Nina Milkina
(1919- )
Chopin 24 Preludes, Opus 28
(recorded at Bishopsgate in 1977)
Chopin
The Complete Mazurkas
(recorded at the Wigmore Hall in 1970)
Nina
Milkina at the Wigmore Hall
Piano Works by Bach, Scarlatti, Haydn, Mozart, Chopin, Scriabin, Rachmaninov
and Prokofiev
(recordings from the 1970s)
UNTERSCHRIFT CLASSICS (originally released on LPs by Pye Records)
Can be obtained from alex@sedgwickphoto.com
When I first came to England in 1972 as a Leeds Competition prize winner,
Nina Milkina's name was soon known to me as a sort of legendary presence.
She was one of those pianists within the profession who was held in
enormous esteem by her fellow pianists. Yet she was not one of the 'flavors
of the month' who was being paraded around the big concert halls of
Europe, and one rarely had the opportunity to actually hear her. So
my joy was all the greater when I first heard bits and pieces of the
Pye recordings she made on LPs in the 1970s. At that time, I particularly
remember the Chopin Mazurkas and a ravishing Mozart K.576. But it wasn't
until I heard her in person in early 1983 that I realized the unique
integrity, warmth, simplicity and depth of this wonderful artist. I
believe it was at the memorial service for Sir Clifford Curzon, whom
I had also known very well, where Nina gave a truly unforgettable rendition
of the B minor Mozart Adagio. It was hauntingly beautiful, and most
apt for this very special occasion. At the time, I also reflected on
the many conversations I had had with Sir Clifford during his last years,
and he often repeated his admiration for Nina Milkina and felt that
she was not properly appreciated by the British, let alone the international,
public. Sometime during that period, I got to know Nina, and with great
temerity asked her to listen to me (I played the fourth Partita of Bach).
I went away walking on air, so to speak - but that might also have had
to do with the lovely Cabernet that her husband, Alistair, served up
at dinner following the lesson!! Nina was the epitome of charm and culture,
but her professionalism and dedication to every note of that score was
an extension of a continually searching musical personality, and this
is a lesson I've have never forgotten.
One can only imagine my joy when I learned a few months
ago that many of the old LPs have now reappeared on CD, and can be obtained
from her son, Alex Sedgwick, at the following address:
alex@sedgwickphoto.com
Within a short space of time, I was once again enthralled
by this captivating artist. Nina is one of those people whom you can't
not listen to. Put more simply, one feels compelled to listen
to every note, whether or not one agrees with it. Readers of this column
who also know my own playing will realize that there are two very different
musical personalities here, and it is only natural and logical that
Nina and I should sometimes arrive at different conclusions about certain
works. Yet, time and time again, I feel drawn to that enormous integrity
mentioned previously, an inner strength and power of communication that
are irresistible, something which only the greatest artists have. The
felicities within these CDs are many - some of the greatest Scarlatti
sonatas (here, a selection of 12) I've ever heard, a wonderful Haydn
E minor. And then there are those Mazurkas, which I think easily rank
with Rubinstein's set from the 1930s and far surpass those of many other
pianists. And, while I feel quite differently about many of them, I
find her Preludes logical and beautifully conceived from first note
to last.
I'm sure that readers of this page will want to acquire
these discs of this distinguished and wonderful artist.
Craig Sheppard
Seattle
March 19, 2003
