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Died. Artur Schnabel, 69, composer-pianist, best known for his performances of Beethoven (his favorite), Schubert and Mozart; of a heart ailment; in Axenstein, Switzerland. A boy prodigy in Austria, Schnabel took lessons for seven years, but always hated to practice. In 1921, at his first U.S. concert, he defied his managers, dismayed the audience and pleased the critics by playing two solid hours of Beethoven. In later years, Schnabel (who became a U.S. citizen during World War II) took more pride in his atonal Schoenbergian compositions than in his playing. A pun-making perfectionist, Schnabel refused to play encores, would never coddle an audience. Said he: "My only employer is the art."
* Medal of Honor, Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, Croix de Guerre with palm, Order of Danilo of Montenegro.