Johanna Martzy ∙ Swiss Radio Recordings

January 2020 ∙ MusicWeb International ∙ Johanna Martzy ∙ Swiss Radio Broadcast Recordings 1947-1969
Some of these performances derive from so early in Johanna Martzy’s career that they include her appearance in the final round of the 1947 Geneva Concours international competition when she was still only 22. But in fact, they delve even further back, charting a Swiss broadcast from March that year so those who want to hear this marvelous artist in her early years are in for a real treat. For her Radio Geneva broadcast with Doris Rossiaud she plays five pieces, only one of which, so far as I know, she was later to record in the studio for commercial release, Ravel’s Pièce en forme de Habanera. One would have thought EMI would have wanted her Romanian Folk Dances, at least, but they are here at least, as this piece was central to her recital repertoire; see also her South African recital on Doremi, for another broadcast survivor (review) where she also plays the Suk heard here as well as the Ravel. She is already a formidable performer, full of rhythmic vitality and a strong sense of colour. Her Suk Four Pieces, Op.17 combines a smoky tone for the first, a well-sprung and vibrant third, and a clarity conscious final piece radiating maturity. Gárdonyi’s Rondo capriccioso was, if not hot off the press, then at the least still warm, having been composed in 1941. It’s a lively and brief affair, with a luscious central section and cultivating the general air of a Hungarian hoe-down. Her recital signs off with another colourful reading of the Dinicu-Heifetz Hora Staccato. No first prize was awarded in the October 1947 Geneva competition but Martzy did win second prize. I assume the surviving Mozart Concerto example was recorded on acetate. There’s thorny background noise but the actual spectrum is perfectly listenable. She plays the Rondo finale of the D major concerto, K218 with an unknown accompanist, not with orchestra, and most attractively. Fortunately, this was a piece that she did record in the studio but it’s still a real pleasure to hear her ‘on the wing’. Over two decades later in Zurich she was teamed with Ludovit Rajter for the Bruch Concerto in G minor. She phrases devotedly and her tone remains expressive and multi-variegated in colour. She does take a little time to get fully warmed up but once she gets there, one can appreciate her warmly textured slow movement with romanticist spirit, her quick and deft slides and the expressive component in the finale. Transfers and documentation are invariably beyond reproach when it comes to Meloclassic’s discs. And Martzy is inevitably a draw for fiddle appreciators.
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March 2020 ∙ MusicWeb International ∙ Johanna Martzy ∙ Swiss Radio Broadcast Recordings 1947-1969
Johanna Martzy is one of a number of stellar female violinists whose careers peaked in the mid to late twentieth century. The earliest document here is the Radio Geneva broadcast with pianist Doris Rossiaud. Bartók’s Romanian Folk Dances are rhythmically fluid, tastefully nuanced and dispatched with true gypsy swagger. Ginette Neveu made a wonderful recording of Suk’s Four pieces for Violin and Piano, Op. 17, and Martzy’s efforts are equally convincing. My own favorites are the melancholic Un poco triste and the rhythmically energetic Burleska which ends the cycle. Ravel’s Pièce en forme de Habanera was later recorded for DG in 1958 with her regular accompanist Jean Antonietti. It’s a delightful work which Martzy swathes in a sultry balm. Gárdonyi’s Rondo capriccioso is a light hearted morsel, charming in every way. The Hora Staccato is well done, but her staccato bowing doesn’t quite match the superior crispness and bite of Heifetz. The precious torso consisting of the Rondeau finale of Mozart’s Fourth Concerto derives from the final round of the October 1947 Geneva competition, in which Martzy took second prize (no first prize was awarded). The piano accompanist isn’t credited. She was later to make a commercial recording of the Concerto with Eugen Jochum, which I would highly recommend. The most substantial work here, and the only one with orchestra, is the Bruch Concerto No. 1, recorded in Zurich in October 1969. Martzy’s collaborators are the Radio-Orchester Beromünster, under the direction of Ludovit Rajter. I’m surprised how much vitality there is from the orchestra, especially in the finale, where the timps are punchy and forwardly projected. The performance enters a very crowded field, yet this traversal fails to topple my favorite versions by Menuhin (1931) and Heifetz. The slow movement is especially fine, where Martzy moulds the lyrical line with expressive intensity. Martzy’s cult status lives on in these glowing transfers, which are full of warmth and depth. Meloclassic’s accompanying biography is the most detailed portrait of the artist I have read so far, supplying information I wasn’t aware of. For violin mavens, this is an essential purchase.
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April 2020 ∙ French Diapason ∙ Jean-Michel Molkhou ∙ Johanna Martzy ∙ Swiss Radio Broadcast Recordings 1947-1969
Joanna Martzy (1924-1979), grande figure de la tradition hongroise, est célébrée par des enregistrements suisses. L’album dévoile le finale du Concerto no 4 de Mozart, pris sur le vif Iors du Concours de Genève 1947 où elle s’imposa. Dotée d’un vibrato intense typique de l’école Hubay, mais aussi d’une technique immaculée (Hora staccato de Dinicu/Heifetz), comme d’une irrésistible sensualité (Piéce en forme de habanera de Ravel, 4 Pièces de Suk) elle captive de bout en bout dans un récital donné quelques mois plus tôt. En 1969 à Zurich, on retrouve intact son style vibrant et généreux dans un Concerto no 1 de Bruch où l’artiste démontre une fougue et un engagement de tous les instants.
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