Louis Plaidy Explained

Louis Plaidy
Birth Date:	28 November 1810
Birth Place:	Hubertusburg, Saxony
Death Place:	Grimma, Saxony
Nationality:	German
Occupation:	Piano pedagogue
Notable Works:	German: Technische Studien: für das Pianofortespiel

Louis Plaidy (28 November 1810 – 3 March 1874) was a celebrated German piano pedagogue and compiler of books of technical music studies.^[1]

Life

Born in Hubertusburg, Saxony, Plaidy initially focused on the violin, and toured as a concert violinist, but he later studied the piano, particularly the technical aspects of playing. Plaidy was renowned for his ability to impart technical skills to his students.^[2]

In 1843, Felix Mendelssohn invited Plaidy to join the faculty of the Leipzig Conservatory to teach the piano. The Conservatory attracted many international students, including the original directors of the Oberlin Conservatory (founded in 1867 in Ohio, US), who went on to use Plaidy's piano methods.^[3] Plaidy was Edvard Grieg's first piano teacher at the Conservatory, although Grieg found Plaidy's style of teaching uninspiring.^[4] Plaidy remained at the Conservatory until 1865, when he went on to teach piano students privately.

Plaidy published a book on piano pedagogy, German: Technische Studien für das Pianofortespiel, which was highly thought of and is still used today,^[2] and a pamphlet, German: Der Klavierlehrer, said to be of little worth.^{[5] [6]}

He died in Grimma, Saxony, aged 63.

Notable students

See also: Louis.

Plaidy's notable students included:

• Dudley Buck, American composer.^[7]
• Hans von Bülow, German conductor, virtuoso pianist, and composer.^[8]
• Frederic Hymen Cowen, British composer.
• Gustave Gagnon, Canadian organist and composer.^[9]
• Frederick Grant Gleason, American composer and director of the Chicago Conservatory.^[10]
• Edvard Grieg, Norwegian composer and pianist.^[11]
• Leoš Janáček, Czech composer.^[12]
• Michael Maybrick, English singer and composer.^[13]
• James Cutler Dunn Parker, American organist, educator and composer.^[14]
• Oscar Paul
• Julius Röntgen, German-Dutch composer.^[15]
• Ernst Rudorff, German composer.^[16]
• Samuel Sanford
• Gustav Schreck, German composer.^[17]
• Arthur Sullivan, English composer.^[18]
• Franklin Taylor, English pianist and piano pedagogue^[19]

Works

• Book: Technische Studien: für das Pianofortespiel. 1868. Breitkopf & Härtel. Leipzig. de.
• Book: Der Klavierlehrer. 1874. Breitkopf & Härtel. The piano teacher. Leipzig. de.

Notes and References

1. Book: Bache. Constance. Brother Musicians: Reminiscences of Edward and Walter Bache. 1901. Methuen & Company. London. 87.
2. Book: Dubal. David. The Art of the Piano: Its Performers, Literature, and Recordings. registration. 2004. Amadeus Press. Pompton Plains, N.J.. 9781574670882. 275. 3rd. Louis Plaidy.
3. Book: Parakilas. James. Piano Roles: A New History of the Piano. 2002. Yale Press. 9780300093063. 126. The piano lesson. https://archive.org/details/pianorolesnewhis00para/page/126.
4. Book: Johansen. David Monrad. Edvard Grieg. 1938. Princeton University Press. 35. en.
5. Book: Riemann. Hugo. Shedlock. J.S.. Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Music. 1908. Theo. Presser. Philadelphia, PA.
6. Book: Eschmann. Johann Carl. J. C. Eschmann's Wegweiser durch die Klavier-Litteratur. 1900. Gebruder Hug & Co.. Leipzig. 10. 5th. de.
7. Book: Orr. N. Lee. Dudley Buck. 2008. University of Illinois Press. Urbana. 9780252032790. 6. Chapter 1. Beginnings.
8. Book: Randel. Don Michael. The Harvard biographical dictionary of music. 1996. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. Cambridge, Mass.. 978-0-674-37299-3. 117.
9. Web site: Brassard. François. Smith. Gordon E.. Ménard. Denise. Gustave Gagnon. The Canadian Encyclopedia. 2018-01-21. 15 December 2013.
10. Book: Howe. Granville L.. Mathews. William Smythe Babcock. A Hundred Years of Music in America. 1889. G.L. Howe. 698. Frederick Grant Gleason.
11. Book: Carley. Lionel. Edvard Grieg in England. 2006. Boydell Press. Woodbridge. 9781843832072. 9. Chapter 2: The Leipzig student and some English Contemporaries.
12. Book: Tyrrell. John. Janacek: Years of a Life (1854-1914): The Lonely Blackbird. 1. 2011. Faber & Faber. 9780571261130. . Musical studies: Leipzig 1879–80.
13. Book: Pyle. Ingram A.. Book Notes: A Monthly Literary Magazine and Review of New Books. 6. 1901. Siegel-Cooper. 488. Music and musicians. The composer of "The Holy City" and "The Star of Bethlehem".
14. Book: Lahee. Henry Charles. The Organ and Its Masters. 1903. L. C. Page. 251. Chapter X: American organists.
15. Book: Hartog. Jacques. The Musiclovers Calendar. 1. 1. December 1905. Musiclovers Company. Boston. 24. Julius Röntgen.
16. Book: Clive. Peter. Brahms and His World A Biographical Dictionary. 2006. Scarecrow Press. Lanham. 9781461722809. 377. Rudorff, Ernst (Friedrich Karl).
17. Book: Mason. Daniel Gregory. The art of music : a comprehensive library of information for music lovers and musicians. 12. 1917. 3026244. National Society of Music. New York. 167.
18. Book: Ainger. Michael. Gilbert and Sullivan : a dual biography. 2002. Oxford University Press. New York. 978-0-19-514769-8. 37. Chapter Three. 1858-1862. Sullivan at Leipzig; Gilbert at Law.
19. Encyclopedia: 2001 . Taylor, Franklin . Grove Music Online. . 10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.27588. George Grove, revised by Jean Mary Allan .