Author Identifier
Nicholas Williams: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9803-5380
Date of Award
2025
Document Type
Thesis
Publisher
Edith Cowan University
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
School
Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts
First Supervisor
Jonathan Paget
Second Supervisor
Stewart Smith
Third Supervisor
Geoffrey Lancaster
Abstract
Arthur Friedheim (1859–1932) was one of the most notable pianists of the late nineteenth century, best remembered as a devoted pupil and disciple of Franz Liszt (1811–1886). Following Friedheim’s Leipzig debut in 1884, Liszt predicted that his young pupil “would yet become the greatest piano virtuoso of the age.” During his lifetime, Friedheim would be compared with such pianistic giants as Carl Tausig (1841–1871), Moriz Rosenthal (1862–1946) and Ferruccio Busoni (1866–1924). Yet his posthumous reception, based on a few surviving recordings and a small number of written sources, has tended to cast doubt on his importance. Some critics disparagingly dismissed Friedheim, and refashioned his reputation into that of a “superficial poseur” who did little more than copy Liszt’s stage mannerisms. This thesis seeks to re-evaluate Friedheim’s place in music history through a deeper exploration of the primary sources. At the centre of the thesis is a scholarly biography, presenting a revised and expanded narrative of Friedheim’s life and career, attempting to fill gaps and correct factual errors found in the existing literature. A large corpus of hitherto unstudied primary sources has informed this research: including over 1,700 clippings relating to Friedheim’s life and career, as well as archival documents at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, and the International Piano Archives at the University of Maryland. In addition, Friedheim’s own writings and music editions—including a collection of some thirty published articles, various unpublished manuscripts, and a forgotten edition called The Student’s Chopin (1925)—form the basis of the latter part of the thesis, which presents a study of Friedheim’s training and his work as performer, writer, teacher and editor.
DOI
10.25958/49g9-dd19
Recommended Citation
Williams, N. M. (2025). The enigmatic pianist Arthur Friedheim: A revised biography and study of his training, performing, writings, teaching and editions. Edith Cowan University. https://doi.org/10.25958/49g9-dd19