The historical legacy of Dame Myra Hess is at least as significant (and perhaps a shade more interesting) than that of her recording legacy. One of the most prominent British pianists of all time, she concertized extensively throughout Europe and North America. The most notable mark that she left on her country's musical scene is her organization of more than 1,600 lunchtime concerts held at the National Gallery during the Second World War. As nearly all concert venues were closed throughout the country during the war, Hess ...
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The historical legacy of Dame Myra Hess is at least as significant (and perhaps a shade more interesting) than that of her recording legacy. One of the most prominent British pianists of all time, she concertized extensively throughout Europe and North America. The most notable mark that she left on her country's musical scene is her organization of more than 1,600 lunchtime concerts held at the National Gallery during the Second World War. As nearly all concert venues were closed throughout the country during the war, Hess's untiring work to keep the arts alive during such a bleak period of history did not go unnoticed by her government. Her own performances were equally lauded as being some of the best interpretations of the standard romantic repertoire. Hess's interpretations of Schumann in particular were greatly admired, and her performance of Carnaval on this album clearly demonstrates why. Introspective, sonorous, and meticulously paced, Hess's execution of the work easily rivals most others....
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