Memories Ernst Pauer (1826 - 1905)

'A pianist who - when he arrived in England early in the [eighteen-] fifties - little dreamt, perhaps, that he had come to the island of fogs to stay, was Herr Ernst Pauer. In its initial stage his playing was magnificent. Fresh from the loom of years of hard, patient work, it was, while perfect in technique, brilliant, passionate, an outpouring of all shades of emotion from grave to gay. It had the beauté de diable which is the charm of youth. It was fascinating, exciting, yet satisfying. Playing at the house of Karl Mangold shortly after one of Henselt's visits - and to the same audience which had sat at the feet of that singular genius - Ernst Pauer enthralled those same hearers, and convinced them that he had any sort of career before him he might elect to choose. He chose. He would not be a wandering star travelling from city to city and country to country to receive the adulation of the musical faithful. He settled ... in London, as we all know, and in a few years the youthful fire was gradually extinguished by the placid indifference of the then musical world, and his Muse veiled her face - he became the virtuoso and the professor par excellence, and such has remained since.'

- A.M. Diehl (Alice Mangold) 1897, Musical Memories, 'dedicated to musical aspirants, artists and amateurs'

The Viennese-born Ernst Pauer (1826-1905) studied piano with Mozart's son, counterpoint with Simon Sechter, and composition with Lachner. Well-known as an editor of the classics for Augener of London, he made his Philharmonic Society debut playing Hummel's A minor Piano Concerto under Michael Costa, Monday June 23rd 1851 (the first of seven appearances for the Society). Professor at the Royal Academy of Music, later the Royal College, his students included his son Max, Eugen d'Albert's teacher. Through d'Albert, his line survived to Backhaus and Dohnanyi, thence to Anda, Cziffra, Annie Fischer, Foldes, Karolyi, Nyiregyhazi, Solti, Ungar, Vasary, Vazsonyi and Weingarten - grandest of the 20th century Hungarian piano dynasties.

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