Anna Yesipova plays Verdi-Liszt

Verdi-Liszt "Rigoletto" Fantasy Paraphrase Recorded in 1906 ******************* From Russian Culture Navigator: Bernard Shaw wrote after one of Yesipova's London concerts that her cold disdain for difficulties, the incredible fluency of her fingers, her graceful and haste-free manner of playing, devoid of sentimentality - all that commanded admiration. Esipova's brilliant technique put her in on row with such virtuoso pianists as Anton and Nikolai Rubinshtein, Hans Bulow, Ignacy Paderewski, Josef Hofmann and Clara Schumann. If Anna's father cared to think at all about his daughter's musical future, he must have imagined her as a singer rather than a musician. In her early years she revealed an extraordinary gift for music and a infallible memory. At 7, having heard a piece at a concert, she could repeat it at home with a high degree of exactitude. Above all, she was very fond of singing. However, when she was at a proper age to learn to play the piano, no serious steps were taken. It was not until she turned 13 that Anna got enrolled into the St.-Petersburg Conservatory. Her professor was Alexandr Valluan (Alexandre Villoing), the celebrated teacher of the Rubinshtein brothers. The Polish pianist Theodor Leschetizky, who was working at the Conservatory at the time, was the first to notice the girl's talent. Having heard her play at a public exam, he said: "This little one is possessed, she will be a great artist if she tames her nature". Several years later Leschetizky and Yesipova got married. Under her husband's influence the obstinate and self-willed Anna became more serious and persevering. Her first concerts got favorable reviews. After her debut in December 1871, composer Petr Tchaikovsky noted that Yesipova's virtuosity combined two great merits: impeccable technique and artistic maturity. Critics wrote that she had no equals in sound extraction. Ferencz Liszt was delighted by the exquisite purity and softness of her sound. He presented the young lady with his portrait. An inscription on it read: "To Annette Yesipova. November 10, 1873, Pest. Faithfully, Ferencz Liszt". Within a short period of time Yesipova gave a colossal number of concerts in Russia and Western Europe. In 1876 she receives an invitation to perform in the United States. 105 concerts in half a year! In New York alone she presents 37 programs on her favorite Steinway with which she never parts. The tour was a tremendous success. Yesipova handed out thousands of autographs. Her photos adorned shop-windows in many cities. One newspaper printed her full-size portrait with a cupid holding scores and sent it out to its subscribers. No wonder she had lots of admirers for she was not only a talented pianist, but a very attractive woman. There is a portrait at the St.-Petersburg Conservatory: Anna in an evening gown, a charming figure, proud bearing, grayish green shining eyes... Her rather extravagant clothes matched her extraordinary beauty and feminity. At her last concert in New York she appeared to the public in a star-striped costume symbolizing the American flag. During her nearly 20-year-long concert career Yesipova impressed everyone with her unrelenting stamina. Sometimes a concert lasted 4 hours. She could give two piano concerts in the company of an orchestra and a solo concert of Beethoven's works - all in one evening. Even at the present time of high velocities and the so-called strength pianism few male pianists would break a record set by this indomitable woman. Yesipova's repertoire ranged from Mozart and Beethoven to Schuman, Liszt, Rubinshtein and Arensky. She entranced everyone with her filigree performance of Chopin. The well-known Polish pianist Josef Hofmann once remarked: "I should go to Yesipova to learn to play Chopin's mazurkas". In 1893 she was offered professorship at the St.-Petersburg Conservatory. Among her students was Sergei Prokofiev. The aesthetic gap between them was enormous. To Proko...