Josef Proksch

Josef Proksch

Josef Proksch or Joseph Proksch (4 August 1794, Reichenberg (now Liberec) – 20 December 1864, Prague) was a Bohemian-German pianist and composer. His daughter, Marie Proksch, was also a well-known pianist and composer.

Biography

Proksch, who became blind at the age of 13,[1] was a pupil of Jan Antonín Koželuh.[2] In 1830, Proksch opened the Musikbildungsanstalt (Music Academy) in Prague.[2] His teaching method of having several students play simultaneously during piano lessons was continued for over a hundred years. His most famous student was Bedřich Smetana, whom Proksch taught piano and music theory from 1843 to 1847.[2]

Selected works

Besides pedagogical works for piano, Proksch wrote a concerto for three pianos, piano sonatas, masses, and cantatas, and adapted numerous orchestral works to four to eight pianos for use in his lessons.

  • Versuch einer rationellen Lehrmethode im Pianoforte-Spiel – 50 volumes, pedagogical work (1841–1864)
  • Die Kunst des Ensembles im Pianoforte-Spiel – 7 volumes, pedagogical work (1859)

References

  1. ^ Tyrrell, John (2001). New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, vol. 20 (2nd ed.). London: Macmillan Publishers Limited. p. 423. ISBN 1-56159-239-0.
  2. ^ a b c Černušák, Gracián; Štědroň, Bohumír; Nováček, Zdenko, eds. (1963). Československý hudební slovník II. M-Ž (in Czech). Prague: Státní hudební vydavatelství. pp. 376–377.


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