To identify a female pianist performing in London 1950-1960

[Segilla]

She was around 30-40, slight, sad face, dark, not pretty. She played both sets of Brahms Paganini variations. Her name eludes but I recollect she was a second ranker, such as Maurice Cole. (Did she have a Jewish name?).

[pastoralguy]

She was around 30-40, slight, sad face, dark, not pretty. She played both sets of Brahms Paganini variations. Her name eludes but I recollect she was a second ranker, such as Maurice Cole. (Did she have a Jewish name?).

Not Joyce Hatto?!

[Dave2002]

She was around 30-40, slight, sad face, dark, not pretty. She played both sets of Brahms Paganini variations. Her name eludes but I recollect she was a second ranker, such as Maurice Cole. (Did she have a Jewish name?).

Could it have been Livia Rev? - though I'm not sure I'd have called her a second ranker - https://www.classicalmusicdaily.com/.../livia-rev.htm and she might not have liked your description of her physiognomy.

There is a Saga LP of her playing Liszt - Paganini related compositions.

[John Wright]

Re: Joyce Hatto, Guardian obituary:

".... Her debut at Wigmore Hall was in 1954 with Liszt's Malédiction. The Guardian's Neville Cardus wrote of her (live) Brahms Paganini Variations that they were "despatched in a seamless riot of ecstatic bravura laced with underlying deep musical feeling rarely countenanced in this work".

[Tevot]

Not Joyce Hatto!

You beat me to it.

Certainly not Christina Ortiz or Yuja Wang either !

Happy New Year everyone !

Best Wishes,

Tevot

[Bryn]

Re: Joyce Hatto, Guardian obituary:

".... Her debut at Wigmore Hall was in 1954 with Liszt's Malédiction. The Guardian's Neville Cardus wrote of her (live) Brahms Paganini Variations that they were "despatched in a seamless riot of ecstatic bravura laced with underlying deep musical feeling rarely countenanced in this work".

Thank you, John. It is all too easy to forget that Hatto was a fine pianist in her day. She spent her final years living in Royston, Herts (not to be confused with Royston Vasey).

[gradus]

Shulamith Shafir?

[LMcD]

She was around 30-40, slight, sad face, dark, not pretty. She played both sets of Brahms Paganini variations. Her name eludes but I recollect she was a second ranker, such as Maurice Cole. (Did she have a Jewish name?).

Livia Rév would have been in her mid-30s in 1950 (she died in 2016 at the age of 101). She recorded the Brahms on the Saga label.

[ardcarp]

She was around 30-40, slight, sad face, dark, not pretty. She played both sets of Brahms Paganini variations. Her name eludes but I recollect she was a second ranker, such as Maurice Cole. (Did she have a Jewish name?).

Have you tried Googling British female pianists?

[HighlandDougie]

Although most definitely not second-rate and not English (but frequently appearing in London at that time) and with the Brahms Paganini Variations very much a core part of her repertoire, Gina Bachauer?

[Dave2002]

Livia Rév would have been in her mid-30s in 1950 (she died in 2016 at the age of 101). She recorded the Brahms on the Saga label.

I can’t find any record of Rev playing these Brahms pieces on Saga. The only one I found on Saga was by David Parkhouse.

https://www.discogs.com/artist/1653660-Livia-Rev Liszt

That doesn’t mean it wasn’t her, and maybe I’ve just not found a recording yet, but it may be a contra-indication.

[LMcD]

I can’t find any record of Rev playing these Brahms pieces on Saga. The only one I found on Saga was by David Parkhouse.

https://www.discogs.com/artist/1653660-Livia-Rev Liszt

That doesn’t mean it wasn’t her, and maybe I’ve just not found a recording yet, but it may be a contra-indication.

My mistake - right pianist, right label but wrong composer - I must have been a bit Brahms and Liszt when I posted that message!

[John Wright]

But original poster Segilla is recalling a live performance, not necessarily a pianist who recorded Brahms Paganini variations. So far, we have Joyce Hatto as a possibility.

[gradus]

But original poster Segilla is recalling a live performance, not necessarily a pianist who recorded Brahms Paganini variations. So far, we have Joyce Hatto as a possibility.

Also, Shulamith Shafir or perhaps Idil Biret?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Not sure if Hatto matches the "dark, not pretty" and possibly having "a Jewish name" descriptions in the OP