Maud Powell

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maud Powell

Powell circa 1919
Born (1867-08-22)August 22, 1867
Peru, Illinois
Died January 8, 1920(1920-01-08) (aged 52)
Uniontown, Pennsylvania
Parents William Bramwell Powell and Wilhelmina Bengelstraeter
Relatives John Wesley Powell, uncle

Maud Powell (August 22, 1867 – January 8, 1920) was an American violinist who gained international acclaim for her skill and virtuosity.[1]

Biography

Powell was born in Peru, Illinois. She was the first American violinist to achieve international rank. Several foundations as well as a music festival were founded in her honor to continue music education.

Her mother was Wilhelmina "Minnie"[2] Bengelstraeter Powell, and her father was William Bramwell Powell. W.B. Powell authored numerous books[3] such as The Normal Course of Reading[4] and served as superintendent of Peru Elementary School District 124 from 1862 to 1870. She was also the niece of John Wesley Powell, an American Civil War hero and famed explorer of the Grand Canyon. Her uncle made his river trip in 1869 when Maud would have been about 2 years old.[2]

Around the age of 7, she began violin lessons in Aurora, Illinois located in Kane County, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois.[5] She was soon recognized as a prodigy and at age 9 began four years of commuting to Chicago for study under William Lewis.[6] When she was 13, her parents sold the family home to raise funds to continue her musical education. With her father remaining behind in rented rooms, she traveled with her mother to Europe.[5][6] There she studied under Henry Schradieck at the Leipzig Conservatoire, Charles Dancla at the Paris Conservatoire (after placing first in the entrance exam), and Joseph Joachim at the Berlin Hochschule, among others.[5][7] In 1885 she played Bruch's G Minor concerto in her debut with the Berlin Philharmonic under Joachim's baton,[5] and again with the New York Philharmonic under Theodore Thomas after she returned to America.[2][6]

On November 27, 1919 in St. Louis, Missouri, she collapsed on stage of a heart attack.[8] On January 8, 1920 she died of another heart attack in Uniontown, Pennsylvania while on tour.[6]

Legacy

She recorded extensively for the Victor Talking Machine Company and collected recordings of her performances from 1904-1917 are available.[7]

In 2007, American violinist Rachel Barton Pine released a CD of music transcribed by, commissioned by or dedicated to Maud Powell.[8]

In 2009, a 4-volume series on compositions associated with Maud Powell (with annotations and an historical introduction) was published.[9][10]

Maud Powell was posthumously granted the GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award on January 25, 2014 at the Recording Academy's 2014 Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Nominees Reception. The award was accepted on behalf of Powell by Rachel Barton Pine.[11]

Recordings

  • American Virtuosa: Tribute to Maud Powell. Rachel Barton Pine (violin), Matthew Hagle (piano). Cedille Records, 2006: CDR 90000 097[8]
  • Powell, Maud: Complete Recordings, Vol. 1 (1904-1917). Naxos Records, 2001: 8.110961[12]
  • Powell, Maud: Complete Recordings, Vol. 2 (1904-1917). Naxos Records, 2001: 8.110962[13]
  • Powell, Maud: Complete Recordings, Vol. 3 (1904-1917). Naxos Records, 2001: 8.110963[14]
  • Powell, Maud: Complete Recordings, Vol. 4 (1904-1917). Naxos Records, 2004: 8.110993[15]

References

  1. ↑ "Maud Powell, The Violinist, Is Dead. One of Greatest Native Musicians Suffers Nervous Breakdown at 51 [sic] Years. Displayed Gift As Child. Won Her First American Triumph In 1885 After Study Under European Masters". New York Times. January 9, 1920. Retrieved 2014-01-09. "Maud Powell, the violinist, died in a hotel here today. She suffered a nervous breakdown yesterday and became so ill that her concert last night was canceled. On Thanksgiving night she collapsed on the stage during her concert in St. Louis. For twenty-four hours she was said to be dangerously ill, but she recovered and continued her tour. The illness was reported as acute gastritis at that time. ..." 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Shaffer, K. A. (2004). "Life & Career Timeline". The Maud Powell Society. Retrieved 2014-02-04. 
  3. ↑ Search Google Books containing InAuthor: William Bramwell Powell
  4. ↑ Search Google Books for The Normal Course of Reading by Powell
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Shaffer, K. A. (2013-112-20). "A lifetime of achievements: pioneering American violinist Maud Powell". The Strad. Retrieved 2014-02-04. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Furry, W. (July-August 2004). "The pearl of Peru". Illinois Heritage (Illinois State Historical Society) 7 (4): 18. Retrieved 2014-01-28. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Shaffer, K. A. (1995). "Maud Powell, a Pioneer's Legacy". The Maud Powell Signature, Women in Music. The Maud Powell Society. Retrieved 2014-01-28. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Shaffer, Karen A. "Liner Notes Essay for American Virtuosa: Tribute to Maud Powell". Rachel Barton Pine discography. Retrieved 2010-06-02. 
  9. ↑ "Maud Powell Favorites". Maud Powell Society web site. The Maud Powell Society for Women in Music. 2009. Retrieved 2010-06-02. 
  10. ↑ Niles, Laurie (2010-05-10). "Rachel Barton Pine's Maud Powell Favorites". Violinist.com blogs. Retrieved 2010-06-02. 
  11. ↑ GRAMMY.com. "Lifetime Achievement Award: Maud Powell". GRAMMY News. GRAMMY.com. Retrieved 28 January 2014. 
  12. ↑ Shaffer, Karen A. "Liner Notes Essay for Powell, Maud: Complete Recordings, Vol. 1". Naxos web site. Retrieved 2014-02-05. 
  13. ↑ Shaffer, K. A. "Liner Notes Essay for Powell, Maud: Complete Recordings, Vol. 2". Naxos web site. Retrieved 2014-02-05. 
  14. ↑ Shaffer, K. A. "Liner Notes Essay for Powell, Maud: Complete Recordings, Vol. 3". Naxos web site. Retrieved 2014-02-05. 
  15. ↑ Shaffer, K. A. "Liner Notes Essay for Powell, Maud: Complete Recordings, Vol. 4". Naxos web site. Retrieved 2014-02-05. 

External links

Authority control


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.