Jean Louis Nicodé: Ein Liebesleben & Other Piano Works

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Simon Callaghan
Jean Louis Nicodé

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Composer Biography

Jean Louis Nicodé, despite his French-sounding name, was Prussian, born in 1853 in Jezyce near Posen (now Poznan, Poland).

Critical Reception

The renowned critic Eduard Hanslick criticized Nicodé and Richard Strauss in 1892, stating their virtuosity in sound effects prioritized 'colour' over 'musical thought'.

Critical Reception

In 1894, J. A. Fuller Maitland considered Nicodé among four composers who might inherit the mantle of Brahms and Bruch, and continue German musical hegemony.

Composer Biography

An organist in Berlin was so impressed by Nicodé's talent that he taught him piano, organ, and counterpoint for free.

Composer Biography

Nicodé's father, a wealthy man of property and amateur violinist, lost his fortune in 1856, leading the family to move to Berlin where he earned a living as a musician.

Composition History

Nicodé's only widely recognized claim to fame is his 1880 arrangement of Chopin's Allegro de concert, Op 46, for piano and orchestra.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Nicodé's musical voice is characterized by hints of other composers like Schumann, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Chopin, and Rubinstein, rather than a definable pastiche.