On september 5, 2011 my beloved friend, former teacher and member of Piano Society since 2008, Franz-Josef Streuff (francois_streff) passed away in hospital after suffering a fourth and fatal stroke.

Being a member of this site since 2008, mainly as a composer, he has recorded and published some of his own works for Piano Society, some are recorded by Chris Breemer and me.

May be you would like to see our obituary with links to his section and works on the main-page.

Hi Andreas, I'm sorry about the loss of your friend. At least he left behind some nice music from which you can remember him.

There are probably not many people around here, if any, who remember Franz's all too short involvement in PS, back in 2008/2009.

I am very sad about Franz' passing, having played his music, and having visited him in spring this year, when he was still in relatively good shape. We played some Brahms and Mozart together and that is a great memory for me to keep. While his technique and reflexes were clearly damaged by the strokes he'd suffered, I could still hear a great musician at work. I did not have the privilege to know him as long as Andreas but I would say he was a dear friend of mine, too. May he rest in peace.
For those interested I attached one of the pictures my wife took during that visit.

Thank you very much, Monica, for your solicitousness and your kind words!

Thank you so much, Chris, for all you have done for Franz and his musical oeuvre. He has appreciated very much your work on Piano Society, your engagement for classical piano music in general and he was very thankful to have found a capable and dedicated pianist like you, who plays some of his pieces. I know, that his feelings for you were also very amicable.

When I have visited him at the end of july nearly two month ago, I have shown him our videos of Dvoraks Slavonic Dances we have made during my summer vacations at your home. I have felt, that he has suffered quite a lot of not being any more able to play like this with me. (We have played four hands from the beginning we have met, that means for nearly 30 years.) He has collected his last force on this day to play some pieces byLiadov to me at the piano. And we even have played a bit four hands, a slow movement. I knew, his intention was to inspire me and to show me something of his newest musical discoveries (the pieces by Liadov) like he has done million times to me during our long acquaintanceship. Even his wife has said to me, that he hadn´t played any more piano so intensively and experimenting so much like on this day for a long time. I have played for him Bachs prelude and fugue f-sharp-minor, WTC, book II. I was very moved. I think, we both have felt, that our meeting could be the last one and I think, he wanted me to keep him in mind as what he always was for me: a wonderful teacher and good friend.

I also know, he would have liked to record more for Piano Society, but he wasn´t able any more to play faster pieces properly in tempo because of the aftermaths of his two strokes. He suffered from that handycap and he didn´t want to be commiserated. That´s why he has stopped to record since winter 2010 and he has retired. But he continued playing at home, discovering new pieces or repeating well-known ones and such he loved very much, but all in a slow tempo.

He has made me two books in a nice blue cover with his piano works as a gift already in 2005, the first book contains his "Tradionelle Klaviermusik" (traditional piano music), the second one the "Freitonale Klaviermusik" (free tonal piano music). I have planed to record some of his pieces in future.

Yes, I have too.

I well recall Mr. Streuff's brief involvement with Piano Society a few years ago when he shared some of his own compositions with the members. Despite his illness and its limiting effects, he was very kind to record some of his pieces for us. And when Chris and Andreas each played several, I believe that Mr. Streuff was elated. Understandably, when his health became even more fragile, he was no longer able to participate here. However, he lives on at Piano Society in this music that is part of his legacy. Mr. Streuff was clearly a wonderful composer, musician, and teacher who, I am sure, influenced a great many students of different generations. May he rest in peace.

David

Dear David,
thank you for your solicitousness and your appreciation of Franz. As I told you also in my answer to your private message, I have told Franz of your competent and experienced way to play and I remember also he appreciated the recordings by you he had listened to.
I´m also very glad we have some of his legacy here on Piano Society.
And yes, Franz was very elated that we have recorded his pieces. I´m working now on his first three Late Intermezzi.