Sonatas From Ravel and Brahms - Johanna Martzy
Composed By Johannes Brahms, Maurice Ravel
Piano By István Hajdú
Violin By Johanna Martzy
Johanna Martzy was born in Timișoara (Romania) in 1924. She began playing the violin at the age of six. Her violin teacher Josef Brandeisz encouraged her exceptional talent and recommended her to Jenő Hubay, Hungary's most important violin teacher. She studied at the Academy of Music in Budapest from 1932, graduated in 1942 and made her public debut as a soloist in 1943. After the occupation of Hungary by German troops in 1944 and the beginning of the ghettoization and deportation of Hungarian Jews, Johanna Martzy was interned in an Austrian camp until 1946. In 1947, at the age of 23, she moved to Geneva (Switzerland) and later married the publisher and violin collector Daniel Tschudi, whose famous instruments she played. She died of cancer in Glarus (Switzerland) in 1979 at the age of 54. Johanna Martzy still enjoys an impeccable reputation in professional circles.
In the sonatas by Maurice Ravel and Johannes Brahms, Johanna Martzy was accompanied on the piano by Istvàn Hajdu. The recordings were made in November 1972 by SRF (Swiss Radio and Television) and were broadcast four times between 1973 and 1975.
Johannes Brahms and Maurice Ravel were equally adept at creating great dramatic effects in their compositions. Maurice Ravel's sonata offers an immense range of development possibilities for the violin. Johanna Martzy maintains an overview even in the most complex passages and master’s every nuance with brilliance. The sonata by Johannes Brahms allows the piano more space. Istvàn Hajdu steps more into the foreground and always finds the right balance between setting his own accents and supporting the violin in his accompaniment.
I am deeply impressed by the accuracy with which this analog recording was made and how well the reproduction succeeds with this master tape copy. The very detailed reproduction allows tape lovers to immerse themselves in the art of playing of two world-class performers.
The publisher Jürg Schopper says about this master tape edition:
Claus: Congratulations on this excellent tape edition!
Jürg: This is the first tape release that Swiss Radio (SRF) has ever made with my Triston label, so it's a world premiere. More releases will follow!
Claus: How did you come up with this release?
Jürg: In the LP collector's market, Johanna Martzy is one of the most expensively traded interpreters. However, I didn't choose the project for this reason, but because there are historical facts about me and my mother. Here's a little anecdote: my mother was a qualified record saleswoman in my grandfather's store. Johanna Martzy was very often a guest at Winterthur, where she gave various concerts. My mother set up a record stand with Martzy records in the foyer and then sold them. I still have a Schubert-Columbia edition with a Schopper sticker on the label. Peter Rybar, a great violinist who was one of my best friends, kept saying: Listen to Johanna Martzy. She's in a class of her own.
Claus: What condition were the original SRF tapes in?
Jürg: They are Agfa PER 525 tapes. They are the best ever made. I've never had the slightest problem with this type, which also applies to PER 528.
Claus: How did you make the copy master for Horch House?
Jürg: For the copy master, I used a Studer C37 as the playback device and a Telefunken M10A with V86/V87 tube amplifiers as the recording device.
Claus: I have a question about the enclosed photos. Johanna Martzy is said to be playing the piano with Istvàn Hajdu. Istvàn is a Hungarian male name. Who is the young woman at the piano?
Jürg: The young lady at the piano is the daughter of Johanna Martzy and her name is Sabina Tschudi-Martzy. The pianist on the recordings was Istvàn Hadju, her duo partner of many years. That's why they play so incredibly well together.
Claus: The text on one of the photos raises the next question: “Happy Birthday Jancsi! Your will always be loved an remenbered, Sabina.” How did this dedication come about?
Jürg: I asked Sabina if she would like to leave a dedication on the album. That was the dedication she sent me. Jancsi was the pet name Sabina used for her mother. What else needs to be mentioned here: Johanna Martzy lived in Glarus in Switzerland and was married to the publisher Daniel Tschudi. He was a well-known violin collector. This is how they met. Johanna played one of his rare violins. I visited Sabina in person. We have a very good relationship, and she is very happy that for the first time someone is taking proper care of the legacy of her mother's recordings.
Claus: Thank you very much for the interview.
Review By Claus Müller
Johanna Martzy - Sonatas From Ravel and Brahms - www.tristonmasters.com
