Jascha Spivakovsky

Jascha Spivakovsky (18 August 1896 – 23 March 1970) was a virtuoso pianist. He was known for his tone quality (the secrets of which were handed down to him from Anton Rubinstein), his "crystal piano playing" technique handed down from Franz Liszt, and his interpretation of all styles of composition from Baroque to the most modern.

His teacher, Professor Moritz Maher-Mahr had studied with both Franz Liszt and Anton Rubinstein, and Spivakovsky’s playing style (as noted by contemporary critics) bore an uncanny resemblance to that of Hans von Bulow (Liszt’s first great student) in its "pithiness of interpretation" and to Anton Rubinstein in its "overwhelming passion" and beautiful "golden" tone. His position in pianistic history is thus unique in that he was virtually the only pianist to synthesize the two styles, bringing together two pianistic lines, emanating from Beethoven through to Liszt on the one hand, and from Mozart through to Anton Rubinstein on the other.

As a child prodigy, he performed for the royal families of Europe and was heralded by critics as "the heir of (Anton) Rubinstein" after giving an entire Schumann recital in Leipzig. At 14 years of age he outclassed an adult field to win the Bluthner Prize, awarded by three of the greatest pianists of the time, Ossip Gabrilowitsch, Leopold Godowsky and Ferruccio Busoni.

After World War I he became recognized as one of the world’s foremost pianists and appeared as soloist with leading orchestras under many of the finest conductors. He gave a series of historical concerts of 15 concertos with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Wilhelm Furtwangler, tracing the development of the concerto from Bach to Brahms. In 1926, legendary composer and conductor Richard Strauss personally requested that Spivakovsky perform Strauss’s own Burlesque in D Minor, with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Strauss himself. The performance was an outstanding success and Strauss, audience and critics were delighted.

He formed a duo with his younger brother Tossy Spivakovsky, a violinist and also a prodigy who became the youngest ever concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. The great scientist Albert Einstein, himself an amateur violinist, befriended them and regularly attended their concerts.

His first tour of Australasia in 1922 was a phenomenal success. The audiences rushed the stage during the performances and refused to leave the halls until the lights were turned out. He pioneered radio broadcasting of music in Australia.

In 1930, he and Tossy formed the Spivakovsky-Kurtz Trio with the addition of 'cellist Edmund Kurtz, which became highly regarded for its ensemble and solo playing through the flawless musicianship of its members. After World War 2, Spivakovsky gave his first performances in the United States, Canada and India, as well as return performances in Britain, Europe, Iceland, Scandinavia, Australasia, Israel and Africa. His debut at Carnegie Hall in 1948 was a triumph and the New York Times gave a glowing review, highlighting his "command of tone that borders on the remarkable".

In 1952, he was chosen to perform as soloist at a concert celebrating the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth ll and gave the first Australian performance of Benjamin Britten’s Concerto in D Major. He also gave many first Australian performances of new works, including Ernst Bloch’s monumental Concerto Symphonique, which he learned from the manuscript. In his later years he forged new pathways, combining expression and intellectuality, to the appreciation of audiences and critics alike.

When Jascha was preparing to record the Ludwig van Beethoven violin sonatas with his brother Tossy, his death intervened. Since then he has become less well known than other keyboard virtuosos of his era, because he made virtually no commercial recordings.

Musical biography

Child prodigy

Jascha Spivakovsky was born at Smiela, near Kiev in the Russian Empire (now part of modern day Ukraine). He was the fifth of nine children, six of whom exhibited the traditional family musicality.

A child prodigy, he began learning the piano at three and concertizing at nine. His first public performance in a large hall in Odessa was an outstanding success. Music critic A.A. Tsenovsky commented on his "outstanding talent, and everywhere is the very interesting and audience-encapturing ability to make every work alive, and to give it a sense of spirituality."

After barely surviving the Odessa pogrom of 1905, he moved to Berlin to study at the Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatorium under Professor Moritz Mayer-Mahr, a student of both Franz Liszt and Anton Rubinstein. Mayer-Mahr noted that Spivakovsky "is without doubt one of the great talents of our time." Two other professors echoed his sentiments, commenting that "from the many youthful pianists Jascha Spivakovsky is without doubt the most outstanding" and "performances at his age are stunning."

His name appeared in books on the great pianists of the time under the title of "wunderkind" or prodigy, and he gave recitals before all the crowned heads of Europe—German, Danish, Rumanian, Bulgarian, Serbian and Montenegran royal audiences.

In 1910, at the age of fourteen, he outclassed an adult field to win the coveted Bluthner Prize. The judges of this prestigious competition were three of the world’s greatest pianists, Ossip Gabrilowitsch, Leopold Godowsky and Ferruccio Busoni.

At this time he gave an entire Schumann recital in Leipzig, one of the most critical musical centres of Europe, in which a famous German critic stated that "Spivakovsky is the heir to (Anton) Rubinstein as an interpreter of Schumann".

Spivakovsky’s future seemed assured. However, the First World War intervened as he and his family were interned as enemy aliens at Ruhleben until they were rescued by Professor Mayer-Mahr.

Rise to world fame

Europe

After the war Spivakovsky set about re-establishing his career. Several of the older masters had gone, and in their place a new generation of pianists was coming to the fore. Names such as Schnabel, Cortot, Brailowsky, Moiseivitch, Arrau, Rachmaninnoff, Artur Rubinstein and others became well-known. Spivakovsky was considered one of the leading pianists in this august group, as borne out by the critics of the time.

"The strongest piano talent I have met with in the course of the last decade." – The Hamburger Correspondent

"Brailowsky, Gabrilowitsch, Fanny Davies, Moiseivitch and Spivakovsky all gave recitals last week. Spivakovsky’s recital I enjoyed more than any. Since Carreno I have heard no one play with such overwhelming passion." – The Lady

"It is a long time since we have heard such playing, technically faultless, and with such overwhelming passion." – London Daily Chronicle

Bach to Brahms

It was at this time that Spivakovsky presented a series of fifteen historical concerts with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Wilhelm Furtwangler, tracing the development of the piano concerto from Bach to Brahms. The critics remarked on his seriousness of purpose, noted that he appeared at home with all the different styles, and felt that he made a significant contribution to the understanding of the concerto’s development, as seen through the eyes of an individual performer. The success of these concerts established Spivakovsky as one of Europe’s foremost pianists, and he appeared as soloist with leading orchestras in Europe, Scandinavia and Britain, under many of the world’s finest conductors, including Nikisch, Knappertsbusch, Debrowen, Leo Blech, Sir Henry Wood, and a little later, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Georg Szell and Pierre Monteux.

Summoned by Strauss

In 1926, composer and conductor Richard Strauss personally requested that Spivakovsky perform Strauss’s own Burlesque in D Minor, with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Strauss himself. It was an outstanding success, as noted by the Neues Wiener Journal: "Jascha Spivakovsky played the piano part in the Burlesque full of life and beautifully, letting the elegance, transparent beauty, and clever wit of the solo part emerge. With economy of fortissimo, fineness in the run-playing, and working out of the figurework, the architectural beauty of this piece was discovered for the first time."

At this time, Jascha formed a duo with his younger brother Tossy Spivakovsky, a violinist eleven years his junior and also a prodigy, who became the youngest ever concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. A regular attendee at their concerts, Albert Einstein, himself an amateur violinist, befriended them. Spivakovsky’s solo career continued to expand, and his European tours were outstanding successes.

The Berliner Tageblatt noted: “Among the soloists Jascha Spivakovsky stands out, who, at his second concert played the three Beethoven concertos. His excellent performance of these last three concertos places him in the ranks of our best pianists.”

The Wiener Allgemeine Zeitung: “...a pianist whose technique commands the Liszt School as well as the modern. A dreamer and stormer at the same time.”

The London Daily Telegraph: “one of the greatest pianists of our time.”

Schubert centenary celebrations

He gave a critically acclaimed performance in Berlin at the Schubert Centenary celebrations in 1928. In the audience was Professor George Kehler, who later in his book The Piano in Concert described Spivakovsky's playing style thus:

“...characterised by the attributes of the Russian school — a remarkably rich and full tone quality (which cannot be adequately described) together with a very strong, consistent rhythmic impulse and an almost incredible legato. The legato enabled him to highlight the melodic line without pedalling, giving great unity to the overall concept without losing the fine detail. This sparing use of the sustaining pedal gave great clarity of texture, which critics referred to as “crystal piano playing”, an effective blending of the best of the old and new schools. Other critics who witnessed Spivakovsky’s performances thought him to be an extraordinary artist, a musician of the masterly order, of great physical and intellectual power, an unsurpassable performer.”

Australasia

Spivakovsky’s solo career took him to Australasia, and he made two triumphant tours in 1922 and 1929, performing demanding programs. His first concert in Australia created a furore. The audience rushed the stage, shouting for various favourites, and refused to leave until the lights were turned out. The next day Australia’s famous coloratura soprano, Nellie Melba wrote to him stating, “ I consider you one of the greatest pianists in the world.”

Critics were equally enthusiastic. Although the great Teresa Carreno, Moiseivitch and Mischa Levitsky had recently toured Australia, Melbourne’s Table Talk commented: “Jascha Spivakovsky, young as he is, ranks above any of the pianists we have heard in recent years, and is probably the most satisfying, all-round performer this generation has heard. His interpretations have “soul”, that greatest asset, and a glorious mellow beauty of song-like tone which is enthralling.”

He also appeared in the first Australian radio program, and one of the first in the world in 1922, testing the new medium. He met his future wife Leonore Krantz on his first tour and they were married in 1926. They had three children, two boys and a girl.

Solo, duo and trio

In 1930, Spivakovsky established a trio with his brother Tossy Spivakovsky and Edmund Kurtz a ‘cellist, which became known as the Spivakovsky-Kurtz Trio, highly regarded for its ensemble and solo playing through the flawless musicianship of its members. They left Germany to tour Australia in 1933, three days before Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor. Settling in Melbourne, Jascha joined the staff of the University of Melbourne Conservatorium, where he introduced new methods of teaching, including master classes. He also performed regularly on radio for the Australian Broadcasting Commission, which he had helped bring into existence through a pilot program in Sydney.

His career was again interrupted by the Second World War, and both Tossy and Edmund Kurtz left Australia for the United States.

World tours

After the war, a successful Australian tour in 1947 preceded Spivakovsky’s return to the international stage, which now included India, Canada and the United States of America for the first time. Older now, being over 50 years of age, he was forging new pathways, combining expression and intellectuality, to the appreciation of audiences and critics alike.

“Last night’s concert would be belittled if it were described merely as a piano recital. It was an experience of mind and spirit and a sincere artist’s submergence of self and technical awareness into the world of Beethoven. This was playing which made much that has been heard on the instrument in Sydney these several years seem as the tinkling of insignificant bells.” Neville Cardus, Sydney Morning Herald

“Jascha Spivakovsky’s piano recital in the Town Hall last night was the greatest Beethoven playing Melbourne has heard for a decade.” John Sinclair, Melbourne Herald

Carnegie Hall

In 1948, he made his Carnegie Hall debut in New York. Because there were no Australian commercial recordings of classical music at that time, Spivakovsky was virtually unknown to American audiences. John Ball Jnr. of the New York Times commented:

“His great advantage is his command of the tonal resources of the piano. Virtuosos are plenty, tonalists are comparatively few. Happily we have one here. If fireworks are called for Mr Spivakovsky very obviously can provide them. What is more, in doing so he is able not only to play the notes but to play the music as well. This distinction is not a common one and leads us to believe that an important artist has at last chosen to come and play for us. Mr Spivakovsky has a command of piano tone that borders on the remarkable.”

The critical acclaim and audience appreciation of his warm and expressive playing style, coupled with his renowned tone, paved the way for the future success of his fellow Russian pianists Emil Gilels and Sviatoslav Richter later in the decade, with Richter being the closest to Spivakovsky in interpretive style and rich tone.

New pathways

In 1952 Spivakovsky was chosen to perform as soloist at a concert celebrating the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth the Second, and gave the first Australian performance of Benjamin Britten’s Concerto in D Major with the Perth Symphony Orchestra. He continued to forge new pathways with contemporary music such as Australia’s first performance of Ernst Bloch’s monumental Concerto Symphonique, together with the traditional Classical and Romantic repertoire, in concerts throughout the world, including the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Iceland, Scandinavia, Britain, Europe, Israel and Africa until, in 1960 a serious illness necessitating major surgery, cut short his career and confined him to touring Australia only.

He died in his much-loved adopted country Australia on March 23, 1970, at the age of 73.

References

Catherine J. Stevens, 'Spivakovsky, Jascha (1896–1970)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/spivakovsky-jascha-11745/text21001, published in hardcopy 2002, accessed online 18 May 2014.

Albrecht Dümling, 'Die verschwundenen Musiker. Jüdische Flüchtlinge in Australien.' Cologne-Weimar-Vienna 2011