HAROLD VICTOR BAUER (KINGSTON,
ENGLAND, 28 APRIL, 1873 – MIAMI, FLORIDA, 12 MARCH, 1951)
His father
was a German violinist and his mother was English. He took up the study of the
violin under the direction of his father and Adolf Pollitzer. He made his debut
as a violinist in London in 1883, and for nine years toured England. In 1892,
however, he went to Paris and studied the piano under Ignacy Jan Paderewski for
a year, though still maintaining his interest in the violin. An anecdote
reports that Paderewski jokingly told Bauer to concentrate on the piano because
“You have such beautiful hair”. In 1893, in Paris, he and Achille Rivarde
premiered Frederick Delius’s Violin Sonata in B major. During 1893-94 he
travelled all through Russia accompanying the noted soprano Mademoiselle Nikita
and giving piano recitals and concerts, after which he returned to Paris.
Further recitals in the French capital brought him renown, and he almost
immediately received engagements in France, Germany and Spain. His reputation
was rapidly enhanced by these performances, and his field of operation extended
through the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, England, Scandinavia and the
United States. In 1900, Harold Bauer made his debut in America with the Boston
Symphony Orchestra, performing the U.S. premiere of Johannes Brahms’ Piano
Concerto No.1 in D minor. On 18 December 1908, he gave the world premiere
performance of Claude Debussy’s piano suite Children’s Corner in Paris. After
that he settled in the United States, and was a founder of the Beethoven
Association. Between 1915 and 1929 he recorded over 100 pieces for the Duo-Art
and Ampico reproducing pianos, one of the most prolific virtuoso pianists in
this medium of his era. Harold Bauer was also an influential teacher and
editor, heading the Piano Department at the well known Manhattan School of
Music. Starting in 1941, Bauer taught winter master classes at the University
of Miami and served as a Visiting Professor at the University of Hartford Hartt
School of Music with Maestro and Founder – Moshe Paranov and head of the Piano
Department – Raymond Hanson, from 1946 until his death in 1951. Harold’s sister
Ethel Bauer was also a concert pianist active in London. Harold was married
twice. He had been married to Marie Knapp (1873–1940) until her death. Sometime
between 1940 and 1943, he married again, to concert pianist, colleague, and
former student Wynne Pyle. He had no children by either marriage.
TRACKLIST
“18th Century Tunes”, No. 5 Dolce far niente (Sweet Idleness) (Bauer)
Duo-Art 7039
Estampes, No. 2 La soirée dans Grénade (Evening in Granada) (Debussy)
Duo-Art 6599
Etude, Op. 10, No. 12, c “Revolutionary” (Chopin) Duo-Art 5627
Etude, Op. 104, Bb – Book II, No. l (Mendelssohn) Duo-Art 6614
Harmonious Blacksmith – Air and Variations (Handel) Duo-Art 6468
Hungarian Dance No. 8, a (Brahms) Duo-Art 5668
Minuet, A (String Quintet, Op. 13, No. 5) (Boccherini – Bauer) Duo-Art
5889
Piano Sonata, Op. 13, c “Pathétique”
lst Mvt. (Beethoven) Duo-Art 5691
Piano Sonata, Op. 13, c “Pathétique” 2nd Mvt. (Beethoven) Duo-Art 5703
Piano Sonata, Op. 13, c “Pathétique” 3rd Mvt. (Beethoven) Duo-Art 5711
Piano Sonata, Op. 57, f “Appassionata” 2nd & 3rd mvts. (Beethoven)
Duo-Art 6080
Piano Sonata, Op. 57, f “Appassionata” lst Mvt. (Beethoven) Duo-Art
6065
Pierrot and Pierrette’s Love Story (Burgmein) (w. Hess) Duo-Art 7069
Polonaise, Op. 26, No. 2, eb (Chopin) Duo-Art 6990
Prelude & Fugue No. 5, D (WTC – Book I, S. 850) (Bach) Duo-Art 5650
String Quartet, Op. 18, #4, c (Beethoven – Bauer) Allegro Duo-Art 506
String Quartet, Op. 18, No. 5 2nd Mvt. (Beethoven – Bauer) Duo-Art 7106
“Paganini” Etude – No. 2, E Andante capriccioso (Liszt) Duo-Art 6005
“Second Fantaisie” Favorite Minuet, d (Schubert) Duo-Art 6212
Canzonetta, Op.12 Eb. (Mendelssohn) Duo-Art 519
Fantasia in c, K. 457 (Mozart) Duo-Art 7073
Nocturne, Op. 15, No. 2, F# (Chopin) Duo-Art 6308
Nocturne, Op. 48, No. l, c (Chopin) Duo-Art 5728
Novellette, Op. 21, No. 2, D (Schumann) Duo-Art 6921
Novellette, Op. 21, No. l, F (Schumann) Duo-Art 5682
Piano Concerto #2, g, Op. 22 – 2nd Mvt. (Saint-Saëns) Duo-Art 5963
Piano Concerto #2, g, Op. 22 – 3rd Mvt. (Saint-Saëns) Duo-Art 5973
Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 22, g – lst Mvt. (Saint-Saëns) Duo-Art 5953
Polonaise, Op. 11, No. l, Eb (Moszkowski) Duo-Art 6094
Scherzo No. 3, Op. 39, c# (Chopin) Duo-Art 6506
Two-Part Inventions, Nos. 1, 6 and 8 (Bach) Duo-Art 6392
Valse triste (Waltz of Sadness) Op. 44, No. 1, g “Kuolema” (Death)
(Sibelius) Duo-Art A-4
Valse, Op. 83, Eb (Durand) Duo-Art 6932

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