My friend Fred of the Random Classics blog also offered this album some time ago, but the links are now dead. I hope he doesn’t mind if I quote some of his description of the performance, because my reaction is the same: “This is not the Chopin that you are used to hearing and it is a polar opposite from the elegant, aristocratic approach of Rubinstein.” Fred’s response on first hearing the record: “Never had I heard such melancholy, such world weariness, from these brilliant miniatures. Indeed, Chopin had painted, below the surface, a sadness of seeing his Polish nation subjected to rule and desecration by others.”
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| Postwar promotional leaflet |
Jonas herself had a most difficult life, and was the victim of Nazi persecution, which may have contributed to her early death at the age of 48. Her small discography, made in the US for Columbia in the post-war years, centers on Chopin but also includes a smattering of other composers. This particular LP reissue from 1956 combines two sets of mazurkas, which Jonas inscribed in September 1947 (set M-810) and September 1949 (set M-897), both of which also came out on 10-inch LPs. Sessions for the latter set were in Columbia’s 30th Street studios in New York. No location is listed for the 1947 dates in Michael Gray’s discography, but since that predates Columbia’s use of the 30th Street location, the site may have been Liederkranz Hall. The sound is quite good.
A note about the cover: Columbia had engaged the relatively new design firm Push Pin Studios to prepare a series of covers for its Entré reissue series. Push Pin had been founded by Seymour Chwast and Edward Sorel, who both were to become noted graphic artists. Sorel, soon to leave Push Pin, designed the cover of the Jonas LP in a style far removed from the biting political caricatures that he is known for today.
LINK (remastered in ambient stereo, April 2025)
A note about the cover: Columbia had engaged the relatively new design firm Push Pin Studios to prepare a series of covers for its Entré reissue series. Push Pin had been founded by Seymour Chwast and Edward Sorel, who both were to become noted graphic artists. Sorel, soon to leave Push Pin, designed the cover of the Jonas LP in a style far removed from the biting political caricatures that he is known for today.
LINK (remastered in ambient stereo, April 2025)
21 comments:
That is a nice cover.
Thank you very much!
Hi folks - thanks for the comments!
Hi, Buster! Many thanks: it's always wonderful to listen to Jonas, and your plan to transfer more of her Chopin whets the appetite. You note that the Entre issue contains 18 Mazurkas, but your file includes 20 (of the 22 in her full discography). What is your source for the two extras (67/2 & 68/4)?
AC - Thanks for pointing that out. I meant to take the two extras out of the file. They were remastered from lossy sources (YouTube), but I believe they are on the other LP in any case, and I will be transferring them from a vinyl copy in the future.
Thank you, great recording.
Thanks for the clarification. Are you referring to Columbia ML 2004, which includes the 4 Mazurkas not reissued on Entre, along with other desirable items?
AC - Yes, I believe that's the LP.
A wonderful musician. THX so much.
Hello Buster: you never cease to surprise us. I'm waiting anxiously for your next post of Maryla!
Wakowski is another great pianist in these beautiful pages.
Thanks again. Excellent transfer,
Hiram
Many thanks Buster - for the wonderful playing and your erudite commentary.
Danke schön!
Hi Buster, I'm feeling stupid right now - how do I download? Don't see a link for that?
DrK - The first comment above (from me) has the links. Copy and paste either the Mediafire or Mega link.
thanks, Buster. I'm feeling less stupid now. Maryla is very much worth hearing.
I found a copy of that Columbia ML-2004 last summer in a thrift store. The blue tombstone envelope cover. Amazed at her piano work. Such a short life. This was with a handful of other early Masterwork 33's. Owner had penciled the purchase on each one. July and August of 1950. All very clean and no scratches. Most were in the early paper envelopes. Please keep these going. I've learned so much here lately.
vinyl lover - Yes, Jonas was one of the greats. FYI - a complete set of her recordings came out after this post.
Buster - I've seen just a few Columbia Entre l.p.'s through the years. We're they budget label reissues mostly? I've seen some reissued again on the Harmony label circa 1957.
It was a budget label, I believe, but I don't think all its products were reissues. For example, some of the Rochester-Leinsdorf recordings came out on Entre.
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