David Popper

David Popper (June 16, 1843 – August 7, 1913) was a Bohemian cellist and composer.

Life

He was born in Prague, and studied music at the conservatory there. He studied the cello under Julius Goltermann, and soon attracted attention. He made his first tour in 1863; in Germany he was praised by Hans von Bülow (who was also a son-in-law of Franz Liszt), who recommended him to a position as Chamber Virtuoso in the court of Frederick William, Prince of Hohenzollern. He lost this job a couple of years later due to the prince's death. He then made his debut in Vienna in 1867, and was made principal cellist at the Hofoper. In 1872, he married Sophie Menter, a pupil of Franz Liszt who later joined the staff at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. After a few years, Popper resigned from his post at the Hofoper so as to continue his tours with his wife on a larger scale, giving concerts throughout Europe. He was also a member of the Hellmesberger Quartet. From 1896 he taught at the Conservatory at Budapest. He died in Baden. It has been said by cellist Janos Starker (whose teacher was Popper's own pupil) that Popper would run up a substantial bill at a local restaurant. To make up for this, Starker says that he would run home, compose a piece, take it to his publisher and use that money for the bill.

Works

He was a prolific composer of music for his instrument, writing four concertos, a Requiem for three cellos and orchestra (1891) and a number of smaller pieces which are still played today, including the ever-popular cello solo piece Tarantella. His shorter showpieces were written to highlight the unique sound and style native to the cello extending the instrument's range to heights with pieces such as Spinnlied (Spinning Song), Elfentanz (Dance of the Elves), or the Ungarische Rhapsodie (Hungarian Rhapsody). He also wrote instructional pieces. An old edition of the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians described him thus: "His tone is large and full of sentiment; his execution highly finished, and his style classical."

• Op. 3, Scenes From a Masked Ball for cello and piano
  • No. 1, Harlequin-Scene
  • No. 2, [n. d.]
  • No. 3, [n. d.]
  • No. 4, Papillon
  • No. 5, [n. d.]
  • No. 6, [n. d.]
• Op. 5, Romance, for cello and piano
• Op. 8, Concerto No.1 in D Minor, for cello and orchestra
• Op. 10, Pieces for cello and piano
  • No.1, Sarabande
  • No.2, Gavotte, in D Minor
  • No.3, Trio-Pastoral
• Op. 11, Pieces for cello and piano
  • No.1, Widmung
  • No.2, Humoreske
  • No.3, Mazurka in G Minor
• Op. 12, Mazurka in D Minor, for cello and piano
• Op. 14, Polonaise de concert, for cello and piano
  • Chanson d'autrefois, for cello and piano
• Op. 16, Suite for two cellos
  • March for two cellos
• Op. 18, Sérénade orientale, for cello and piano
• Op. 22, Nocturne in G Major, for cello and piano
• Op. 23, Pieces for cello and piano
  • No.1, [n. d.]
  • No.2, Gavotte in D Major
• Op. 24, Concerto No.2 in E Minor, for cello and orchestra
• Op. 27, Preludes for cello solo
  • No. 1, Andante serioso; [n. d.]
• Op. 28, Concert-Polonaise No.2 in F Major, for cello and piano
• Op. 32, Pieces for cello and piano
  • No.1, Nocturne
  • No.2, Mazurka in A Major
• Op. 33, Tarantella, for cello and piano
• Op. 35, Four Mazurkas for cello and piano
• Op. 38, Barcarolle, in G Major for cello and piano
• Op. 39, Dance of the Elves, for cello and piano
• Op. 41, Nocturne, for cello and piano
• Op. 42, Three Nocturnes for cello and piano
• Op. 43, Fantasy on Little Russian Songs, for cello and piano
• Op. 48, Menuetto in D Major, for cello and piano
• Op. 50, Im Walde, Suite for cello and orchestra
  • No.1, Eintritt (Entrance)
  • No.2, Gnomentanz (Gnomes Dance)
  • No.3, Andacht (Devotion)
  • No.4, Reigen (Round Dance)
  • No.5, Herbstblume (Autumn Flower)
  • No.6, Heimkehr (Homecoming)
• Op. 51, Six Mazurkas for cello and piano
• Op. 54, Spanish Dances for cello and piano
  • No.1, Zur Gitarre
  • No.2, Serenade
  • No.3, Spanische Tänze
  • No.4, L'Andalouse
  • No.5, Vito
• Op. 55, Pieces for cello and piano
  • No.1, Spinning Song
  • No.2, Concert Etude
• Op. 59, Concerto No.3 in G Major, for cello and orchestra
• Op. 60, Walzer Suite, for cello and piano
• Op. 62, Pieces for cello and piano
  • No.1, La Mémoire
  • No.2, La Chanson villageoise
  • No.3, La Berceuse
• Op. 64, Pieces for cello and piano
  • No.1, Wie einst in schöner’n tagen (Once in Fairer Days), for cello and piano
  • No.2, Tarantelle, in A Major
  • No.3, Wiegenlied (Spinning Song)
• Op. 65, Pieces for cello and piano
  • No.1, Adagio
  • No.2, Menuetto
  • No.3, Polonaise
• Op. 66, Requiem, for three cellos and piano (originally for three cellos and orchestra)
• Op. 67, Pieces for cello and piano
  • No.1, Largo
  • No.2, Gavotte in D Minor
  • No.3, [n. d.]
  • No.4, Gavotte in D Minor
• Op. 68, Hungarian Rhapsody, for cello and piano
• Op. 69, Suite for cello and piano
  • Largo à l'ancienne mode, for cello and piano
• Op. 71, Scottish Fantasy, for cello and piano
• Op. 72, Concerto No.4 in B Minor, for cello and orchestra
• Op. 73, High School of Cello Playing: Forty Etudes for Cello Solo
• Op. 74, String Quartet in C Minor
• Op. 75, Serenade, for cello and piano
• Op. 76, Studies Preparatory to the High School of Cello Playing
• Op. 76a, Fünfzehntel leichte etüden in der ersten lage

Works with unknown or no opus number

• Cadenzas for cello
  • Haydn, J. Cello Concerto in D Major
  • Saint-Saëns, Concerto Op. 33 in A Minor
  • Volkmann, R., Cello Concerto in A Minor
  • Schumann, R., Cello Concerto Op. 129 in A Minor
  • Molique, B., Cello Concerto in D Major
• Romance in G Major for cello and piano, originally for violin and piano
• Chant du soir, for cello and piano

Arrangements and transcriptions for cello and piano

• Bach, J.S., Arie aus der D-dur Suite
• Chopin, Nocturne, Op 9, No. 2
• Campioni, Minuet Pastoral
• Cherubini, Ave Maria
• Giordani, Caro mio ben
• Handel, Largo; Sarabande
• Jámbor, Nocturne, Op. 8, No. 1
• Jensen, Murmelndes Lüftchen, Op. 21, No. 4
• Mendelssohn, Auf Flügeln des Gesanges; Reiselied, Op. 19, No. 6
• Pergolesi, Nina (Tre giorni)
• Purcell, Aria
• Rubinstein, Mélodie, Op. 3, No. 1
• Schubert, Du bist die Ruh’; Ave Maria, Op. 52, No. 4; Der Neugierige; Sei mir gegrüsst; Litanei auf das Fest “Allerseelen,” An die Musik
• Schumann, Träumerei, Op. 15, No. 7; Abendlied, Op. 85, No. 12; Schlummerlied, Op. 124, No. 16
• Tchaikovsky, Song Without Words, Op 2, No. 3; Chanson triste, Op. 40, No. 2; Barcarolle, Op. 37, No. 6; Perce-Niegre, Op. 37, No. 4; Chant d’automne, Op. 37, No. 10

Popper is also famous for his High School of Cello Playing, a book of cello études that are used almost universally by advanced cello students. North American cellist Dennis Parker (a cellist virtuoso and pedagogue) has recorded all Popper Etudes on DVD entitled The Popper Manifesto - A Do-It Yourself Guide DVD (http://www.sharmusic.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=3043DVD&Cat=)

An example of his cello writing can be seen in this performance of Gavotte No. 2 performed by cellist Julian Lloyd Webber.

External links

• Free scores by David Popper at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)