6 bar autographed musical quotation (6.25” x 7.25”) by the most important Czech pianist of his generation, Prague, January 21, 1901. (Unknown work. Presumably one of his own.)

Hoffmeister (1868-1952) had an extraordinary career, but mainly in the Czech Republic.  His professors included, organists Karel Knittl and Franz Skubersky, pianist Jindrich von Kaan, composers Karel Stecker and Josef Klicka and musicologists Guido Adler and Otakar Hostinsky at the Prague Conservatory.  From 1891 to 1898 he was a Professor of pianoforte at the Laibach (now Ljubljana) Conservatory in Slovenia. In 1898 at the urgency of Dvorak he was appointed Professor of pianoforte, theory and music history at the Prague Conservatory.  From 1920 to 1939 he ran the master classes in pianoforte there,  He was also the Rector of the Conservatory twice.  The most important pedagogue in Prague of his time, he taught numerous pianists, including; Jindrich Jindrichs, Miroslav Klega, Oldrich Kredba, Oskar Morawetz, Josef Palincek, Elena Petrova, Vilem Petrzelka, Frantisek Rauch, Ernst Roth, Karel Rudolf and Otakar Vondrovic.  He also taught conductors Rafael Kubelik, Walter Susskind and composer Jaromir Weinberger.

As a piano virtuoso, he played numerous concerts as a soloist, but was also the pianist of the Czech Trio, which was formed at about the same time as the Bohemian Quartet.  The trio was initially made up of violinist Stepan Suchý, cellist Bedrich Vaska and Hoffmeister.  They formed in 1899 and after a year, cellist Jan Burian took over for Vaska and remained until 1902, when Arthur Beatty took over for their final year together in 1903.  They were part of the Czech Chamber Association with the Bohemian Quartet and played throughout the Czech Republic, Vienna and Budapest.  Their repertoire was heavy on Czech composers, Smetana, Dvorak, Novak, Foerster and Fibich, but they also played works by Schubert, Brahms, Chopin and Saint Saëns.  Several of the works were written for them by the Czech composers.

Hoffmeister, was alsoa  composer for the piano.  He wrote nocturnes, waltzes, rhapsodies, intermezzi and scherzos.  He also wrote songs.  As an author, Hoffmeister was a co-editor of the Prague Conservatory music review from 1907-1918.  In his post as co-editor he wrote musical criticism of his colleague Josef Suk and Leos Janacek’s ’s works, the bowkrs of Brahms and Bach.  He was a prolific author on his own, writing the first major biography of his friend Antonin Dvorak in 1928.  The book translated into English at the time of publication made a case to musical Europe for the inclusion of Dvorak’s name amongst the various great European composers, in particularly Brahms.  His other books included biographies of Smetana and his friend, Viteslav Novak with whom he worked for 50 years.  He also wrote a book entitled 100 Years of the Prague Organ School.  Hoffmeister was the Rector of the Prague Conservatory several times. 

A scarce autograph, crease to right side, does not effect the autograph, or quote.   

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