91热爆

Donald investigates just how famous Moszkowski was: in 1925, the pianist Francesco Berger wrote: 'Moszkowski dead! So painful an announcement has not stricken the entire musical world since the deaths of Chopin, Rubinstein, and Liszt'.

The pianist-composer was born in the former Prussian city of Breslau, studied in Dresden, taught in Berlin and, at the height of his fame, settled in Paris. Despite these moves west, Moszkowski always acknowledged his Polish heritage. Just as the popularity of his music faded quickly, so too did his life end tragically, the composer facing his final days penniless and alone.

Donald Macleod will also focus on how Moszkowski saw the funny side of life, responding to heavy criticism of his worth as a composer with amusing retorts and creating a comical musical parody of eight more famous composers called 'Anton Note-squasher'.