Introducing Ignaz Moscheles

Since first learning that Ignaz Moscheles spent much of his career in the United Kingdom, I have regarded him as an ‘honorary’ British composer. Other contenders for this title are Felix Mendelssohn, J.C. Bach, Muzio Clementi, Johann Baptist Cramer and George Frideric Handel. This is not to deny their respective nationalities: only to point out the major contribution these men made to the musical life of this nation.

Ignaz Moscheles (1794-1870) was a Bohemian pianist and composer, renowned as one of the leading virtuosos of his time. Moscheles was a close associate of Beethoven, who entrusted him with the piano arrangement of his opera Fidelio. He gained international acclaim for his virtuosic performances and compositions, including eight piano concertos and numerous studies and chamber works. In 1821, Moscheles settled in London, where he later became a prominent figure in the musical scene. He later joined the Leipzig Conservatory as a professor of piano, working alongside his friend and former pupil, Felix Mendelssohn. Moscheles’ influence extended to composers like Chopin and Schumann, and his innovative approach to piano technique and pedagogy left a lasting impact on the music world.

Brief Biography

• Ignaz Moscheles was born in Prague, on 23 May 1794.
• Studied at the Prague Conservatory between 1804 and 1806 with the composer and musicologist Bedřich Diviš Weber (1766-1842).
• Moved to Vienna in 1808 for study with Albrechtsberger (counterpoint) and Salieri (composition).
• Became acquainted with Beethoven during 1810.
• Extensively performed in Europe between 1815 and 1825
• First appeared in London during 11 June 1821.
• Gave piano lessons to Felix Mendelssohn in 1824
• Married Charlotte Emden at Hamburg on 1 March 1825
• Settled in London between 1825 and 1846.
• Was director of the Philharmonic Society, 1832, then conductor there from 1845.
• Directed the first London performance of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis on 24 December 1832.
• Professor of Pianoforte at the newly founded Leipzig Conservatory 1846 to 1870
• Pupils included Thalberg, Litolff, Sullivan, and Grieg.
• Died in Leipzig on 10 March 1870.

Twelve Selected Works

Beethoven had a tremendous influence on Moscheles. Mozart was also another key influence. However, Moscheles is on the cusp between classical and romantic aesthetic: Liszt, Chopin and Robert Schumann were still to compose their great masterpieces. So, he is more associated with such half-forgotten masters as Clementi, Kalkbrenner, Field and Hummel.

Moscheles catalogues includes 142 works with opus number and several dozen without. He typically concentrated on writing music for the piano, with or without the orchestra. There are, however, several pieces for chamber ensemble, including a cello sonata, and music for the flute and several songs.

All the pieces listed below are available on CD, download or streaming. 

1. Variations on a Russian Theme, op.23
2. Les Charmes de Paris, op.54
3. Piano Concerto No.4, op.64
4. Recollections of Ireland, op.69
5. Les Charmes de Londres, op.74
6. Anticipations of Scotland, op.75
7. Symphony No.1 in C major, op.81
8. Piano Concerto No.5, op.87
9. Jeanne d'Arc Overture, op. 91
10. 12 Charakteristische Studien, op. 95
11. Cello Sonata in E Major, op. 121
12. Grande Étude de Concert, op. 126

Further Reading

There were three books published in the Victorian period which still provide the ‘primary’ source material for Ignaz Moscheles studies. Charlotte Moscheles’ Recent Music and Musicians as Described in the Diaries and Correspondence of Ignaz Moscheles, edited by his Wife: Adapted from the Original German by A.D. Coleridge (1873) was the first book to examine the composer’s life and times. During 1888 the Letters of Felix Mendelssohn to Ignaz and Charlotte Moscheles were published in London by the composer’s son, Felix Moscheles (1833-1917). Felix also published Fragments of an Autobiography (1899) which provided some material about the composer.

Aside from these early volumes, listeners had to rely on articles in Grove’s Dictionary of Music, the standard histories of the period and contemporary biographies and memoires of some of the key players in his story. To be sure, copious reviews of Moscheles’ concerts are found in contemporary newspapers and journals.

In 1989 Emil F. Smidak issued Isaak-Ignaz Moscheles: The Life of the Composer and His Encounters with Beethoven, Liszt, Chopin, and Mendelssohn. This important volume consisted of extracts from the diaries and letters and included a catalogue of works.

Twenty-five years later, the Boydell Press published Ignaz Moscheles and the Changing World of Musical Europe by Mark Kroll (2014). It was and remains the first full-length examination of the composer. It is essential reading for all enthusiasts of Moscheles music.

There are also a few theses such as John Michael Beck’s Moscheles Re-examined (1986) and Carolyn Denton Gresham’s Ignaz Moscheles: An Illustrious Musician in the Nineteenth Century (1980).

One extremely important website is ‘Ignaz Moscheles Concert Life.’ This is a spin off from Dr Sevastiana Nourou thesis, Ignaz Moscheles’ reception in the nineteenth century and his influence on concert life, published in 2022. She writes: “In each section [of the webpage] you will find the advertisements and reviews of each concert I was able to locate. All of these have been typed down by myself and thus, I am not using any original images from letters, playbills, and newspapers that I do not have the right to.”

If you can only hear one CD…

I would recommend the Hyperion (CDA67430) recording of Moscheles Piano Concerto No.4 in E major, op.64 and the Piano Concerto No.5 in C major, op.87. These are coupled with the delightful Recollections of Ireland, op.69. The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra is directed by the piano soloist, Howard Shelley. All three works on this disc are full of melody, piano technique that defies the fingers’ agility, and satisfying formal constructs. With Moscheles there is never a bar too many or a note out of place.

Finally, if you can only listen to one work…

Ignaz Moscheles’ Recollections of Ireland, op. 69 is a grand fantasia for piano and orchestra, completed in 1826. This piece reflects Moscheles’ experiences and impressions during his travels in Ireland. It includes popular Irish melodies such as The Groves of Blarney (now, The Last Rose of Summer), Garry Owen, and St. Patrick’s Day, combining them with his virtuosic piano style.

This composition is notable for its stunning orchestration and the seamless integration of traditional Irish tunes with classical forms. Moscheles’ ability to evoke the spirit and atmosphere of Ireland through music is evident in the lively and expressive passages that characterize the work. Recollections of Ireland not only highlights Moscheles’ technical prowess but also his sensitivity to cultural influences and his talent for creating evocative musical narratives.