Faelton, Carl

1846-

Noted pianist and teacher; born at Ilmenau, Thuringia; who has had a long and honorable career in his chosen profession and is the founder of the Faelton Piano School of Boston and author of an original and widely known series of text-books. Faelton was educated at the Latin School at Weimar, and pursued his studies in music at Weimar with Montag and with Schoch at Frankfort till his nineteenth year. While in the latter city, he became a friend of Joachim Raff, whom he had met at Wiesbaden, and that composer had a decided influence upon his career. Later he studied further at Lübeck and at Arnstadt. At Lübeck he met and married Adele Schloesser in 1877. The German military law took Faelton away to serve during the FrancoPrussian War, and when he returned his fingers were so stiff that he had to begin his piano studies all over again. From 1868 he directed an orchestra at Frankfort, and in 1877 when Raff organized his conservatory at Frankfort he chose Faelton as one of his staff. Faelton had charge of the training of teachers and gave lectures on the theory and practice of music. He also appeared throughout Europe in symphony concerts and recitals. After Raff's death Faelton came to America, settling in Baltimore in 1882, and becoming a member of the teaching force at Peabody Institute in that city. From 1885 to 1897 he was connected with the New England Conservatory of Music at Boston, and later succeeded Dr. Eben Tourjee as head of that institution. He resigned in 1897 in favor of George W. Chadwick, and then founded a piano school of his own, of which he has ever since been the director. He has compiled seventeen instruction books, including The Fundamental Training Series and a course for pianists, which includes sixteen numbers, the last being keyboard harmony, published in 1898. He also has written a Technische Ubungen for piano. As a teacher Faelton is highly regarded.