MICHAEL ZADORA (NEW
YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA JUNE 14, 1882 - NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA JUNE 30,
1946)
The American pianist and
composer, Michael (actually: Michal) Zadora [AKA: Michael von Zadora], was born
in New York of Polish parents. He first learnt to play the piano from his
father and then at the age of 17 he enrolled at the Paris Conservatoire (1899).
From there he travelled to Vienna for lessons with Theodor Leschetizky before
continuing his studies with Ferruccio Busoni in Berlin. One of F. Busoni's
finest pupils, Zadora captured the intellect and angst of his mentor. Too
little is known of Michael Zadora's life. He taught a master-class at the Lemberg
Conservatory (1911-1912), and also taught at institutions including the
Hochschule für Musik and the Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatory in Berlin. But
as World War I approached Zadora returned to America and took a post at the
Institute of Musical Art in New York (1913-1914), later to become the Juilliard
School of Music. By 1923 Michael Zadora was back in Berlin, where at the
Beethovensaal he was the first pianist to give an all-Busoni recital. With Egon
Petri he prepared the piano part of the vocal score of F. Busoni’s opera Doktor
Faust and gave two-piano recitals. Zadora also set up a Busoni Society. In
1924, as F. Busoni lay on his death-bed, Zadora played a Felix Mendelssohn’s
Lied ohne Worte for him. It would appear that Michael Zadora was not well
suited to public performance. In 1938 he played at London’s Wigmore Hall and
received a poor review. He was described as ‘…a follower of Busoni (who)
travestied his master’s style’ by playing Liszt’s Piano Sonata in B minor too
fast, without clear articulation or observance of the composer’s markings of
piano or pianissimo’. A second recital given two weeks later was not reviewed.
Michael Zadora composed a few original works (piano pieces, songs, etc.) in his
name and under the pseudonym of Pietro Amadis. On February 5, 1938 New York’s
Broadway saw the opening, and closing, of a musical play written by August
Strindberg with music by Zadora. He transcribed for piano several organ and
violin works by Dietrich Buxtehude and J.S. Bach, in F. Busoni's way; he also
transcribed five songs by Robert Schumann, as well as works by Giovanni
Battista Pergolesi, Delibes, Offenbach, Jensen, Henselt and Schubert. Michael
Zadora recorded fairly extensively during the 1920's and later. He recorded for
Polydor in Germany between 1924 and 1927. A few discs were made for the German
Grammophon Company in the 1930’s as well as some discs for Ultraphon, Odéon and
Vox. In 1940 he made some discs for the Friends of Recorded Music Society in
America. These are important as they contain Zadora playing F. Busoni’s
Sonatinas Nos 3 and 5. He recorded waltzes, études, préludes and nocturnes by
Frédéric Chopin; some of Franz Liszt’s Consolations; and many encore pieces by
Lamare, Stockhoff, Joachim Raff, Sgambati, Scarlatti, Field, Johannes Brahms,
L.v. Beethoven, Hummel, Anton Rubinstein and himself. He also recorded some
J.S. Bach, Prokofiev’s Prelude in C major Op. 12 and Debussy’s Prélude and
Toccata from Pour le Piano. Most of his discs are impressive, yet he has a
tendency to rush in fast music, missing many details. This is particularly
noticeable in the ‘F. Busoni’s Sonatina No. 6 Super Carmen (Zadora’s most
well-known recording) and Debussy Toccata recordings. He had a wonderful tone
which can be heard in his recording of his own arrangement of Henselt’s
Larghetto and La Passion by Lamare. His most impressive disc is of an
arrangement he made of a work by Jensen entitled Whispering of a Gentle Breeze.
Zadora’s playing emphasised speed and his records offer thrilling experiences
when tempi are fast. His aesthetic represents an uncertain departure from F.
Busoni's neo-classicism and Futurism towards unknown terrain. There is always
the sense of an evolution in progress, as the works' structures are always
clear and decisive, yet their message being redefined. His playing of F.
Busoni's Sonatina super Carmen is a great example of F. Busoni's own style. If
any of his writings or words will ever emerge, one may better understand him
some day.
TRACKLIST
461 BACH-BUSONI - Toccata, C537
469 MACDOWELL - Hexentanz (Witches’ Dance) Op. 17, No. 2, b
470 CHOPIN - Preludes, Op. 28, Nos. 2, a; 4, e; 9, E; 13, F#; 22, g
472 SCHUBERT - Der Tod und das Mädchen (Death & the Maiden)
532 J. STRAUSS, JR. - TAUSIG-You only live once - Valse-Caprice, Op. 167
537 BUSONI - Balletszene (Ballet Scene) No. 4, Op. 33, D
1056 SCHUMANN - Du bist wie eine Blume (Thou’rt Like Flower)
3658 LISZT - Weihnachtsbaum (Christmas Tree), Nos. 8 and 3
3665 A. RUBINSTEIN - Torch Dance of Brides of Kashmir fr “Feramors”
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