality.

Works

ORCH 3 piano concertos (1931; 1944; 1947, rev. 1951). KEYBOARD : Piano : 12 sonatas (1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1921, 1923, 1924,1933, 1939, 1940, 1954,1960); 2 fantasias

(1916–17; 1924); 4 preludes (1922); 3 preludes (1923); 2 suites (1926, 1936). VOCAL: Various songs.

Bibliography

V. Belayev, S. F. (Moscow, 1927; in Russian and German).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire