Jaell, Alfred

1832-1882

Austrian virtuoso. Born at Trieste. His father, Eduard Jaell, was a wellknown violinist and conductor of an orchestra in Vienna, and from him Alfred learned to play the violin, proving an infant prodigy. It is said that, at the age of three, he imitated in a wonderful fashion difficult pieces in the style of Ole Bull, whom he had heard play, and, when six, after a short training with his father, he could perform perfectly the concertos by De Beriot, Mayseder and Rode. This wonderful progress was brought abruptly to a close by a severe illness, and, as he was afterward forbidden to use the violin, he turned to the piano for amusement. Through his own efforts he soon became an excellent pianist, appearing when only eleven years old at the San Benedetto Theatre in Venice. This was the beginning of a brilliant career, during which he was almost constantly before the public in various places, playing at Milan and at Vienna, and exciting great admiration in the German cities through which he passed. He made a temporary home in Brussels from 1845 to 1846, but moved on to Paris the next year, and there, at fifteen years of age, showed all the selfcommand of an experienced artist. During his stay in Paris he performed at many important concerts. He now spent a number of years, principally in Brussels, being at intervals in Antwerp and Frankfort, and for a short time in Ostend. He then returned to Paris, where he appeared in a grand concert with the best opera singers of the day, took part in a concert for Louis Napoleon at the Elysee, and, after various other performances, went to London. From there he returned to the Continent, and, after revisiting Vienna, Venice and Trieste, he came to America, probably about 1852. On his return in 1854 he continued his tours through Europe, and in 1856 was appointed pianist to the King of Hanover. He made frequent visits to London after 1862, when he played at the Musical Union. France was the center of his tours after his marriage, in 1856, to the distinguished pianist, Marie Trautmann, who assisted her husband in his concerts. He died in Paris. He is said to have produced the fullest tone of any pianist of his day. He wrote a number of nocturnes, romances and other salon-music; medleys; and transcriptions of works by Mendelssohn, Schumann and Wagner.