Jean Paul Kürsteiner

Jean Paul Kürsteiner (July 8, 1864 in Catskill, New York – March 19, 1943 in Los Angeles, California) was an American pianist, pedagogue, music publisher, and composer of piano pieces and art songs.

Life and musical career Kürsteiner was the son of a French-Swiss father (August Kürsteiner) and an American mother (Jeannie Taylor Woodruff Kürsteiner). His early education was in New York, then he studied music in Leipzig, including composition with Salomon Jadassohn and Richard Hofmann and piano with Johannes Wiedenbach and Robert Teichmüller. He returned to the United States in 1893, settled in New York City and was appointed to the piano and music theory faculty of the Ogontz School for Girls in Philadelphia. He held that position until 1930. Between 1896 and 1906 he also created, developed, and directed a program of piano study at The Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. The singer was known to have performed Kürsteiner's songs on tour, and some of the songs were written for or dedicated to him.

On July 21, 1901, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, In 1938 the Kursteiners moved to Los Angeles, California, where he lived the last years of his life. Twelve years earlier, on November 7, 1916, the New York Times review of contralto Frances Ingram at Aeolian Hall in New York praised for her performances of both Kürsteiner's “Invocation to Eros” and “The Soul’s Victory”.

He is also known to have composed and published choral music. An advertisement in the American Guild of Organists journal The American Organist, Volume, 2, no. 1, January 1920, p. A-4, lists “New Choruses for solo, quartet or chorus, with added solos, duos, trios, and contrasting solo quartet sections." The ad also claims that the choruses are "Intense in Devotional Spirit; adapted to all Creeds—Episcopal, Christian Science, Jewish Synagogues, Baptists, etc., of genuine Melodic Beauty. Letters from Coast to Coast indicate their worth as helps to divine worship". A quote from Musical America Magazine praises one anthem as “One of the most conspicuous numbers of devotional music by a contemporary composer that we know”.

Published Songs Opus, Title, Publisher, Publication date 12/1 I would my song were like a Star; G. Schirmer, 1910 12/2 How very Near; G. Schirmer, 1910 12/3 Lines of a Flame; G. Schirmer, 1910 13/1 Song of Life; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911 13/2 Canticle of Love; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911 13/3 Invocation to Eros (text by Edith A. Pusey); Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911 14/1 Leave Me Not Yet, O Love; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911 14/2 Love, My Queen; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911? 14/3 Night from the Dark World; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911? 14/4 That One Refrain; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911 14/5 Rose of the World; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911 15/1 Morning; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911? 15/2 Of A’ the Airts the Wind can Blaw; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911? 15/3 The Betrothal; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911? 16/1 Awake, My Love; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911? 16/2 His Lullaby; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911? 17/1 My Heart Sings as the Birds Sing; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911 17/2 O Breath of the Golden Day (text by James B. Kenyon); Kürsteiner & Rice, 1912 19 Three Night Songs (text by Martin Schütze); Kürsteiner & Rice, 1912 20/1 If I Were a Raindrop; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1912 20/2 Only a Day for Tears; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1913 24/2 The Salutation of the Dawn (text translated from the Sanskrit); Kürsteiner & Rice, 1915 24/3 The Soul’s Victory (Dramatic); Kürsteiner & Rice, 1916 24/4 Nightfall (Lyric Song); Kürsteiner & Rice, 1916 25/1 Supplication (Religious-Dramatic); Kürsteiner & Rice, 1916 25/2 Hope (Religious-Dramatic); Kürsteiner & Rice, 1916 25/3 Deliverance (Religious-Dramatic); Kürsteiner & Rice, 1916 25/4 Triumphans (Religious-Dramatic); Kürsteiner & Rice, 1917 26/1 Penitence; publisher unknown, nd 26/2 Promise; publisher unknown, nd 26/3 Praise (Lyric-Sacred); Kürsteiner & Rice, 1918 26/4 The Message; publisher unknown, nd 12/4 Serenade; G. Schirmer, 1910

Published Piano Solos Second Nocturne for Piano; G. Schirmer, 1910 Dreams of Myrta; Ladies’ Home Journal magazine, 1910 Bridal Morning Waltz; Ladies’ Home Journal magazine, nd Second Nocture for piano; G. Schirmer/Boston Music Co., 1910 Third Nocturne in A flat; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1911 22/1 La Turquoise Valse in C; unknown publisher, nd Mazourka de Concert; unknown publisher, nd Etude de Concert; unknown publisher, nd Etude Melodique for left hand; unknown publisher, nd Appassionato in D minor; unknown publisher, nd

Published Choral works

25/1a Supplication; publisher unknown, nd 25/2a Hope; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1919 25/3a Deliverance; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1919 26/2a Promise; publisher unknown, nd 26/3a Praise; Kürsteiner & Rice, 1919

Educational Publications Essays on Expert Aid to Artistic Piano Playing, Unz and Co. publisher, New York, 1910s 12 articles on "Artistic Piano Playing" in The Foyer of Philadelphia

Footnotes