Michal Hambourg

[@SuperLatecomer]

Michal Hamburg was next door neighbour bar to my family in the Primrose Hill area in the 1950s before her move to St John’s Wood where this recording was made. In the summer, with windows wide open, she would practise daily on her piano, and her extraordinary sounds would float across the street towards the row of shops opposite where sadly they were rather wasted. As a schoolboy I had just bought a guitar for one pound and a book of short solos to grapple with such as La Paloma. Michal invited me into her house to play this music, effortlessly transcribing it to their proper keys, so that I would know what they should sound. She remarked that she hoped I learn to play like Segovia. Regrettably what I actually wanted to play was skiffle like Lonnie Donegan. But what a wonderful lady who had both warmth and elegance in abundance. You can still hear it in the music.

[@FrancisAsin-Gioro]

Unfortunately you don’t have a good taste

[@pianopera]

An elegant pianist with a wonderful touch & tone...thanks for sharing this!

[@potroserose8206]

I loved her so much. I used to go to the house in St. John's Wood to play to her in the 1980's and I learnt the Schumann Romance with her. I always see her each time I play it in a concert.... Always miss her dearly.....

[@chopin1949]

she must have been a wonderful teacher. how I regret discovering this several decades too late! but one can learn quite a lot by watching her. this is a very precious document indeed!

[@MrInterestingthings]

Fabulous individual player. Wonderful to see her!

[@bvbwv3]

So, so lovely and instructive to watch. Besides showing refined variations of finger movements, she is a master pedalist, isn't she! As opposed to the opposite, Michal transports us to the world of Chopin and Liszt. Thank you for the valued posting.

[@lornaolynn105]

Beautiful playing

[@correasilvio2010]

Wonderful interpretstion!

[@PianistsAndMore]

So glad that you were able to film her playing!

[@PianistsAndMore]

Any chance you'll be releasing more of her recordings?

[@arbiterrecords]

Yes. A download project will have a full CD of Liszt, Mozart, and more!

[@PianistsAndMore]

Wonderful, can't wait! Thank you for all the work you do to preserve the great pianism of the past!

[@clairelunaire8679]

So lovely! Could someone please tell me the name/composer of the excerpt played at 18:12:30?

[@arbiterrecords]

From Mozart's Piano Sonata K.333 in B flat

[@arbiterrecords]

The film's time code would have Chopin's Fourth Scherzo at that moment.

[@clairelunaire8679]

I am looking for the excerpt(s) played between 18:12:30 and 18:13:20. I couldn't find it in the Fourth Scherzo, although there is a similar passage. I was hoping to identify it as something I might be able to study... If it is from that Scherzo, i am out of luck. :) Any other possibilities you can think of?

[@arbiterrecords]

If you mean the time code imprinted onto the video it's Gluck's Melodie from Orfeo transcribed for piano by Sgambati.

[@clairelunaire8679]

That's it! Thanks for working through that. You are wonderful!

[@jim36251]

Thanks for uploading this, Allan. FWIW, I wrote about this video, plus my own recollections of Michal, here: jimleff.blogspot.com/2018/04/michal-hambourg.html Also, Allan's release of music by Michal's father Mark, plus Mark playing with Michal at age 14, and Michal recorded in the 1990's (titled "The Hambourg Legacy") is still available on iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-hambourg-legacy/932117713

[@richardbutler9466]

Horrible piano. It needs tuning or better yet a complete overhaul. I doubt it’s a Steinway & Sons pianoforte. But if it is a Steinway piano, they should pick it up and burn it. LOL I was laughing so hard when she almost stopped playing when she moved her right hand and played one note in the upper register with her right index finger. So funny. But she does play Chopin with great dexterity and really enjoys playing the piano which is so nice. I am sure it makes her very happy.