Schoenberg: Klavierstück, Op. 11 no. 2 (Nyiregyházi 1978) [HQ]

Описание: • Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951)
• Three Klavierstücke, Op. 11
• Ervin Nyiregyházi (1903-1987)
• March 20th, 1978: Scottish Rite Temple, San Francisco (Studio)

—Story of this Recording—

Excerpts from Arnold Schoenberg’s letter to Otto Klemperer, dated December 1st, 1935:
“Yesterday, at Dr. Hoffmann’s, I heard a pianist who seems to me to be something utterly extraordinary. I went very reluctantly, as the descriptions I had heard from Dr. Hoffmann and also Maurice Zam had made me very skeptical. But I must say, I have never heard such a pianist before…. First and foremost, he does not play in the style you and I strive for. And I believe that, just as I did not judge him on that basis, you, too, when you hear him, will probably feel compelled to set all principles aside, just as I did. They would not be proper standards for him. What he plays is pure expression, in the older sense. But such power of expression I have never heard before. You will agree as little as I did with his tempi. You will also find that by means of sharp contrasts he seems often to lose sight of the form, but only seems; surprisingly, in its own way, his playing does acquire form, has sense and proportion. The sound he gets out of the piano is unprecedented. At least, I have never heard anything like it. He himself seems not to know how he draws out these utterly incredible and novel sounds (though he seems to be a man of intelligence and not just a flaccid “dreamer”). And such fullness of tone, without ever becoming harsh, I have also never encountered before. For me, and probably also for you, much too much. But on the whole, incredible originality and conviction. And above all, he is 33 years old, and so still has more stages of development before him, from which, given the foundation, the greatest things are to be expected. And that is why I believe it is crucial that he be given the opportunity to participate again in concert life. I am certain that he will have great success. And Zam and Crown, who are very enthusiastic and in any case arranged our meeting, also call him a second Liszt. If it were up to me, I would engage him immediately… But isn’t it still possible for you to find a spot for him in one of your concerts? He would most like to play a concerto by Tchaikovsky or Brahms.

I would be very happy to know that I have succeeded in describing adequately to you my impression of this man. I believe that, if you can get used to the idea that he does not follow our notions of style, and can imagine his tremendous potential, and if you come to know his unparalleled technique, of which I have not yet spoken, then you will do the right thing. Technique: it is astonishing what and how he plays: one never has the sense that it is difficult, that it is technique at all, but rather that sheer force of will permits him to surmount all difficulties in realizing an idea—you see, I’m becoming almost poetic.”


With publicity [of his rediscovery in 1978] mounting and a major record label on board, everyone associated with Nyiregyházi was eager to get as much of his playing as possible on tape and before the public quickly, and he, rejuvenated, agreed to four more recording sessions at the Scottish Rite Temple in March. He had found a "friendly" Baldwin piano in New York, and it was duly shipped to San Francisco to sit alongside the Steinway. Jack Romann and two executives from CBS Records now joined the contingent at the sessions, though Benko was still forced to observe incognito. Present, too, was a camera crew under the direction of Karen Lerner, who was producing a television documentary about Nyiregyházi for the newsmagazine Weekend, NBC's answer to CBS's 60 Minutes. "The sessions went smoothly (relatively speaking of course)," Kapp wrote. "There were the inevitable small details and the major issue of N’s spirits and moods but all in all the March sessions, which I 'produced' for lack of a better word, were much less traumatic than those in January." The result, again, was more than four hours' worth of recordings. In good form, feeling inspired, Nyiregyházi now played some of his own "paraphrases" improvised potpourris of themes from operas and choral works.

—Kevin Bazzana, “Lost Genius: The Curious and Tragic Story of an Extraordinary Musical Prodigy” p. 260, 261, 262