David Saperton
Encyclopedia
David Saperton was an American
pianist
known especially for being the first pianist to play the entire original compositions as well as the complete transcriptions
of his father-in-law, Leopold Godowsky
. He also recorded a number of Godowsky’s Studies on Chopin's Études
as well as other pieces. His students at the Curtis Institute include Jorge Bolet
, Shura Cherkassky
, Sidney Foster, Abbey Simon
and Eleanor Sokoloff
. As a pianist he is regarded as a great dramatist, a sensitive poet and superb colorist.
, on October 29, 1889. David Saperton began the study of piano at the age of six, under the guidance of his grandfather, an internationally-known tenor and musician. Mr. Saperton's father, a graduate physician
of the University of Pittsburgh
, was also a basso
of repute. Leopold Godowsky, his later father-in law, heard David as a child prodigy
of eight. His principal teacher was German
pianist and editor August Spanuth (1857-1920), who was known as a music critic
in New York
and later took a professor
ship at the Berlin
Stern Conservatory
. Young Saperton also attended masterclasses
of Ferruccio Busoni
and may have had some lessons with Rafael Joseffy
.
His debut was at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House
where he played Chopin’s Concerto in E minor
at the age of fifteen. He played a solo
recital
to critical
acclaim a year later at Mendelssohn Hall.
Saperton continued his studies with Spanuth in Germany
, where he appeared in a joint concert with Geraldine Farrar
in Berlin
, 1908. In 1909 he performed a large repertoire in 180 cities throughout Europe
.
In 1912 he returned to New York where he played very successful recitals but failed to attract an impresario
. In 1915 he played a series of six recitals at Aeolian Hall
including major works by Szymanowski, Liszt
, Brahms, Beethoven, Schumann
, Chopin, and others. After appearing in all major American cities on a tour in 1917–1918, he withdrew into private life.
Saperton married Godowsky’s daughter, Vanita, sister of silent movie
star
Dagmar Godowsky
, in 1924 and began to immerse in the study of his father-in-law’s difficult piano works including all the transcription
s. Godowsky also introduced Saperton to Josef Hofman and the Curtis Institute where he taught a number of famous pianists before he was fired. He shifted the emphasis of his career from performing
to teaching and composition
remaining essentially a private teacher
in New York where he died, relatively unknown, on July 5, 1970. Pianist Andrew Kraus who studied with Saperton in the last months of his life writes : "Experiencing his playing in the intimacy of his studio was, for me, an initiation into a way of playing the piano that had been lost as well as an introduction to a genre of wonderfully beautiful and interesting music that had fallen out of fashion."
an album
of Godowsky works for RCA Victor. A subsequent recording of ten Chopin-Godowsky studies was never released because RCA contributed the brass masters
to be melted down for shell casings
to be used in World War II
. Saperton’s only extant recording of these studies, issued on the poorly distributed Command Performance label, stem from 1952, when his pianistic prowess was beginning to decline. Together with the complete Chopin Etudes
and other Godowsky works this recording has been reissued by Video Artists International.
to Josef Hofmann, the Director of the Curtis Institute of Music
in Philadelphia, who hired him as an assistant and as a member of the faculty
in 1924. There he taught many famous pianists such as Jorge Bolet
, Shura Cherkassky
, Sidney Foster, Abbey Simon
and Eleanor Sokoloff
. English critic Bryce Morrison commented on Saperton’s perfectionism as a teacher: "His insistence on nothing less than keyboard perfection from his most gifted student [Bolet] was hectoring and obsessive […] Stung by Saperton's constant criticism and sarcasm Bolet sought refuge in occasional lessons with Godowsky himself, Rosenthal and Hoffmann."
When Hofmann had a falling out with Mrs. Mary Louise Curtis Bok (later Zimbalist)
, the founder and president of the Curtis Institute, Saperton was dismissed from the Institute together with Hofmann.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
known especially for being the first pianist to play the entire original compositions as well as the complete transcriptions
Transcription (music)
In music, transcription can mean notating a piece or a sound which was previously unnotated, as, for example, an improvised jazz solo. Further examples include ethnomusicological notation of oral traditions of folk music, such as Béla Bartók's and Ralph Vaughan Williams' collections of the national...
of his father-in-law, Leopold Godowsky
Leopold Godowsky
Leopold Godowsky was a famed Polish American pianist, composer, and teacher. One of the most highly regarded performers of his time, he became known for his theories concerning the application of relaxed weight and economy of motion in piano playing, principles later propagated by Godowsky's...
. He also recorded a number of Godowsky’s Studies on Chopin's Études
Studies on Chopin's Etudes
The Studies on Chopin's Études, by Leopold Godowsky, is a set of 53 arrangements of Chopin's études. The Studies on Chopin's Études, by Leopold Godowsky, is a set of 53 arrangements of Chopin's études. The Studies on Chopin's Études, by Leopold Godowsky, is a set of 53 arrangements of Chopin's...
as well as other pieces. His students at the Curtis Institute include Jorge Bolet
Jorge Bolet
Jorge Bolet was a Cuban-born but mostly American-resident pianist and teacher.-Life:Bolet was born in Havana, and studied at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he himself taught from 1939 to 1942...
, Shura Cherkassky
Shura Cherkassky
Shura Cherkassky was an American classical pianist known for his performances of the romantic repertoire. His playing was characterized by a virtuoso technique and singing piano tone...
, Sidney Foster, Abbey Simon
Abbey Simon
-Education:Simon began lessons with David Saperton at the age of five. At the age of eight, Simon was accepted by Józef Hofmann as a scholarship student at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where he trained with fellow classmates Jorge Bolet and Sidney Foster. Simon also took lessons...
and Eleanor Sokoloff
Eleanor Sokoloff
Eleanor Sokoloff is an American pianist and famous pedagogue of piano. She is now in her eighth decade of teaching on the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music....
. As a pianist he is regarded as a great dramatist, a sensitive poet and superb colorist.
Life
Saperton was born David Sapirstein in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, on October 29, 1889. David Saperton began the study of piano at the age of six, under the guidance of his grandfather, an internationally-known tenor and musician. Mr. Saperton's father, a graduate physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
of the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, was also a basso
Bass (voice type)
A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C...
of repute. Leopold Godowsky, his later father-in law, heard David as a child prodigy
Child prodigy
A child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...
of eight. His principal teacher was German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
pianist and editor August Spanuth (1857-1920), who was known as a music critic
Music criticism
See also Music journalism for reporting on classical and popular music in the media.The Oxford Companion to Music defines music criticism as 'the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres'. In this...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and later took a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
ship at the Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
Stern Conservatory
Stern conservatory
The Stern Conservatory was a private music school in Berlin with many notable tutors and alumni.-History:It was originally founded in 1850 as the Berliner Musikschule by Julius Stern, Theodor Kullak and Adolf Bernhard Marx. Kullak withdrew from the conservatory in 1855 in order to create a new...
. Young Saperton also attended masterclasses
Master class
A master class is a class given to students of a particular discipline by an expert of that discipline—usually music, but also painting, drama, or any of the arts....
of Ferruccio Busoni
Ferruccio Busoni
Ferruccio Busoni was an Italian composer, pianist, editor, writer, piano and composition teacher, and conductor.-Biography:...
and may have had some lessons with Rafael Joseffy
Rafael Joseffy
Rafael Joseffy was a Hungarian pianist and composer.-Life:Raael Joseffy was born in Hunfalu in 1852. His youth was spent in Miskolcz , and there, at the age of 8, he began his study of the piano. He studied in Budapest with Friedrich Brauer, the teacher of Stephen Heller...
.
His debut was at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House
Metropolitan Opera House (39th St)
The Metropolitan Opera House was an opera house located at 1411 Broadway in New York City. Opened in 1883 and demolished in 1967, it was the first home of the Metropolitan Opera Company.-History:...
where he played Chopin’s Concerto in E minor
Piano Concerto No. 1 (Chopin)
The Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11, is a piano concerto written by Frédéric Chopin in 1830. It was first performed on 11 October of that year, in Warsaw, with the composer as soloist, during one of his "farewell" concerts before leaving Poland....
at the age of fifteen. He played a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
recital
Recital
A recital is a musical performance. It can highlight a single performer, sometimes accompanied by piano, or a performance of the works of a single composer.The invention of the solo piano recital has been attributed to Franz Liszt....
to critical
Music criticism
See also Music journalism for reporting on classical and popular music in the media.The Oxford Companion to Music defines music criticism as 'the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres'. In this...
acclaim a year later at Mendelssohn Hall.
Saperton continued his studies with Spanuth in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, where he appeared in a joint concert with Geraldine Farrar
Geraldine Farrar
Geraldine Farrar was an American soprano opera singer and film actress, noted for her beauty, acting ability, and "the intimate timbre of her voice." She had a large following among young women, who were nicknamed "Gerry-flappers".- Early life and opera career :Farrar was born in Melrose,...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, 1908. In 1909 he performed a large repertoire in 180 cities throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
In 1912 he returned to New York where he played very successful recitals but failed to attract an impresario
Impresario
An impresario is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays or operas; analogous to a film producer in filmmaking, television production and an angel investor in business...
. In 1915 he played a series of six recitals at Aeolian Hall
Aeolian Hall (New York)
Aeolian Hall was a concert hall near Times Square in Midtown Manhattan, New York City located on the third floor of 29-33 West 42nd Street across the street from Bryant Park. The Aeolian Building was built in 1912 for the Aeolian Company, which manufactured pianos...
including major works by Szymanowski, Liszt
Liszt
Liszt is a Hungarian surname. Notable persons with that surname include:* Franz Liszt , Hungarian composer and pianist* Adam Liszt , father of Franz Liszt* Anna Liszt , mother of Franz Liszt...
, Brahms, Beethoven, Schumann
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
, Chopin, and others. After appearing in all major American cities on a tour in 1917–1918, he withdrew into private life.
Saperton married Godowsky’s daughter, Vanita, sister of silent movie
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
star
Movie star
A movie star is a celebrity who is well-known, or famous, for his or her starring, or leading, roles in motion pictures. The term may also apply to an actor or actress who is recognized as a marketable commodity and whose name is used to promote a movie in trailers and posters...
Dagmar Godowsky
Dagmar Godowsky
Dagmar Godowsky was an American silent film actress born to Polish Jewish parents in Vilna, Lithuania. She was the daughter of the notable pianist and composer Leopold Godowsky.-Silent film actress:...
, in 1924 and began to immerse in the study of his father-in-law’s difficult piano works including all the transcription
Transcription (music)
In music, transcription can mean notating a piece or a sound which was previously unnotated, as, for example, an improvised jazz solo. Further examples include ethnomusicological notation of oral traditions of folk music, such as Béla Bartók's and Ralph Vaughan Williams' collections of the national...
s. Godowsky also introduced Saperton to Josef Hofman and the Curtis Institute where he taught a number of famous pianists before he was fired. He shifted the emphasis of his career from performing
Performance
A performance, in performing arts, generally comprises an event in which a performer or group of performers behave in a particular way for another group of people, the audience. Choral music and ballet are examples. Usually the performers participate in rehearsals beforehand. Afterwards audience...
to teaching and composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
remaining essentially a private teacher
Tutor
A tutor is a person employed in the education of others, either individually or in groups. To tutor is to perform the functions of a tutor.-Teaching assistance:...
in New York where he died, relatively unknown, on July 5, 1970. Pianist Andrew Kraus who studied with Saperton in the last months of his life writes : "Experiencing his playing in the intimacy of his studio was, for me, an initiation into a way of playing the piano that had been lost as well as an introduction to a genre of wonderfully beautiful and interesting music that had fallen out of fashion."
Recordings
In 1940 Saperton recordedSound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
an album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
of Godowsky works for RCA Victor. A subsequent recording of ten Chopin-Godowsky studies was never released because RCA contributed the brass masters
Master recording
A multitrack recording master tape, disk or computer files on which productions are developed for later mixing, is known as the multi-track master, while the tape, disk or computer files holding a mix is called a mixed master.It is standard practice to make a copy of a master recording, known as...
to be melted down for shell casings
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
to be used in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Saperton’s only extant recording of these studies, issued on the poorly distributed Command Performance label, stem from 1952, when his pianistic prowess was beginning to decline. Together with the complete Chopin Etudes
Études (Chopin)
The Études by Frédéric Chopin are three sets of solo studies for the piano, There are twenty-seven overall, comprising two separate collections of twelve, numbered Opus 10 and 25, and a set of three without opus number.-Composition:...
and other Godowsky works this recording has been reissued by Video Artists International.
Teaching
Saperton had been introduced by his father-in-law Leopold GodowskyLeopold Godowsky
Leopold Godowsky was a famed Polish American pianist, composer, and teacher. One of the most highly regarded performers of his time, he became known for his theories concerning the application of relaxed weight and economy of motion in piano playing, principles later propagated by Godowsky's...
to Josef Hofmann, the Director of the Curtis Institute of Music
Curtis Institute of Music
The Curtis Institute of Music is a conservatory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that offers courses of study leading to a performance Diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in Opera, and Professional Studies Certificate in Opera. According to statistics compiled by U.S...
in Philadelphia, who hired him as an assistant and as a member of the faculty
Faculty (university)
A faculty is a division within a university comprising one subject area, or a number of related subject areas...
in 1924. There he taught many famous pianists such as Jorge Bolet
Jorge Bolet
Jorge Bolet was a Cuban-born but mostly American-resident pianist and teacher.-Life:Bolet was born in Havana, and studied at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he himself taught from 1939 to 1942...
, Shura Cherkassky
Shura Cherkassky
Shura Cherkassky was an American classical pianist known for his performances of the romantic repertoire. His playing was characterized by a virtuoso technique and singing piano tone...
, Sidney Foster, Abbey Simon
Abbey Simon
-Education:Simon began lessons with David Saperton at the age of five. At the age of eight, Simon was accepted by Józef Hofmann as a scholarship student at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where he trained with fellow classmates Jorge Bolet and Sidney Foster. Simon also took lessons...
and Eleanor Sokoloff
Eleanor Sokoloff
Eleanor Sokoloff is an American pianist and famous pedagogue of piano. She is now in her eighth decade of teaching on the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music....
. English critic Bryce Morrison commented on Saperton’s perfectionism as a teacher: "His insistence on nothing less than keyboard perfection from his most gifted student [Bolet] was hectoring and obsessive […] Stung by Saperton's constant criticism and sarcasm Bolet sought refuge in occasional lessons with Godowsky himself, Rosenthal and Hoffmann."
When Hofmann had a falling out with Mrs. Mary Louise Curtis Bok (later Zimbalist)
Mary Louise Curtis Bok Zimbalist
Mary Louise Curtis Bok , was the founder of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. She was the only child of the magazine and newspaper magnate, Cyrus Curtis and Louisa Knapp Curtis, the founder and editor of the Ladies Home Journal...
, the founder and president of the Curtis Institute, Saperton was dismissed from the Institute together with Hofmann.