Musical Instruments

Alide Topp

Alide Topp (22 April 1844 – 7 July 1935) was a German pianist and a representative of the New German School. A protégée of Hans von Bülow, she gained early recognition in Germany for her technical virtuosity and her interpretations of the works of Franz Liszt, who described her playing as a "marvel". Topp served as a court pianist to Constantine, Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen, before embarking on a successful concert tour of the United States from 1867 to 1870. During her years in the US, Topp became a pioneer of the classical piano recital, performing the New York premiere of Liszt's Fantasy on Motifs from Beethoven's Ruins of Athens and becoming one of the first pianists to present solo historical concerts. Her career was marked by her close association with Steinway & Sons and by performances under the batons of Theodore Thomas and Carl Bergmann. In 1870, she was received by President Ulysses S. Grant at the White House. Following her return to Germany, she withdrew from public life upon her marriage into the Prussian nobility, though historians noted her influence on the American musical landscape well into the 20th century.

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See also

• ▸Finchcocks
• ▸1735
• ▸James Taylor

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