Search - Mozart, Berlin State Opera Orch, Van Hoogstraten :: Elly Ney Plays Mozart Beethoven Strauss

Ney's magic

07/04/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Elly Ney was a disciple of both Theodor Leschetizky and of Emil von Sauer. Leschetizky was one of the most important piano teachers that have ever existed, among his former pupils one can mention Alexander Brailowsky, Mark Hambourg, Ignaz Jan Paderewski, Arthur Schnabel, Benno Moisewitch and Horzowski. Ney was a pianist with a rare sensibilty and she was highly reveared in Europe counting among her admirers Wilhelm Kempff. After WWII her career somehow decayed, but the recordings included in this CD's show her at her best, unfortunatelly the sound quality is limited since they date form the 1930's. If you are looking for a good sound quality stay away from this CD, but if you want to hear performances from a pianist of rare sensibility you will not be dissapointed. The Strauss' Burleske was the first recording ever made of this work, and the Beethoven and Mozart concertos are really excellent. The Beethoven concerto and the Burleske are accompanied by orchestras conducted by Willem van Hoogstraten, who not only was Ney's husband but an interesting musician as well. Hoogstraten was for more that ten years conductor of the Portland Orchestra and for two seasons (1923-1925) co-conductor of the New York Philharmonic with his countryman Willem Mengelberg."