A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Dulcken, Louise

DULCKEN, Madame Louise, a great pianoforte-player, younger sister of Ferdinand David, born at Hamburg, March 20 [App. p.619 "March 29"], 1811. She was the pupil of Grund, and made her appearance in public at Hamburg as early as her 10th year. In 1823 she played at Berlin, and in 25 with her brother at Leipzig, always with the greatest success. In 1828 she married, and left Germany for London, where she resided for the rest of her life. Her first public appearance here was at one of Mr. Ella's soirees in 1829. At the Philharmonic she played a concerto of Herz's on March 1, 1830, and thenceforward was one of the most prominent features in the music of London. She was an executive pianist of the first order, with remarkable brilliancy of finger. Her intelligence and general capability were very great. She spoke four languages, and was au fait in the literature of Germany, France, Italy, and England. In teaching she was extraordinarily successful, and for her time no teacher could boast so large a number of pupils, at the head of whom was Queen Victoria. In fact she overtasked her strength, and died after a short and severe illness April 12, 1850.

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