Extraordinary autographed Budapest Philharmonic “Composer’s Concert” featuring Richard Strauss conducting and accompanying his own works on the piano.  The evening’s soloists were personally selected by Strauss, the French pianist Marcelle Meyer and Hungarian mezzo-soprano Rosette Anday (Piroska Anday), February 17, 1930.  the program has a special cover printed on textured heavyweight linen stock by the Budapest fine printer Dávid Löbl and Son, with a gold leaf Vienna Secessionist style label affixed to the front and a high quality bi-fold vellum insert. Included is an original Ellinger of Salzburg blind embossed photograph of the composer two years later in 1932 at the Salzburg Festspiele.  An unusual image!

Strauss conducted the Budapesti Filharmóniai Társaság Zenekara (Budapest Philharmonic) in the Vigadó Concert Hall on the Pest side of the River.  Likely Strauss’s choice as he conducted a concert in that hall in January, 1926, though with a different orchestra.  The concert began with Strauss conducting the orchestra in “Als Sprach Zarathustra”, followed by his “Burleske” in D minor for piano and orchestra performed by the French pianist Marcelle Meyer (1897-1958) who had made a specialty of performing the piece at that time and also made several recordings, both live and studio.  The concert then took an intimate turn with the composer accompanying the Hungarian mezzo-soprano Rosette Anday (Anday Piroska) at the Pleyel piano in 8 of his lieder, “Seitdem Dein Aug’ in Meines Schaute”, “Kling”, “Befreit” and “Zum Abscheid Meiner Tochter” before the intermission.  Then the pair performed, “Traum Durch die Dämmerung”, “Jung Hexenlied”, “Breit Über Mein Haupt” and “Zueignung”.  The concert concluded with Strauss conducting the orchestra in his “Don Juan”. The German text of the lieder is provided on the 3rd and 4th pages.

Strauss (1864-1949) in 1930 was the greatest living German conductor.  There were demands throughout the world for him to conduct.  Interestingly though only 722 kilometers from Garmisch, he rarely performed in Budapest in his life.  Perhaps because Germans thought of it as a provincial city.  His first performance in Budapest was in Buda with the Budapest Philharmonic on December 4, 1895.  He did not return to the City until 1910 when he conducted 2 performances of “Elektra” on November 3rd and 5th.  His next brief stay in Budapest was in January, 1926 for a concert in Pest at the Vigadó Concert Hall with the Orchestra of the Liszt Music Academy with Austrian pianist Paul Wittgenstein and French violinist Emile Baré.  He also conducted several performances of “”Der Rosenkavalier” and “Salomé” at the Hungarian State Opera.

Ernö Dohnányi, then Music Director of the Budapest Philharmonic invited Strauss to conduct our program, a “Composer’s Concert” which coincided with his 25th Anniversary of his debut with the Budapest Philharmonic.  He was given his choice of halls, he picked the Vigadó, the second largest hall between the two sides of the river which make up Budapest, as well as the works, format and soloists.  The French pianist Marcelle Meyer was best known for her work with the composers of “Les Six” who wrote works constantly for her, as well as Debussy at the end of his life, Igor Stravinsky and Erik Satie.  Strauss’s “Burleske” was under her fingers for at least two decades, she made several records including one with André Cluytens which is quite well known in 1948.  It does not appear Strauss had conducted her in the work previously. Some biographical text state she was there for a Richard Strauss Festival, this is in fact incorrect, it was one concert.  Rosette Anday (1899-1977) presented here as Anday Piroska, was a Jewish Hungarian mezzo-soprano whose career was at the Vienna Staatsoper began as an 22 year old neophyte singing “Carmen” in her Vienna debut on September 23, 1921.  Franz Schalk, then Co-Director of the Staatsoper, had discovered her in Budapest in Jeno Hubay’s violin class.  It was mentioned she also studied voice and when he heard her he hired her for her debut.  Both Schalk and Co-Director Richard Strauss were in the audience for her debut while Hugo Reichenberger conducted and were overwhelmed with her Carmen performance.  They hired her the next day to a contract which was renewed over again until she retired in 1961.  Strauss and Schalk co-sponsored her in Vienna and Strauss accompanied her on the piano in her Vienna recital debut at the Musikverein in early 1922.  Strauss continued to regularly cast her in both leading and supporting roles.  Vienna was a company house and regularly cast their top singers in secondary parts as they could afford the luxury casting.  She sang a unique grouping of lieder in this concert. Anday married a powerful Austrian lawyer, Karl Bündsdorf and converted to Christianity at his advise.  She was awarded the title Kammersängerin in the Spring of 1933.  She sang at the Vienna Staatsoper through February, 1938 when she was fired due to her religion and her husband kept her safe in Vienna through the War.  Her last great new role before 1938 was her performance of Klytemnestra in “Elektra” in which she had been coached by Strauss.  She resumed her career in Vienna and Salzburg after the War.

 The 1930 concert led to a week long Richard Strauss Festival in Budapest in 1932, the last time Strauss would conduct in the City.

A most unusual and beautifully produced autographed program.

Harmonie Autographs and Music, Inc.