Johanna Martzy / Ida Haendel - Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto / Analogphonic

Johanna Martzy (1924-1979) is considered one of the most underrated violinists of her time, as confirmed by the great Glenn Gould. Trained at the renowned Liszt Academy in Budapest, she won first prize at the Geneva

Competition in 1947 and played under the baton of the young Leonard Bernstein in 1958. The extraordinary talent of the Hungarian, whose career began early and was marked by great ovations as well as all kinds of setbacks

before she died almost unnoticed at the age of only 55, is evident in the few commercial recordings she made. All of the recordings were made during her heyday, and most of them achieved cult status after her short career.

The recording from the SWR archives from 1959 – “Mendelssohn – Violin Concerto,” with conductor Hans Müller-Kray and the SWR Radio Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart – is no exception. Six years earlier, the latter had also

performed Mendelssohn's violin concerto with the British musician of Polish origin Ida Haendel (1928-2020), who is considered one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century. At the age of six, Haendel became the youngest

participant to reach the final of the Wieniawski Competition in 1935, finishing in seventh place – Ginette Neveu, then 16, and David Oistrach, then 27, took the top two places. In 1935, the family moved to London, where she

studied with Carl Flesch. He was so impressed by her talent that he offered her free lessons. Ida Haendel also took lessons from the violinist, pianist, and composer George Enescu in Paris. Her international career began after 1945.

dings we still have from her testify to a violinist and musician of the highest class who was not possessed by a demon compelling her to provide the world with as extravagant an interpretation as possible, but with unleashed verve,

inspired articulation and perfectly clear control as a devoted medium of musical energies. It is particularly instructive to hear the exciting live concert recordings made in Stuttgart with Hans Müller-Kray and appreciate what a phenomenal

violinist Johanna Martzy was, without any thought of grandstanding or pretension, always authentic, fully emphatic and with a select, cultivated taste.” Gramophone compares: “The young Ida Haendel was technically on top form in Stuttgart

in 1953-55 when she broadcast the Mendelssohn Concerto under the baton of Hans Müller-Kray, her approach, as ever, sweet-toned, fiery... always her intimitable self”!

The renowned South Korean label Analogphonic is now making this wonderful recording available for the first time on vinyl. Analogphonic commissioned Rainer Maillard and Emil Berliner Studios to handle the analog processing of the master tapes.

The audiophile remastering does justice to the outstanding musical quality of the recording in every respect and sets new standards in terms of sound! The LP release of “Johanna Martzy & Ida Haendel: Mendelssohn – Violin Concerto” was pressed at

Pallas Group GmbH in Germany on high-quality 180-gram vinyl (33 RPM)

MUSICIANS

Johanna Martzy (violin), Ida Haendel (violin), Hans Müller-Kray (conductor), Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR

Recording with Johanna Martzy on 5. February 1959 at Liederhalle Stuttgart, Germany Recording with Ida Haendel on 10. January 1953 at Sendesaal Villa Berg, Stuttgart, Germany

We recommend the use of "L'Art du Son" LP cleaner to wet wash your vinyl. Even new records of high quality production will benefit from this.

Title

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847):

“Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op. 64”

Side A

(Violin: Johanna Martzy)

I. Allegro Molto Appassionato

II. Andante

III. Allegretto Non Troppo – Allegro Molto Vivace

Side B

(Violin: Ida Haendel)

I. Allegro Molto Appassionato

II. Andante

III. Allegretto Non Troppo – Allegro Molto Vivace