Adolf von Henselt was born in 1814, part of a "galaxy of pianist-composers" born between 1809 and 1814, including Mendelssohn, Chopin, Schumann, and Liszt.
Composition History
Henselt's Poème d'amour Op 3 reflects his marriage to Rosalie Vogel, who divorced her previous husband to marry him in 1837.
Cultural Impact
Henselt's Étude in D flat, Op 2 No 2, influenced Balakirev's Grande Fantasie on Russian folksongs, Op 4, as early as 1852.
Critical Reception
Robert Schumann described Henselt as the 'northern Chopin,' though this was considered an exaggeration since Henselt developed his melodic idiom before knowing Chopin's studies.
Composer Biography
Henselt developed a unique system for extending the stretch of the hands during two years of seclusion after studying with Simon Sechter in Vienna.
Cultural Impact
Rachmaninov's famous Prelude in C sharp minor, Op 3 No 2, was greatly influenced by the slow movement of Henselt's Piano Concerto, Op 16.
Cultural Impact
Henselt's appointment as court pianist in St Petersburg helped establish him as a leading figure and growing influence on a new and distinct school of Russian pianism.
