Emil von Sauer

A cabinet card portrait of Emil Georg Conrad von Sauer (1862-1942), the German composer, pianist, score editor, and music (piano) teacher. He was a pupil of Franz Liszt and one of the most distinguished pianists of his generation. Josef Hofmann called von Sauer ‘a truly great virtuoso.’ Martin Krause, another Liszt pupil, called von Sauer ‘the legitimate heir of Liszt; he has more of his charm and geniality than any other Liszt pupil.’

Sauer was born in Hamburg as Emil Georg Conrad Sauer. He studied with Nikolai Rubinstein at the Moscow Conservatory between 1879 and 1881. On a visit to Italy in 1884 he met the Countess von Sayn-Wittgenstein, who recommended him to her former paramour, Franz Liszt. He went on to study with Liszt for two years, but did not for some time consider himself a Liszt pupil. In an 1895 interview, he even denied it: ‘It is not correct to regard me as a pupil of Liszt, though I stayed with him for a few months. He was then very old, and could not teach me much. My chief teacher has been, undoubtedly, Nicholas Rubinstein.’ In his later years, however, Sauer realized the influence of Liszt on himself and on music in general.

From 1882 Sauer made frequent and successful tours as a virtuoso pianist; his performing career lasted until 1940. He premiered in London in 1894 and New York in 1899. In 1901 he was appointed head of the Meisterschule für Klavierspiel at the Vienna Academy. Sauer left this post in April 1907 but returned to it in 1915.

In 1917, Sauer was raised to the peerage by the Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy, which added the nobiliary particle von to his name. He was also awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Philharmonic Society of London.

Emil von Sauer was married twice. He had two sons by his second wife. He died in Vienna on 27 April 1942, aged 79.

Photographed by H. S. Mendelssohn of London.