A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Pachmann, Vladimir de

PACHMANN, Vladimir de, born at Odessa, July 27, 1848. His father was a professor in the University there, and an amateur violinist of considerable celebrity. Before taking up his residence in Russia, he had lived in Vienna, where he came in contact frequently with Beethoven, Weber, and other great musicians of the time. He was his son's teacher, and ultimately sent him, at the age of 18, to the Conservatorium of Vienna, where he remained two years under Professor Dachs. He obtained the gold medal, and returned to Russia in 1869, when he made his first appearance as a pianist, giving a series of concerts which were very successful, although the young artist was not contented with his own performances. He refused to appear again for eight years, during which time he engaged in hard study. At the end of this long period of probation, he played at Leipzig, Berlin, and elsewhere, but again he was his own severest critic, and after a time he once more retired for two years. Being at last satisfied with his own achievements, he gave three concerts in Vienna, and subsequently three in Paris, and was uniformly successful. On May 20, 1882, he appeared in London at one of Mr. Ganz's orchestral concerts, playing the E♭ Concerto of Beethoven, and achieving a brilliant success. Since this time he has occupied a very high position in the estimation of musicians and the public. He has played in all the principal cities of Europe, and when in Copenhagen received the rank of Chevalier of the illustrious order of Dannebrog. Although his individuality is too strong and too little under control to allow of his being considered a perfect player of concerted music, yet as a solo player, more especially of the works of Chopin, he is justly and unreservedly admired. In April 1884 he married his pupil, Miss Maggie Okey, who had attained very considerable success as a pianist. She reappeared at a Crystal Palace Concert on Nov. 26, 1887, in Schumann's Concerto.

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