Etelka Freund plays Mendelssohn's Fantasie in F-Sharp Minor Op.28

A March 8, 1952 recording of Etelka Freund playing Mendelssohn's Fantasie in F-Sharp Minor Op.28.
The Hungarian pianist knew Brahms and trained with Liszt pupil István Thomán (who also taught Bartók) and the great Busoni, as well as with her compatriot Bartók, and at age 16 she went to Vienna to study with the legendary Theodor Leschetizky.
Freund was 68 when she emigrated to the US in 1946, at which point no agents were interested in promoting a pianist of that age, despite the great success of her concert appearances. She made a wonderful Brahms LP for the Remington label in September 1953 (a Chopin Waltz LP attributed to her is not in fact played by this artist) and in 1996 Allan Evans released that LP with a number of private recordings of the artist, including the Mendelssohn presented here.
Freund has a rather fascinating connection to Mendelssohn: her brother Robert, 20 years her senior, studied with Ignaz Moscheles, who had been a friend and teacher of the composer. While there's no guarantee she had obtained direct personal insight into the playing of this work, she was certainly steeped in the culture of the time in which it was produced and gives it a superb performance in her 72nd year.
Among the many admirable qualities we hear in her playing are impeccably voiced chords, beautifully shaped phrasing, masterful pedalling, marvellously coordinated articulation, wonderful timing, rhythmic drive, and gorgeous singing tone - all with incredible passion. Absolutely superb pianism by a true master.
More about this great artist here:
www.thepianofiles.com/remembe...
If you wish to support The Piano Files, please consider membership at my Patreon page: / thepianofiles

[@brooksiefan]

When expression never falls into the ditch of exaggeration. Tradition and authority, sophisticated simplicity creating beauty.

[@Sofronichrist]

A performance of unprecedented expressiveness and sensitivity. I've rarely - if ever - heard this Fantaisie in this way, and I'd never heard this recording before - I'm overwhelmed! Thank you so much!

[@TomTom53421]

It’s really interesting to me the overall faster tempos you find with recordings like this one, or with Ilona Eibenschütz. It really seems to me they really valued the overarching line of the phrase more than we do today

[@berlinzerberus]

Left hand struck in advance, lovely. Very nice playing!

[@pianomaly9]

Masterful playing.

[@leestamm3187]

Absolutely beautiful. Thanks much.

[@topclassical]

GREAT!

[@steveegallo3384]

Really rather Colossal......BRAVA from Acapulco!

[@user-zp6eb3zw7t]

🌹 Υπέροχο

[@noshirm6285]

The American agents who had no time for Freund seem to have been ageist and clueless. Thank you for this recording. *Brava, Etelka!* 💐

[@user-br5ln8wu5w]

When I listen to Mendelssohn, I can't help but remember that his aunt studied with Friedemann Bach. I am not certain to what extent Friedemann influenced Mendelssohn, but there is certainly some Friedemannian element (a strange harmony of impulsive and frivolous sensuality and thoughtful resignation) in Mendelssohn's masterpieces. Mendelssohn certainly bridged the gap between two of the greatest Counterpoint geniuses in music history, namely Friedemann Bach and César Franck. And Franck influenced Busoni's Fantasia contrappuntistica... It is a great pleasure for me to be able to get a deeper insight into Mendelssohn's thought through the hands of this little-known/should-be-known master pianist!

[@nickboldewskul2136]

I don’t mind "swimming in Mendelssohnian waters" with playing like that! There's a melody in the right hand @3:52 which seems to end the first section of the piece. It sounds familiar. Could it have been lifted by another composer? I'm thinking Anton Rubinstein in one of his copious salon pieces for piano.

[@pianomaly9]

The principal theme of the first movement, it struck me as "Hear, O Israel" from Elijah, although this piece was composed earlier.

[@stuartweiner9972]

Who do you think is actually playing the waltzes on that LP?

[@ThePianoFiles]

I have absolutely no idea - there's no way to know. Her son was present at all her recording sessions and insisted that she never recorded these ...