The pianist who dared to challenge Beethoven to a musical duel in Vienna – and his fate…

Steibelt and Beethoven dual. Picture: Getty

By John Suchet

Here’s what happens when you challenge one of history’s greatest composer-pianists to an improvisation battle. Spoiler: it didn’t go too well for Mr Steibelt... 

A high-flying pianist who lived in fashionable Paris meets one of classical music’s most irrepressible personalities: Ludwig van Beethoven.

Classic FM presenter and Beethoven specialist John Suchet tells one of the most remarkable and entertaining stories about the mammoth musical melee that took place in the cultural centre of Europe.

Who was Daniel Steibelt?

A native of Berlin, Daniel Steibelt was one of Europe’s most renowned piano virtuosos. He was a typical Prussian – formal, correct, proper. In 1800 he came to Vienna, no doubt with the aim of advancing his musical reputation.

It was quickly agreed among the city’s musical patrons that Steibelt should compete against Beethoven in an improvisation contest.

Daniel Steibelt—Piano Concertos Nos 3, 5 & 7—Howard Shelley (piano)

What was an improvisation contest?

These improvisation contests were a popular form of entertainment among Vienna’s aristocracy. One nobleman would support one virtuoso pianist, another would support the other. In the salon of one of the noblemen, the two pianists would compete with each other, each setting the other a tune to improvise on.

The playing would go back and forth, increasing in intensity, until a winner was declared. In his early years in Vienna, Beethoven was made to take on the city’s best talent and he quickly saw them off.

It was agreed that Prince Lobkowitz would sponsor Steibelt and Prince Lichnowsky sponsor Beethoven, the improvisation contest to take place in Lobkowitz’s palace.

Lobkowitz Palace in Vienna, in the late 18th century. Picture: Getty

Beethoven and Steibelt’s duel

As the challenger, Steibelt was to play first. He walked to the piano, tossing a piece of his own music on the side, and played. Steibelt was renowned for conjuring up a “storm” on the piano, and this he did to great effect, the “thunder” growling in the bass.

He rose to great applause, and all eyes turned to Beethoven, who took a deep breath, slowly exhaled, and reluctantly – to the collective relief of everyone present – trudged to the piano.

Beethoven at the piano. Picture: Getty

Beethoven’s turn to play

When he got there he picked up the piece of music Steibelt had tossed on the side, looked at it, showed it the audience, and turned it upside down!

He sat at the piano and played the four notes in the opening bar of Steibelt’s music. He began to vary them, embellish them, improvising on them with both great virtuosity and supreme musical insight.

He played on, imitated a Steibelt “storm”, unpicked Steibelt’s playing and put it together again, parodied it and mocked it.

Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata, 3rd Mvt. (Marnie Laird - Brooklyn Classical)

Steibelt makes a dramatic exit…

Steibelt, realising he was not only being comprehensively outplayed but humiliated, strode out of the room. Prince Lobkowitz hurried after him, returning a few moments later to say Steibelt had said he would never again set foot in Vienna as long as Beethoven lived there.

Beethoven lived in Vienna for the rest of his life, and Steibelt kept his promise – he never returned.

Beethoven was never again asked to take on any piano virtuoso – his position as Vienna’s supreme piano virtuoso was established. And those four notes – the first bar of Steibelt's music? They became, in time, the impetus that drives the Eroica Symphony.

Beethoven: 3. Sinfonie (»Eroica«) ∙ hr-Sinfonieorchester ∙ Andrés Orozco-Estrada

Listen to ‘Classical Legends with John Suchet’ on Classic FM this Sunday night at 9pm, or catch up on Global Player.

Who was Lili Boulanger?

 Meet the inspiring composer who died tragically young

Lili Boulanger was one of the most talented composers of the 20th century, until her untimely death at the age of 24. Picture: Alamy

By Classic FM

@ClassicFM

 

Lili Boulanger was one of the most exciting composers of the early 20th century, until she died at just 24. Here’s everything you need to know about her life, music, and how her influence lives on today. 

Born on 21 August 1893, Marie-Juliette Olga ‘Lili’ Boulanger was one of the 21st century’s brightest stars in music and the arts.

A promising talent from a very early age, Boulanger was a multi-instrumentalist and pioneering composer, who shared her musical genius with the world right up to her untimely death in 1918, at just 24 years old.

Lili was part of the musically-gifted Boulanger family

Lili Boulanger was born to a prodigious family of musicians, so it’s no wonder she followed the family tradition with several generations’ worth of musical talent flowing through her veins.

Her mother, Raissa Myshetskaya, was a Russian princess who studied at the Paris Conservatoire. It was there that she fell in love with her teacher, Ernest Boulanger.

Boulanger himself was a conductor and composer, and the descendant of fine musical stock: his father, Frédéric was an acclaimed cellist, and his mother, Juliette, was a singer.

Lili Boulanger (right), with her sister Nadia (left). Picture: Alamy

Lili Boulanger was a child prodigy

Lili Boulanger was just two years old when she began to be noticed for her musical prowess. The great composer Gabriel Fauré, a friend of the family, spotted that she had perfect pitch, and the tot was able to sing melodies by ear. 

Her parents nurtured her abilities and encouraged a prestigious music education. Before the age of five she was accompanying her older sister, Nadia, to lessons at the Paris Conservatoire. Later she would attend independently, taking classes in music theory and the organ.

Boulanger also played piano, violin, cello and harp, as well as singing.

The first woman to win the Prix de Rome

In 1912, Lili Boulanger entered the Prix de Rome – the most prestigious honour for artists at the time. First awarded in the 17th century, the prize allowed the winner to live in Rome for three to five years, all expenses paid.

With categories in painting, sculpture, architecture and engraving, the first prize for musical competition was awarded in 1803 to Albert Androt.

Among its winners are some of Europe’s finest composers: Georges Bizet, Hector Berlioz, Claude Debussy, and even Lili’s own father, Ernest, in 1835 at the age of 20.

However, her 1912 entry was ill-fated. Boulanger collapsed from illness during her performance, and was unable to complete her entry. Not easily discouraged, Boulanger attempted once more in 1913, then aged 19, and won.

Her victory made her the first woman to win the Prix de Rome, though the judges couldn’t quite bear to let her enjoy the honour on her own. So they also awarded first prize that year to Claude Delvincourt.

Lili Boulanger: D'un matin de printemps / Cristian Măcelaru and Seattle Symphony

She wrote the cantata ‘Faust et Hélène’ in just four weeks

Faust et Hélène is the piece that gave the Prix de Rome judges no choice but to give her the award.

The rules of the competition stated that the piece had to be written in four weeks – so that’s what the precocious 19-year-old Lili did.

The cantata is 30 minutes long and is written for a full orchestra, telling the story of Faust, the man seduced by the power offered by the demon Mephistopheles.

Boulanger’s retelling of the German legend contains flavours of Wagner and Debussy, and it’s no surprise it won the most prestigious prize of its day. Just listen to this:

Boulanger: Faust et Hélène - Radio Filharmonisch Orkest o.l.v. Karina Canellakis - Live concert HD

A prolific composer and diligent worker, Boulanger continued writing music on her sickbed. Her final piece, a haunting and evocative ‘Pie Jesu’, was completed in her 24th year in 1918.

Initial sketches of the work have been found in the composer’s composition book, used between 1909 and 1913. It was completed with the help of her sister Nadia, who wrote out the work as it was dictated to her.

Lili Boulanger’s illness and death

Much of Lili Boulanger’s short life was afflicted by tragedy. At just two years old, she contracted bronchial pneumonia, an infection of the lungs.

Boulanger recovered, but her immune system was irrevocably weakened by the illness and she suffered from chronic illness for the remainder of her life.

In 1900, when she was just seven years old, her father, who had been 77 at her birth, died. His death affected Boulanger, who was very close to her father, greatly, and much of her work would deal with themes of loss.

In 1918, Boulanger died from intestinal tuberculosis which arose from her life-long health complications. She was buried in the Cemetery of Montmartre, where she was joined by her sister, Nadia, in 1979, as well as both of their parents.

Lili Boulanger’s legacy

Despite such a brief career, cut short by her premature death, Lili Boulanger’s legacy lives on today through both her own music, and that of many other eminent composers.

Lili’s sister, Nadia, who was a fine composer in her own right, was so affected by her sibling’s death that she deemed her own works “useless” and turned her complete attention to teaching, hoping to continue her sister’s legacy through pedagogy.

Nadia Boulanger, pictured with her student Leonard Bernstein. Picture: Getty

Over a lifetime of nurturing young musical talent, Nadia Boulanger’s students became some of the 20th century’s most famous composers and conductors, from Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein to Quincy Jones and Daniel Barenboim.

So although Lili Boulanger’s young death may have robbed us from plenty of brilliant music, perhaps if she had lived we may never have had West Side Story, ‘Fanfare for the Common Man’, or the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra.

Barry White - You´re The First, My Last, My Everything

Petula Clark Is 90, Take a Deep Breath Before You See Her Today

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Petula Clark, the iconic British singer, actress, and songwriter, has led a remarkable life and enjoyed a successful career spanning over seven decades. Born on November 15, 1932, in Epsom, Surrey, England, Clark began her journey to stardom at a young age. She rose to prominence as a child actress in British films before transitioning to a thriving music career in the 1960s. ▬Contents of this video▬ 00:00 - Intro 00:24 - Early Years 01:48 - Career Highlights 03:03 - The Incident with Harry Belafonte 04:25 - War Blitz Story 05:26 - The Proposition from Elvis 06:29 - Clark’s Later Years 07:32 - Outro One of the defining moments in Petula Clark's career came with her historic performance alongside Harry Belafonte on an NBC television special in 1968. Their duet of the civil rights anthem "On the Path of Glory" became a significant moment during a time of racial tension. Clark's spontaneous touch on Belafonte's arm created controversy and highlighted the breaking of racial boundaries through music. Throughout her career, Clark achieved numerous milestones and accolades. She recorded a string of chart-topping hits, including the international sensation "Downtown," which made her the first British female artist to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. Her versatile voice, catchy pop sound, and engaging stage presence endeared her to audiences worldwide. Petula Clark's legacy extends beyond her chart success. She has received Grammy Awards, been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and earned the prestigious Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her contributions to music and entertainment. Her versatility as an artist has been evident in her ability to explore different genres, including pop, rock, jazz, and French chanson. Despite her long and storied career, Petula Clark's talent and star power have not diminished. She continues to captivate audiences with her live performances, showcasing her timeless hits and showcasing her evolving sound. With her enduring charm, remarkable stage presence, and unwavering passion, Clark remains an inspiration to generations of fans and fellow artists. Petula Clark Is 90, Take a Deep Breath Before You See Her Today

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Candide Overture: Leonard Bernstein conducting

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Candide Overture, conducted by the composer himself, Leonard Bernstein. Concert performance of Candide with June Anderson, Jerry Hadley, Christa Ludwig, Nicolai Gedda - London Symphony Orchestra (London, December 13, 1989).

Stressbuster - Top three ways to improve wellbeing through music

BY MANILA BULLETIN

  

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AT A GLANCE

• ‘It has many therapeutic effects. It can assist, manage, and reduce stress, decrease anxiety. It may increase self-esteem, strengthen coping skills, and more.’

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With or without lyrics, music is the universal language of the soul. It transcends forms and boundaries and speaks within our deepest humanity. 
To be in sync with harmony calls for self-reflection, self-regulation, and self-expression. It increases motivation and happiness. When shared through experiences, it even harnesses meaningful relationships. 

Janine Marie Flores—Part-time faculty under the Music Production Program of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Arts, Culture, and Performance (SACP)

Janine Marie Flores, a professor in the music production program of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Arts, Culture, and Performance (SACP), stresses how music can enhance one’s mental, emotional, physical, and social well-being.

“It has many therapeutic effects,” she says. “It can assist, manage, and reduce stress, decrease anxiety. It may increase self-esteem, strengthen coping skills, and more.”  

Through music therapy, a clinical and evidence-based treatment, individuals can maximize the power of the art to improve their holistic wellness. With the guidance of a credentialed professional, objectives are tailored and specific needs are met. 

To further encourage the general public to utilize the wonders of melody for their overall health, Flores, who is currently pursuing her Master of Arts in Music Major in Music Therapy at St. Paul University Manila, shares the top three tips one can explore in their day-to-day life.

FOLLOW THE VIBES Choose songs that resonate with your current state or can influence your desired state

Create a playlist
Specific types of music bring out certain emotional responses. This may be similar or different from one person to the other. Some may feel calm listening to rock or pop music, others find solace in ballads or jazz.

Identify feelings brought by particular genres. Use these to manifest calmness, improve the mood, spark creativity, or inspire movement. If you want to shift from being upset to feeling happy, start with sad songs. Then, add happy-themed songs to change the mood into a more positive one. 

PASS THE MIC Singing releases feel-good hormones and helps boost our mood

Sing
Singing releases endorphins and oxytocin, the “feel-good hormones.” It helps relieve pain, alleviate anxiety and stress, and boost mood. It also eases muscle tensions, corrects posture and refines breathing. It improves our lung capacity as we need to take deep breaths in order to sing properly. The act may even sharpen mental alertness, boost our confidence, increase our socialization skills, and develop more friendships.

PUT IT IN LYRICS Songwriting helps us process and regulate our emotions, boost self-expression, relieves stress and increases self-esteem

Write songs
Interpreting difficult circumstances through music fosters self-expression, stress relief, and self-esteem. You can write music with or without words and improvise with various sounds and rhythmic patterns. This allows one to acknowledge, process, and regulate emotions. Substitute your own words for lyrics. Play an instrument with an unplanned melody. Create a new tune.

Top 10 Most Famous Pieces by Female Classical Composers

0:00 10th Place: Francesca Caccini - Primo Libro delle Musiche, XII. Aria: Lasciatemi qui solo, 1618 0:32 9th Place: Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre - Céphale et Procris, Act IV, Scene III, Funeste mort, 1694 1:05 8th Place: Louise Farrenc - Trio for Flute, Cello, and Piano, Op.45, I. Allegro deciso, 1857 1:46 7th Place: Lili Boulanger - 2 Pieces for Violin and Piano, I. Nocturne, 1911/1914 2:30 6th Place: Amy Beach - Romance, Op.23, 1893 3:07 5th Place: Barbara Strozzi - Che si puó fare?, 1664 3:49 4th Place: Clara Schumann - Piano Concerto, Op.7, I. Allegro maestoso, 1833-1835 4:13 3rd Place: Fanny Mendelssohn - Notturno, H.337, 1838 4:49 2nd Place: Cécile Chaminade - Concertino pour flûte, Op.107, 1902 5:25 1st Place: Hildegard of Bingen - O virga ac diadema, 12th Century

Five of the Angriest Classical Music Feuds

 By Emily F. Hogstad, Interlude

Artistic types are famous for their big personalities and the beef and rivalries that result. Over the centuries, classical composers have had more than their fair share of tiffs. Today we’re looking at the stories and personalities behind five of the most famous feuds in classical music history.

Salieri v. Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri © slavicwritings.com

Everyone who saw the 1984 movie “Amadeus” knows the story. Antonio Salieri was a mediocre composer who was blindingly jealous of his young and impish colleague, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In fury, he sabotages his career – and ultimately, his life.

That said… It’s not true. In real life, Salieri was a generally well-liked and well-regarded man, and a prolific and talented composer. He even taught Mozart’s son after Mozart died. And he didn’t poison Mozart.

The core of the legend came from letters that Mozart and his father wrote to each other in the 1780s, positing the existence of an “Italian cabal” that was seeking to block Mozart’s ascendance. The Mozart men were irritated that the Austrian court gave such prominence to the work of Italians; they believed that Austrian artists should reign supreme at court. This wider feud between Italian and Germanic styles of music persisted long after Mozart and Salieri, and perhaps consequentially, a rumor arose after their deaths that Salieri outright poisoned Mozart. So there was indeed a feud between the two composers, but it was a bit one-sided, and it wasn’t as dramatic – or deadly – as Hollywood suggests. 

Brahms v. Wagner

Johannes Brahms and Richard Wagner © operalibera.net

After Beethoven’s revolutionary contributions to orchestral music, composers had to make tough decisions about how they would respond. Would they continue to embrace and refine the more instrumental-based genres that Beethoven had embraced, like the symphony or the sonata? Or would they throw out the old rule book and push forward to create new musical concepts and languages, as seen in program music? What genre would win the battle for cultural relevance: symphonies or operas?

This argument grew incredibly heated in the mid-1800s and became known (perhaps a bit melodramatically) as the War of the Romantics. Generally speaking, Johannes Brahms, Felix Mendelssohn, and Robert and Clara Schumann were seen as the “conservatives” in this struggle, while figures like Liszt, Berlioz, and Wagner were seen as the “radicals.” A great deal of ink was spilled delineating the positions of the two camps. In the end, Wagner never wrote a symphony, and Brahms never wrote an opera.

Although their music was very different, Brahms appreciated at least some of Wagner’s music. “I’m the best of Wagnerians,” he told his friends in private. He even collected original Wagner manuscripts (much to Wagner’s irritation). That said, Brahms wasn’t such a fan of the loud extra-musical opinions that Wagner blared in various screeds and pamphlets.

Debussy v. Ravel

Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel © wfmt.com

The music of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel is often jammed together on compilation discs with titles like “French Impressionism.” But just because the two men were writing music at the same time in the same city doesn’t mean they were best friends.

They met around 1900 when Debussy’s stepson Raoul Bardac, a classmate of Ravel’s, introduced them. Ravel was thirteen years younger and at a different stage of artistic and professional development than Debussy was, and Ravel admired the older man’s work intensely, to the point where he was criticized in the press for copying Debussy too closely.

In 1903, a hubbub arose when Debussy wrote a piece that seemed to be inspired by the Spanish-sounding strains in Ravel’s music. It was understandable for a younger man to copy an older one, the train of thought went, but should the older one be the composer copying the younger one? Then in 1913 the two – without knowing the other one was embarking on the same project – set some of Stéphane Mallarmé’s new poetry to music, before the poetry had been published. Their mutual distrust grew.

Another scandalous issue closer to home had caused the two composers to drift apart emotionally. Raoul Bardac introduced his (married) mother to (the married) Debussy…and the two fell in love and ran off together. Debussy’s first wife was left without a husband, and Ravel was one of the Parisians who made a financial contribution to her. The feud became official. 

Mendelssohn v. Liszt

Franz Liszt and Felix Mendelssohn

We wrote an entire article about the rivalry between Felix Mendelssohn and Franz Liszt! But to make a long story short, these two men got caught up in the War of the Romantics, just like Brahms and Wagner did. On a more personal note, Liszt once rewrote portions of Mendelssohn’s G-minor piano concerto, which understandably greatly irritated Mendelssohn. They also had an encounter at a salon gathering that could easily have turned into a disaster, when Liszt debuted yet another arrangement that he’d made of one of Mendelssohn’s work, the Capriccio, Op. 5…but Mendelssohn managed to smooth it over by joking afterward and congratulating Liszt on his extraordinary performance. 

Stravinsky v. Prokofiev

Sergei Prokofiev and Igor Stravinsky, 1920 © History of Music Facebook Page

Stravinsky and Prokofiev are often mentioned in the same sentence simply because they both were Russian composers, born in 1882 and 1891 respectively. But just like in the case of Ravel and Debussy, that didn’t guarantee they got along.

Although Stravinsky once magnanimously praised Prokofiev’s ballet “Chout” as “the single piece of modern music [he] could listen to with pleasure”, the relationship eventually deteriorated. By the following year, when “Chout” was being run through for a possible revival, Stravinsky started an argument with Prokofiev, telling him he was wasting his time writing opera. The younger man retorted that Stravinsky “was in no position to lay down a general artistic direction” since Stravinsky himself “was not immune to error.”

Prokofiev later described what came next: Stravinsky “became incandescent with rage” and “we almost came to blows and were separated only with difficulty.”