A CREATIVE FAMILY
One of the most moving aspects of the family’s creativity would be their frequent visits to libraries, and antiquities music shops all over the world in the search for unknown scores of forgotten composers, in which my mother excelled.
In addition, my mother would even learn how to play a new instrument just for the sake of playing a composition written for her, for that instrument.
Painters on their pursuit for artistic direction frequently consulted my father, on his turn.
As for myself, I would be a dedicated observer of all the beauty that was around me, starting with the abundant nature of Brazil of my childhood, its trees, birds, rivers, etc… that give me inspiration until this very day. In addition, I would have ideas, creating original artwork, like for instance, my collages.
Annette Celine, September 2015
FELICJA BLUMENTAL
Felicja Blumental was born in Warsaw, Poland on 28th December 1908, where she studied at the National Conservatory, reading composition with Karol Szymanowski and piano with Zbigniew Drzewiecki, Joseph Goldberg, Stephan Askenase and Jósef Turczynski.
She appeared with orchestras throughout Europe (the Philharmonia, the RPO, the LPO, LSO and Scottish National Orchestra) and her appearances in South and North America brought her further acclaim.
While she was greatly admired for her interpretations of Chopin and Mozart, Felicja Blumental made a specialty of music outside the regular repertory, particularly from the late 18th and early 19th centuries. She recorded works for piano and orchestra by Clementi, Field, Kozeluch, Czerny, Hummel, Ries and Paderewski, among others, as well as the piano version of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto.
In addition to recording popular piano concertos, Ms. Blumental’s repertoire also includes solo piano music by Spanish and Portuguese Baroque composers.
She was greatly admired by notable 20th century composers who wrote pieces especially for her. Brazil’s leading composer, Heitor Villa-Lobos, dedicated his Fifth Piano Concerto to Ms. Blumental, which she performed under the composer’s baton with the leading orchestras of Europe and recorded for EMI in Paris with the Orchestre National.
When Krzysztof Penderecki was commissioned to create a new work to mark the 25th anniversary of the Eastman School of Music, he wrote the Partita for Harpsichord and Orchestra, which he dedicated to Ms. Blumental. Ms. Blumental played the work worldwide some 50 times with the composer conducting.
In 1978, Witold Lutoslawski orchestrated his Variations on a Theme of Paganini for Felicja Blumental, which she premiered with the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Brian Priestmann.
Many of these recordings are now restored on Brana Records and all CD covers feature the fine art prints of her husband, Markus Mizne.
In 1999, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Israel’s most dynamic cultural centre, named its prestigious International Music Festival after her.
