Krüger, Wilhelm 1820 - 1883
Author: Ueda, Yasushi
Last updated：April 12, 2020
Author: Ueda, Yasushi
Wilhelm Krüger was born in 1820 in Stuttgart, the capital of the Kingdom of Württemberg. His father (1790, Berlin – 1868, Stuttgart) was a flutist at the Royal Court Chapel of Württemberg. According to Ernst Pauer (1826–1905), Krüger studied piano with a teacher named C. Ziegele and composition with Peter Josef von Lindpaintner (1791–1856). The latter served as court Kapellmeister in Stuttgart from 1819 until his death, placing him as Krüger's father's superior. Krüger had a younger brother, four years his junior, who served the same court as a harpist.
After traveling throughout Germany as a young pianist, Wilhelm moved to Paris in 1845. In this city, he gained renown as a virtuoso and educator. Marmontel, a professor at the Paris Conservatoire, recalled his debut as follows:
"From his debut, among the valiant elite of France, he distinguished himself by his extremely precise rhythm, the power and color of his runs, and the ardor of his vivacity and youth. What he staked on his virtuosity at the time was the charm of [expressive] variety and dynamic nuances. His firm and majestic playing fully demonstrated the authority of German pianists. However, his stay in Paris eventually brought him delicacy and taste. These are precisely the essence of this great city of Paris, the floating atmosphere, an unmistakable ambiance."
His popular fame in Paris during the Second Empire was largely due to his fantasies based on operas by Bellini, Halévy, and Verdi. In these works, rather than merely embellishing, he showcased his skill in developing motives, his rich inner voice writing, and his emphasis on contrapuntal lines, all while demonstrating clarity and excellent articulation in his playing. The overall sound was symphonic, with a somewhat melancholic, nostalgic theatrical atmosphere. Beyond this genre, he also published classical works such as Symphonic Minuet, Op. 57, and Piano Sonata, Op. 100 (C major), as well as works demanding technique and dramatic expression, like 24 Etudes, Op. 145 (dedicated to Georges Kastner), which were approved by the Paris Conservatoire. Among his more educational works was the piano method Six Days of the Week, Op. 32 (dedicated "To my students"), also approved by the Paris Conservatoire. Krüger dedicated Opp. 8 and 9 to Kalkbrenner, suggesting an early association with this renowned Parisian teacher. The aforementioned method included exercises for finger independence and inherited Kalkbrenner's aesthetic of limiting the use of the body in playing to the wrist and forearm. Saint-Saëns dedicated his etude "For the Independence of the Fingers" to him, likely because Krüger excelled in perfect finger control, enabling him to play each note within a chord with a different timbre.
Krüger also earned great trust as a sociable cultural figure. The German Charitable Society he founded played a role in promoting musical exchange between Germany and France. His performances of works by Schumann and Brahms, which were little known in Paris at the time, are particularly noteworthy. He himself participated in the Paris premiere of the late Schumann's Piano Trio, Op. 63, in 1856. He was also highly trusted by French pianists and composers; Saint-Saëns dedicated the second piece, "Pour l'indépendance des doigts," from his Six Etudes, Op. 52, to him. He also had a strong interest in promoting German Baroque music, personally editing and publishing the complete harpsichord works of Handel.
With the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, the German Charitable Society was forced to disband, and like many other German composers, he returned home. Upon returning to the Kingdom of Württemberg, Krüger served the court where his father had been employed and taught at the local conservatory. In the local music scene, he used his own edited collection of Handel's works as teaching material and also contributed an etude to the famous method Theoretical and Practical Grand Piano Method by pianists Sigmund Lebert (1821–1884) and Ludwig Stark (1821–1884), who were founding members of the conservatory. He died there in 1883 at the age of 62.
Author : Kanazawa, Osamu
Last Updated: January 1, 2010
[Open]
Author : Kanazawa, Osamu
Born in Stuttgart. He studied under Lindpaintner (1791-1856) and became court pianist to Württemberg. From the mid-1840s, he moved to Paris and became active there. He formed friendships with musicians gathered in Paris at the time and published approximately 170 piano pieces, primarily focusing on opera paraphrases. These works were not merely for virtuoso display but were solid in content, respecting the original works, and characterized by a unique nostalgic touch.
He returned to Stuttgart following the Franco-Prussian War (1870). In his later years, he undertook the editorial publication of Handel's complete keyboard works. He died there at the age of 62.
Works(144)
Piano Solo (25)
ballade (3)
etude (4)
inpromptu (3)
nocturne (4)
caprice (6)
character pieces (5)
Paraphrase (23)
transcription (11)
Various works (60)