A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Berger, Ludwig

BERGER, Ludwig, a remarkable pianoforte-player and gifted composer, born at Berlin April 18, 1777, and died there Feb. 16, 1838 [App. p.545 "1839"]. His talent showed itself early, but received its great impulse from the notice taken of him by Clementi at Berlin in 1804, who undertook his tuition, and took him to St. Petersburg. Here he met Steibelt and Field, who had much influence on his playing. In 1812 he visited London, and became widely known as player and teacher. In 1815 he returned to Berlin, where he resided till his death, one of the most esteemed teachers of his time. Mendelssohn was his greatest pupil, but amongst others may be mentioned Taubert, von Herzberg, Henselt, and Fanny Hensel, Mendelssohn's sister. He latterly withdrew almost entirely from active life, owing to an over-fastidious hypochondriacal temper, which interfered much with his intercourse with society, and hindered the display of his remarkable ability as a composer. He left behind him a mass of good, nay even remarkable, music—pianoforte pieces, songs, cantatas, and unfinished operas. Amongst his published works his twenty-seven études are especially mentionable. These have been lately republished by Breitkopf, with a preface by C. Reinecke.

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