Xaver Scharwenka

Polish-German Romantic Composer and Pianist

Xaver Scharwenka was a notable Polish-German composer, pianist, and teacher who lived during the Romantic era, born on January 6, 1850, in Samter, Prussia (now Szamotuły, Poland), and passed away on December 8, 1924, in Berlin, Germany. He was a contemporary of other Romantic composers and was known for his virtuosic piano playing and his contributions to piano literature. Scharwenka's compositions include four piano concertos, with his Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 32, and Piano Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 82 being particularly admired for their melodic invention and technical demands on the soloist.