Eugen d'Albert

With the exception of a brief period at the New Music School in London, d'Albert developed his musical abilities largely on his own. Liszt, Brahms, and Hanslick provided the chief influences on his artistic outlook. Critics and audiences regarded his performances of Beethoven, Bach, Liszt, and Brahms as models of perfection. Character pieces formed the bulk of his keyboard output, yet he attained his chief success in opera. Both comic and tragic operas issued from his pen, though weak librettos have prevented frequent revivals. Despite living chiefly in Britain, d'Albert continued to regard himself as a German composer.