Music To Your Ears A look at some of the great, but forgotten, Jewish pianists of the 19th century. Beautifully laundered and finished. ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM ASSOCIATE EDITOR With any 'ncxxning dry cleaning order of 5795 or more. Not valid with any other coupon. Expires 5/396. I refuse to believe this is true, that a mall is now being constructed just out- side Auschwitz? 1 SWEATER CLEANED & PRESSED With any incoming dry cleantig order of 57.95 or more. Not valid with any other coupon. Expires 5/396. When presented with any incoming dry deaning order of $7.95. Coupon must be surrendered when leaving order for processing. With any incoming dry cleaning order of $7.95 or more. Not valid with any other coupon. Expires 5/3/96. When presented with any incoming dry cleaning order of $7.95. Coupon must be surrendered when leaving order for processing. BIRMINGHAM BIRMINGHAM 794 N. Woodward Ave. 608 S. Woodward Ave. 644-6667 642-1660 (4 Blks. N. of Maple) (5 Blks. S. of Maple) SOUTHFIELD 19715 W. 12 Mile (at Evergreen) 643-0807 559-9232 ALASKA 12-Day Golden Princess "2-For-I" THE D ET RO tU Ili Cruise 6hoppe, . A ( 24 * Restrictions apply (810) 932-1188 mitic Richard Wagner expressed admiration for - Tausig, whose Taegliche Studien of chromatic finger exer- cises remains in print and is still used by pi- ano students every- where. Tausig died of typhus in Leipzig in 1871. Aside from his mas- terful playing, the Russian-born Anton Ru- binstein was famous for his looks: he bore an un- canny resemblance to Ludwig van Beethoven. Some even said Rubin- stein must have been Beethoven's illegitimate son (a little improbable considering the fact that Rubinstein was born in 1829, two years after Beethoven's death). Although his parents were apostates, Rubinstein relied on Jewish subjects for many of his operas and oratorios. He had a suc- cessful concert career, touring Europe and America to great acclaim. He died in Moscow in 1894. A: Oh, but it is. Rabbi Avi Weiss of the Coali- tion for Jewish Con- cerns reports that a mall is being built near the gates of the death camp, and that "Polish authorities claim this is a municipal issue and have refused to inter- vene." If you would like to express your view on the project, write or fax Poland's President Kwasnieski, c/o Nami- estnikowski Palace in Warsaw, Fax: 011- 48-22-628-47-01; or Anton Rubinstein's grave in Moscow. Prime Minister W. Cimosaewicz, at A. Ujaz- of his life in France. He had an dowskie 1/3,00-583, Warsaw, extremely successful career Fax 011-48-22-625-26-37; or and traveled widely. On a con- Polish Consul General Sur- cert tour of Mexico, he stayed dykowski in New York, Fax long enough to compose the Mexican national anthem. He (212) 779-3062. died in France in 1888. One of the most successful CI: Recently, Tell Me Why bril- early Jewish pianists was liantly described the lives of no- Sigismund Thalberg. He de- table Jewish violinists of the 19th veloped a novel method of play- 0: Wow, am I excited! I just century. Famous Jewish pianists ing that sounded like he had a heard that Welch's grape juice is ,Also seem all to live in the 20th third hand. Born near Geneva now kosher. Is it true? century (Arthur Rubinstein, in 1812, he travel ed a great deal, and after 1855 he lived in A: Indeed it is! This year saw Vladimir Horowitz, Rudolf Serkin, America for several years. He the introduction of — for the Emil Gilels, Myra Hess, Misha was a contemporary of Franz first time ever, anywhere in Dichter, Leon Fleisher, Murray Liszt, and many scholars re- the world — 0-U certified Perahia, etc.). Were there any gard Thalberg and Liszt the Welch's grape juice. The 100-percent Concord great Jewish pianists in earlier greatest piano virtuosos of the 19th century. Thalberg com- grape juice also is kosher for centuries? posed numerous piano pieces, Passover. A: There were several, al- as well as two operas though only a musicologist or and other works, all an extraordinarily devoted now forgotten. He music lover would recognize died near Naples in their names. How many times 1871. If any of the early have you heard of Charles Henri Valentin Alkan or Otto Jewish pianists comes close to hav- Bendix? Probably the first Jewish ing made a lasting master of the keyboard was Ig- impression on histo- naz Moscheles, born in Prague ry, it is Carl Tausig. in 1794. As mentioned in a pre- Born in Warsaw in vious — and equally fascinat- 1841, he played in a ing — Tell Me Why, he was a grand, impassioned student of Mozart's rival, An- manner. He had tonio Salieri. After several great technical years as a successful concert dexterity, an amaz- pianist, Moscheles responded ing music memory to the invitation of his former and phenomenal student, Felix Mendelssohn, endurance. His Have a drink! to teach piano at the Leipzig teacher, Franz Liszt, said Conservatory. He died there in Tausig had "fingers of steel." Send questions to "Tell Me Why" He was regarded the most gi c/o The Jewish News, 27676 1870. Henri Herz was born in Vi- ed of the first generation of Franklin Rd., Southfield, MI enna in 1802, but spent most Liszt pupils. Even the anti-Se- 48034 or send fax to 354-6069.