Jean Paul Kürsteiner

Jean Paul Kürsteiner (July 8, 1864 in Catskill, New York – March 19, 1943 in Los Angeles, California) was an American pianist, pedagogue, music publisher, and composer[1] of piano pieces and art songs.[2]

Jean Paul Kürsteiner
Born(1864-07-08)July 8, 1864
Catskill, New York
DiedMarch 19, 1943(1943-03-19) (aged 78)
Los Angeles, California
OccupationsPiano Teacher, Music Publisher, and Composer
InstrumentsPiano
Years active1910–1930

Life and musical career

Kürsteiner was the son of a French-Swiss father (August Kürsteiner) and an American mother (Jeannie Taylor Woodruff Kürsteiner).[3] His early education was in New York, then he studied music in Leipzig, including composition with Salomon Jadassohn and Richard Hofmann and piano with Johannes Wiedenbach and Robert Teichmüller. He returned to the United States in 1893, settled in New York City and was appointed to the piano and music theory faculty of the Ogontz School for Girls in Philadelphia.[4] He held that position until 1930. Between 1896 and 1906 he also created, developed, and directed a program of piano study at The Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.[3]

Kürsteiner founded a music publishing house in New York called Kürsteiner & Rice, and published much of his own music there. The "silent" partner in the firm may have been the operatic tenor Leon Louis Rice.[5] The singer was known to have performed Kürsteiner's songs on tour,[6] and some of the songs were written for or dedicated to him.[7]

On July 21, 1901, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin,[3] Kürsteiner married Myrta French, an operatic soprano.[8][9][10] In 1938 the Kursteiners moved to Los Angeles, California, where he lived the last years of his life.[2]

Musical works

Kürsteiner composed music in 33 opus numbers for piano solo and art songs for voice and piano in the years between 1910 and 1930. His song Invocation to Eros became fairly well known in its day.[2] For example, it was performed by the American soprano Rosa Ponselle on a concert at Hill Auditorium at the University of Michigan on October 28, 1928.[11] Twelve years earlier, on November 7, 1916, the New York Times review of contralto Frances Ingram at Aeolian Hall in New York praised for her performances of both Kürsteiner's “Invocation to Eros” and “The Soul’s Victory”.[12]

He is also known to have composed and published choral music. An advertisement in the American Guild of Organists journal The American Organist, Volume, 2, no. 1, January 1920, p. A-4, lists “New Choruses for solo, quartet or chorus, with added solos, duos, trios, and contrasting solo quartet sections." The ad also claims that the choruses are "Intense in Devotional Spirit; adapted to all Creeds—Episcopal, Christian Science, Jewish Synagogues, Baptists, etc., of genuine Melodic Beauty. Letters from Coast to Coast indicate their worth as helps to divine worship". A quote from Musical America Magazine praises one anthem as “One of the most conspicuous numbers of devotional music by a contemporary composer that we know”.[13]

Published Songs

Opus, Title, Publisher, Publication date

  • 12/1 I would my song were like a Star; G. Schirmer, 1910
  • 12/2 How very Near; G. Schirmer, 1910
  • 12/3 Lines of a Flame; G. Schirmer, 1910
  • 13/1 Song of Life; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911
  • 13/2 Canticle of Love; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911
  • 13/3 Invocation to Eros (text by Edith A. Pusey); Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911
  • 14/1 Leave Me Not Yet, O Love; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911
  • 14/2 Love, My Queen; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911?
  • 14/3 Night from the Dark World; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911?
  • 14/4 That One Refrain; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911
  • 14/5 Rose of the World; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911
  • 15/1 Morning; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911?
  • 15/2 Of A’ the Airts the Wind can Blaw; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911?
  • 15/3 The Betrothal; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911?
  • 16/1 Awake, My Love; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911?
  • 16/2 His Lullaby; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911?
  • 17/1 My Heart Sings as the Birds Sing; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911
  • 17/2 O Breath of the Golden Day (text by James B. Kenyon); Kürsteiner & Rice, 1912
  • 19 Three Night Songs (text by Martin Schütze); Kürsteiner & Rice, 1912
  • 20/1 If I Were a Raindrop; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1912
  • 20/2 Only a Day for Tears; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1913
  • 24/2 The Salutation of the Dawn (text translated from the Sanskrit); Kürsteiner & Rice, 1915
  • 24/3 The Soul’s Victory (Dramatic); Kürsteiner & Rice, 1916
  • 24/4 Nightfall (Lyric Song); Kürsteiner & Rice, 1916
  • 25/1 Supplication (Religious-Dramatic); Kürsteiner & Rice, 1916
  • 25/2 Hope (Religious-Dramatic); Kürsteiner & Rice, 1916
  • 25/3 Deliverance (Religious-Dramatic); Kürsteiner & Rice, 1916
  • 25/4 Triumphans (Religious-Dramatic); Kürsteiner & Rice, 1917
  • 26/1 Penitence; publisher unknown, nd[14]
  • 26/2 Promise; publisher unknown, nd
  • 26/3 Praise (Lyric-Sacred); Kürsteiner & Rice, 1918
  • 26/4 The Message; publisher unknown, nd

12/4 Serenade; G. Schirmer, 1910

Published Piano Solos
  • Second Nocturne for Piano; G. Schirmer, 1910
  • Dreams of Myrta; Ladies’ Home Journal magazine, 1910[15][16]
  • Bridal Morning Waltz; Ladies’ Home Journal magazine, nd
  • Second Nocture for piano; G. Schirmer/Boston Music Co., 1910
  • Third Nocturne in A flat; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911
  • 22/1 La Turquoise Valse in C; unknown publisher, nd
  • Mazourka de Concert; unknown publisher, nd[17]
  • Etude de Concert; unknown publisher, nd
  • Etude Melodique for left hand; unknown publisher, nd
  • Appassionato in D minor; unknown publisher, nd

Published Choral works
  • 25/1a Supplication; publisher unknown, nd
  • 25/2a Hope; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1919
  • 25/3a Deliverance; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1919
  • 26/2a Promise; publisher unknown, nd
  • 26/3a Praise; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1919

Educational Publications
  • Essays on Expert Aid to Artistic Piano Playing, Unz and Co. publisher, New York, 1910s[2]
  • 12 articles on "Artistic Piano Playing" in The Foyer of Philadelphia[3]

Footnotes
  1. In his list of "Noted names in Music", Elson (1919) refers to Kürsteiner only as a "composer".
  2. Baker and Slonimsky, p.1277
  3. Saerchinger, 1918 Who's Who in Music entry, p. 349
  4. His ad in the Musical Blue Book of America, 1915 calls it the "Ogontz School for Young Ladies".
  5. See his entry in Saerchinger, 1918 Who's Who in Music, p. 522
  6. For example, the review of his concert in the July 12, 1912, New London, Connecticut, newspaper The Day on p. 12 indicates that he sang four of Kürsteiner's songs: "Canticle of Love", "The Betrothal", "If I Were a Rain Drop", and "His Lullaby".
  7. According to the announcement of his concert in the May 9, 1912, Meriden, Connecticut, newspaper The Meriden Morning Record on p. 25, the tenor would sing four of Kürsteiner's songs: Canticle of Love, The Betrothal, Invocation to Eros, and Morning, and the article further indicates that The Betrothal and Morning were "written for and dedicated to Mr. Rice".
  8. The 1919-20 Musical Blue Book of America, p. 225
  9. Prior to her marriage, French was doing well as a performer; on September 29, 1895, the New York Times reported that she would be touring with the Sousa band the following season.
  10. French's young career was also mentioned in the 1896 edition of Munsey's Magazine, volume 15.
  11. "UMS Concert Program, October 10, 1928: Fiftieth Annual Choral Union Concert Series -- Rosa Ponselle | Ann Arbor District Library". aadl.org. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  12. This review is archived at https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1916/11/07/104694131.pdf
  13. American Organist. American Guild of Organists. 1920.
  14. The Op. 26 songs, numbers 1, 2, and 4, are listed as part of the William Huber, Jr., special collection at the Library of Congress without publishing information.
  15. The Ladies’ Home Journal, v. 27 #8, July 1910
  16. His entry in the 1919-20 Musical Blue Book of America lists his wife's maiden name as Myrta French, probably the inspiration for the title of this piece.
  17. The last four piano works are listed in the Saerchinger, 1918 Who's Who in Music entry, p. 349

References
  • Baker, Theodore (1984), "Kürsteiner, Jean Paul", in Slonimsky, Nicolas (ed.), Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, Seventh Edition, New York: Schirmer Books, p. 1277, ISBN 0-02-870270-0.
  • Elson, Louis C. (1919), "Kürsteiner, Jean Paul", in Elson, Louis C. (ed.), Elson's Pocket Music Dictionary, Bryn Mawr, PA: Oliver Ditson Co..
  • Saerchinger, César (1918), "Kürsteiner, Jean Paul", in Saerchinger, César (ed.), International Who's Who in Music and Musical Gazetteer, First Edition, New York, NY: Current Literature Publishing Company, p. 349.
  • Trapper, Emma L. (1915), "Kürsteiner, Jean Paul", The Musical Blue Book of America, 1915, New York, NY: The Musical Blue Book Corporation, pp. 16 (advertisement section).
  • Trapper, Emma L. (1919–1920), "Kürsteiner, Jean Paul", The Musical Blue Book of America, 1919-1920, New York, NY: The Musical Blue Book Corporation, pp. 225 (New York section).
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