Timanoff, Vera (1855–1942)

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Timanoff, Vera (1855–1942)

Russian pianist. Born in 1855; died in 1942; studied with Anton Rubinstein, Carl Tausig, and Franz Liszt.

A prodigious talent, Vera Timanoff was a student of Anton Rubinstein, Carl Tausig and Franz Liszt. Tausig maintained that she played Chopin as well if not better than he could, while for Liszt her superb pianism made her " la créme de la créme" of all his students. She was clearly an extraordinary musician but never developed a significant concert career, perhaps because of stage fright. Returning to Russia, she became a teacher in St. Petersburg. The only tangible mementos of her talent are a few piano rolls she made early in the century, but they are considered important because of the prominence of her teachers.

John Haag , Athens, Georgia