Adolf von Henselt

Praised by both Schumann and Liszt for his piano playing abilities, Henselt had studied with Hummel and Sechter. As an extraordinary pianist and a concert pianist, Henselt gave few performances. By 1836 he had toured Germany and settled in St Petersburg, Russia where he became the court pianist and teacher to the royal children. Known for the import he placed on sustaining wide-spread chords by use of the fingers, Henselt wrote "Dehnunsstudien" strictly for the purpose of stretching the fingers and hands, and training the fingers to work separately. His compositions were piano studies noted for their technical merit. Henselt also composed concertos, duos, and salon pieces. ~ Keith Johnson