Felix Blumenfeld

Short bio Felix Blumenfeld

Birthday: 1863 in Kovalyovka, South Ukraine

Died: 1931 in Moscow, Russia

Active: 1890s - 1920s

Genre: Classical

Period: Modern

Full biography Felix Blumenfeld

Felix Blumenfeld (1863-1931) was a Russian composer, conductor, and pianist who studied under Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. He is best known for his works for solo piano, including his 24 Preludes Op.17 and Piano Etudes, which showcase his virtuosic and expressive style. Despite his popularity during his lifetime, many of his works were later forgotten. Blumenfeld's piano music is undeniably influenced by Chopin, though he also drew inspiration from other composers such as Adolf von Henselt and Mily Balakirev.

In addition to his work as a composer, Blumenfeld was also a talented conductor, leading many prominent orchestras in Russia and serving as the conductor of the Mariinsky Theatre from 1911 to 1917. He was known for his passionate and energetic conducting style. Outside of music, Blumenfeld was a dedicated nutrition fanatic and wrote about health and fitness.

Blumenfeld's influence on the world of music extended beyond his own compositions and performances. He mentored many young musicians, including Sergei Rachmaninoff and Vladimir Horowitz, who both considered Blumenfeld a significant influence on their development as pianists. While his own works may have been overshadowed by those of his peers, Blumenfeld's contributions to the Russian music scene were essential, and his legacy continues to be felt today.

Compositions featuring Felix Blumenfeld

#	Name	Duration	Genre	Year
1	Sonata-Fantasia, for piano, Op. 46	22:05 min	Keyboard	1913
2	Impromptu for piano in A flat major, Op. 45/2	3:11 min	Keyboard	1912
3	Impromptu for piano in F sharp minor, Op. 45/1	3:37 min	Keyboard	1912
4	Morceaux (2) for piano, Op. 37	9:36 min	Keyboard	1905
5	Etude for piano (left hand), Op. 36	4:40 min	Keyboard	1905
6	Impromptu for piano in B major, Op. 28	2:43 min	Keyboard	1898
7	Moments Lyriques (10) for piano, Op. 27	19:39 min	Keyboard	1898
8	Prelude for piano in B flat minor, Op. 17/16	3:12 min	Keyboard	1892
9	Prelude for piano in E flat minor, Op. 17/14	3:26 min	Keyboard	1892
10	Prelude for piano in A flat major, Op. 17/17	1:38 min	Keyboard	1892
11	Prelude for piano in A major, Op. 17/7	2:05 min	Keyboard	1892
12	Prelude for piano in A minor, Op. 17/2	1:51 min	Keyboard	1892
13	Prelude for piano in B flat major, Op. 17/21	2:13 min	Keyboard	1892
14	Prelude for piano in E flat major, Op. 17/19	3:21 min	Keyboard	1892
15	Prelude for piano in B major, Op. 17/11	2:41 min	Keyboard	1892
16	Prelude for piano in B minor, Op. 17/6	1:19 min	Keyboard	1892
17	Prelude for piano in C major, Op. 17/1	2:06 min	Keyboard	1892
18	Prelude for piano in C minor, Op. 17/20	1:09 min	Keyboard	1892
19	Prelude for piano in C sharp minor, Op. 17/10	2:52 min	Keyboard	1892
20	Prelude for piano in D flat major, Op. 17/15	2:56 min	Keyboard	1892
21	Prelude for piano in D major, Op. 17/5	2:06 min	Keyboard	1892
22	Prelude for piano in D minor, Op. 17/24	1:17 min	Keyboard	1892
23	Prelude for piano in E major, Op. 17/9	1:40 min	Keyboard	1892
24	Prelude for piano in G sharp minor, Op. 17/12	1:39 min	Keyboard	1892
25	Prelude for piano in G minor, Op. 17/22	1:38 min	Keyboard	1892
26	Prelude for piano in G minor, Op. 17/3	0:38 min	Keyboard	1892
27	Prelude for piano in F sharp minor, Op. 17/8	1:16 min	Keyboard	1892
28	Prelude for piano in F sharp major, Op. 17/13	2:27 min	Keyboard	1892
29	Prelude for piano in F major, Op. 17/23	1:06 min	Keyboard	1892
30	Prelude for piano in E minor, Op. 17/4	3:13 min	Keyboard	1892
31	Prelude for piano in F minor, Op. 17/18	2:35 min	Keyboard	1892
32	Prelude for piano in E major, Op. 12/2	1:48 min	Keyboard	1890
33	Impromptu for piano in G flat major, Op. 13/2	1:59 min	Keyboard	1890
34	Prelude for piano in G major, Op. 12/1	1:12 min	Keyboard	1890
35	Impromptu for piano in A flat major, Op. 13/1	5:10 min	Keyboard	1890
36	Prelude for piano in D major, Op. 12/4	1:15 min	Keyboard	1890
37	Prelude for piano in C sharp major, Op. 12/3	1:26 min	Keyboard	1890
38	Allegro de concert for piano & orchestra in A major, Op. 7	14:01 min	Concerto	1889
39	Nocturnes (2) for piano, Op. 6	13:34 min	Keyboard	1887
40	Souvenir douloureux, for piano, Op. 2/2	3:46 min	Keyboard	1883
41	Variations on a Russian Folk Song, for string quartet (collective compositon with Glazunov, Sokolov, et al)	0:58 min	Chamber Music	-
42	Variations caracteristiques, for piano, Op. 8	16:00 min	Keyboard	-
43	Valse-Impromptu for piano in A flat major, Op. 16	3:26 min	Keyboard	-
44	Valse-Etude for piano in F major, Op. 4	4:52 min	Keyboard	-
45	Symphony in C minor, Op. 39 ("To the Dear Beloved")	32:48 min	Symphony	-
46	Suite Polonaise, for piano, Op. 23	14:14 min	Keyboard	-
47	String Quartet F major, Op. 26	27:14 min	Chamber Music	-
48	Sarabande for string quartet in G minor (for collaborative work "Les Vendredis," Book 1, No. 8)	4:05 min	Chamber Music	-
49	Etude for piano in D flat major, Op. 3/1	5:13 min	Keyboard	-
50	Caprissioso, for cello & piano, Op. 19/2	2:26 min	Chamber Music	-
51	Danse, for piano, Op. 53/1	2:27 min	Keyboard	-
52	Elegy, for cello & piano, Op. 19/1	2:37 min	Chamber Music	-
53	Etude "Sur mer," for piano, Op. 14	4:58 min	Keyboard	-
54	Etude de concert, for piano in F sharp minor, Op. 24	5:05 min	Keyboard	-
55	Etude for piaino in A major, Op. 2/1	2:05 min	Keyboard	-
56	Etude for piano in A major, Op. 29/2	1:43 min	Keyboard	-
57	Etude for piano in A minor, Op. 3/3	2:44 min	Keyboard	-
58	Etude for piano in A minor, Op. 44/4	2:14 min	Keyboard	-
59	Etude for piano in C major, Op. 31/1	2:44 min	Keyboard	-
60	Nocturne-Fantaisie, for piano, Op. 20	9:52 min	Keyboard	-
61	Etude for piano in D flat major, Op. 44/2	3:20 min	Keyboard	-
62	Etude for piano in D major, Op. 29/1	1:24 min	Keyboard	-
63	Etude for piano in E minor, Op. 3/2	2:04 min	Keyboard	-
64	Etude for piano in E minor, Op. 44/3	3:46 min	Keyboard	-
65	Etude for piano in F sharp major, Op. 54	2:04 min	Keyboard	-
66	Etude for piano in G flat major, Op. 44/1	1:40 min	Keyboard	-
67	Etude-Fantaisie for piano in E flat minor, Op. 25/2	6:33 min	Keyboard	-
68	Etude-Fantaisie for piano in F minor, Op. 48	8:59 min	Miscellaneous (Classical)	-
69	Etude-Fantaisie for piano in G minor, Op. 25/1	7:56 min	Keyboard	-
70	Lyric Fragments (2), for piano, Op. 47	2:51 min	Keyboard	-

Albums featuring Felix Blumenfeld

#	Name album	Year	Music label
1	Felix Blumenfeld, Karl-Andreas Kolly – Piano Music(SACD, Hybrid, Multichannel, Stereo, Album)	2018	MDG
2	Szymanowski Quartet, Artcibouchev \| Blumenfeld \| Borodin \| Glazunov \| Kopylov \| Lyadov \| D'Osten-Sacken \| Rimsky-Korsakov \| Sokolov \| Vītols – Les Vendredis (Collection Of Pieces For String Quartet From Belaieff's Friday Concerts)(CD, Compilation)	2017	SWR Classic
3	Felix Blumenfeld, Jonathan Powell (2) – Episodes In The Life Of A Dancer (And Other Piano Works)(CD, Album)	2011	Convivium Records
4	Nápravník, Blumenfeld, Evgeny Soifertis, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Titov – Concerto Symphonique, Op 27 / Fantaisie Russe, Op 39 / Allegro De Concert, Op 7	2005	Hyperion
5	Felix Blumenfeld, Philip Thomson – Preludes & Impromptus(CD, Stereo)	2000	Ivory Classics
6	Simon Barere - Liszt · Balakirev · Glazunov · Blumenfeld · Schumann · Chopin – Simon Barere(CD, Mono)	1998	Pearl
7	Blumenfeld, Banshchikov, Shebalin – Blumenfeld: Symphony in C Minor, Shebalin: Violin Concerto, Banshchikov: Duodecimet(CD, Compilation)	1995	Russian Disc (3)
8	Felix Mikhailovich Blumenfeld, Daniel Blumenthal – Complete Piano Etudes(CD, Album, Stereo)	1994	Marco Polo
9	Leon Fleisher - Bach / Brahms · Scriabin · Strauß / Godowsky · Saint-Saëns · Saxton · Takács · Blumenfeld – Leon Fleischer: Recital	1993	Sony Classical
10	Simon Barere - Rachmaninov · Balakirev · Blumenfeld · Glazunov · Godowsky · Scriabin · J.S. Bach · Schumann · Weber – Simon Barere At The Carnegie Hall - Volume Two(2×CD, Mono)	1989	apr
11	Blumenfeld • Borodin • Debussy • Enescu • Godowsky • Liszt • Rachmaninoff • Scmitt - Arnold Schalker – Glockeninspirierte Klaviermusik(LP, Album)	1987	Tudor
12	C. Debussy, A. Liadov, F. Blumenfeld, A. Scriabin, S. Prokofiev - Vladimir Sofronitsky – Sofronitsky Plays	1965	Мелодия
13	С. Ляпунов / А. Лядов / Ф. Блуменфельд - Борис Жилинский – Былина. Лезгинка / Прелюдии / Вальс / Концертный Этюд	1961	Аккорд
14	Simon Barere, Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff, Felix Blumenfeld, Mily Balakirev, Robert Schumann, Franz Liszt – Farewell(LP, Album, Mono)	1953	Remington Records, Inc.
15	Simon Barere , Pianist - Rachmaninoff, Blumenfeld, Balakireff, Schumann, Liszt – Simon Barere Farewell(LP, Compilation, Mono)	1953	Remington
16	Simon Barère - Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Blumenfeld, Balakireff – Pièces Pour Piano(LP)	-	Concerteum