Josef Lhévinne
A pianist whose legendary, crystalline technique and concise teachings defined the Russian school of playing for the 20th century.
1874–1944 (age 70)·Russian pianist and teacher·Birthday: December 13·The Gilded Age
Biography
Josef Lhévinne represented the gold standard of Russian pianism. A child prodigy who entered the Moscow Conservatory at nine, he studied under the titan Vasily Safonov and graduated with a gold medal, sharing the honor with his classmate and future wife, Rosina Bessie. While his concert career had brilliant moments—his 1906 American debut with the Russian Symphony Society was a triumph—it was often overshadowed by managerial misfortunes and his own exacting standards. His legacy, however, was cemented in two ways. First, through a handful of breathtaking recordings made in his later years, particularly of Chopin and Schumann, which showcased a seemingly effortless, pearly technique and a poetic clarity that awed even his peers. Second, and equally important, was his role as a master teacher at the Juilliard School alongside Rosina. His small, seminal book, 'Basic Principles in Pianoforte Playing', distilled a lifetime of thought into essential advice on touch, tone, and practice, making him a guiding spirit for generations of pianists who sought the elusive combination of power and grace.
The Gilded Age
1860–1882
Born during or after the Civil War, they built industrial America — the railroads, the steel mills, the first skyscrapers. An era of massive wealth, massive inequality, and the belief that the future belonged to whoever could build it fastest.
Josef was born in 1874, placing them squarely in The Gilded Age. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Josef Was Born
The biggest hits of 1874
Josef's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1874Born
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1879Started school
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
1887Became a teenager
President: Grover Cleveland
1890Could drive
Wounded Knee massacre marks the end of the Indian Wars
President: Benjamin Harrison
1892Could vote
President: Benjamin Harrison
1895Turned 21
First public film screening by the Lumiere brothers
President: Grover Cleveland
1904Turned 30
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1914Turned 40
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1924Turned 50
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1934Turned 60
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1944Turned 70
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
Key Achievements
- Authored the highly influential pedagogical work 'Basic Principles in Pianoforte Playing' (1924), a concise guide to foundational technique.
- Made a series of landmark recordings for RCA Victor in the 1930s that are still studied for their impeccable clarity and control.
- Held a prestigious position on the piano faculty of the Juilliard School in New York for over two decades, teaching many noted pianists.
- Graduated with the Gold Medal from the Moscow Conservatory in 1892, in the same class as his future wife and teaching partner, Rosina.
Did You Know?
He and his wife Rosina were known for performing two-piano repertoire together with extraordinary precision.
His recording of Schumann's 'Arabesque' is often cited as a technical marvel for its even, singing rapid passages.
He was briefly imprisoned in Germany during World War I as an enemy alien.
The legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz considered Lhévinne's technique to be perhaps the greatest of any pianist he had heard.
“The quality of the tone depends upon the quality of the touch, and the quality of the touch depends upon the quality of the thinking behind it.”
