I had lunch today with an old friend. He's the son of a mysterious lost piano talent, Sérgio Varella Cid. I'm curious to know if, from the deep wells of experience of many forumites, anyone remembers the name, or if there are any recollections of hearing him.
Varella Cid disappeared in Brazil in 1981 (my friend was under 10 years old, and I believe never really knew him) in mysterious circumstances - presumed dead, and presumed to have been in some way the victim of debts accumulated as a result of his passion for the gaming tables.
In his heyday, he was hailed as one of the big talents, but seems to have disappeared from musical history almost as completely as the man himself disappeared in Brazil. He was a protégé of Benno Moiseiwitsch; and because they were both 'young Turks' of the piano based in London in the 1960s, carving out their careers, I have some anecdotal info about SVC from my neighbour Tamas Vasary who is 2 years his senior, who knew him and who remembers him as very much the highly-talented playboy.
There is a short published biography of him in Portuguese, not much use to me; the best online biography in English I can find is - oddly, as he didn't record any Bach that I know of - on the Bach Cantatas website http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Varella-Sergio.htm
This recording suggests a great pianist to me:
Anyone ever heard of, or heard, Sérgio Varella Cid?
Varella Cid disappeared in Brazil in 1981 (my friend was under 10 years old, and I believe never really knew him) in mysterious circumstances - presumed dead, and presumed to have been in some way the victim of debts accumulated as a result of his passion for the gaming tables.
In his heyday, he was hailed as one of the big talents, but seems to have disappeared from musical history almost as completely as the man himself disappeared in Brazil. He was a protégé of Benno Moiseiwitsch; and because they were both 'young Turks' of the piano based in London in the 1960s, carving out their careers, I have some anecdotal info about SVC from my neighbour Tamas Vasary who is 2 years his senior, who knew him and who remembers him as very much the highly-talented playboy.
There is a short published biography of him in Portuguese, not much use to me; the best online biography in English I can find is - oddly, as he didn't record any Bach that I know of - on the Bach Cantatas website http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Varella-Sergio.htm
Born: 1935 - Lisbon, Portugal
Died: June 1981 (?) - Brazil (disappeared without a trace)
The Portuguese pianist, Sérgio Varella-Cid, was the son of a piano teacher and was considered a prodigy in Lisbon in the early 1940’s, having studied privately with some of the greatest pianists in the world, who frequented visited the family home. As a teenager he studied in London. Among his teachers were Harold Craxton (1885-1971) and Ilona Kabos (1893-1973), and he was also greatly assisted by Benno Moiseiwitsch (1890-1963).
Sérgio Varella-Cid lived nearly his entire life in London, where he launched an international career as a concert pianist. He won prizes in Paris, Lisbon, Rio and Moscow, and in 1962 won the 6th prize at the First Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. He appeared in various European centres, Africa, Far East, etc. In the late 1970’s he moved to Brazil where, in June 1981, he disappeared without a trace; it is believed the victim of murder by his cronies.
Sérgio Varella-Cid left a few recordings of works by L.v. Beethoven, Sergei Rachmaninov, Debussy, and Frédéric Chopin. In August 1967 the Gramophone magazine wrote about his recording of the 4 F. Chopin Ballads: “Sergio Varella-Cid is one of those artists who records better than he performs in public. Too often in the excitement of the moment his playing becomes undisciplined and fine artistic intentions are lost in a welter of uncontrolled tone and excess of sustaining pedal. Once or twice he overpedals here too, though not where you might expect…”
Died: June 1981 (?) - Brazil (disappeared without a trace)
The Portuguese pianist, Sérgio Varella-Cid, was the son of a piano teacher and was considered a prodigy in Lisbon in the early 1940’s, having studied privately with some of the greatest pianists in the world, who frequented visited the family home. As a teenager he studied in London. Among his teachers were Harold Craxton (1885-1971) and Ilona Kabos (1893-1973), and he was also greatly assisted by Benno Moiseiwitsch (1890-1963).
Sérgio Varella-Cid lived nearly his entire life in London, where he launched an international career as a concert pianist. He won prizes in Paris, Lisbon, Rio and Moscow, and in 1962 won the 6th prize at the First Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. He appeared in various European centres, Africa, Far East, etc. In the late 1970’s he moved to Brazil where, in June 1981, he disappeared without a trace; it is believed the victim of murder by his cronies.
Sérgio Varella-Cid left a few recordings of works by L.v. Beethoven, Sergei Rachmaninov, Debussy, and Frédéric Chopin. In August 1967 the Gramophone magazine wrote about his recording of the 4 F. Chopin Ballads: “Sergio Varella-Cid is one of those artists who records better than he performs in public. Too often in the excitement of the moment his playing becomes undisciplined and fine artistic intentions are lost in a welter of uncontrolled tone and excess of sustaining pedal. Once or twice he overpedals here too, though not where you might expect…”
This recording suggests a great pianist to me:
Anyone ever heard of, or heard, Sérgio Varella Cid?
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