Igor Hmelnitsky/Tasmanian S.O. – Matthews – Piano Concerto No. 5, Op. 73 'Emperor' (Beethoven)

Igor Hmelnitsky and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra conducted by Thomas Matthews play Beeethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat, Op. 73 ‘Emperor’ in a live concert at City Hall, Hobart, c 1967.

The movements are:

00:00 Allegro
21:22 Adagio un poco mosso – attacca:
30:18 Rondo. Allegro

Igor Hmelnitsky was one of many fine pianists to be found in Australia in the years spanning the middle of the twentieth century: in fact, one of the very best of them, both as a performer and an inspirational teacher.

Hmelnitsky was born in Java (in what was then the Dutch East Indies) on 27 December 1920, the eldest son of Alexander and Ludmila Hmelnitsky. Alexander (who had been born in Kyiv in the Ukraine, then part of Russia) was a well-regarded pianist, who had worked with ballerina Anna Pavlova. Ludmila (nee Estrin) was a ‘cellist. The Hmelnitskys fled the Ukraine after the 1917 Revolution and travelled successively to China, Hong Kong, Java and then – in 1925 – to Sydney. The family remained in Sydney until January 1930, when they returned to Java. By that time, Igor had already made a record, apparently in Japan. Indeed, he was described in a contemporary newspaper report as ‘the youngest pianist to make a gramophone record.’

Back in Sydney in 1938, Igor resumed his musical career which, however, was interrupted by service in the Royal Netherlands Air Force during World War 2. He performed as a solo pianist, including for the ABC, and taught, both at the Palings Studios in George Street and – from 1972 to 1985 – at the New South Wales Conservatorium of Music. He was particularly interested in the concept of ‘weight playing,’ with the fingers playing ‘into the keyboard’ and bearing the weight of the forearms, the forearms being horizontal and subject to minimal vertical movement, and the upper arms hanging freely. He saw this not only as a way of encouraging ‘skilled manipulative activity’ but also as a method of avoiding overuse syndrome/repetitive strain injury.

He died at St Vincent’s Hospital, Darlinghurst on 27 September 1987.

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