Myra Hess plays trios by Schubert and Brahms (Remastered 2024) Myra Hess

• Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828): I Allegro moderato:
• 1 Schubert: I Allegro moderato 11:13
• II Andante un poco mosso:
• 2 Schubert: II Andante un poco mosso 08:52
• III Scherzo:
• 3 Schubert: III Scherzo: Allegro 04:12
• IV Rondo:
• 4 Schubert: IV Rondo: Allegro vivace 08:25
• I Allegro moderato:
• 5 Schubert: I Allegro moderato 07:49
• II Andante:
• 6 Schubert: II Andante 05:29
• III Allegro:
• 7 Schubert: III Allegro 05:11
• Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897): I Allegro moderato:
• 8 Brahms: I Allegro moderato 09:57
• II Andante con moto:
• 9 Brahms: II Andante con moto 08:47
• III Scherzo:
• 10 Brahms: III Scherzo: Presto 04:23
• IV Finale:
• 11 Brahms: IV Finale: Allegro giocoso 06:17
• Total Runtime 01:20:35

Info for Myra Hess plays trios by Schubert and Brahms (Remastered 2024)

The London-born pianist Myra Hess was one of the most beloved musical artists in the English-speaking world, especially in Britain where she established the famed National Gallery concerts which brought much comfort and hope to a war-ridden nation. Although renowned as a solo artist, she was a magnificent chamber musician, as revealed on this album of her performances in piano trios by Schubert and Brahms.

The Hungarian violinist Jelly d'Aranyi plays in both works and was a close friend of Hess. d'Aranyi was a student of Jeno Hubay and was the great-niece of the legendary violinist Joseph Joachim. Her spectacular violin playing resulted in numerous works written for her, including Bartok's two violin sonatas, Ravel's Tzigane and Vaughan Williams's Concerto Accademico. Hess and d'Aranyi were renowned as a violin-piano duo, and in 1928 the Telegraph's critic declared that there had been "no duo so fine since Ysaye and Busoni".

The Hess-d'Aranyi duo are joined in the wonderful Schubert B-flat Trio by the English cellist Felix Salmond who was the first soloist to perform Elgar's Cello Concerto. In the Brahms C-major Trio, the cello part is taken by the marvellous Spanish cellist Gaspar Cassado who was one of Pablo Casals's most renowned students. Also included on the album is Myra Hess's eloquent recording of the Schubert Piano Sonata in A, Op.120.

Dame Myra Hess, piano
Jelly d'Aranyi, violin
Felix Salmond, cello
Gaspar Cassado, cello

Digitally remastered

Myra Hess
was born on February 25, 1890 in Kilburn, London. She began playing the piano at five. Two years later, she entered the Guildhall School of Music, where Hess graduated as winner of the Gold Medal. She later studied at the Royal Academy of Music under Tobias Matthay. Her debut came in 1907 when she played Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 with Sir Thomas Beecham conducting. She went on to tour through Britain, the Netherlands and France. Upon her American debut (New York City, 24 January 1922) she became a prime favorite in the United States, not only as a soloist, but also as a fine ensemble player. She also has a link to jazz, having given lessons in the 1920s to Elizabeth Ivy Brubeck, mother of Dave Brubeck.

Hess garnered greater fame during the Second World War when, with all concert halls blacked out at night to avoid being targets of German bombers, she organized what would turn into almost 2,000 lunchtime concerts spanning a period of six years during the London Blitz. The concerts were held at the National Gallery, in Trafalgar Square, with Hess herself playing in 150 of them. For this contribution to maintaining the morale of the populace of London, King George VI awarded her with the Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1941.

Hess began her lunchtime concerts a few weeks after the commencement of the Second World War. They were presented weekdays, Monday through Friday, for six-and-a-half years without fail. If London was being bombed, the concert was moved to a smaller, safer room. Every artist was paid 5-guineas no matter who they were. In all, Hess presented 1,968 concerts seen by over 800,000 people. Hess' lunchtime concerts influenced the formation of the City Music Society.

Hess was most renowned for her interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven and Schumann. She gave the premiere of Howard Ferguson's Piano Sonata and his Piano Concerto. She also played a good amount of chamber music and performed in a piano duo with Irene Scharrer. She promoted public awareness of the piano duo and two-piano works of Schubert.

In 1926 and 1934 she famously arranged for solo piano and for two pianos, the chorale Wohl mir, daß ich Jesum habe from Bach's Cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147. Her protégés include Clive Lythgoe, Richard and John Contiguglia, and Leah Labos between 1941 and 1944. She was also a teacher of Stephen Kovacevich.

Hess died at the age of 75 of a heart attack in her home in London.

Booklet for Myra Hess plays trios by Schubert and Brahms (Remastered 2024)