Mark Hambourg

Mark Hambourg recalled his early lessons with the director of the Moscow Conservatory as 'a sort of farce': "What I learned from him was purely nominal! My real teacher during all that time was my father, Professor Michael Hambourg, with whom I learned the whole of the forty-eight Preludes and Fugues of Bach, and ruined my eyesight, but improved my technic and knowledge of music. For there is no grounding, in my opinion, to be compared to the works of Bach, for the young pianist." The preparation Mark received from his father was enough to stir Paderewski when he heard the boy play, for Paderewski immediately organized and subsidized a fund to enable Hambourg to study for four years in Vienna under his own teacher Theodor Leschetizky (1830-1915). Leschetizky had been trained by Carl Czerny, a pupil of Beethoven; he often shared Czerny's comments on Beethoven with his students. Hambourg's years in Vienna were crucial; he remained indebted throughout his life to Leschetizky for having guided him to his fullest artistic potential: "Of course it was from that great teacher, Leschetizky, that I learned most everything, not only pertaining to piano playing, but in regard to every aspect of how to live. As for a pianoforte lesson with him, it was a life experience, if one was capable of understanding what he wanted; and he had a wonderful way of explaining every detail with the utmost precision and care. He was not only marvelous at developing facility and brilliance of execution in his pupils, but also focused his teaching enormously on the quality of sound produced. Everything had to be beautiful and polished, with him, and alive with the right kind of expression and feeling. He never allowed anything to pass his judgment that was dull, monotonous, or harsh in tone production. He used to urge us to go and listen to the great singers, to see how they phrased and brought out melody and cantilena passages, and to take them as our models in this branch of our studies." After a debut in Vienna with Hans Richter, Hambourg became sought after and began years of strenuous touring throughout the world, giving more than 150 concerts a year. His programs drew on an immense repertoire spanning the entire keyboard literature, as Hambourg was fond of works by Bull, Byrd, Purcell, Couperin, and sought out new compositions by Ravel, Falla, and Villa Lobos, often giving their world premieres. During his first visit to Australia in 1895 at age sixteen, Hambourg encountered Edison's cylinder machine: "I used to make use of it to send pieces played by myself as greetings to my parents instead of writing them letters, which I detested doing." In Melbourne, Hambourg met Mark Twain, who soon became a friend. When Twain's daughter, Clara Clemens Gabrilowitsch began studying with Leschetizky in Vienna, the writer held court there. Hambourg recalled: "Mark Twain used to keep open house in Vienna and musicians used to drop in for a meal. They were enormous meals, for artists are always hungry people. One day when I arrived, I heard an extraordinary noise, like a dog howling. I wondered if the animal was in pain and discovered it was Mark Twain singing one of the old Mississippi river songs." 

The twelve year-old Horszowski was studying with Leschetizky in 1904 when Hambourg arrived after a lengthy tour to stay with Leschetizky for ten days, enabling everyone to hear him play daily and at several evening masterclasses, which deeply impressed the young Horszowski. In 1909 Hambourg produced his first phonograph record, placing him amongst the first generation of artists to document their art. While loath to undergo the recording process, which would start with a ringing bell, Hambourg often conveyed a glimpse of the freedom characterizing his public performances. Even more troubling were the imposed tempo modifications needed to fit a given work within the limits of early discs: his performance of Ravel's Ondine, the work's premiere recording, had to be truncated and rushed so as to fit onto a one-sided disc with a maximum playing time of over four minutes. His conception could have been accurately preserved on two 78 rpm sides, yet due to the producer's instructions, this was not permitted. At home, Hambourg practiced daily and enjoyed a lively family life with his wife and four daughters. Michal (1919-) was the one among them to continue with serious music studies, guided by her father's lessons and supervision of her practicing. Following a two-hour afternoon nap, Hambourg would set out for his second home, the Savage Club, where he would meet Benno Moiseiwitsch and other distinguished members for cards. On returning home late for dinner, his wife Dorothea Hambourg would exclaim: "It's half past nine. How can you expect the cook to stay?' Hambourg would sigh, "Ah, Dolushka, my watch said 7:30." Hambourg passed sleepless nights reading Shakespeare, as he suffered from a life-long insomnia. He would often experiment in the kitchen with new recipes and excitedly awaken his wife to have her taste the results.