and was an indefatigable technical student, so that he was unsurpassed in the execution of both cantabile and bravura passages. He was a better artist than Herz, but won his popularity, not by a broad interpretation of masterpieces or by serious creation of his own, but by the faultless treatment of salon music on a concert scale. His published works include showy fantasias and transcriptions, nocturnes, caprices, dances, a concerto, a sonata, etc., and he also produced 2 unsuccessful operas (1851-5).
Marie Félicité Denise (Moke) Pleyel (d. 1875), pupil of Herz, Moscheles and Kalkbrenner, may be named here, though she was more than a bravura player, winning praise from critics as diverse as Mendelssohn, Liszt, and Auber, and ranking with the best virtuosi of the period. In 1848-72 she taught with distinction at the Brussels conservatory.
Ernst Haberbier (d. 1869), born in 1813 at Königsberg, had great success from 1832 at St. Petersburg, becoming court-pianist in 1847. For years afterward he toured in England, Denmark, Sweden, northern Germany and to Paris, displaying special brilliance in rapid passages divided between the hands. His last years were spent as a teacher at Bergen. He left some effective concert-pieces.
Jakob Rosenhain (d. 1894), born in 1813 and trained at Mannheim and Frankfort, was from 1825 a prominent touring virtuoso, from 1849 making his home at Paris, where he was intimate with Cramer, and later at Baden-Baden. He was an ambitious and enterprising composer, writing not only substantial concert-pieces, études, etc., for the piano, but a piano-concerto, chamber music, 3 symphonies and 4 operas (1834-63).
Émile Prudent (d.1863), born in 1817, stepped into prominence in 1833 and was counted in the same class with Thalberg, like whom he toured abundantly and had a large following as a teacher. His composition lay chiefly in the same field, but evinced more sentiment. He might have advanced to higher work had not his career been cut short.
Alexander Dreyschock (d. 1869), a Bohemian, born in 1818, was a precocious player, soundly trained at Prague by Tomaschek. From 1838 for about 20 years he was constantly occupied with tours. In 1862 he was called by Rubinstein to the new St. Petersburg conservatory, being also director of the operatic school and court-pianist; but failing health occasioned his retirement in 1868. He excelled in difficult feats with octaves, sixths and thirds, and for the left hand alone. He chose mostly to play his own pieces, but undertook some wider interpretation, though without sympathy. His writing was in the usual display-forms, with a few concerted works and an opera.
Heinrich Rudolf Willmers (d. 1878, insane), born at Berlin in 1821, after touring in 1838-53, lived at Vienna except during 1864-6, when he taught at the Stern conservatory at Berlin. He was famous for his execution of trills, especially in complicated 'chains,' and of staccato passages.
Joseph Wieniawski, the brother of the eminent Polish violinist, was trained first at Paris and later by Liszt at Weimar. After a few years at Paris, from 1866 he taught in the conservatories of St. Petersburg, Warsaw and Brussels, besides touring freely. His works include many études and dances, with several orchestral compositions.
