Kohler, Christian Louis Heinrich

1820-1886

Pianist, instructor, composer and writer, who has been called "the heir of Czerny." He was born at Brunswick, studied there with Sonnemann and some others, and continued later at Vienna with Sechter, Seyfried and Bocklet. He was conductor at the theatres of Marienburg, Elbing and Konigsberg, and finally began teaching at Konigsberg. He also directed a singing society there, took up the work of a critic, and assisted Liszt, Wagner and Bulow in the founding of the Allgemeiner Deutscher Musikverein, at Leipsic in 1859. In 1880 he became a Royal professor. His critical works, written for the Signale and other similar publications, showed excellent judgment. His instructive methods and studies were for a long time very popular, and were used by the best piano teachers. He composed three operas, one of them Maria Dolores; and a ballet, Der Zauberkomponist.