Walter Morse Rummel

Walter Morse Rummel (July 19, 1887 – May 2, 1953) was a prominent pianist, especially associated with Claude Debussy's works, as well as a composer and music editor. He was of German-English descent and active mainly in France.

Rummel was born in Berlin to Franz Rummel and Cornelia "Leila" Morse Rummel. His father was from a prominent family of German musicians, and his mother was a daughter of telegraph inventor Samuel Morse. He studied piano with Leopold Godowsky and composition with Hugo Kaun, before moving to Paris in 1908. On his way to Paris he met Ignacy Jan Paderewski in Switzerland, who called some of his piano compositions "not far from masterpieces" and invited him to stay for a year as a pupil; Rummel however turned down the invitation and continued to Paris. While in Paris he met Claude Debussy and became a leading interpreter and proponent of Debussy's piano compositions. He died in Bordeaux in 1953.

In addition to his own performances and compositions, Rummel had an interest in preserving and arranging earlier music. He edited several volumes of early music, and published piano arrangements of organ works by Bach and Vivaldi, as well as four books of piano arrangements of cantata movements of Bach.

Birth and Death Data: Born July 19, 1887 (Berlin), Died May 2, 1953 (Bordeaux)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1930

Roles Represented in DAHR: arranger

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia (U.K.) WL2052 10-in. between February 6 and 28 1930 Air gai Jeanne Montjovet ; Mme. Morival Soprano vocal solo, with piano arranger  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Rummel, Walter Morse," accessed April 26, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/368292.

Rummel, Walter Morse. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 26, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/368292.

"Rummel, Walter Morse." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 26 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/368292

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