MARK HAMBOURG (BOGUCHAR,
RUSSIA, MAY 31 (OR JUNE 1), 1879 – CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND, AUGUST
26, 1960)
The Russian
pianist, Mark Hambourg, was born into a musical family. His father, Michael
[Mikhail] Hambourg (1855-1916) was a pianist and a teacher. Mark studied with
his father, made his debut in Moscow in 1888, at age 9. Then he went to Vienna
to study with the celebrated pedagogue Theodor Leschetizky. It was Leschetizky
who prepared Hambourg for his Vienna debut in 1894 with the Wiener
Philharmoniker under Hans Richter, playing Frédéric Chopin’s First Piano
Concerto. The following year he made his first appearance with the Berliner
Philharmoniker playing Johannes Brahms’ First Piano Concerto – unknown to him
until after the performance, the composer had been in attendance! Mark’s
pianistic hero in the earliest phase of his career was Paderewski. Later he
became a close friend of both Ferruccio Busoni and Moriz Rosenthal. He
performed the titanic F. Busoni Piano Concerto under the baton of the composer and
replaced him on tour with violinist Ysa e during 1901. Mark Hambourg soon began
performing as a concerto player throughout the major cities of Europe.
Eventually he settled in London, England and, along with occasional orchestral
engagements, he primarily focused on recital-giving, and toured all over the
world. Mark Hambourg performed a very wide repertoire ranging from J.S. Bach to
contemporary, and winning acclaim for his zigeuner-like personality (as
demonstrated in his recordings of Franz Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsodies and
Dvorák’s Slavonic Dances). Among other works he was the dedicatee of F.
Busoni’s forward-looking Sonatina seconda (1912) and claimed to have given the
British premieres of Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit (he also recorded Ondine for
the first time) and Jeux d’eau, as well as of the transcription of Debussy’s
Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune by Leonard Borwick (which he also recorded).
He recorded Falla’s Fantasia baetica in 1923, two years before Rubinstein gave
its ‘official premiere’, and showed an affinity for Iberian and South American
music through his advocacy of unfamiliar works by Heitor Villa-Lobos, Albéniz
and Enrique Granados. Between about 1909 and 1933, Mark Hambourg recorded
copiously for the Gramophone Company (HMV). He made over 200 recordings for the
gramophone between 1910 and 1935. Their quality is variable and suggests that
he was essentially an artist dependent on the spontaneity of the moment. They
also reveal his avowed dislike of the recording process. He continued to
perform in public until the late 1950’s. Mark Hambourg occupies a unique place
in early 20th-century pianism, and was regarded by his contemporaries as an
artist of the first rank. Mark Hambourg’s younger brothers were also successful
performing musicians. Jan (1882-1947) was a violinist and Boris (1885-1954) was
a cellist. Mark Hambourg’s daughter Michal (1919-2004) was also a pianist and
for some time they played and recorded together as piano duo.
TRACKLIST
55574 AMPICO
LISZT – Etude In D Flat
931
WELTE-MIGNON CHOPIN – Mazurka, Op. 17, No. 4, a
934
WELTE-MIGNON A. RUBINSTEIN-Le bal (The Ball)-Valse de concert, Op. 14, No. 4,
Ab
936
WELTE-MIGNON LISZT – Polonaise No. 2, E
5699 DUO-ART
LESCHETIZKY – La Source (The Spring) Op. 36, No. 4
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