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Great Pianistic Traditions in the IPAM Collections

The history of piano playing is built from a large and complex network of piano dynasties, a network that reflects a wide variety of approaches to technique and interpretation. Nearly all of the important pianists of the 19th and 20th centuries passed on their knowledge and skills to later generations. In turn, those players taught or influenced younger pianists who inherited the musical traditions established by their predecessors. Thus, as we survey the great players of the past and present, we encounter musical personalities ranging from virtuosos to poets, from intellectuals to dramatists.

These charts illustrate a sampling of teacher-to-student connections from several nationalities and schools of pianism. All are represented in the International Piano Archives at Maryland, where pianists and scholars can explore both recorded and written evidence of the elements of great piano playing.

 The French School, Louis Diemer and his pupils   The French School, Isidor Philipp and his pupils  

Anton Rubenstein and his pupils   Early Russian Schools   Later Russian Schools

 Ferrucio Busoni and his disciples   Clara Schumann and her pupils  

Franz Liszt and his pupils   Theodor Leschetizky and his pupils   The British School

Last update: Jan 04, 2016

IPAM endeavors to respond to all inquiries concerning its collections and — whenever possible — to general reference questions about pianists, piano music, and piano recordings. (We cannot and do not provide information about pianos or the piano industry.) IPAM is open to visitors by appointment between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. (Eastern Time), Mondays through Fridays, with rare exceptions.

Questions?  Comments?  Contact the curator at godowsky@umd.edu.