Description

MARGUERITE VOLAVY, ALSO KNOWN AS MADAME VOLAVY (BRNO, MORAVIA, 28 DECEMBER, 1886 – VALHALLA, NEW YORK, U.S., 30 JULY 1951)

Volavy was born in Brno, Moravia, and studied at the Vienna Conservatory under Anton Door. She graduated first in her class in piano at the age of 15. In 1902 she began playing with the Prague Orchestra, and then in 1912 she moved to the United States where she played her first concert at Carnegie Hall in 1915. She performed in New York City, multiple times. In addition to her live performances, Volavy recorded piano rolls and talked with newspaper reporters about how the piano rolls were made and edited. She recorded piano songs under the name Volavy and two pseudonyms (Felix Gerdts and George Kerr). Her piano rolls were recorded by the American Piano Company also known as Ampico. On the piano rolls, the pieces she recorded included works by Robert Schumann and Ludwig van Beethoven. Volavy’s hand was damaged in an accident on the subway in New York City. She received financial compensation for the injury and she was unable to continue playing the piano. In 1926 she began working as a music editor with the American Piano Company, where she was responsible for making sure recordings produced the musician’s music correctly. She also lectured about music, and started teaching in 1932, Some said she was known as Madame Volavy because she resembled a madam as might be found in a brothel, while other publications noted “her proportions” were such that the name seemed appropriate. Volavy died in Valhalla, New York in 1951.

TRACKLIST

1. Au Matin Op. 83. (Godard) Ampico 51775
2. Hungarian Dance No. 6. (Brahms) Ampico 51223
3. Le Papillon. Etude de Concert (Lavallee) Ampico 50912
4. Valse Op. 42 in Ab. (Chopin) Ampico 51294
5. Valse Op. 83. (Durand) Ampico 56894
6. Peer Gynt Suite Op. 46. (Grieg) Ampico 55244
7. Concerto Eb [All Mvts, part 1 of 2] (Liszt) Ampico 100775
8. Concerto Eb [All mvts, part 2 of 2] (Liszt) Ampico 1007751
9. Concerto Am Op. 16 – II. Adagio (Grieg) Ampico 60723
10. Concerto Am Op.16 – I. All. molto mod. (Grieg) Ampico 51027
11. Concerto Op. 16 – III. All.mod.molto e marcato (Grieg) Ampico 60733
12. Wedding day at Troldhaugen Op.65. (Grieg) Ampico 56854
13. Sounds from the Vienna woods (J.Strauss Jr.- Schutt) Ampico 55306
14. Valse Triste Op. 44. (Jean Sibelius) Ampico 51675