– New York Philharmonic – Vladimir Golschmann, guest conductor – Vera Franceschi, piano – Feb. 1, 1953 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
Familiar music this week, played by a largely forgotten pianist, whose career skyrocketed in the 1950s and yet whose tragic early death, robbed the Music world of a brilliant interpreter. She died after a long hospitalization for Leukemia in 1966.
Vera Franceschi was Italian-American, born in San Francisco in 1926. After studying in Italy just before the War, she made her American debut in 1948 with the San Francisco Symphony, conducted by Pierre Monteux. The debut caused a sensation and very soon, Franceschi was very much in demand on the concert stage. She was particularly acclaimed for her interpretations of Chopin, but was much admired in Cherubini, Cimarosa and Mozart.
This concert, a portion of the weekly CBS Radio broadcast from February 1, 1953, features Franceschi accompanied by Vladimir Golschmann, who is guest Conducting the New York Philharmonic in a performance of the Mozart D Minor Piano Concerto (#20).
So now you know. And now you get to hit “play” and hear what audiences were enjoying from this sensational young pianist in 1953.
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