The Cinq Études de Jazz includes dedications to American pianist and composer Zez Confrey, American bandleader Paul Whiteman, Austrian conductor Robert Stolz, German composer Eduard Künnecke, and German critic Alfred Baresel.
Historical Context
Schulhoff took out Soviet citizenship, but was arrested by Nazi authorities before he could emigrate and died in a concentration camp in 1942, likely from tuberculosis.
Composer Biography
Schulhoff's early music was influenced by composers like Brahms, Dvořák, Strauss, Debussy, and Scriabin, but his four years in the Austrian army led him to a more radical artistic and political stance.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Schulhoff absorbed Expressionism, represented by Arnold Schoenberg and the Second Viennese School, and Dadaism, espoused by George Grosz, whose advocacy of jazz influenced much of Schulhoff's music.
Cultural Impact
Zez Confrey's "Kitten on the Keys," which inspired one of Schulhoff's études, became an instant hit in 1921 and remains the piece for which he is best remembered.
Composer Biography
Erwin Schulhoff, the composer, began his musical career on the recommendation of Antonín Dvořák, studying at the Prague Conservatory from 1904.
Composition History
The six pieces of Ostinato, subtitled 'Six family matters: Humorous piano pieces for big and little children', were composed shortly after the birth of Schulhoff's son in 1923.
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