Mieczyslaw Munz plays Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini 'live'

A December 8, 1941 concert performance of Polish pianist Mieczyslaw Munz playing Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the National Orchestral Association conducted by Leon Barzin. Munz was a brilliant pianist whose career was cut short in the early 1940s after a medical issue with his right hand put an end to his public appearances - indeed, this very concert may in fact have been his final concert. [Munz played the Canadian premiere of this work.] He remained a wonderful teacher right until his death in 1976. This rare concert performance - one of only two that has been found and made commercially available only once - provides a rare insight into the artistry of this Essipova and Busoni pupil. He plays with remarkable agility and a rich, full-bodied sonority.
This and all other known Munz recordings (both piano rolls and disc recordings) are available here: itunes.apple.com/us/album/art...
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[@psforrest1]

I had the incredible experience of studying with Mieczyslaw Munz from age 11 to 18. What a foundation he gave me! And he was a lovely man. A documentary has been made about him recently and will be released soon.

[@ThePianoFiles]

I've heard and I am anxiously waiting to see it. You're SO fortunate!!!

[@psforrest1]

@@ThePianoFiles Absolutely. Thanks to the good judgment of my parents! Munz taught on Sundays in DC (in between his stints at Peabody and Juilliard the rest of the week). I took my lessons at Ann Schein's parents' home. 1962-1969. A side benefit was a lasting friendship with Ann Schein, who was launching her career at the time but was at the home sometimes. Now, in addition to playing and teaching piano, I'm the director of a concert series in Ames, IA. I've featured Ann Schein twice!

[@sdbuechner]

What an astounding performance by one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century. As a teacher he had the patience to work through many variation exercises as well as facilitations with his pupils -- a process and approach gleaned from his work with Busoni -- that, with dedicated hard work, enabled one to play demanding passagework with great control and ease. I remember him vividly as a towering man with enormous hands (I was in my teens when I played for him), and a very authoritative manner. Greatness walked into the room when he entered, you just knew it. I think every pianist who worked with Mieczyslaw Münz recognized him as the Gold Standard they aspired to.

[@ThePianoFiles]

You are SO fortunate to have trained with this genius and I am indebted to you for having so strongly alerted me to his mastery!

[@psforrest1]

Absolutely! I was so fortunate, as you were! I've had a chance to see the wonderful documentary, to be released soon, I hope!

[@keybawd4023]

What amazing precision in notes and especially rhythmn. Crystaline. Perfection. Allied to that a very powerful performance, fast and unsentimental. Some fascinating insight. I couldn't stop listening - magnetic. I didn't know this pianist. I shall now listen to all the recordings here.

[@douglashaxall5528]

Thank you for this great find! Munz was my mother's piano teacher at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore in the 1940's! She is 92 today and yet still talks about him frequently! (I think she had a mad crush, ha ha!!)

[@ThePianoFiles]

How amazing!!! I know one of his last students and she RAVES about him - and no wonder!

[@psforrest1]

I studied with him in the 1960s, and I still rave, too! @@ThePianoFiles

[@psforrest1]

He was my teacher for 8 years in the 60s. I was very young and he gave me the most amazing technical foundation . Plus, he was a lovely man.

[@alainjames9556]

The release of this performance was thanks to a grant by the Anne and George Popkin foundation. The producers were Walter Hautzig and Lenny Popkin. It was released as a CD on Americus Records as "The Art of Mieczyslaw Munz". Great post.

[@ThePianoFiles]

I'm so grateful it was released - I linked to the iTunes listing of the CD that is still available in my blurb under the video.

[@apricotcookie4850]

A spectacular performance. Thank you so much for posting this. I wish he had had a happier, more fortunate life - he surely deserved better.

[@user-gu3gl4yz9e]

Thanks for posting this. Among the best I have heard!

[@PeterLunowPL]

thank you so much for this upload, A revelation to me! what an incredibly honest and true artist!

[@lieder01]

first heard him on the Golden Age Ampico lp back in the day. great fingers

[@pianopera]

Thanks for this fascinating historic recording! I hope more radio recordings will eventually show up. It is quite sad to read about Munz's misfortune in the 1930s and 1940s, when he lost the most precious things in his life: his wife Aniela (to Arthur Rubinstein), his family members (to the Nazi atrocities) and, finally, his ability to play the piano brilliantly...

[@Bruce88keys]

pianopera Rubinstein had some interesting things say about Munz in his two volume autobiography-

[@ThePianoFiles]

Bruce Stoller Given that his wife left Munz for Rubinstein, I wonder how unbiased Rubinstein's comments might be

[@Bruce88keys]

True, but he didn't put a gun to her head, Aniela was attracted to AR's huge Joi de Vie-

[@psforrest1]

And yet, he did not outwardly exhibit any bitterness about these incredible losses.

[@pianopera]

@@psforrest1 Did you know Munz, did you study with him?

[@silviocorrea5271]

Fantastic

[@alainjames9556]

This is taken from a CD entitled, "The Art of Mieczyslaw Munz" - Americus Records, Inc, AMR20021022. It was produced by Walter Hautzig and Lenny Popkin and made possible by a grant from the Anne and George Popkin Foundation. In addition to the link provided above, itunes.apple.com/us/album/art-mieczyslaw-munz-live-re/id278504880 this CD can be downloaded at www.amazon.com/Art-Mieczyslaw-Munz/dp/B0017YR5JW/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1477889544&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=the+artistry+of+mieczyslaw+munz+americus+records

[@alessandroronci1871]

Bellissima esecuzione, eccezionale, sembra quasi lo stesso rachmaninov che suona. Chissà se rachmaninov lo avrà ascoltato

[@rudolfgolezpianist4322]

Closest to the Composer's intent

[@alainjames9556]

I think Rachmaninoff would agree with you. He actually told Munz that he thought Munz played it better than he did!

[@slypear]

Wasn’t that a wee United Airlines-ish!

[@ThePianoFiles]

Quite a pace!