Ney, Elly. (1882-1968)
Printed Facsimile Greeting and Quotation with Photograph
A printed greeting from the important German pianist, reproduced in her handwriting on a small card with a small halftone photograph. Two sayings about music are printed on the left, one attributed to Beethoven, and Ney's signature is printed on the right below her picture. Translated from the German: "The purpose of music is that God should not be forgotten. Beethoven: I recognize only one sign of man's superiority: goodness." (A similar quotation is often attributed to Tolstoy.) In very fine condition. 8.25 x 6 inches (21 x 15.5 cm).Elly Ney was one of the 20th century's outstanding pianists. Of her great performing, Willhelm Kempff wrote: "My ears still hear her melodious voice, with its unmistakable hint of her Rhineland origins, which had the gift of establishing immediate contact with everyone she spoke to. This happened even more intensely when she stepped onto the concert platform. Just one mysterious chord (Beethoven's D minor sonata, for instance), and the listener was drawn into her magnetic field. What then ensued cannot and should not be described in words, nor should it be scientifically dissected. Those who had ears, heard for themselves. But that was by no means the end of the matter. A realisation continued to resonate in her listeners' hearts, as it had begun to resonate from the moment this greatest of performers stepped onto the platform - the realisation that artistry of this quality draws its strength from roots that have their being in the unfathomable depths of the human soul." (14228)
Unsigned Photograph Classical Music Ephemera