This year celebrates the centenary of the birth of the Hungarian pianist
Annie Fischer (1914-1995). Warner have already issued, earlier in the year,
an 8-CD set in their Icon series of the EMI recordings entitled
The
Complete London Studio Recordings, which has been favourably
reviewed by my colleague John Sheppard. The other
recording company Fischer was closely associated with was the Hungarian
label Hungaroton. Their tribute takes the form of this 3 CD box entitled
The Centennial Collection. Each of the CDs has been issued before
separately.
Born in Budapest, Fischer studied at the Franz Liszt Academy with Erno
Dohnányi. She made her debut at the age of ten playing the second and third
movements of the Beethoven Piano Concerto no. 1. In 1933 she won the
1
st International Liszt Competition in Budapest, and this triumph
was a springboard for her career. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before war
broke out and she fled to Sweden with her husband, the influential critic
and musicologist Aladar Toth (1898-1968). They returned to Hungary in 1946.
Fischer's career was mainly focused on continental Europe; she seldom
ventured to the States. She also gave concerts in Japan and Australia.
With a repertoire centred on the Viennese classics and Romantic composers
such as Chopin, Schumann, Brahms and Liszt, Fischer preferred live to studio
recordings, relishing the presence of an audience, which would enhance the
spontaneity of her performances. Vera Lampert in 'The Art of Annie Fischer'
(2002) makes the pertinent observation that 'when on the stage, she never
relied on routine but went with the inspiration born out of the moment'.
This accounts for the paucity of her studio recordings and the
dissatisfaction she had with some of them. An example of this is the
Beethoven sonata cycle she set down. Beginning in 1977, it took fifteen
years to complete. She was notoriously self-critical and would not let it be
published during her lifetime; it was only released after her death. It is
one of the finest cycles I have heard, and it totally puzzles me why
Hungaroton have deleted it in its boxed form; it does look as though the CDs
can still be purchased individually, but this equates to a costly
endeavour.
Fischer re-recorded several works for Hungaroton that she had previously
set down for EMI, of which there are examples here. The two Mozart Concertos
20 and 21 with Ervin Lukács from 1965 were similarly recorded by EMI under
Boult and Sawallisch respectively, in 1958-59. Likewise, the Schubert Sonata
and Impromptu from 1968, were recorded for EMI in 1959. Comparing both sets
of recordings, I didn't detect any striking interpretive divergence, yet
sound quality in the later Hungaroton traversals demonstrates a marked
improvement. The later recordings do not sound as coarsely grained. In the
works with orchestra there is a richer, warmer string tone, and the
woodwinds are captured more sympathetically. For this reason, I would prefer
these later documents. There is also a recording of Beethoven 3 with Fricsay
on DG, but I've never heard it.
The two Mozart Concertos are the highlight of the set for me, with Fischer
decidedly in her comfort zone. There is freshness, a natural quality and
refinement in her renditions. What really draws me to her playing is its
unforced elegance with everything tastefully taken into account. She
achieves a beautiful pearl-like tone, with exquisite voicing of chords.
Never over-pedalling, there is a transparency in the line and she
accomplishes an opulent spectrum of tonal colour. I was particularly taken
by the introspection and profundity of the slow movement of K466. Ervin
Lukács engages sympathetically with the soloist, matching her phrasing with
sensitivity and musicality. The same qualities can also be found in the
Beethoven Concerto - a well-groomed performance. Here the conductor is
Heribert Esser who proves an able partner, judging the ebb and flow of the
orchestral score with intelligence and an eye for the work's
architectural structure.
The Schubert D960 is a transcendental reading of epic proportions,
sonically more agreeable than the 1959 EMI recording. It is an amalgam of
drama, lyricism and poetic sensibilities. In the second movement, the pain
and pathos is tangible. This is assuaged in the extrovert and energetic
scherzo which follows. The Liszt Sonata was recorded in 1953 and the
recording now shows its age, with a boxy acoustic and some distortion in the
louder passages. Nevertheless it is a performance of stature, with Fischer
having the technique and vision to integrate this mighty edifice. In the
same way, all the shorter works display artistry of distinction.
Sound quality throughout - with the exception of the Liszt - is
second-to-none. Documentation by Attila Retkes, in English and Hungarian,
presents an affectionate portrait of an artist who reigned supreme, not only
in her native Hungary, but throughout the concert world. Like many, I was
amazed that Annie Fischer was not included in the Philips
Great Pianists
of the Twentieth Century series; this was a glaring omission. Whilst
Hungaroton are to be commended for this worthy tribute, I feel that this
issue highlights a missed opportunity. The centenary could have been an
occasion for the release of their complete Fischer discography, including
the acclaimed Beethoven cycle, at an affordable price. Maybe they'll think
again.
Stephen Greenbank
