Wilm, (Peter) Nicolai von

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Wilm, (Peter) Nicolai von

Wilm, (Peter) Nicolai von, German pianist, conductor, and composer; b. Riga, March 4, 1834; d. Wiesbaden, Feb. 20, 1911. He studied with Plaidy, Becker, and Richter at the Leipzig Cons. In 1857-58 he was in Riga as a theater conductor, and in 1860 he proceeded to St. Petersburg, where he was an instructor at the Nikolaievsky Inst. until 1875; he subsequently lived in Dresden (1875-78) and then Wiesbaden. A highly prolific composer (more than 250 scores), he is best known through his chamber music. He wrote a String Sextet, String Quartet, Piano Trio, Cello Sonata, 2 violin sonatas, and Sonata for Violin and Harp; also numerous pieces for Piano, including Kleine Suite, Herbstfrüchte, Im russischen Dorf, Stimmungen, Dorf und Waldidyllen, Musikalisches Dekameron, etc., for Piano, 4-Hands, Eine Nordlandfahrt, Reisebilder aus Schlesien, Musikalische Federzeichnungen, Kalendarium, etc., variations and other pieces for 2 pianos, men’s choruses, and songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire