Nyiregyházi Live Vol. 3: Old First Church, 1973

Pf: Ervin Nyiregyházi
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Nyiregyházi Live Vol. 3 documents one of the most important recitals of Ervin Nyiregyházi’s last years, the one held on May 6, 1973, at the Old First Church (Presbyterian) in San Francisco.

In 1977 Desmar label released an album entitled Nyiregyházi Plays Liszt, which featured the riveting Old First Church performance of Liszt’s Deux légendes as well as four outstanding studio recordings made in 1974. The album effectively captured Nyiregyházi’s unique artistry with less of the technical deterioration evident in his later recordings. Nyiregyházi Plays Liszt was met with critical acclaim and garnered new audiences for him, in part due to the fascinating story of his life and dramatic return.

Though Nyiregyházi's Old First Church recital has been widely discussed and has gained legendary status among historical recording enthusiasts, the complete recording has never before been commercially released. The original reel-to-reel tape of the two live tracks (Deux légendes) in Nyiregyházi Plays Liszt, which were recorded with a portable Wollensak reel-to-reel recorder placed on the balcony, has been lost. Only the surviving recording of the entire recital was made on a portable Sony cassette recorder brought into the venue by an audience member. A copy of this cassette recording has been circulated among Nyiregyházi enthusiasts for years and a part of it was commercially released in 2007; however, unfortunately, these versions have serious technical problems that appear to have been introduced subsequent to the original recording, including the truncated opening chord of St. François de Paule marchant sur les flots, incorrect pitch, wow-flutters, and severe sound distortion throughout.

Several years ago, we obtained an earlier-generation copy of this cassette recording that does not have these problems. For this release, we have addressed many of the problems mentioned above in the remastering process while preserving the natural characteristics of this source as best we could.

The present CD—the final release of our Nyiregyházi Live trilogy, launched in 2017—is being released in 2023, which marks both the one hundred twentieth anniversary of Nyiregyházi’s birth and the fiftieth anniversary of his Old First Church recital. We are profoundly grateful to all those who have supported this trilogy, and in particular to Mattheus Smits of the International Ervin Nyiregyházi Foundation in Krommenie, The Netherlands, which administers the Nyiregyházi estate.

Norma Fisher at the BBC Vol. 3: Schumann/Brahms/Chopin

Pf: Norma Fisher

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Norma Fisher, a superb piano teacher who was once considered one of the finest pianists of her generation, was forced to withdraw from the concert stage in the 1990s due to focal dystonia. While she did not make commercial recordings in her heyday, she frequently recorded BBC radio programs for three decades.

Norma Fisher at the BBC project started in 2015 and two critically acclaimed albums have been released. Her third album, Norma Fisher At The BBC Vol. 3 includes BBC broadcast recordings of Schumann’s Papillons and Brahms Op. 116 aired in 1983, and Chopin recital, one of Fisher's last sessions with the BBC, aired in 1992.

The recordings of Schumann’s Papillons and Brahms’s Op. 116 were once considered for Norma Fisher at the BBC Vol. 2, but the tape was damaged and the first part of Papillons was missing. In 2020, a dozen reel-to-reel tapes were discovered in Fisher's house, and the pile included an intact version of Papillons and Op. 116. The condition of the tape was excellent, and so now listeners can enjoy these superb recordings here.

Nyiregyházi Live Vol. 2: Forest Hill Clubhouse / Last recordings
& Photobook "Nyiregyházi in Japan"

Pf: Ervin Nyiregyházi

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In the early 1970s, after decades in poverty and obscurity, 'Lost Genius' Ervin Nyiregyházi started giving public recitals in San Francisco to help pay for his ninth wife's medical bills. After giving successful recitals at the Century Club of California, in 1972 (released as SONCLA002), and the Old First Church, in 1973, he performed at the Forest Hill Clubhouse on May 24, 1973.

The recorded performances from this recital are released here for the first time in their entirety. While his technique may have been declined due to age and blank by the early 1970s, the recording here would prove that he was a genuine inheritor of a Great Tradition of piano performance practice starting from Franz Liszt. For this release, we used the original master tape drawn from our Nyiregyházi archive, digitally transferred at a sample rate of 192kHz/24-bit to guarantee the best possible quality.

The second disc of this album includes his last preserved recordings, made in 1984, in the San Francisco home of his friend Ricardo Hernandez. Our source is the original tape, kindly provided to us by Hernandez.

This 2-CD albums also includes a 24-page photobook Nyiregyházi in Japan, 1982, featuring dozens of rare unpublished photos of Nyiregyházi by a renowned photographer Yoshimasa Hatano, combined with quotations by Nyiregyházi.

Finally, the main 20-page sleeve notes are written by Nyiregyházi’s biographer Kevin Bazzana and producer Tomoyuki Sawado (English/Japanese text), offering the full information behind the recordings as well as Nyiregyházi's incredible life story.

This album is authorised by Mattheus Smits, president of the International Ervin Nyiregyházi Foundation, in Krommenie, The Netherlands, which represents Nyiregyházi’s estate.

Norma Fisher At The BBC Vol. 2: Liszt/Schumann/Debussy/Tchaikowsky

Pf: Norma Fisher

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The 41st Liszt Ferenc International Grand Prix Du Disque

Norma Fisher, a superb piano teacher who was once considered one of the finest pianists of her generation, was forced to withdraw from the concert stage in the 1990s due to focal dystonia. Our new release Norma Fisher At The BBC Vol. 2 includes BBC broadcast recordings of her Liszt, Schumann, Debussy, and André Tchaikowsky, drawn from the BBC archive, the British Library (tape donated by Alan Walker), and Fisher's personal archive.

Disc 1 is entirely dedicated to Liszt, and Disc 2 includes Schumann's 2nd sonata with the original finale, Debussy's Études (excerpt), and André Tchaikowsky's Inventions Opus 2.

This album, which demonstrates Fisher's versatility and integrity, will be appreciated by any piano music enthusiasts. The sleeve notes (by Bryce Morrison & Tomoyuki Sawado) include Fisher's program note written for the first public concert of Inventions at the Queen Elizabeth Hall held in 1983. English & Japanese text included.

Norma Fisher At The BBC Vol. 1: Brahms and Scriabin (Discontinued)

Pf: Norma Fisher

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Norma Fisher, a superb piano teacher who was once considered one of the finest pianists of her generation, was forced to withdraw from the concert stage in the 1990s due to focal dystonia. This debut album of hers featuring rare broadcast recordings made in the 1970s demonstrates her matserly control of articulation and dynamics as well as a sense of structure and fluidity.

Sleeve notes: Bryce Morrison & Tomoyuki Sawado.

Nyiregyházi Live Vol. 1: The Century Club of California 1972

Pf: Ervin Nyiregyházi

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In the early 1970s, after decades in poverty and obscurity, Ervin Nyiregyházi started giving public recitals to help pay for his ninth wife's medical bills. His first full comeback recital took place at the Century Club of California, in San Francisco, on December 17, 1972. He offered a large program including Brahms's F-minor sonata, three mazurkas and a prelude by Chopin, Debussy's “Pagodes,” and several works by Liszt.

In 2016 we obtained the reel-to-reel tapes, which beautifully captured the whole recital, previously owned by Nyiregyházi himself. The double CD, which sounds superior to any previous versions, includes sleeve notes by Nyiregyházi’s biographer Kevin Bazzana, and previously unreleased photos by Yoshimasa Hatano and Akira Kinoshita. This album is authorised by Mattheus Smits, president of the International Ervin Nyiregyházi Foundation, in Krommenie, The Netherlands, which represents Nyiregyházi’s estate.

ANGELO VILLANI plays DANTE's INFERNO

Pf: Angelo Villani

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This unique piano album was produced in 2015 to coincide with the 750th Anniversary of Dante's birth. The album's concept is intended to invoke the multi faceted world of Dante that has over time given inspiration to various musical works related to mythical characters---Tristan, Dido, Virgil, Beatrice, Paolo, and Francesca da Rimini--- all appearing within the "Inferno" of Dante's Divine Comedy. Sleeve notes: Jessica Duchen.

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Nyiregyházi At The Opera


pf: Ervin Nyiregyházi
VAIA/IPA1002 

This album, featuring opera paraphrases arranged by Nyiregyházi, was released from VAI in 1996. Our sealed copies are drawn from Takasaki's Nyiregyházi archive, which now belongs to Sonetto Classics (Sonetto Nyiregyházi Archive).

 
LP box (Mint condition)

Messengers of Peace (2LP)


pf: Ervin Nyiregyházi


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This Toshiba EMI album, which is composed of two LPs and a booklet, features Nyiregyházi's live concerts held in Takasaki on May 31st and June 1st, 1980. The album was sold as a limited edition, and instantly became a collector's item. Our copies are in mint condition, which is extremely rare, drawn from Sonetto Nyiregyházi Archive. We have only a few copies.

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