Ignaz Amadeus Tedesco

Born March 1, 1817, Prague; Died November 13, 1882, Odesa

 Bohemian pianist and composer. He began piano under his father and subsequently studied with Josef Triebensee (1772-1846), a composer who served as Kapellmeister at the Prague Opera House at the time (Triebensee was also an oboist and a renowned musician who participated in the premiere of Mozart's The Magic Flute conducted by Mozart himself in 1791). Tedesco performed in public concerts as early as age 12 and achieved success in a Vienna concert at age 13. Upon returning to Prague, he became a pupil of Tomášek, a leading figure in Bohemian music, studying piano and composition. In 1835, he gave another concert in Vienna, and the following year he toured Germany, appearing in a Gewandhaus concert in Leipzig. It is said that he was already teaching at a Bohemian music school at the age of 19. His pupils at this time included the virtuosos Julius Schulhoff (1825–1898) and Carl Wehle (1825–1883).

 In 1840, he returned to Prague temporarily, then traveled to Southern Russia. He gave concerts in Lviv and Chernivtsi (both now in Ukraine), and Iași (now in Romania), eventually settling in Odesa, where he dedicated himself to piano education until 1847. The following year, Tedesco visited Paris and gave concerts at the Érard salon and then at Salle Herz (at this time, he was introduced with the title of pianist to the Grand Duke of Oldenburg).

The following is the program of the concert held at the Érard salon on January 29, 1858:

• Beethoven: Piano Sonata, Op. 22
• [Original Works]
•     Souvenir – Nocturne, Op. 81
•     Farewell, Vienna – Impromptu, Op. 26
•     Three excerpts from Summer Night – Six Characteristic Pieces, Op. 86
•     Carnival Scenes, Op. 82
•     Long Live Bohemia – National Song, Op. 83
•     Souvenir de Iași – Grande Mazurka, Op. 85

 Tedesco, who captivated Parisian audiences from this year into the next, signed a contract with the publisher Brandus and, within the year, published Grand Galop, Op. 75, and Opp. 81–83, which he had performed in the aforementioned concert. He dedicated Op. 82 to A.-F. Marmontel and Op. 83 to F. Le Couppey (both professors at the Paris Conservatoire). In the same year, Tedesco left Paris and stayed in Hamburg and London. His subsequent whereabouts require further investigation, but given his death in Odesa in 1882, it is presumed that he returned to live there again.

 Tedesco's oeuvre comprises 118 confirmed works with opus numbers, all of which are for solo piano. While the genres are diverse, there are many piano miniatures and medium-scale works that draw from the tradition of Tomášek. These include Nocturnes [Opp. 44, 47, 63, 88, 90], Impromptus [Opp. 9, 17, 26, 70, 71], Caprices [Opp. 6, 24, 48], Rhapsody [Op. 52], and series titled German Melodies [Opp. 49, 76, 80, 108]. Among dance pieces, Mazurkas (Opp. 27, 32, 53, 76bis, 85) are the most numerous, followed by Waltzes (Opp. 40, 62, 89, 104), Galops (Op. [missing number in original]), Polkas (Op. 35, 70 [also an Impromptu]), Redowa (Op. 71 [also an Impromptu]), and Salon Album, Op. 75, which includes various dances. Concertante brilliant works include fantasies based on opera themes (Opp. 6, 18, 50, 93, 99) and etudes (Opp. 46, 65). Arrangements also bear opus numbers; Opp. 56 and 112 are solo piano arrangements of works by past masters. Furthermore, he is said to have presented a piano concerto in London, but it appears not to have been published.

References

• Henri Blanchard, « Audition musicale », Revue et gazette musicale de Paris, 24e année, no 5, 1er février 1857, p. 34-35.
• Karl Gollmick, Handlexicon der Tonkunst, Offenbach, Johann André, 1857, p. 141.
• Anonyme, « Nouvelles », Revue et gazette musicale de Paris, 24e année, no 2, 11 janvier 1857, p. 14.