Joseph Ascher (1829 – 1869) was a Dutch-Jewish
composer and pianist. He lived in Paris and London for
most of his life. He was born in Groningen, the son of
the chazzan of the city, who went on to become a cantor
in London. He started his musical studies in London and
continued them at the Leipzig Conservatory with Ignaz
Moscheles as his teacher, but did not graduate.
His pianistic gifts were recognized by the Empress
Eugénie of France, who asked him to become her court
pianist in 18...(+)
Joseph Ascher (1829 – 1869) was a Dutch-Jewish
composer and pianist. He lived in Paris and London for
most of his life. He was born in Groningen, the son of
the chazzan of the city, who went on to become a cantor
in London. He started his musical studies in London and
continued them at the Leipzig Conservatory with Ignaz
Moscheles as his teacher, but did not graduate.
His pianistic gifts were recognized by the Empress
Eugénie of France, who asked him to become her court
pianist in 1849. In 1865, Ascher moved back to London,
while in Paris he was succeeded as court pianist by
Émile Waldteufel. He died in London from the result of
what some 19th-century sources call "a dissolute life".
Brown (1886) regarded him as a "composer who, had he
been more careful in his worldly relations, might have
proved one of the greatest among recent musicians."
Ascher composed about 170 works for piano, piano four-
and eight-hands, as well as ballads and display pieces
for solo singers with piano accompaniment. Brown (1886)
wrote: "his music is more than commonplace, and many of
his single pieces evince genius of a decidedly original
turn. The numerous pieces which he has produced for the
piano are in general brilliant and effective in
character; while several of them show tokens of real
genius inspiration."
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Ascher).
Although originally written for Solo Piano, I created
this Interpretation of the "La Cascade de Roses" (Opus
80) for Concert (Pedal) Harp.
