COUP 001 - Johanna Martzy

Although Johanna Martzy's long association with VARA Radio at Hilversum began in 1948, the story begins almost six years earlier. After being awarded the prize for violin at the Concours International d'Execution Musicale in Geneva in October 1947, Johanna managed to contact Johan Koning, a musicians' agent based in The Hague. They had met once in Budapest in 1943, when Johanna, at the age of eighteen, had performed Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto under the direction of Willem Mengelberg. Koning was Mengelberg's agent and was travelling with him. Mengelberg, a notoriously hard man to please, had been tremendously impressed with her, and five years later Koning had not forgotten the impact of that night's performance. However, because he had continued to work throughout the war, Koning suffered an interdiction for two years, owing to his supposed collaboration with the occupying Germans. Mengelberg was considerably less fortunate. The former leader of the Concertgebouw Orchestra was denied work in Holland forever, and refusing to perform elsewhere, he went into exile in Switzerland where he died in 1951.

 

In 1948 Koning began again, introducing several new artists and re-establishing connections with many others, including Jean Antonietti, a young Dutch pianist of some national repute. Antonietti's debut at the age of nineteen was with The Hague Residentie Orchestra in 1934. He appeared as soloist for many renowned conductors including Monteux and van Beinum, and accompanied artists such as Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Suzanne Danco, Henryk Szeryng and Pierre Fournier. At that time he was considered one of the foremost young pianists in the country. In the autumn of 1945, having had prior experience with Radio Free Europe, Antonietti was asked by the Netherlands Broadcasting Company to take charge of chamber music at Radio Hilversum, then still under reconstruction. After a year of state-run radio, the former broadcasting station, VARA, was reinstated, and when offered the position of Musical Director, Antonietti accepted. Koning immediately saw the valuable opportunity this presented for his artists. At his suggestion, Antonietti engaged Johanna for her first broadcast concert outside Switzerland. On October 4th 1948, Johanna performed her second live broadcast of the Tchaikovsky, with the HRO under Albert van Raalte. The first had been with Ansermet and L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in Geneva the previous year.

Complimenting his duties with VARA, Antonietti continued his career as a pianist. As well as appearing as a soloist, he was also in the position to accompany some of Koning's new artists. On February 12th 1949, three days after Johanna's triumphant two night debut with the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Antonietti and Johanna gave their first recital in the Concertgebouw's Small Hall. It proved to be a resounding critical success. '(Johanna's) is the soul of an aristocratic priestess of music....truly regal in idea and action.' (Albert de Wal, 1.3.49). This marked the beginning of a partnership and friendship that would last nearly two decades. For Johanna Martzy, their collaboration also provided a lasting connection with VARA, with whom she continued to make numerous broadcasts over the years. She came to enjoy a considerable popular following in Holland, performing with all the major orchestras. Conductors were to include Kubelik, van Kempen, van Otterloo, Klemperer, Martinon, Dorati, Solti and the elder Krips. In addition, there were the numerous recitals with Antonietti all over the country. The only other artist who could claim comparably prestigious engagements in such numbers was Clara Haskil, who, coincidentally, was also represented by Johan Koning.

© Glenn Armstrong / Coup d'Archet 1997

Reviews

ICRC, Winter 1997

[Martzy's] many admirers will not be disappointed by this important issue, presenting two major works with her finely attuned regular duo partner. She recorded neither piece commercially and the mono sound is generally excellent.

To hear the beginning of the Franck Sonata is to sense instantly the quality of a performance that evolves from the piano's dreamy opening gesture, taken up by the violin with a pure yet melting tone, both players arching forever forward, thinking in whole phrases at a time. Martzy, with total technical security, commands the greatest range of expression and, in this repertoire, a musical sensibility to match it. The stingingly forward G-string sound (Franck, Allegro) is in greatest contrast and in Ravel's Blues there are even intimations of theBurletta of Bartók's sixth quartet, still 12 years in the future.

- Graham Silcock

César Franck

Violin Sonata in A

1. Allegro Ben Moderato (5.58)
2. Allegro (8.06)
3. Recitativo Fantasia (7.18)
4. Allegretto Poco Mosso (6.02)

Accompanist: Jean Antonietti

Recorded by VARA Matinee July 15 1959

Used with kind permission of VARA Broadcast Organisation Holland.

Maurice Ravel

Violin Sonata

1. Allegro (8.15)
2. Blues(5.29)
3. Perpetuum Mobile (3.52)

Accompanist: Jean Antonietti

Recorded by VARA Matinee January 27 1965

Used with kind permission of VARA Broadcast Organisation Holland.