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Stephen Heller (1813,14-1888)
Born in Pesth, Romania on May 15th 1813-14, Heller quickly develops exceptional abilities for the piano. At nine, he played the concerto for two pianos of Dussek with his teacher Franz Bauer. His parents then sent him in Vienna where he became a pupil of Carl Czerny whose exorbitant rates could not allow more than a few lessons. He changed for Antoine Halm, a famous musician in Vienna and friend of Beethoven. At only thirteen, Heller begins to give concerts in Vienna before extending his tour in Austria, Hungary and Germany. There, he sometimes accepts to perform exercices of improvisation on themes provided by the audience. However, he soon get tired of these exercises of virtuosity, and at 16, he prefers to give lessons in Augsburg where he also takes some courses in composition with the French Chélard, director of the opera. At 19 he publishes his first compositions which will be praised by Robert Schumann who will contribute to their fame. Finally, in 1837, Kalkbrenner plays a duet with Heller and then persuades him to learn under his tutelage in Paris. In October 1838, Heller leaves for France but Kalkbrenner is also too expensive and Heller will continue alone to learn music. Melancholic in nature, quite shy and do not developping the necessary links with the parisian society, he devotes himself entirely to composition and appears rarely in public. Therefore, his works do not immediately meet with success and it is only after Charles Hallé agrees to publicly play them that they will have an immense popularity.
Living modestly, Heller will only visit a little circle of friends including Saint-Saëns, Berlioz, and Marmontel (the teacher of Gottschalk, Bizet, Debussy and MacDowell). He died in Paris, almost forgotten, on January 14th, 1888.
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More information about Heller's personality, his music and a comparison with the great "masters" (Chopin, Schumann ...) are available in the description written by Antoine-François Marmontel in "Les pianistes célèbres" in 1878 and in the book by Hippolyte Barbedette: "Stephen Heller, His Life and Works" (English version).
(These two documents have been re-edited from the versions available on the site of the Sibley Music Library)
His Works Great connoisseur and expert in the subtleties of the instrument, he composed many excellent studies, widely praised by the "France Musicale". There are several records, though we may find more charm and poetry in his other works for piano **&***&**** (over 150 opus or more than 450 pieces). The influence of Mendelssohn, Schubert and Chopin is obvious. We can yet regret the lack of orchestral music among his numerous works. Heller, though dead for more than 100 years ago is still a composer asking for a revival. Extract from "Rêveries du promeneur solitaire, op.101" by Marc Pantillon
and also: Extract from "Ständchen op.131 n°1" by Andreas Meyer
Extract from "Romances sans paroles , op.120 n°7" by Andreas Meyer
*Stephen Heller : Piano Ettüden : op. 45,46, 47 by Jan Vermeulen (see amazon.com) |
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List from the book of Barbedette S. Heller , from International Music Score Library Project. and from the "Universal Handbuch der Musikliteratur" (for works without opus numbers)
Scores come from various sources including the Henselt Library but many have been scanned by members of the site pianophilia.com who did a remarkable work to find these scores.
| Titre | Source |
|---|---|
| A l'espagnol | |
| Adieu de Schubert | |
| Agitation | |
| Allein | |
| Andantino and Capriccietto | |
| Andantino quasi allegretto | |
| Anxieté | |
| Arabesque | |
| At the spinning wheel | |
| At twilight | |
| Attente | |
| Au bord de la fontaine | |
| Au soir | |
| Aubade | |
| Ave Maria | pianophilia.com |
| Bacchanale | |
| Barbillarde | |
| Barcarolle | |
| Bee's flight | |
| Berceuse (wiegenlied)
peut-être op73n3 |
|
| Bouderie | |
| Calme du soir | |
| Candeur | |
| Canzonet | |
| Causerie | |
| Cavatine | |
| Chanson avec choeur | |
| Chanson d'enfance | |
| Chant du berceau | |
| Chant du soir | |
| Charles VI, fantaisie | |
| Chaste suzanne | |
| Cloche du soir | |
| The Combat | |
| Concert-Etude | |
| Contemplation | |
| Coquetterie | |
| Dancing Waveleta | |
| Dans le hamac | |
| Danse des paysannes | |
| Des Mädchens Klage | |
| Devant sa croisée | |
| Devotion | |
| Dromme i Skoven Alfeley | |
| Eglogue en si | |
| Einfalt | |
| Enjouement | |
| Esquisse en Fa | |
| Esquisse en Ré | |
| Esquisse en Sol | |
| Esquisses posthumes | |
| Etude | |
| Evening Shadowns | |
| Fairy's Revel | |
| Fantasietta | |
| Fées | |
| Feierzug | |
| Feuilles fanées | |
| Freiwilligen | |
| Frileuse | |
| Frühlingsknospen | |
| Funeral march | |
| Gestirne | |
| Gondoletta | |
| Grosvenor Album | |
| Hai Luti | |
| Huntsman's sport | |
| Ihr Bild | |
| Impatience, Schubert | |
| Impromptu | |
| Impromptu en fa dièse mineur | |
| In Autumn | |
| Intermezzo | |
| Invitation à la chasse | |
| Junge Mutter | |
| Last Greeting, Schubert | |
| Lied | |
| Liedchen | |
| 15 chants de Schubert transcrits pour le pianoforte | Henselt Library |
| Henselt Library | |
| Lullaby | |
| Marche | |
| Marguerite, Schubert | |
| Mazurka | |
| Méditation | |
| Méditation et Consolation | |
| Mélodie | |
| 45 mélodies de Schubert (recueil) | |
| 'Mid the gay ripples (Barcarolle de Schubert) | |
| Mon Bijou | |
| 2 morceaux de salon | |
| Morning Serenade | |
| Mueller u. der BAch | |
| Muette | |
| Nache des Geliebten | |
| Naïde | |
| Napoli, 2nd petite tarentelle | |
| Orpheline | |
| Paa Jagten | |
| Papillons | |
| Pastorale | |
| Pensée | |
| Petit berger | |
| Petit scherzo | |
| Petite chasse | |
| Petite Mendiante seule | |
| Petits écureuils | |
| Plaintes de la jeune fille, Schubert | |
| Praeludium | |
| Prélude de Chopin | |
| Prière en Do | |
| Promenade | |
| Rayons et ombres | |
| Rêverie au bois | |
| Romance de l'opéra "La chaste Suzanne" |
|
| Rondeau | |
| Rondino | |
| Sauteur | |
| Scène pastorale | |
| Scherzetto | |
| Scherzino | |
| Scherzo & Capriccio from Mendelssohn's Fourth Symphony | |
| Schneeglöckchen | |
| School of the arpeggio | |
| Sérénade en La | |
| Skizze | |
| Sois toujours (Schubert ) | |
| Song of the sirenes | |
| Spring song | |
| Stürmische Morgen | |
| Summer gales | |
| Sur le fleuve | |
| Sweet image thou | |
| Täuschung | |
| Tendresse | |
| Thine is my Heart (Schubert) | |
| Toccatina | Henselt Library |
| Der Tod und das Mädchen, Schubert | Henselt Library |
| Tristesse | |
| Un rayon du soleil | |
| Un soupir | |
| Une fleur de la Pologne | |
| Une petite feuille | |
| Une petite histoire | |
| Valse allemande | |
| Valses 7 | |
| Vent d'automne | |
| Volkslied | |
| Wanderer | |
| Water-mill | |
| Wishing for Home | |
| Young Nun (Schubert) | |
| Zéphyr |