Editing Edwin Fischer

{{Short description|Swiss musician (1886–1960)}}
{{for|the American tennis player|Edwin P. Fischer}}
{{No footnotes|date=October 2022}}
[[File:Edwin Fischer (1886–1960) 1946 OeNB 660124.jpg|thumb|Edwin Fischer in the wardrobe of the [[Mozarteum]] before his concert on 7 August 1946]]

'''Edwin Fischer''' (6 October 1886 – 24 January 1960) was a Swiss classical pianist and conductor. He is regarded as one of the great interpreters of [[J.S. Bach]] and [[Mozart]] in the twentieth century.

==Biography==
Fischer was born in [[Basel]] and studied music first there with [[Hans Huber (composer)|Hans Huber]], and later in Berlin at the [[Stern Conservatory]] under [[Martin Krause]]. He first came to prominence as a pianist following [[World War I]]. In 1926, he became conductor of the [[Lübeck]] Musikverein and later conducted in Munich. In 1932, he formed his own chamber orchestra, and was one of the first to be interested in presenting music of the Baroque and Classical periods in a historically accurate way. Although his performances were not historically accurate by present-day standards,{{according to whom|date=August 2019}} they were for his time; e.g., he did conduct Bach and Mozart concertos from the keyboard, an unusual practice at that time.

In 1932, he returned once again to Berlin, succeeding [[Artur Schnabel]] in a teaching role at the [[Berlin Hochschule für Musik]], who had emigrated from Germany because of [[Adolf Hitler's rise to power#Seizure of control (1931–1933)|increasing anti-Semitism]]. In 1942, he moved back to Switzerland, temporarily putting his career on hold through [[World War II]]. After the war he began to perform again, and gave master classes in [[Lucerne]] for a number of later prominent pianists such as [[Alfred Brendel]], [[Helena Sá e Costa]], Mario Feninger, [[Reine Gianoli]], [[Paul Badura-Skoda]] and [[Daniel Barenboim]].

As well as solo recitals, concerto performances and conducting, Fischer performed much [[chamber music]]. Particularly highly regarded was the [[piano trio]] he formed with the cellist [[Enrico Mainardi]] and the violinist [[Georg Kulenkampff]] (who was replaced by [[Wolfgang Schneiderhan (violinist)|Wolfgang Schneiderhan]] after Kulenkampff's death).
[[File:UrnGraveEdwinFischer-FriedhofFriedentalLuzern RomanDeckert18072024-03.jpg|thumb|The grave in 2024.]]
Fischer published a number of books on teaching, and one on the piano sonatas of [[Ludwig van Beethoven]]. He also made a number of recordings, including the first complete recording of Bach's ''[[Well-Tempered Clavier]]'' for [[EMI Records]], recorded on the piano from 1933 to 1936. Fischer's historically important recordings have been reissued on CD by EMI and specialty labels such as [[Appian Publications & Recordings|APR]], [[Music & Arts]], Pearl and [[Testament Records (UK)|Testament]]. Other classic recordings by Fischer include [[Keyboard concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach|Bach keyboard concertos]], miscellaneous solo Bach works such as the [[Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue]], various sonatas by Mozart and Beethoven, Schubert's [[Wanderer Fantasy]] and [[Impromptus (Schubert)|Impromptus]], [[Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven)|Beethoven's "Emperor"]] and [[Piano Concerto No. 2 (Brahms)|Brahms' Second Piano Concerto]], both conducted by [[Wilhelm Furtwängler]], and Mozart concertos K. [[Piano Concerto No. 17 (Mozart)|453]], [[Piano Concerto No. 20 (Mozart)|466]], [[Piano Concerto No. 22 (Mozart)|482]], [[Piano Concerto No. 24 (Mozart)|491]] and [[Piano Concerto No. 25 (Mozart)|503]], the last three conducted by [[John Barbirolli]], [[Lawrance Collingwood]] and [[Josef Krips]] in 1935, 1937 and 1947 respectively.

Fischer also accompanied [[Elisabeth Schwarzkopf]] in a 1950s EMI LP of Schubert Lieder. His last musical collaboration was with the violinist [[Gioconda de Vito]]. During their recording sessions for the [[Johannes Brahms]] [[Violin Sonata No. 1 (Brahms)|first]] and [[Violin Sonata No. 3 (Brahms)|third]] violin sonatas, he had to go to London for medical treatment, where he was told he was seriously ill. He died shortly afterwards in [[Zürich]]. His body was cremated and his ashes buried at the Friedental cemetery in Lucerne.<!--<ref>[http://www.jessicaduchen.co.uk/pdfs/other_pdfs/de_Vito.pdf In Vito Veritas]</ref>-->

==Pupils of Edwin Fischer==
{{For LMST|Edwin|Fischer}}

==Bibliography==
* Fischer, Edwin, ''Musikalische Betrachtungen'', Im Infel 1949 (''Reflections on Music'') (French Edition: ''Considérations sur la musique'', Editions du Coudrier, 1951)
* Fischer, Edwin, ''Ludwig van Beethovens Klaviersonaten: Ein Begleiter für Studierende und Liebhaber'', 1954 (''Beethoven's Piano Sonatas: A Guide for Students and Amateurs'', 1959)
* Fischer, Edwin, ''Johann Sebastian Bach: Eine Studie''
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==References==
{{reflist}}-->

==Sources==
* Bredow, Moritz von. 2012. "Rebellische Pianistin. Das Leben der Grete Sultan zwischen Berlin und New York." (Biography on Edwin Fischer's student, Grete Sultan. Many details referring to Fischer and another student, Katja Andy. In German.). Schott Music, Mainz, Germany.{{ISBN|978-3-7957-0800-9}}
* [[Bernard Gavoty|Gavoty, Bernard]], ''Edwin Fischer'' (in French)
* (collective) ''Dank an Edwin Fischer'', Brockhaus 1962 (''Tribute to Edwin Fischer'')

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091027151317/http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/2192/essays3.html |date=October 27, 2009 |title=Excerpts from two essays by Alfred Brendel on Fischer }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090207042316/http://fischer.hosting.paran.com/music/Fischer/FischerE.htm Youngrok Lee's Classical Music page]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fischer, Edwin}}
[[Category:1886 births]]
[[Category:1960 deaths]]
[[Category:Swiss male conductors (music)]]
[[Category:Swiss classical pianists]]
[[Category:Swiss music educators]]
[[Category:Piano educators]]
[[Category:Musicians from Basel-Stadt]]
[[Category:20th-century Swiss conductors (music)]]
[[Category:20th-century Swiss classical pianists]]
[[Category:20th-century Swiss male musicians]]
[[Category:Music & Arts artists]]