- Josef Labor
Josef Labor (
June 29 1842 -April 26 1924 ) was apianist ,organist , andcomposer of lateRomantic music . Labor was an influential music teacher. He was important, too, as a friend of some key figures in Vienna.Born in the town of Horowitz in
Bohemia , Labor was left blind bysmallpox at the age of 3. He attended the Institute for the Blind inVienna and the "Konservatorium der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde" (Conservatory of the Society of Friends of Music) where he studied composition with Bruckner’s teacher,Simon Sechter , andpiano with Eduard Pickhert.He toured Europe as a pianist and, in the process, formed a lasting friendship with King Georg V of
Hannover , who was also blind. Georg named him Royal Chamber Pianist in 1865. The following year, the two men settled in Vienna, where Labor began organ lessons and became a teacher, while continuing to compose and perform.In 1904, Labor received the title "Kaiserlich und Königlich Hoforganist" (Royal and Imperial Court Organist) and is today best known for his organ works. Labor took a serious interest in early music and, for example, wrote
continuo elaborations for Heinrich Biber’s sonatas.Labor taught many notable musical personalities including Alma Schindler (who became
Alma Mahler ),Paul Wittgenstein and Arnold Schönberg. Alma Schindler studied with Labor for 6 years, beginning when she was 14, and her diaries contain numerous references to her esteemed teacher.Labor was exceedingly close to the
Wittgenstein family. He attended many musical evenings at the Wittgenstein home with such Viennese musicians of the day asJohannes Brahms ,Clara Schumann ,Gustav Mahler ,Bruno Walter , andRichard Strauss .When the pianist
Paul Wittgenstein lost his right arm inWorld War I , Labor was the first person he asked to write a piece for the left hand. Paul later commissioned works for the left hand from other composers including Strauss,Maurice Ravel ,Benjamin Britten , andSerge Prokofiev . Paul’s brother, the philosopherLudwig Wittgenstein praised Labor as one of "the six truly great composers" along with Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, and Brahms.References
*Program notes by Bonnie H. Campbell for the Cedille Records "Twilight of the Romantics: Chamber Music by Walter Rabl and Josef Labor" (CD 90000 088)
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