A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Stark, Ludwig
STARK, Ludwig, was born at Munich June 19, 1831; was educated at the University there, and learned music in the good school of the Lachners. In 1856 he went to Paris, and after a short residence there removed to Stuttgart, and in conjunction with Lebert, Brachmann, and Laiblin, founded the Stuttgart Music School, which has since become so well known. Among the teachers in the school were Speidel, Faisst, Pischek, Levi, and other well-known names. Dr. Stark's energies have been since that time, continually concentrated on the school, which has flourished accordingly, and in July 1865 was allowed to assume the title of Conservatorium. Among the present teachers are Dionys Pruckner (piano), Edmund Singer (violin), etc. At the end of the 5th half-year, April 15, 1882, the number of professional scholars was 140 (12 English), 44 male and 96 female. But in 1878 the number appears to have reached 222. More than 5000 pupils have been educated in the Conservatorium, of whom 540 were from Great Britain and 436 from America.
A large number of works have been prepared for the use of the students, among which the 'Grosse Klavierschule' of Lebert and Stark, in 4 vols., is conspicuous. Also by the same—'Instruktive Klavierstucke' in 4 grades; 'Jugendbibliothek' and 'Jugendalbum,' each in 12 parts; 'Instruktive klassicher Ausgabe,' of various writers, in 21 vols., by Lebert, Faisst, I. Lachner, Liszt, and Bulow; and many more.
Dr. Stark was made Royal Professor in 1868, and Hon. Dr. Ph. 1873, and has many other distinctions. His latest publication is op. 77, part-songs. [App. p.796 "Add date of death, March 22, 1884."]
Sigmund Lebert, the real founder of the Stuttgart Conservatoire, was born at Ludwigsburg, in Würtemberg, Dec. 12, 1822, and got his musical education from Tomaschek and D. Weber at Prague. He settled in Munich as a pianoforte teacher for some years before he started the music school. He is a very accomplished and successful teacher, though the merit of his system—the percussive one, which often leads to thumping—may be questioned. [App. p.796 "Add that Dr. S. Lebert died in Dec. 1884."]