Hess, Dame Myra
Hess, Dame Myra
Hess, Dame Myra, eminent English pianist; b. London, Feb. 25, 1890; d. there, Nov. 25, 1965. She was a student of Julian Pascal and Orlando Morgan at the Guildhall School of Music in London; when she was 12, she won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she completed her studies with Tobias Matthay. On Nov. 14, 1907, she made her debut as soloist in Beethoven’s 4th Piano Concerto under Beecham’s direction in London, and then performed throughout England. In 1922 she made her U.S. debut in N.Y. Thereafter she toured widely in Europe and the U.S. In 1936 she was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. In 1939 she organized the National Gallery Concerts in London, and performed there regularly throughout the course of World War II. Her perseverance in the face of the blitz did much to bolster morale during England’s “finest hour,” and in 1941 a grateful King George VI made her a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. After the War, Hess commenced touring again and continued her notable career until her farewell concert in 1962. In addition to her solo engagements, she also played in duo concerts with her cousin Irene Scharrer. Hess was greatly admired for her interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven, and Schumann. In 1926 she publ, her own piano transcription of Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (from the Cantata No. 147), which became a great favorite with her audiences.
Bibliography
I D. Lassimonne and H. Ferguson, eds., M. H., By Her Friends (London, 1966); M. McKenna, M. H: A Portrait (London, 1976).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire