author
Oskar Bie
1864–1938
A sharp-eyed German critic who wrote vividly about music, opera, dance, and the visual arts, he helped shape cultural conversation in Berlin around the turn of the 20th century. His work moved easily between scholarship and journalism, making serious art feel alive and immediate.
1 Audiobook
History of the pianoforte and pianoforte players
by Oskar Bie
About the author
Born in Breslau in 1864, Oskar Bie studied philosophy, art history, and music history in Breslau, Leipzig, and Berlin. He became known as a German art historian, music writer, and publicist, and his work ranged across opera, concert life, dance, and the fine arts.
Bie was active in Berlin’s literary and journalistic world and is noted for his long editorial work with Die neue Rundschau. He also wrote criticism for major newspapers and magazines, building a reputation for clear, cultured writing that connected artistic ideas with everyday cultural life.
His books include studies of the piano, dance, and opera, and they show how widely curious he was about performance and style. He died in Berlin in 1938, leaving behind a body of criticism that still offers a vivid picture of German artistic life in his era.