Henselt, Adolf von

▪ German musician

born May 9, 1814, Schwabach, Bavaria

died Oct. 10, 1889, Warmbrunn, Silesia, Ger.

      German pianist and composer, considered to be one of the greatest virtuosos of his time.

      Henselt studied piano with Johann Hummel in Weimar and theory with Simon Sechter in Vienna. Following a concert tour in Germany (1836–37), he moved to St. Petersburg, where he became court pianist and an important teacher. He visited England in 1852 and 1867, but played only in private.

      Henselt performed rarely in public. Mendelssohn declared that his specialty was “playing widespread chords, and that he went on all day stretching his fingers over arpeggios played prestissimo.” As a pianist, Henselt is generally regarded as an important link between Hummel and Liszt. His compositions were mainly for piano, including a piano concerto, two sets of études, and a number of salon pieces. Although virtuosic in style, they do contain musical value.

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