Nearly 25 years after his passing, Vladimir Horowitz remains a divisive figure in the world of classical music. Sviatoslav Richter famously described him as a “great pianist, trivial mind,” echoing Arthur Rubinstein’s mixed sentiments about his former friend and rival. While Rubinstein acknowledged Horowitz’s superior piano skills, he found him personally unremarkable, describing him as “a curious combination of arrogance and stupidity.” Even Grove’s Dictionary concluded, “Horowitz illustrates that an astounding instrumental gift carries no guarantee of musical understanding.”
When Horowitz passed away on November 5, 1989, in New York at 85, obituaries were filled with superlatives. The Times called him a “legendary figure at the piano,” with some even considering him “the greatest pianist of all time, including those they never heard.” The New York Times hailed him as an “eccentric virtuoso of the piano whose extraordinary personality and skill overwhelmed six decades of concert audiences.” The Daily Telegraph highlighted his “phenomenal virtuosity, mercurial speed and power,” noting his precision, dynamic contrasts, and signature dapper appearance, always accentuated by a striking bow tie. Many tributes referenced critic Neville Cardus’s famous praise: “the greatest pianist alive or dead,” later adding that even this may have been an understatement—”perhaps not positive enough about the pianists still unborn.”
However, every obituary also included a cautionary note—specifically, a warning about Horowitz’s mental health. The Telegraph wrote, “As a result of prolonged efforts to suppress his musical and sexual instincts, he had a severe breakdown in 1936.” His crippling pre-concert anxiety led to psychosomatic disorders. In 1997, Norman Lebrecht wrote that pianists tend to fall into two categories: “eggheads and fruitcakes.” He described Horowitz as “probably the greatest pianist of the 20th century” yet also “certifiably insane,” pointing to his repeated breakdowns and subsequent “retirements” and “comebacks.” Lebrecht also noted Horowitz’s eccentric lifestyle—he lived on steamed fish, never woke before noon, and only performed concerts at 4 PM on Sundays.
Such accounts fuel legends, but Lebrecht had a point. Extraordinary musical genius is often linked to mental struggles. Studies suggest manic depression occurs more frequently among musicians and poets than among sculptors or novelists. Among musicians, pianists seem particularly prone to eccentricities compared to woodwind or string players.
Horowitz was highly strung, neurotic, demanding, and childlike—seemingly incomplete without his piano. The history of classical music is filled with similarly tormented keyboard virtuosos. It’s a Faustian bargain: “I shall make you the greatest pianist in the world in exchange for your personal happiness.” When immense musical gifts are coupled with guilt or self-loathing over one’s identity, the consequences can be tragic, sometimes even leading to suicide. Pianists like Noel Mewton-Wood and Terence Judd serve as cautionary tales.
Horowitz, however, walked a fine line—just like his performances. His playing unleashed a sonority unlike any other pianist, thrilling audiences with raw passion and overwhelming power. His recordings of Liszt’s Vallée d’Obermann, Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6, and Rachmaninov’s Third Piano Concerto (particularly the 1941 live performance with Barbirolli) are proof of this.
Yet Horowitz was far more than just technical fireworks. His range of tonal colors, dynamic control, and touch fascinated fellow pianists, who attended his recitals to witness his artistry firsthand. His masterful pedal technique—especially his use of the soft pedal (una corda)—distinguished him. His unique musical imagination, though sometimes bordering on excess, was undeniable.
Above all, Horowitz’s sound was unmistakable. The term “Horowitzian” became synonymous with a particular style of pianism. Even today, young virtuosos are often (if lazily) labeled “the new Horowitz.” Few pianists have had such an enduring influence on multiple generations. None—whether for better or worse—have been so widely imitated.
A Musical Prodigy from Uncertain Origins
Where did this “Tornado from the Steppes” come from? Born in 1903 (not 1904, as some sources claim), Horowitz’s exact birthplace remains disputed—either Berdichev or Kiev. Even he was uncertain. The youngest of four children, he was raised in a cultured, prosperous family—his father was an electrical engineer, and his mother was a pianist. Within the family, he was affectionately called “Volodya.”
He entered the Kiev Conservatory at nine, but his most significant mentor was Felix Blumenfeld, a former student of Anton Rubinstein, with whom he studied from 1919. As a child and teenager, Horowitz constantly commanded attention due to his prodigious talent.
He disliked competition. His classmate Simon Barere, seven years his senior, was regarded as Blumenfeld’s top pupil. Horowitz later recalled, “He had this extraordinary technique, but that was about all he had… Blumenfeld liked him more than me. I remember I was a little bit jealous.”
Horowitz made his concert debut in Kiev in 1920. By 1925, he had established himself as the leading Russian pianist of his generation, boasting a repertoire of over 200 works. He left the Soviet Union that year to launch an international career—and to avoid military service. His Berlin debut in early 1926 was a triumph, followed by equally sensational concerts in Hamburg.
Having conquered Germany, he moved on to Paris, where he made another unforgettable impression. Until then, Europe had been dominated by the German school of pianism, represented by figures like Schnabel, Backhaus, and Fischer. The arrival of Russian-trained pianists like Rachmaninov and Horowitz introduced a freer, more colorful, and electrifying approach. Pianist Rudolf Firkušný later recalled, “It was a new world—a different approach to the piano. The Horowitz recital in Paris made one of the greatest impressions of my life.”
London, however, was less enthusiastic.
The American Breakthrough
Horowitz’s American debut is legendary. On January 12, 1928, he performed Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto at Carnegie Hall under Sir Thomas Beecham, who was also making his U.S. debut. Tensions arose over tempo disagreements during rehearsals. During the actual performance, Beecham dictated the pacing for the first two movements, but in the finale, Horowitz took over.
“I played the octaves the loudest, the fastest they ever heard in their life,” Horowitz admitted. “I was too fast, I admit it. It was not artistic. It was show-off, pour épater le bourgeois.” Some critics noticed and pointed it out. But most were dazzled.
Even though the performance was chaotic, it left an indelible mark. The New York Times critic Olin Downes wrote, “It stampeded the audience as an audience has seldom been stampeded of late years… It was like a tiger let loose.”
For the next 60 years, Horowitz continued to mesmerize audiences—although he spent 21 of those years away from the stage. By the 1927-28 season, he was already earning around $500 per concert. Even during the Great Depression, when a typical annual salary was $1,000, Horowitz commanded $1,500 per performance. By 1942, his fee had risen to $2,750, and by the mid-1950s, he was earning over $8,000 per concert, making him the highest-paid pianist in the world.
Despite his financial success, personal happiness eluded him. He married Wanda Toscanini, daughter of conductor Arturo Toscanini, in 1933, but their relationship was turbulent. He retired four times due to nervous exhaustion and underwent electroshock therapy for depression in the early 1960s and again in 1973.
Yet through all his struggles, Horowitz remained a singular force in classical music. Whether dazzling audiences with technical wizardry or stirring controversy with his eccentricities, he left an indelible legacy. The world had never seen a pianist quite like him—and likely never will again.
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