(Isaac) Ignaz Moscheles (23 May 1794 – 10 March 1870) was a Bohemian composer and piano virtuoso, whose career after his early years was based initially in London, and later at Leipzig.
Moscheles settled in 1808 in Vienna where he was able to study under Albrechtsberger for counterpoint and theory and Salieri for composition. Here he became a close friend of Meyerbeer and their extemporized piano-duets were highly acclaimed. Moscheles was also familiar with Hummel and Kalkbrenner. Among the virtuosi of the 1820s, Hummel, Kalkbrenner, Cramer, Herz and Weber were his most famous rivals.
After his Viennese period there followed for Moscheles a sensational series of European concert tours, but Moscheles found an especially warm welcome in London, where in 1822 he was awarded an honorary membership of the London Academy of Music.
Moscheles never ceased to promote the music of Beethoven (Ignaz developed an early passion for the piano music of Beethoven, then revolutionary) and gave many recitals of his music and often he appeared as a conductor.
Among his 142 opus numbers, Moscheles wrote a number of symphonic works. Apart from an overture, a ballet and a symphony, all are scored for piano and orchestra: eight piano concertos (of which the last has only come down to us in fragmentary form, no orchestral parts having survived)
Ignaz Moscheles - Piano Concerto No. 6 in B flat major, 'Fantastique', Op. 90, Liu Xiao Ming (piano), Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt, Nikos Athinaos (conductor), rewiew by James Manheim : “The piano concerto no. 6 is listed as being in three movements, but the boundaries among them are blurated and actually comes closer to a four-part symphonic form. The work consciously avoids virtuoso display and has an appealing sense of flexibility and engagement with the thematic material.”
