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• 1 media/Clara_Clemens_seated_piano.jpg 2021-11-21T06:30:03-08:00 Clemens, Clara | Musical Education 10 plain 2025-02-06T00:19:28-08:00 -annotation -sub -person Before coming to Vienna, Clara Clemens had already studied with different acclaimed musicians in Europe, like Helen Hope Kirk and Moritz Moszkowsky (see the news report "Twain's Talented Daughter Will Be Professional Singer," The San Francisco call, 9 Nov. 1900, 2). Her focus at that time was still mostly on playing the piano. That is why she wanted to study with Theodor Leschetitzky (also written as Leschetzky), a famous Austrian pianist and piano teacher. In My Father Mark Twain, Clara Clemens explains that she had heard many stories, good and bad, about Leschetitzky and that she was intrigued to become his pupil (189). It is not clear, what Mark Twain thought about his daughter’s musical ambitions, as he mostly talked about music in a satirical way. But on some occasions, he showed pride for his daughter (see Dolmetsch). Clara Clemens was allowed to study under Leschetitzky and the Clemens family stayed in Vienna. During the summer of 1898, Alice Barbi, an American singer, convinced Clara Clemens to undergo vocal lessons instead of piano lessons, after hearing her sing. So Clara Clemens ended her lessons with Leschetitzky and started studying under the famous singer Marianne Brandt. Clara Clemens made some attempts as a concert singer (see "Miss Clemens in Concert," The New York Times, 23 Sep. 1906, 9), but ended her professional music career after her marriage to Ossip Gabrilowitsch, a student of Leschetitzky (see Dolmetsch).