To identify a female pianist performing in London 1950-1960

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Nor does Idil Biret, who, born in 1941, wasn't in her 30s/40s in the '50s & '60s:

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

If I were to be ungallant, I would suggest that, of the names offered so far, HighDoug's suggestion of Gina Bachauer most closely fits the description in the OP:



... except, of course, as HD says, she was far from a "second ranker"!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Shulamith Shafir?

Fits a lot of the criteria, but surely, surely, nobody would describe her as "not pretty":



... anyone who did would deserve having their leg bitten by their Guide Dog!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

A recording of Bachauer playing the Brahms 2nd set of Paganini Vars at a Live concert in Bergen in 1960 can be heard here, starting at 44mins 10":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA92si57KU8

[Segilla]

Many thanks indeed for all your suggestions. If I saw the name I'd recognise it and the one that keeps coming to mind is Harriet Cohen but it's clearly not her. She is not listed in Wiki British female pianists.

Frail memory is that the concert was on a Sunday afternoon at a small hall (definitely not Wigmore) perhaps somewhere near the Aldwych(???).

Gina Bachaeur reminds me of the 78 I used to have of her playing Liszt's Funerailles; and the mention of his Malédiction of how, as a cheeky youth I managed to get a set of gold / yellow Special Order / List 78s out of Decca.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Sorry - do you mean that you're looking for a British pianist? (I had assumed you meant someone you'd heard in London in the '50s & '60s.)

[Segilla]

I have the feeling that she was British but may have been a refugee.

[verismissimo]

Frail memory is that the concert was on a Sunday afternoon at a small hall (definitely not Wigmore) perhaps somewhere near the Aldwych(???).

South Place / Conway Hall, Red Lion Square?

[pastoralguy]

This reminds me of the story about a friend who bought the classic recording of Mozart's 21st piano concerto with Geza Anda that featured a still on the sleeve from the 'Elvira Madigan' movie that it featured in. He saw Anda was playing in the Wigmore Hall and bought a front row seat. He had to use all his restraint not to jump up when, instead of a tall glamorous blonde lady, a portly bespectacled gentlemen took the piano stool!

In fact, on the same topic, Geza Anda was NOT happy that his recording was being used as background music to a FILM. He made his displeasure known to Deutsche Grammophon who had licensed the recording to the film company. He instructed his manager that he was seriously considering dropping DG as his record company. However, the soundtrack sold in droves around the world and reached the pop charts. Then the first royalty cheques came in...

[Pianorak]

Moura Lympany or Eileen Joyce?

[pastoralguy]

Moura Lympany or Harriet Cohen?

I know it's completely subjective but I don't think I'd describe either lady as being unattractive!

[LHC]

This reminds me of the story about a friend who bought the classic recording of Mozart's 21st piano concerto with Geza Anda that featured a still on the sleeve from the 'Elvira Madigan' movie that it featured in. He saw Anda was playing in the Wigmore Hall and bought a front row seat. He had to use all his restraint not to jump up when, instead of a tall glamorous blonde lady, a portly bespectacled gentlemen took the piano stool!

In fact, on the same topic, Geza Anda was NOT happy that his recording was being used as background music to a FILM. He made his displeasure known to Deutsche Grammophon who had licensed the recording to the film company. He instructed his manager that he was seriously considering dropping DG as his record company. However, the soundtrack sold in droves around the world and reached the pop charts. Then the first royalty cheques came in...

Artists and record companies could be very sniffy about being associated with films in those days. When 2001, a Space Odyssey was being edited, Kubrick wanted to use Decca’s recording of Also Sprach Zarathustra with the VPO and Karajan. Decca agreed, but only on condition that the recording wasn’t credited so as not sully Decca’s or von K’s reputation.

[Segilla]

Conway Hall sounds familiar.

[Historian]

Conway Hall sounds familiar.

If so then there is a feature on the Sunday concerts here:

https://conwayhall.org.uk/library/about-the-collection/music/

There is also a link to the Library/Archive catalogue but this didn't seem to work for me.

[Alison]

Edith Vogel?