Pianist Julian von Karolyi

[Rach3]

Julian von Karolyi ( 1914-1993) plays the Chopin Ballades, studio recording 1951. Thanks to a tip from a Dutch friend about the pianist’s playing of Chopin’s Op.61 Fantasie which impressed me , and which reminded me that I had heard of Karolyi , but had probably never listened to any of his playing. Whether or not one agrees with all the interpretations, very distinctive, noble, at times astonishing,playing with wonderful rhythmic pulse. Perhaps a young D’Albert or young Rosenthal spirit at work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT4ericH8IM

I am reminded of the story of a piano student of Chopin who is said to have apologized to Chopin when the student broke a piano string during a Polonaise.Chopin is said to have replied that if Chopin had the young man’s strength, all the piano strings would have been broken. Karolyi seems to view these works as “Revolutionary “ Ballades.

Others I enjoyed listed below .If you wish to start with one of the smaller works, rather than the Chopin Ballades, suggest “ Bolero” , “ Poissons ‘ , and the Mazurka.

Liszt’s “Dante Sonata “ , live,1953 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6icyTcYNRc


Liszt’s “Feux Follets”, live, 1953 :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IW5lKVAfY2Q

Chopin, Mazurka, Op.17, No.4 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rc0L9kN9PsM

Debussy,” Poissons d’or “, live, 1954 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIS43cg ... D&index=13

Chopin, “Bolero”, Op.19, studio recording 1964 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmPlP8JPYbM

Schumann’s Piano Concerto, studio recording 1956 with Bavarian Radio Orchestra,Robert Heger : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vELU7vgXPkE

[maestrob]

That's quite a repertoire! Will get to these in the coming days, for sure.

Many thanks!

[Rach3]

Julian von Karolyi ( 1914-1993)

Add one more:

Rachmaninoff Rhapsody, studio recording 1952, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra,Arthur Rother. A very sprightly reading, especially in the 18th Variation :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV9JZPkaLL8

[maestrob]

Julian von Karolyi ( 1914-1993)

Add one more:

Rachmaninoff Rhapsody, studio recording 1952, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra,Arthur Rother. A very sprightly reading, especially in the 18th Variation :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV9JZPkaLL8

This one is interesting to me because of the conductor as well. Artur Rother was a not very successful conductor in Germany, even though during the war he signed up for some sort of militant organization sponsored by the Nazi party in 1933 for a year, but he never became a full-fledged Nazi party member-perhaps that was what held him back during the war years. He was the conductor on the experimental stereo recording of Beethoven's Emperor Concerto with Gieseking in 1945, finally released by Varese-Sarabande in the 1970's when the tapes were rediscovered. Here's his Wikipedia page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artur_Rother