Wanda Luzzato ∙ Violin Recitals in Germany 1955-1960 ∙ 2CD

Sepetmber 2016 ∙ MusicWeb International ∙ Wanda Luzzato plays Beethoven, Brahms, Grieg, Hubay, Schubert, Schumann and Strauss
All the broadcasts here come from Stuttgart. There are items from 1955 (two separate broadcasts), one 1956 recital, and two items from broadcasts on consecutive days in February 1960. The pianist throughout is the redoubtable Hans Priegnitz. The hallmark of Luzzato’s playing is exceptional subtlety. In the Schumann she is expressive and full of refined coloration and control of vibrato speed. She has a magical right arm capable of myriad inflections of weight. She has the discretion to vest the slow movement with melancholy lyricism but always to control the width of her vibrato. In the Grieg C minor, rubati are well judged, and the music-making is disciplined but never straightjacketed. Colour flecks the central panel of the sonata, so too deft finger position changes, and the few heat-of-the-moment imprecisions in the finale are of little account. The playing is personal and personable, and the tone is never forced at the apex of phrases, as it so often can be in the Russian manner. Similarly, her Brahms sonata is rich in unforced lyricism: this is playing of selfless musicality. There’s gusto in the Schubert, and she finds just the right mood for each movement. It brings to an end all that we currently have that embodies the art of Wanda Luzzato. It helps no end that the recording quality is so fine, that the booklet documentation is excellent and that the photographs are so evocative – including the famous 1935 one with Luzzato and Edith Fernadi playing for Hubay, surrounded by students including Loránd Fenyves and Ede Zathureczky. Inquisitive violin collectors should on no account hesitate.
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March 2017 ∙ MusicWeb International ∙ Wanda Luzzato plays Beethoven, Brahms, Grieg, Hubay, Schubert, Schumann and Strauss
These radio broadcasts, taped during several sessions between 1955-1960 in Stuttgart, showcase Luzzato at the height of her powers, in fairly wide-ranging repertoire. She commands outstanding technical facility, most notable in the more virtuosically challenging Grieg and Strauss Sonatas. She’s fortunate to own a very flexible vibrato, giving her the distinction of an elite colourist. In the third movement of the Schumann Sonata, for example, the double-stops are intensely vibrant. Her tone is bright, yet warm, and her intonation has an arresting purity. Expressive portamentos play a part in her violinistic arsenal, are convincing and tastefully applied, except perhaps in the Strauss Sonata where they are somewhat overdone. I’m amazed how fine these sixty year old recordings sound; they’ve obviously been well-preserved. This release must surely be one of the highlights in the Meloclassic catalogue, and we must certainly be grateful to them for this introduction to Wanda Luzzato. Jenő Hubay described the thirteen year old at the 1932 Vienna International Competition as ‘the most brilliantly gifted young Italian violinist I have heard for many a day’. On the evidence here one can understand fully his comment, and why he was to declare later that ‘After Vecsey, none of my other pupils were as talented’.
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