Johanna Martzy ∙ Live Concert Performances

The centennial celebration of Johanna Martzy‘s birth is observed this year. In honor of this significant occasion, we are unveiling three live recordings featuring the esteemed violinist, who holds a legendary status among recording collectors. Following her attainment of an artistic diploma in Budapest in 1942, she entered into a fruitful phase of her career, overcoming the adversities of war to deliver major violin concertos alongside the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra, before leaving her country and eventually settling in Switzerland. Her victory at the Concours International d’exécution musicale in Geneva among violinists marked the beginning of a series of international engagements in Europe, comprising solo recitals and collaborations with prestigious orchestras and conductors, which later expanded to successful tours in the United States. Eventually, Martzy chose to retreat from the international stage, concentrating her performances primarily in Switzerland. In November 1976, due to health concerns stemming from infectious hepatitis, she made the decision to retire from her illustrious career. Among the works featured in this release is presumably one of her final recorded live performances from May 1974, which we obtained from the conductor’s personal collection.