A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Kullak, Theodor
KULLAK, Theodor, born Sept. 12, 1818 (not 1820, as Fétis supposes), at Krotoschin in the province of Posen, where his father held the post of 'Landgerichts-sekretär.' He was first intended for the law, but preferred to devote himself to music. He was a pupil of Hauck's from his 11th year, having previously been under the tuition of Albert Agthe. In 1842 he became a pupil of Czerny, and in 1846 was made Hofpianist to the King of Prussia. He founded, in conjunction with Stern and Marx, a Conservatorium at Berlin in 1851 [App. p.693 "1850"]; and in 1855, in consequence of some disagreement with his fellow-workers, he started a new institution under the name of 'Neue Akademie der Tonkunst' in the same city, where he himself continues to reside. [App. p.693 "date of death, March 1, 1882."] He has devoted his attention principally to the 'drawing-room' style of composition, and has published many transcriptions and arrangements for the piano, which are very popular. Of his original works the following are the most remarkable:—Grand concerto in C minor for piano and orchestra (op. 55); Trio for piano and strings (op. 77); Duos for piano and violin; Ballades, Boleros, etc., for piano solo; 'Les Étincelles,' ' Les Danaïdes,' 'La Gazelle,' etc.; also collections of small pieces, such as 'Deux Portefeuilles de Musique,' 'Kinderleben,' 2 sets of pieces (op. 81), 'Les Fleurs animées.' Among his later works may be mentioned 'Ondine' (op. 112), 'Concert-étude' (op. 121). In 1877 he published a second edition of his 'Octave-school,' which is very valuable as an instruction book.
His brother, Adolf Kullak, born 1823, was a distinguished musical critic in Berlin, and wrote 'Das Musikalisch-Schöne' (Leipzig, 1858), and 'Aesthetik des Clavierspiels' (Berlin, 1861). He died in 1862 at Berlin.