Moszkowski, Étincelles

“Étincelles” (French for “Sparks”) is one of the most beloved and frequently performed pieces by the Polish-German composer Moritz Moszkowski (1854-1925). It is the sixth piece in his set of eight piano pieces, Op. 36, published in 1886.

Moszkowski was born in Breslau. (Now in Poland, Breslau was part of Prussia at the time.) In 1865 he went to study in Dresden and, from there, went to Berlin in 1859. Soon after making his performance debut in 1873, he performed his first piano concerto with Franz Liszt playing the orchestra part on the second piano. This endorsement by Liszt would have been a significant boost to Moszkowski’s reputation. He taught for many years at the Berlin Conservatory, and enjoyed considerable success and wealth.

That would not last, however. He moved to Paris in 1897 still wealthy, but made bad investments in Polish and Russian bonds that become worthless after World War I. and was in poverty at the end of his life. Many of the most famous pianists of the time performed in a benefit concert at Carnegie Hall to raise money for him, but apparently the significant funds raised at that event did not reach Moszkowski before his death.

Ignacy Paderewski, who was regrettably unable to participate in the event, said, “After Chopin, Moszkowski best understands how to write for the piano, and his writing embraces the whole gamut of piano technique.”