Hoehn Alfred, *20 October 1887 Oberellen (near Eisenach), †2 August 1945 Königstein (near Frankfurt am Main), German pianist and composer. He began his musical studies in Meiningen under E. Steinbach. His piano teachers were L. Uzielli (a student of C. Schumann) at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt am Main and E. d’Albert. He studied conducting under F. Steinbach in Cologne. In 1910, he won the Anton Rubinstein Piano Competition in St Petersburg, defeating such pianists as E. Fischer, T. Isierlis, and Artur Rubinstein. In 1937, Hoehn was a member of the jury of the 3rd International F. Chopin Piano Competition. From 1929, he was a professor at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt am Main; his students included E. Then-Bergh. Hoehn was highly regarded in Germany; his extensive expressive abilities, both delicacy and keystroke force, as well as the nobility of tone, elegance, and composure were emphasized, seeing in this aesthetic similarities to the style of the young W. Backhaus, and especially W. Gieseking, as well as a spiritual kinship with the school of C. Schumann. Hoehn recorded several albums for the record label Parlophone, including D. Scarlatti’s Pastorale (arranged by C. Tausig) and three compositions by Chopin: the controversially performed Études in F minor, Op. 25 No. 2 and C minor, Op. 10 No. 12 (with martellato octaves in the coda) and the Barcarolle. Hoehn’s compositions include a String Quartet, Psalm 22 for baritone and orchestra, six songs with orchestra, and piano pieces. He also complied an edition of Beethoven’s 32 sonatas.
