FAMOUS COMPOSERS

By HENRY T. FINCK

Author of “Wagner and His Works,” “Success in Music,” “Chopin,” “Grieg and His Music,” etc.

THE MENTOR

SERIAL No. 41

DEPARTMENT OF FINE ARTS

MENTOR GRAVURES

FRÉDÉRIC FRANÇOIS CHOPIN1810-1849
FELIX MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY1809-1847
FRANZ PETER SCHUBERT1797-1828
ROBERT SCHUMANN1810-1856
FRANZ LISZT1811-1886
JOHANNES BRAHMS1833-1897

While it is generally understood that the three great musical countries are Italy, Germany, and France, it must not be forgotten that Poland revolutionized the music of the pianoforte, the most popular and universal of all instruments. That small country looms up very big indeed in the history of the piano. Paderewski, the greatest pianist of our time, and one of the best composers (although his day as such has not yet come), is a Pole, and so is the pianist who ranks next to him, Josef Hofmann. Karl Tausig, in his day, was a piano giant; while three other Poles are well known to all music-lovers of our time,—Moszkowski and the Scharwenka brothers, all of them composers for the same instrument.