Member login

Birthdays:

Dying days:

Events:

Complete Works

Orchestral Works

• Op.81 Symphony C Major (1828)
• OP.91 Overture - "Jeanne d’Arc"

[top]

Piano and Orchestra; Concerti

• Op.45 1 (Concert de Société) - F major
• Op.56 2 - E flat major (1815)
• Op.60 3 - G minor (1816/17)
• Op.64 4 - A major (1823)
• Op.87 5 - C major (1826)
• Op.90 6 (fantastique) - B major (1833)
• Op.93 7 (pathétique) - C minor (1835)
• Op.96 8 (pastorale)- D major

Phantasies, Variations etc.

• Op.32 Marche d’Alexandre avec Variations
• Op.42 Variations sur une Mélodie national autrichienne
• Op.43 Rondeau Brillant
• Op.50 Fantaisie et Variations sur "Au Clair de la Lune"
• Op.69 Fantaisie - Souvenir d’Irlande
• Op.75 Fantaisie - Anklange aus Schottland
• Op.80 Fantaisie - sur Bardes Écossais
• Op.83 Fantaisie - Souvenir de Danemarc

2 Pianos and Orchestra

• Op.87b Duo concertante sur Marche Bohémienne de "Preciosa" (M. and Mendelssohn)

Note: A further composition - Concertante for Flute and Oboe with orchestral accompaniment (1868) of which there are 2 known handwritten copies (London and Stuttgart), is not listed in M.‘s wife’s biography but is reported by Emil. F. Smidak in "Isaak-Ignaz Moscheles" (Scolar Press,1988).

[top]

Chamber Music

• Op.17 Intro and Vars concertante for pfte, vln and cello
• Op.35 Grand Sextet for pfte, vln., flute, 2 horns, cello
• Op.46 Fantasie, Variat. u Finale über "To Gsau Kône" for pfte, vln, clar (or vla) and cello""
• Op.84 Grand Trio for pfte, vln and cello
• Op.88 Grand Septet for pfte, vln., vla, clar, horn, cello, dble bass

[top]

Piano and Violin

• Op.21 Six Variations (or P. and Flute)
• Op.36 Variationen über einen oesterr. Walzer
• Op.37 Grand Caprice suivi d’un Potpourri
• Op.59 Grand Potpourri concertant (M. and Lafont)
• Op.63 Intro. and Rondeau Écossais concertant (or P. and horn or vla)
• Op.78 Divertissement à la Savoyarde (or P. and Flute)
• Op.79 Sonata concertante (or P. and Flute)

[top]

Piano and Violoncello

• Op.34 Duo concertante
• Op.37 Caprice suivi d’un Potpourri
• Op.121 Sonata (or P. and vln)
• Op.137 Studies in melodic counterpoint. 10 preludes from Bach’s Well tempered Klavier with cello obbligato by M.

Piano and Flute

• Op.44 Sonata concertante
• Op.79 Sonata concertante (or P. and Vln)
• Op.82b 4 Divertissements

Piano and Bassoon

• Op.34 Duo concertante

Piano and French Horn

• Op.63 Intro. and Rondeau Écossais concertant (or P. and cello or vla)
• Op.138 Feuillet d’Album de Rossini

Piano and Guitar

• Op.20 Grand Duo concertante (M. and Giuliani)

[top]

2 Pianos

• Op.35 Grand Sextet arr for 2 pianos
• Op.92 Hommage à Handel
• Op.115 Les Contrastes (8 hands)

Piano - 4 hands

• Op.10 Triumphmarsch nebst 2 trios
• Op.30 Rondo Brillante
• Op.31 3 Marches Héroiques
• Op.33 6 Valses avec trios
• Op.45 Rondo from Concerto No. 1 arr 4 hands
• Op.47 Grande Sonate (1816)
• Op.54 Rondo brill. - Les Charmes de Paris
• Op.63 Intro. and Rondeau Écossais concertant arr Pno 4 hands
• Op.76 Rondo - La belle Union
• Op.100 Ballade
• Op.102 Hommage à Weber on themes from Euryanthe and Oberon
• Op.107 55 daily studies in the Harmonic scale, for practise in different rhythms
• Op.140 Domestic Life - 12 progressive piano pieces
• Op.112 Grande Sonate Symphonique (1845)
• Op.130 Symphonisch-Heroischer Marsch über deutsche Volkslieder
• None Favourite March with trio of the regiments Kütschera and Max Josef
• None The Departure of the Troubadors. Romance with German and Italian words. Vars. by Moscheles, Giuliani, and Mayseder.

[top]

Piano Solo

• Op.1 Vars on a theme from Méhul’s Opera "Una Folia"
• Op.2 10 vars. on a theme from the opera "Der Dorfbarbier"
• Op.3 Polonaise
• Op.4 Nouvelle Sonatine façile et agréeable
• Op.5 Favourite air by Weigl, "Wer hörte Wohl" with vars.
• Op.6 Vars. on an Austrian National Air
• Op.7 Var. sopra una Cavatina dell’ Opera "Trajano in Dacia"
• Op.8 6 Valses
• Op.9 5 deutsche Tänze
• Op.11 2 Rondos on themes from the Ballet "Les Portraits"
• Op.12 Intro. and rondo on a Venetian Barcarole
• Op.13 Fantaisie Héroique
• Op.14 Rondo Brillante
• Op.15 Vars. on a theme from the opera "The Oculist"
• Op.18 3 Rondeaux
• Op.19 Intro. and Polonaise
• Op.22 Sonata (D major)
• Op.23 Variations on a Russian Theme
• Op.24 Rondo Espagnol
• Op.25 Caprice
• Op.26 Triumphal entry of the Allies into Paris
• Op.27 Sonate caractéristique - The return of the Emperor (1814)
• Op.28 6 Divertissements
• Op.29 Vars. on a theme of Handel
• Op.38 Fantasia (in the Italian style) followed by a grand Rondo
• Op.39 Intro. and Vars. on a National Austrian Air
• Op.40 "Les Portraits" - ballet champêtre et comique arranged for piano.
• Op.41 Grand Sonata (E major) - dedicated to Beethoven (18!6)
• Op.49 Sonate mélancolique - 1 movement (started 1814)
• Op.51 3 Allegri di bravura - la forza, la leggerezza, il capriccio
• Op.52 La Tenerezza - Rondoletto
• Op.53 Polonaise Brillante
• Op.54 Les Charmes de Paris - Rondeau brillante
• Op.55 Bonbonnière musicale - Suite de morceaux faciles
• Op.57 Fantaisie sur 3 airs favoris écossaises
• Op.58 Jadis et aujourd’hui - Gigue et Quadrille Rondeau
• Op.61 Rondoletto on a favourite Nocturne by Päer
• Op.62 Impromptu
• Op.65 Impromptu martial sur l’air anglais "Revenge he cried"
• Op.66 La petite Babillarde
• Op.67 3 Rondeaux brillante sur des Motifs favoris du Vaudeville - Les Viennois à Berlin
• Op.68 Fantasia and Rondo on an Austrian March
• Op.70 24 Studies for advanced Players
• Op.71 Rondeau expressif sur un thème favori de Gallenberg
• Op.72 No.1: Fantaisie dramatique dans le style italien sur aires chantés par Mme. Pasta
• Op.72 No.2: Bijoux à la Sontag
• Op.72 No.3: Bijoux à la Malibran
• Op.73 50 Preludes in the Different major and minor keys
• Op.74 Les Charmes de Londres - Rondeau brillante
• Op.77 Allegro di Bravura
• Op.82a Rondeau Sentimental
• Op.85 La Gaieté - Rondeau brillante
• Op.86a Marche facile avec Trio
• Op.86b Souvenir de Rubini. Fantaisie dramatique sur une Cavatine de l’Opéra "Anna Bolena"
• Op.87a Souvenir de l’Opéra. Dramatic Fantasia on airs sung in London by Mme. Pasta
• Op.89 Impromptu
• Op.94a Rondeau brill. sur la romance favor. de Dassauer ‘Le retour de promis’
• Op.94b Hommage caractéristic à la Mémoire de Mme. Malibran de Bêriot en forme de Fantaisie
• Op.95 12 Characteristic Studies for the higher development of execution and bravura (1837)
• Op.98 2 Etudes - L’ambition et l’enjouement from ‘la Méthode des méthodes
• Op.99 Tutti Frutti - 6 new melodies
• Op.101 Romance and brilliant Tarantella
• Op.103 Serenade
• Op.104 Romanesca
• Op.105 2 Studies (written for the Beethoven Album)
• Op.106 Brilliant Fantasia on a cavatina from Rossin’s "Zelmira" and a ballad from Mozart’s "Seraglio"
• Op.108 2 Brilliant Fantasias on favourite aires from Balfe’s "The Bohemian Girl"
• Op.109 Mélange on the Serenade and other favourite airs from "Don Pasquale"
• Op.109a Brilliant fantasia on themes from "Don Pasquale"
• Op.110 Gondoliers Song
• Op.111 4 Grand Concert Studies: - Rêverie et Allegresse-Le Carillon-Tendresse et Exultation-La Fougue
• Op.113 Album of favourite songs by Pischek, transcribed as a brilliant fantasia
• Op.114 Souvenirs de Jenny Lind - brilliant fantasia on Swedish Airs
• Op.118 Grand Waltz
• Op.120 Mazurka Appassionata
• Op.122 "Expectation" after Schiller - Fantasia
• Op.123 Magyaren Klange - fantasia
• Op.124 Sehnsucht (nach Schiller) - fantasia
• Op.126 Grand Concert Study
• Op.127 Scherzo
• Op.128 Humoristic Variations - Scherzo and variations
• Op.129 Der Tanz. Characterstück (nach Schiller)
• Op.133 Réverie Mélodique
• Op.134 Toccata
• Op.135 Pastoral in the Organ style
• Op.139 "Lied im Volkston" with variations on an original theme
• Op.141 March and Scherzo as rhythmical exercises

[top]

(Piano Solo without Opus Number)

• 1 Souvenir de Béliser - 2 fantaisies
• 2 Fantasia on motifs from "Falstaff" by Balfe
• 3 Fantasia on favourire themes from "Oberon"
• 4 Fantaisie à la Paganini
• 5 Fantasia on motifs from Balf’s opera "The Siege of La Rochelle"
• 6 Bouquet des Mélodies. Fantasia on favourite Airs
• 7 The Popular Barcarolle "Or che in Cielo", sung by Signor Ivanov in Donizetti’s "Marino Faliero". Fantasia with variations
• 8 Pensées fugitives (Romance - Impromptu - Nocturne - Rhapsodie)
• 9 Andante and Rondo on a German Theme
• 10 Echo des Alpes. Divertissement on 3 Swiss pastoral Airs
• 11 The Tyrolese Family. 3rd Divertissement
• 12 Divertissement on Tyrolese Airs
• 13 Divertissement on Swiss National Airs
• 14 Rondo on a favourite Scottish melody
• 15 Rondeau Militaire on the favourite duet "Entendez-vous" from Auber’s "fiancée"
• 16 Farewell March of the Emperor Alexander Regiment
• 17 2 Grand Marches of the Imperial Alexander Regiment
• 18 March of the 2nd Regiment of the Viennese National Guard
• 19 Rhapsodie Champêtre
• 20 Music composed for the Sledging Party of the Allied Princes
• 21 3 Fashionable Waltzes
• 22 12 German Dances
• 23 6 Waltzes
• 24 6 Écossaises
• 25 6 Waltzes
• 26 Fantasia on Airs by Neukomm
• 27 L’Elégante - Rondeau
• 28 Variations on Handel’s "Harmonious Blacksmith"
• "Topsy-Turvy" This is a 40 bar work on a single page published in the Hinrichsen edition (No. 696) in 1947. It is basically for 2 voices and, apart from misprints, reads identically when the page is turned upside down!

[top]

Vocal Music

• Op.16 3 Love Songs (E. Ludwig) - with piano
• Op.97 6 Songs (Probald, Uhland, Hahn, von Klingemann) - with piano
• Op.116 Freie Kunst (Uhland) - with piano
• Op.117 6 Songs (Schlechta, Rückert, Geibel, Uhland, Hölty) - with piano
• Op.119 6 Songs (Keil,von Daumer, Probald, von Gerhard) - with piano
• Op.131 6 Songs (Meuthen, Keil, Gerhard, anon., Raulf, Bodenstedt ) - with piano
• Op.136 To G. Rossini. "Am Bache" - with horn (or viola) obbligato and piano
• None Concord (T.Probald) - with piano

[top]

(contributed by Duncan Irving <did-irving.demon.co.uk>)

The biography was compiled by Charlotte Moscheles largely from the diaries which he kept from 1814 until his death over 60 years later. The book paints a fascinating picture of the life and times of the pianist/composer.

1794-1816. Prague and Vienna

His father was cloth merchant, who played the guitar and sang, and who was anxious for one of his children to make their mark in music. Ignaz was also very influenced by the Military Bands in the city. At a very early age he had learnt to play the piano to a level where he was able to "perform" the Sonata pathétique Op.13 by his lifetime hero Beethoven. At the age of seven, he was taken to see Dionys Weber, for whom he "made a hash of playing" the Beethoven sonata. Weber said that he showed talent but was on the wrong road to true ability. He was accepted as a pupil on the understanding that he would spend a year each learning only Mozart, Clementi and Bach. Soon after his father died in 1808, he was sent to Vienna where he studied the theory of music with Albrechtsberger and composition with Salieri, whose deputy KapellMeister he was for 3 years. While in Vienna he became friendly with Meyerbeer and Hummel. At this time he was commissioned by the publisher Artaria to arrange a piano score of the opera Fidelio, and it was then that he met Beethoven and discussed at least part of his piano arrangement with the master. In February 1815, he gave the 1st performance of his lifelong virtuoso war-horse - The Alexander variations Op.32. In the spring of 1816, he returned to Prague to visit his family, teacher and friends before embarking on a series of concert tours throughout Europe.

1816-1825. Tours in Europe

In the Autumn of 1816, he left Vienna and went to Leipzig via Prague, beginning 8 peripatetic years during which he visited Germany, Holland, Belgium, France, England and Austria and had no permanent home. After leaving Leipzig, he visited Dresden, Amsterdam, The Hague and Brussels. Information about 1817 to 1819 is sketchy as the diary was kept only intermittently . In 1820, he visited Paris for the first time where he remained for 5 months. He then went to London and became friendly with Kalkbrenner. He returned to Paris, and remained in France where he toured and performed until May. He returned to London. June 11 1821 saw his first appearance at the Philharmonic, with which he later became closely associated and where he played his 2nd Piano concerto and the Alexander Variations. He spent 1822 in France and England, where he was appointed honorary member of the London Academy of music.In 1823 he moved between England, France Germany and finally Vienna, where after an illness, he again met Beethoven and visited the dying Salieri. In 1824 he returned home to his family in Prague, and was ill for 4 months, possibly with peritonitis. After recovery, he toured Germany, reaching Berlin where he met Mendelssohn and his family for the first time. He was persuaded to give the 15 year old Felix piano lessons which Moscheles did not think he needed. At the end of the year he continued his travels, and in January 1825, he reached Hamburg where he met Charlotte Embden, whom he married on March 1st. They went via Paris to London, where they established a home which was their base for the next 20 years.

1825-1846. London

For the next 20 years, Moscheles and his wife made their home in London. He gave concerts, composed, taught the piano, had a busy social and a happy and rewarding family life, travelled extensively throughout Europe, concerned himself with the music life of London, and wrote (apart from his diary and extensive correspondence, he translated Schindler’s Life of Beethoven into English). A memorable episode occurred in 1827 - Beethoven was dying and wrote to Moscheles asking if the Philharmonic society of London, who had previously suggested giving a subscription concert for Beethoven (which he not not thought necessary), if they could now do so as he was terminally ill and in financial difficulties. Since it would have taken some time to arrange such a concert, and since they did not want to offer the master charity, Moscheles suggested that the arrangements be made, and meanwhile the Society sent 1000 florins (£100) as an advance on the proceeds. In 1832 he was elected as a Director of the London Philharmonic Society, where his new, and only symphony was performed. In 1839 during a visit to Paris, he met Chopin on several occasions, and expressed great pleasure in the latter’s music as played by the composer. They attended many Parisian soirées, where they played Moscheles’ E major sonata for piano duet together.

1846-1870. Leipzig

At the beginning of January, 1846, Moscheles received an offer of a position at the Leipzig Conservatoire. Despite the wrench of leaving London after 20 years (and the reduction in income), he accepted on the 25th. The Moscheles moved to Leipzig and the 21st October, where he was appointed Head of Department for Playing and Composition. The 13 other Professors included Mendelssohn and Gade. The most important event of 1847 to Moscheles was the death of Mendelssohn on thr 4th of November. Moscheles’ diary contains a detailed account of his final days and death, following which Moscheles determined that to continue and even increase his work at the Conservatoire was "a sacred trust". For the remainder of his life he continued to occupy the post at the Conservatoire. He performed and composed much less, and such of his time as was not occupied by teaching seems to have been spent in making music with friends, and continuing to study (and edit) the classics. Although his travelling was much reduced, the post occupied him for 9 months of the year, and during the remainder he continued to travel extensively. In fact his last journey in December 1869 was to visit Beethoven’s room in Vienna (in the hope of meeting his Ghost). He died peacefully at his home in Leipzig in March 1870 at the age of 75.

His birthday according to his wife was the 30 May rather than the 23 May as Grove (and this database!) say. When he was alive, Prague was in Bohemia, and not the Czech Republic, which did not exist at the time.

Another picture of Ignaz Moscheles (414125) and one of Charlotte Moscheles (221061) are available.

(contributed by Duncan Irving <did-irving.demon.co.uk>)