Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Feininger, Karl William Frederick

FEININGER, Karl William Frederick, musician, b. in Durlach, Baden, Germany, 31 July, 1844. He came to this country in 1853, was educated at St. Mary's college, Columbia, S. C., and afterward studied music in the conservatory at Leipsic, Germany. He led an orchestra in 1863, and in 1864-'5 served in the National army. He afterward taught music for seventeen years, and in 1874 travelled through Brazil, where he met with success as a violinist. Mr. Feininger has developed a new mode of teaching the piano, “based upon absolute knowledge of human character,” and is the author of numerous orchestral compositions, including overtures, symphonies, and choruses with orchestral accompaniment, besides many English and German songs. He has also composed an unfinished opera, “Die Brüder.” He produced his orchestral compositions with success in Berlin in 1886, those performed at his first concert, 7 Oct., including his “Academische” overture (1866); his “Narciss” overture (1868); a symphony (op. 12), which was highly praised by Franz Liszt (1870); and “Emotive Pictures” (1885).