This video does not show a great pianist at her best. With that in mind, I nevertheless decided to post it for several reasons. First, it is as much about a great human being, Dr. Joseph Stephens, as it is about a great pianist, Agi Jambor. Secondly, despite the obvious difficulties in this amateur recording of a private recital in 1992, Agi still shows moments of the great musicality and sensitivity that made her one of the great Bach performers of the century. Finally, to hear Agi at her best, some of the studio recordings she made in the 1950s have already been posted and are well worth listening to.
Agi Jambor won fifth prize in the third Chopin competition in 1937. She had a huge repertoire, and played with many of the great orchestras of the world. She emigrated to the United States in 1947, taught at Peabody and Bryn Mawr, played repeatedly with the Philadephia Symphony under Eugene Ormandy and was a favorite of Bruno Walter. Agis life could have been the subject of a Hollywood movie. In fact, it was tragically similar to that of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. After playing with great orchestras, escaping the Nazis, playing for a President, having universally spectacular reviews which she modestly ignored, surviving a brief failed marriage to Claude Rains and a bout of a mysterious encephalitis, Agi turned her back on her career and became a lonely eccentric recluse. She lived alone, semi debilitated, with her cats and no human contact, for many years, until, in 1987, the Baltimore psychiatrist and musician, Joseph Stephens, stumbled upon one of her recordings, remembered her from her brief stint at Peabody, tracked her down, and brought her back into the world of the living. Just before her 80th birthday he arranged for her to move to Baltimores Bolton Hill, where her life began again. Joe would walk over to Agis new apartment every day without fail and either listen to her miraculously play pieces from memory that she had not played in 50 or so years, or play with her the orchestra parts of other pieces, or music for two pianos. Joe enlisted the help of his large network of patients and friends (often there was no distinction between the two) to ensure that Agi was almost never alone.
At the time of this recital, Agi was already showing some of the deterioration in memory and concentration that marked her final years. She was basically sight reading, helped along by Joes accompaniment. Until her return to Baltimore, she had not touched the piano in years. The piano on which she is playing, and which is now in my home, is an 1899 Model B Steinway which had dead notes, heavy uneven action, and was at the time in need of a complete rebuilding. The ensemble playing is rough at first, the tempi are at times uneven, there are wrong notes. But as she played, Agi showed us moments of the incredible sensitivity and the wonderful technique, warmth and charm that made her great.
As a footnote, Joe Stephens and I were with Agi the day she died in 1997. She told us that thanks to Joe she had been the happiest woman in the world for the last eight years. Joe died last May.
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Joe Stephens was my godfather. I had the opportunity to meet Agi while visiting Joe one time in Baltimore. Thank you so much for posting these videos. How lovely to be able to hear Joe's laugh again...
RevAmyinSC 1 year ago
Great story, thank you for sharing. It reinforces my belief that music can bring out the best of human nature. A better world through music.
58pianos 1 year ago
This video brings back moments in my life, that will never be equaled. The presence of two great artists, Agi Jambor, and Joseph Stephens, enriched our lives and guided us to the joy of music, for many years. We looked forward for Joe or Agi to play for us, separately or together. Joe presented often very interesting recitals, with uncomonly played pieces, or his own arrangements on the piano, of Ravel, or Godowski. Thank you very much for immortalising these precious moments.
stephenjoeagi 2 years ago
This is an awesome film, I downloaded it online for free in HD at: watchmovies4free {.} org
kristinetwilleyaf 2 years ago
Merci pour cet émouvant témoignage sur une grande pianiste et sur votre fidélité et votre attachement à sa personne.
saturne46 2 years ago