Countess Helene Morsztyn: pianiste

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COUNTESS HÉLÈNE MORSZTYN (Pianiste)


Countess Hélène Morsztyn.
Countess Hélène Morsztyn belongs to that élite of Virtuosi who combine the rarest emotional faculties with the finished technique of their instruments.  This pianist, still so young, amazes by the depth of her style, the purity of her musical feeling and the incredible ease with which her talent triumphs over the greatest difficulties.

Heredity in her case is not an empty word; belonging to one of the oldest families, well-known in the history and literature of her country, Hélène Morsztyn has inherited all the gifts of her ancestors; her grandmother, a pupil of Thalberg, the great master, left behind her the memory of a very remarkable artist.

Hélène Morsztyn was born in Warsaw, in 1888.  From earliest childhood she showed marvellous aptitude for music, to which art she was afterwards to entirely devote herself with so much enthusiasm.

From 1902, Sauer, the magnificent virtuoso, took the musical education of his young protégée in hand, and she finished her studies in a brilliant manner at the Meisterschule in Vienna when only 16, obtaining the highest prize that the Austrian State bestows on the best artists.  Since 1905 her growing renown has been confirmed by triumphal tours in Germany, Russia, and at the Court in Spain.

The eclectic German public has appreciated the excellent pianist above all in works by Beethoven and Chopin, of which she revealed herself the most faithful and moving interpreter.  Last year she achieved a splendid success by her highly perfect execution of the Liszt concerto at Selma Kurz's concerts, and it may be said without prejudice to the great singer, that Hélène Morsztyn's success at least equalled hers.  This year she played twice at the Salle Erard.  Hélène Morsztyn also achieved a triumph at the Albert Hall in London.

To an artist so admirably gifted a magnificent career now presents itself.



ENGLISH NOTICES.

Sheffield Telegraph.
CLEVER TITLED PIANIST: Successful Début in London.
When Herr Emil Sauer last played at the Queen's Hall, he asked Mr. Henry Wood to engage his pupil and protégée, Countess Hélène Morsztyn, as a solo pianist for the promenade concerts.  The conductor remarked that he would first like to hear the lady in the usual way.  You can take my word for it that she can play as well as I can, replied Herr Sauer confidently, whereupon Countess Hélène Morsztyn was engaged on trust, so to speak, and to-night she duly made her début in London.
The lady easily justified Herr Sauer's faith in her talents.  Mendelsohn's G minor Concerto may not constitute an ultimate test, but it su fficiently proved the pianist to be the possessor of a brilliant technique, a firm and sympathetic tone, and a genuinely poetic temperament.
Promenade audiences are not supposed to be very discriminating, but this was belied to-night, the reception given to the Countess being as judicious as it was demonstrative.  After bowing her acknowledgments eight times, Mr. Wood yielded to the enthusiasm and allowed an additional piece to be played.



Daily Telegraph.
In the solo part of Mendelsohn's Concerto in G minor Countess Hélène Morsztyn succeeded in making an excellent impression.  The pianist in question, who made her début in London at one of the Albert Hall Sunday Concerts a few weeks ago, is a pupil of Mr. Emil Sauer and has fulfilled numerous engagements on the Continent during the last five years.  Her technique has been developed on the soundest lines.  She has a crisp and sensitive touch, and marked refinement of style, and of harsh tone there is never a suggestion.  Her phrasing last evening was always clear and attractive, and the most rapid passages were compassed with engaging fluency.  The talented artist's share in the final lively movement was, indeed, carried through with rare animation, and at the close she was heartily cheered by the delighted audience.  By way of encore she tendered a piece by Chopin.  Countess Morsztyn has been engaged to play at one of the Sunday Concert Society's forthcoming concerts at Queen's Hall.


The Standard.
There were attractions for all at the Promenade Concert at Queen's Hall last night.  For those whose delight lies in soloists there were a soprano, a tenor, and a pianist.  The last, in the person of Countess Hélène Morsztyn, made her Promenade début on this occasion, and gained the instant and well-deserved favour of the audience.  Mendelsohn's Concerto in G minor does not tap very deeply the resources of modern pianoforte playing, but the principles it covers are those which make for all that lightness and command of accent which, while not so apparent as the more showy parts—though these were brilliantly executed—add unobtrusively to the popular effect of the whole.


The Times.
When Mendelsohn had a good idea he never flagged in the carrying out of it and so the Hebrides Ouverture is a delight and refreshment to tired ears from its first bar to its last.  If only he had let the execution wait upon the ideas we should have been saved a good many things—however, exceedingly well played last night by the Countess Hélène Morsztyn, whose playing, though she has been heard in London before, is still unfamiliar to most people.  She played the whole with a delicate and sensitive touch and made the utmost possible effect by the use of subtle changes of tone, so that she was listened to with breathless attention and so warmly applauded at the end that she had to give an extra piece.  She chose a valse by Chopin.



Referee.
An excellent impression was made by Countess Hélène Morsztyn by her playing in Mendelsohn's pianoforte Concerto in G minor on Wednesday.


Daily Mail.
The feature of last night's Promenade Concert at Queen's Hall was the brillant performance of the pianist, Countess Hélène Morsztyn, in Mendelsohn's Concerto in G minor.  It was her first appearance at these concerts.


Huddersfield Examiner, London.
The Countess Hélène Morsztyn made her first appearance at the Queen's Hall on Wednesday this week, and proved herself a pianist of the first rank.  Such beautiful colour, tone-production, and phrasing is very rarely heard even in London.  Her pianissimo touch is second only to Pachmann's wonderful control of the keys.


Musical Opinion.
.. Mendelsohn's Concer to played by the Countess Hélène Morsztyn, and a more truly beautiful player I could hardly wish to hear.  While possessed of ample power, she displayed a lovely touch with infinite variety of tone.  A tremendous—only in this case really deserved—ovation followed, with a relaxation of the iron rule in the shape of a Chopin excerpt.


The Lady's Pictorial.
An uncommonly successful début in the rôle of pianist has been accomplished by Countess Hélène Morsztyn, a pupil of Herr Emil Sauer.  She has a brilliant and powerful technique, but exercises complete restraint.  Her touch is crisp and refined, and she never, even in the loudest passages, produces coarse tone … The neatness of her execution and the grace and refinement of her charming interpretation of the various movements in Mendelsohn's pianoforte Concerto in G minor, the finale being played with abundant animation.


Musical Observer, London.
The Countess Hélène Morsztyn scored a great success at the Promenade Concerts at Queen's Hall.  She was recalled half a dozen times after a brilliant performance of Mendelsohn's Concerto in G minor, and compelled to play again.



FRENCH NOTICES.

Le Matin.
The programme contained the concerto by Sauer, which was executed by Countess Morsztyn, a young pianist of rare distinction.



Le Figaro.
The brilliant artist Hélène Morsztyn achieved a triumph yesterday at the Philharmonia concert and had to add as encore a waltz by Chopin, after having already played the concerto by Sauer, the Prélude by Debussy and the Toccata by Saint-Saëns.


Le Journal.
Miss Morsztyn's solid technique and sonorous tone aroused once more the enthusiasm of the audience at the Salle Erard during the second recital of this remarkable pianist, the pedestined successor of Sophie Menter and Essipoff.


Le Siècle.
A star of first rank at the Philharmonia.  We were the first last year to greet the appearance of a new star amongst pianists, Hélène Morsztyn, whose admirable playing excited the enthusiasm of her audience at the Colonne concerts and at the Salle Erard.  Yesterday afternoon the young artiste achieved a triumph at the Theatre Réjane.  Her interpretation of Sauer's concerto and Saint-Saëns' Toccata evoked frenzied enthusiasm.  To see Hélène Morsztyn play, her face radiant with ecstasy, her fingers marvellously agile and sure, gives one the vivid impression that this young artiste has the divine gift which in former times was called genius.  In two or three years she will be more celebrated than Paderewski.


La Liberté.
We have to signal the phenomenal success of a young pianist up to this time not yet heard in Paris, Countess Hélène Morsztyn.  Her technique is of rare power, ease and distinction.


Le Petit Journal.
The charm, the precision and the suppleness of her playing render her on of the most remarkable pianists I ever heard.


Le Gaulois.
Miss Morsztyn is a pianist of the very first rank.  She plays every genre of music and interprets all styles with the same virtuosity and unparalleled ease.  Her playing is absolutely perfect.  As she was encored, she played with exquisite charm and delightful lightness some bars, the name of which I do not for the moment remember.  It was marvellous.

(Paris edition.)

New York Herald.
Miss Hélène Morsztyn is interesting and highly gifted, and is fortunate in having a future before her.  She made a very great success.



La Patrie.
Hélène Morsztyn gave her first concert at the Salle Erard.  At the last two Philharmonic concerts she made an excellent commencement towards becoming a celebrity.  The young pianist, applauded and encored with the greatest enthusiasm, had to add to her programme a waltz by Emil Sauer, her famous teacher, and an Etude by Chopin.  Her technique is dazzling, and firmly supported by perfect comprehension and very delicate artistic sentiment.


Le Monde.
We had already had the good luck to hear that extraordinary and sincere artiste, Hélène Morsztyn.  She has just achieved a new, resounding triumph at the Salle Erard.  In the second part of her recital Hélène Morsztyn rendered Chopin with a strong personality and gave ample proof of infinite charm and great variety of modulation.  Her playing is full of intense life and communicative emotion.  Applauded, recalled, cheered, this delightful artist gave us as additional numbers, Méphisto by Liszt and the waltz by Sauer, both of which she played with unforgettable enthusiasm and distinction.


Le Courier Musical.
There is no doubt that the name of Hélène Morsztyn, already known, will be justly celebrated in the near future.  Her two recitals which were received with the most vivid and sincere appreciation entitle us to affirm this.  Her technique is of the very highest rank.  But what she possesses in a most remarkable degree is a gift of power quite exceptional in a woman, a very distinguished musical perception, a very uniform and firm style and a charming suppleness which often expresses itself in half-shades of exquisite delicacy.


Paris, Le Courier Musical.
Women can by their talents sometimes rival the most experienced of men.  A proof for this statement is Hélène Morsztyn, who, after brilliant successes in Spain, Russia and Germany, conquered Parisian connoisseurs spontaneously.


Paris, I'Action.
A new star amongst pianists, Hélène Morsztyn, has aroused unanimous enthusiasm at the Châtelet concert.  Her fascinating talent was a true revelation to the Parisian public.



GERMANY, RUSSIAN AND SPANISH NOTICES.

Berlin, Lokal-Anzeiger.
By her ability and manner of playing, Hélène Morsztyn stands in the very first rank of artists.



Berlin, Yossische Zeitung.
What Hélène Morsztyn gave us at her concert in the Bechstein Saal was—pure music.  No scintillating piquancy, no caprices, no jests, but pure, joyful playing and a convincing, powerful representation of the matter.


Berlin, Berliner Tageblatt.
In Hélène Morsztyn we greet one of the most enjoyable of the younger pianists.  With her, everything emanates from a really musical nature, and the development of her tone and technique have already reached a very high degree.


Munich, Der Sammler.
It is a great joy for a critic to meet an exceptional talent amongst the many honourable and praiseworthy average talents, and Hélène Morsztyn is without doubt such an exceptiona ltalent.  Both musically and technically she is surprising; music vibrates in her, every bar she plays is interesting.  It is at the same time attractive and astonishing, enjoyable and refreshing to see her at the piano, giving herself up entirely to the task before her.  At the end of the concert she played Mazeppa by Liszt with extraordinary execution.  It was like listening to Carreno.


Munich, Münchener Neueste Nachrichten.
Hélène Morsztyn will one day be a shining star of purest light on the artistic sky.  Her talent is exceptionally great and her ability masterful.  Her perception of the elements of music and really living rhythm is phenomenal.  At the end of the concert the audience gave her an enthusiastic ovation.


Hamburg, Hamburger Zeitung.
Those who have not heard Hélène Morsztyn's encores yesterday and the heavy, titanic Mazeppa, have missed much.  It was a colossal performance, penetrated by the uncanny atmosphere of exceptional gift and superior elementary force.  Hélène Morsztyn has been received here as an extraordinary artist of whom great things and the greatest things are to be expected.


Petersburg, Petersburger Börsen Nachrichten.
This young artist is a magnificent performer—the time is not far off when it will be said: This is how Morsztyn plays.


Madrid, El Liberal.
She is really a celebrity, the great pianiste who appeared yesterday before the Madrid public.  Almost a child, she possesses all the qualities of experienced art, and stands as high as the greatest masters.  It is impossible to imagine a more perfect interpretation, a more absolute mastery over the keyboard.  Sometimes she plays with incredible delicacy, and then again her instrument is transformed into an orchestra of immense power.  The ovations seemed endless and degenerated into delirium.



Barcelona, La Tribuna.
Hélène Morsztyn plays as she feels, as a gipsy plays the fiddle, as Liszt played in his younger years.  Cascades of sound fall from her fingers, as cascades of drops fall from the falls of Niagara.

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