Ferdinand Praeger

Born in Leipzig on January 22, 1815, Ferdinand Praeger was a German-born composer, pianist, teacher, and music writer. He came from a musical family and later settled in London, where he built much of his career.

Praeger worked in several roles at once: he taught, performed, composed, and wrote about music. He is now most often associated with Wagner As I Knew Him, a memoir of Richard Wagner that was published after Praeger’s death and became known for its lively but controversial portrait of the composer.

He died in London on September 2, 1891. While his own music is not widely known today, his name has lasted through his writing and his connection to the musical life of 19th-century Europe.