Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition/Thalberg, Sigismond

THALBERG, Sigismond (1812–1871), a celebrated pianist and composer for his instrument, was born at Geneva in 1812 (May 5 or January 7). In 1822 he was taken to Vienna, where, under the watchful care of Count Dietrichstein, his education was completed. There is some doubt as to the masters under whom he studied; but it is certain that he received instruction from Hummel, and perhaps also from Czerny, and that he took lessons in com position from Sechter. He made his first appearance as a pianist at Prince Metternich's in 1826, and published his first composition a Fantasia on Airs from "Euryanthe" in 1828, but it was not until 1830 that he was first fairly introduced to the public, with such brilliant success that from that time forward his only rival was Liszt. In 1834 he was appointed "kammervirtuos" to the emperor of Austria. He first appeared in Paris in 1837; and in 1838 he came to England, astonishing his hearers with the novel effects produced in his Variations on God Save the Queen, while he charmed them with his delicate touch and the purity of his expression. Thenceforward his career was a succession of triumphs. In order to disprove the popular idea that he could execute no music but his own, he played Beet hoven's Concerto in C minor (op. 37) at the London Wednesday Concerts, held in 1846-47 at Exeter Hall, with a keen intelligence which proved his power of inter preting the works of the great masters to be at least on a level with his wonderful technique. Besides his pianoforte compositions, which are almost innumerable, Thalberg pro duced two operas, Cristina, which proved a complete failure, and Florinda, which fared but little better at Her Majesty's Theatre in 1851. He played in London for the last time in 1863, and afterwards retired to his estate near Naples. He died at Naples, April 27, 1871.