The Nocturnal Poet

The Polish-born composer and teacher Philipp Scharwenka (1847-1917) was the older brother of the piano virtuoso and composer Franz Xaver Scharwenka. He established himself as a key figure in Berlin's 19th-century music scene. As an accomplished pianist and respected professor, he was also co-founder of the Scharwenka Conservatorium. As a composer, he left behind works that, in comparison with the more extroverted compositions of his brother, are characterized by a more reflective, almost somber tone, marked by melancholy and drama.