Founded in 1964 Volume 22, Issue 2, Summer/Fall 2006 PRSRT. STD. U.S. Postage PAID 1136 Hog Mountain Road Champaign, IL Fleischmanns, NY 12430 Permit No. 540 RETURN SERVICE R EQUES TED AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN LISZT SOCIETY, INC. The American Liszt Society - The Beginnings By Fernando Laires President Emeritus and a Founding Member of ALS TABLE OF CONTENTS The American Liszt Society was imagine in my teens how I felt playing incorporated in Oklahoma in 1964, where on the piano with which Liszt’s enjoyed I was teaching at the Oklahoma College miraculous success in Lisbon. The higher 1 The American Liszt Society - for Women. I brought to the Society my register was broken, but the personality of The Beginnings background, which was steeped in the Liszt the piano and the amazing sonority stayed 2 President’s Column tradition through my studies at the National with me forever. Conservatory of Music in Lisbon. The Later, in New York, I studied with 3 William Garrison Competition director for many years was José Vianna da Isidor Philipp, who had met Liszt. He 4 Los Angeles Liszt Competition Motta, a pupil of Liszt who retired the year talked to me about it. Four years after the before I was enrolled at the school. Just unforgettable experience of having studied 5 2007 ALS Conference, San Francisco as Liszt did in Budapest, Vianna da Motta with Philipp, I was invited by the American 5 Chapter News lived in an apartment at the school, where Embassy in Lisbon to visit the United States he remained after retirement. I heard him for six months to observe music teaching in 5 Member News play several times, turned pages for him at twenty universities from coast to coast. a two-piano concert he gave with one of his I was twenty-eight years old at that time. 6 ALS Medallion Recipients students, and read his biography of Liszt I was welcomed by the most distinguished 7 ALS Life Members and other books of his. musicians, such as Aaron Copland, Howard During that time I was also fascinated Hanson, Virgil Thomson, and many others. by the stories that people were still passing I became deeply impressed by everyone and around about Liszt’s one and one-half everything I saw and heard, and by the high months in Lisbon, in 1845, and about his appreciation and regard that was given to 13 concerts, including several he gave for the art of performance. charity, to which he also added his own When I immigrated to the United money. At a concert at the São Carlos States two years later, I began to realize Opera House, a miniature of La Scala, Liszt how musical concert life was dangerously played his Fantasia on Themes of Norma for changing in the U.S. That same year, to two pianos with João Guiherme Daddi, my surprise, I was told by two piano faculty 1813-1887, a Portuguese pianist with an colleagues at the University of Texas in Italian name. Many years later, when Liszt Austin not to play Liszt, because it was not met the Portuguese Ambassador in London, welcomed at the university, and I might he asked about Daddi, who became deeply lose my job. This advice sounded too moved when he heard that Liszt had asked impossible for me to pay attention to it, about him. Forty-one years after they had and I played Liszt in my first recital without played together, Daddi cried when he heard consequences. But I began to see how the of Liszt’s death in 1886. academic sector was destroying Liszt by As a student at the conservatory, I considering him a bad composer and his played on the Boisselot piano that Liszt had music undesirable for teaching. This was brought to Lisbon for his concerts. The the result of the academic position toward piano had two stands on each side for more musical purity, which developed into a than one performer. He offered the piano Perpetuating the ideas of Franz to the Queen when he departed. You can Liszt through excellence in music continued on page 4 performance and scholarship PRESIDENT Thomas Mastroianni T he Catholic University of America School of Music Washington D.C. 20064 President’s Message Life Members of the American Liszt Society PRESIDENT EMERITUS Fernando Laires as of June 2006 VICE PRESIDENT Many of our 83 life members are unable to attend our festivals and often are not in a location where an ALS chapter exists. The Jay Hershberger C oncordia College Music Department membership office occasionally receives a note or a call expressing their pleasure at receiving JALS and Newsletters. Annually they receive Moorhead, MN 56562 a special note from this office updating them on the year’s activities. T he Board of Directors and the general membership appreciates and EXECUTIVE/MEMBERSHIP respects your ongoing interest and commitment to the Society. SECRETARY Justin Kolb 1136 Hog Mountain Road If you would like information on how you can become a Life Member of the American Liszt Society, please contact Justin Kolb, 1136 Hog Fleischmanns, NY 12430 Mountain Road, Fleischmanns, NY 12430, or e-mail him at [email protected]. THANK YOU LIFE LISZTIANS!! Dear Members, TREASURER Nancy Roldán The substance of my greetings to you in this issue of the Newsletter is a brief report on some William R. Anthes Clifton, NJ Robert C. Lee Seattle, WA Peabody Conservatory Faculty The Johns Hopkins University recent activities involving ALS members in which I have had the pleasure to take part. Kiyoshi Asano Hirosaki-Shi Aomori, Japan Dezso Legany Budapest, Hungary 5617 Knell Avenue Joseph Banowetz Denton, TX Library of Congress Washington, DC Baltimore, MD 21206 First, the Amalfi Coast Music Festival (July 2 - 14) was a wonderful opportunity for many Elenor B. Barcsak Mill Valley, CA Jen-Chen Lieu San Gabriel, CA ALS JOURNAL Lisztians and others to gather on the beaches of the Mediterranean for music making, study, and Richard Bellak Tallahasse, FL James Litzelman Arlington, VA Rene Charnin Mueller cultural refreshment. The list of faculty artists included ALS founder and long-time President, Sara Davis Buechner Vancouver, BC Canada Thomas Mastroianni Silver Spring, MD Faculty of Arts and Science Fernando Laires, as well as Nelita True, Luiz de Moura Castro, Ian Hobson, Elyse Mach, New York University Guy Cazelais Pointe-au-Trembles QC Canada Michael T. McDowell Federal Way, WA Elizabeth and Eugene Pridonoff, and others. The festival included dozens of events (recitals, 24 Waverly Place, Room 268 Alton Chan Frisco, TX Robert Miller and New York, NY 10003 master classes, lectures, etc). Trips were made to Casserta, Capri, Naples, Pompeii, etc. For more Pawel Checinski Chicago, IL Jane Russell Geddings Brooksville, FL information on this festival you can visit the web at www.musicalstudies.com. ALS NEWSLETTER Grace M. Clark Ardmore, OK Mark Mitchell Quincy, FL Edward Rath School of Music In Prague, ALS member Boaz Sharon assembled an international faculty and student body of Frank Cooper Coral Gables, FL Robert Moose Charleston, SC University of Illinois very high quality for a July 14 - 24 meeting. This period contained daily student recitals, master Mary C. Costas Chevy Chase, MD Robert M. Morrow Hamilton, ON Canada 1114 W. Nevada Street Urbana, IL 61801 classes, and a thrilling array of piano performances by students from various countries. Maria Eckhardt Budapest, Hungary Steven J. Oyler West Haven, CT J. Audrey Ellison London, England Patrick M. Park Chickasha, OK BOARD OF DIRECTORS Just a few weeks ago, the Baltimore /Washington Chapter of ALS presented the Garrison Paul Barnes Gabriele Erasmi Ancaster, ON Canada Robert B. Park Chickasha, OK Gila Goldstein Competition and Festival. Included were competitions for Young Artists, American Pianists, Sister Rosemary Esseff, O.P. Nashville, TN Dr. Jerry Pickrel Kill Devil Hill, NC Jay Hershberger and Collaborative Pianists. Recitals, master class, lectures, and other events were presented by Leila Ewing Saskatoon, SK Canada Paul Pollei Provo, UT Geraldine Keeling ALS members including Alan Walker, Nelita True, Marilyn Neeley, William Welborn, Justin Justin Kolb George D. Fee San Diego, CA Yong Chen Qin Shenyang, China Elyse Mach Kolb, and me. Nancy Roldán (Treasurer of ALS and President of the Chapter) was co-director Christopher Finkelmeyer Chicago, IL Paul Reed Wichita, KS Thomas Mastroianni of the festival along with Ernest Ragogini. Prizes that were awarded included two for the best Hugh Fraser Millgrove, ON Canada Judy Rittenhouse Blacksburg, VA Rena Charnin Mueller performance of a piece by Liszt. (See page three in this issue for more information about this Edward Rath Wataru Fukuda Tokyo, Japan Wesley Roberts Campbellsville, KY Nancy Roldán year’s festival.) Robert Roux Miriam Gomez-Moran Salamanca, Spain Stephen W. Sachs Jackson, MS Helen Smith Tarchalski I was happy to see so many Lisztians at The Great Romantics Festival in Hamilton, Ontario, William M. Goode Williamsport, PA Junichi S. Sato Chicago, IL Alan Walker William Wellborn which was held October 5 - 7. This is always an exciting three days offered to us by Alan Walker. Carola Grindea London, England Ann Schein Bedford, NY Richard Zimdars I encourage you to attend one of these festivals, which are nearly always held in the early fall each Armando Gutierrez Stanton, CA Ann Sears Norton, MA year. Kathryn E. Guzzetta Campbell, CA Roch Serra St. Germain-en-Lay, France ADVISORY COUNCIL Joseph Banowetz Klara Hamburger Budapest, Hungary Dr. Kevin Sharpe Gainesville, FL Joseph Bloch Please plan also to attend the ALS festival in San Francisco on the last three days of March 2007. Harmonie Park Pr ess Sterling Heights, MI Rodion K.