Filtsch, known as one of the pupils of Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin (1810-1849) and Franz Liszt (1811-1886), was recognized as a genius by both great composers but died prematurely at the age of only 14. Liszt reportedly praised his talent by saying, "If that young man goes on tour, I shall have to close my shop" (Legány 2001).

A Romanian pianist and composer of Hungarian and German descent, Filtsch gained significant attention through a concert in Cluj-Napoca, northwestern Romania, in 1835. In October 1837, he traveled to Vienna, where he received an elite musical education from distinguished musicians, including Friedrich Wieck (1785-1873), father of Clara Schumann (1819-1896). By 1838, he had also befriended Liszt, and in 1841, he made his international debut at the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna. Subsequently, to study with Chopin, he headed to Paris with a letter of introduction from Friederike Streicher (née Müller) (1816-1895), a pupil of Chopin, arriving in November 1841.

Although Chopin generally did not accept children or beginners as pupils, Filtsch, alongside Georges Mathias (1826-1910) and others, was permitted to receive lessons from an early age. Thereafter, in Paris, he received lessons from Chopin an average of three times a week for approximately one and a half years. In the summer of 1842, when Chopin was staying in Nohant and away from Paris, Liszt provided lessons free of charge; however, Chopin was reportedly critical of some nuances taught by Liszt. This likely demonstrates Chopin's careful attention to nurturing Filtsch's talent. Chopin, noting Filtsch's resemblance to himself in every respect, praised his talent, stating, "Oh, what a child! To understand me so well. I have never encountered such immense talent!" (Eigeldinger 2020, 208). On January 11, 1843, he performed Chopin's Piano Concerto in E minor, Op. 11, on two pianos with Chopin himself at the residence of James Rothschild (1792-1868), an event reportedly attended by prominent singers of the time, including Pauline Garcia-Viardot (1821-1910). Furthermore, in Paris, he gained acquaintance with many artists and was greatly influenced by them.

In May 1843, he moved to England, further enhancing his reputation by performing for Queen Victoria, among other engagements. He was scheduled to embark on a concert tour across various European cities, accompanied by his brilliant acclaim, but he fell ill (various conditions such as tuberculosis and peritonitis have been suggested) just before a concert in Vienna. Filtsch was transported to a patron's house in Venice, where he was forced to recuperate. Although he temporarily recovered and spent warm time with his family in the summer of 1844, his condition worsened, and he returned to Venice. However, he was unable to see his family again thereafter and passed away just before his 15th birthday. Chopin and Liszt deeply mourned his death, and in Cluj-Napoca, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's (1756-1791) Requiem was performed.

References

Filtsch, Károly. 2021. Filtsch Piano Works. Edited and annotated by Shinya Ozaki, fingering by Csiky Boldizsár. Tokyo: Zen-On Music Company Ltd.

Chopin, Fryderyk. 2020. The Complete Letters of Chopin 1831–1836 —Paris Period (Vol. 1). Edited by Zofia Helman et al., translated by Tokimasa Sekiguchi et al. Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten.

Eigeldinger, Jean-Jacques. 2000. L’univers Musical de Chopin. Paris: Fayard. [Japanese translation supervised by Yuko Kosaka, translated by Yuko Kosaka and Kumiko Nishi. 2007. Chopin no Hibiki. Tokyo: Ongaku no Tomo Sha.]

——. 2006. Chopin vu par ses élèves. Paris: librairie arthème fayard. [Japanese translation by Jiro Yoneya and Koji Nakajima. 2020. Chopin as Seen by His Pupils —His Piano Pedagogy and Performance Aesthetics (Expanded and Latest Edition)—. Tokyo: Ongaku no Tomo Sha.]

Gajewski, Ferdinand. ?. Filtsch KONZERTSTUECK/Rezeptionsgeschichte. https://fjgajewski.webs.com/ (Accessed 29/11/2022).

Legány, Dezső, and Irina Boga. 2001. "Filtsch, Károly." Grove Music Online. https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000009650 (Accessed 29/11/2022).