Scarlatti, Dubravka Tomsic, Helena Schubert, MP3 ghost
A. Haakman
and a ghost pianist playing 23 Scarlatti sonatas on the web (MP3)?
I collect almost all recordings of Scarlatti sonatas, on piano as well as
on harpsichord.
In 1993 I bought a very cheap (about $2,50) Scarlatti CD containing 13
sonatas, payed by a certain Helena Schubert, I never heard of. The label was
called `Symphony'. I liked the performance very much, and got a suspicion
that Helena Schubert was an alias of some celebrity.
A couple of months later I found another very cheap Scarlatti CD, played by
a certain Dubravka Tomsic. Label: `Point'. It contained exactly the same
performance of the same sonatas.
Now I found on the web a collection of 23 Scarlatti sonatas, performed by
an ananymous pianist. You guess it, half of those were exactly the same as
the ones on the Schubert & Tomsic CD's.
I found the name of Dubravka Tomsic on the web, in a review of a recital
'The Yougoslav pianist Dubravka Tomsic' gave in 1992 in Boston. So she
exists somewhere.
Does anyone know why this outstanding pianist remains hidden in anonymous
MP3's and aliases. Who is she really?
Anton Haakman
mik...@freewwweb.com
> Does anyone know why this outstanding pianist remains hidden in
anonymous MP3's and aliases. Who is she really?
>
> Anton Haakman
>
I know very little about Dubravka Tomsic, who is a great pianist. A
search at CDNOW shows she has recorded Bach, Beethoven, Chopin,
Scarlatti,Tchaikovsky, Brahms... I have her Bach, and it's outstanding,
it proves she is one of the very best Bach pianists. I've also heard
others priase her Scarlatti.
She has also recently performed in the USA, just last November in
Boston. Why is she still 'unknown'? For one thing, she has recorded
on budget labels that have no clue (or no financing) in how to market an
artist. Her name is often in very fine print on these budget labels,
such as Vienna Master Series on PILZ. On the PLIZ Bach CD I have, her
name is at the bottom in very small print. To confuse things more, this
CD has a note in the liner notes claiming that Robert Zielasco is the
"performing artist"! When it's obvious that this is a mistake and that
Zeilasco is the painting of the painting in the liner notes! Another
marketing goof.
Dubravka Tomsic has had the worst marketing a pianist could have.
Maybe she doesn't even have an agent, I don't know. I suspect that she
does not use pen names and that her performances have been
mis-represented on other labels, but I don't know for sure. One thing
is for sure- she is starting to become well known, in spite of poor
marketing. Deservedly so.
Mike
--== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==--
---Share what you know. Learn what you don't.---
Carl Tait
>Who is able to solve the mystery of pianist Dubravka Tomsic, Helena Schubert
>and a ghost pianist playing 23 Scarlatti sonatas on the web (MP3)?
> Does anyone know why this outstanding pianist remains hidden in anonymous
>MP3's and aliases. Who is she really?
Her real name is Dubravka Tomsic -- I didn't know about the
"Helena Schubert" pseudonym. She is indeed a fine pianist:
she gave an excellent recital last month here in New York.
Her program got off to a sluggish start with a rather lethargic
Beethoven Op. 31/1, but this was followed by some beautiful
Debussy and a dazzling Brahms/Paganini Book II.
Tomsic spends most of her time teaching in her native Slovenia.
--
Carl Tait IBM T. J. Watson Research Center
cdt...@us.ibm.com Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
Don Drewecki
Come to Schenectady, New York, next winter, and she will give a recital
here. I've met her, she's tremendous.
--
Don Drewecki
<dre...@rpi.edu>
Wayne Reimer
not one of the good independant full-price ones, surely Naxos could use
her splendid playing in their catalog. I've heard her do things that
simply are among the finest performances I've ever heard, either live or
on recording. Most recently, last month in San Francisco, she did Book
II of Brahms' Paginini Var. in a way I wouldn't have believed possible
if I wasn't actually there to witness it. A couple of years ago I heard
her do the last movement of Chopin's 2nd Sonata and that performance has
haunted me ever since. It was otherworldy.
WR
> "A. Haakman" <haa...@wish.net> wrote:
> > Does anyone know why this outstanding pianist remains hidden in
> anonymous MP3's and aliases. Who is she really?
> >
> > Anton Haakman
> >
Frank Eggleston
>
> It is truly amazing to me that no decent label has picked her up. If
> not one of the good independant full-price ones, surely Naxos could use
> her splendid playing in their catalog. I've heard her do things that
> simply are among the finest performances I've ever heard, either live or
> on recording. Most recently, last month in San Francisco, she did Book
> II of Brahms' Paginini Var. in a way I wouldn't have believed possible
> if I wasn't actually there to witness it. A couple of years ago I heard
> her do the last movement of Chopin's 2nd Sonata and that performance has
> haunted me ever since. It was otherworldy.
One of the most memorable performances I ever encountered involving
the Brahms Paganini variations was a stunning ballet which Twyla Tharp
choreographed to the work. IIRC, the first book acompanied a
full-tilt, mind-bending, brilliantly virtuoso male solo (for a dancer
in white shoes, white slacks, and a heavy corded turtleneck white
sweater), while the second book was done for a number (three?) of
dancers in Tharp's more familiar "organized falling-down" style. I
wish I could remember the name of the performers.
Frank E
--
"Must ... control ... fist ... of ... death!!"
--- Alice, from "Dilbert"
CONSTANTIN MARCOU
"A. Haakman" wrote:
> Who is able to solve the mystery of pianist Dubravka Tomsic, Helena Schubert
> and a ghost pianist playing 23 Scarlatti sonatas on the web (MP3)?
[snip]
>
> Now I found on the web a collection of 23 Scarlatti sonatas, performed by
> an ananymous pianist. You guess it, half of those were exactly the same as
> the ones on the Schubert & Tomsic CD's.
She is without a doubt my favorite Scarlatti interpreter , and I have the Point
Classics recording you refer to. I have been looking for more Scarlatti by her
for years, so I would greatly appreciate knowing the URL for the web site you
speak of . Thank you
>
>
--
Best regards,
Con
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Nick Spindler
CONSTANTIN MARCOU wrote:
>
> "A. Haakman" wrote:
>
> > Who is able to solve the mystery of pianist Dubravka Tomsic, Helena Schubert
> > and a ghost pianist playing 23 Scarlatti sonatas on the web (MP3)?
>
> [snip]
>
> >
> > Now I found on the web a collection of 23 Scarlatti sonatas, performed by
> > an ananymous pianist. You guess it, half of those were exactly the same as
> > the ones on the Schubert & Tomsic CD's.
>
> She is without a doubt my favorite Scarlatti interpreter , and I have the Point
> Classics recording you refer to. I have been looking for more Scarlatti by her
> for years, so I would greatly appreciate knowing the URL for the web site you
> speak of . Thank you
>
I too enjoy Tomsic's Scarlatti. It was recommended by the BBC (search
the website for the review
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/building/index.shtml) some time ago. And
Tomsic appears in many recordings available from Amazon.com where I
bought my copy. Try
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/generic-quicksearch-query/002-5286341-9389242
so I am inclined to believe that Helena Schubert may be the 'spurious'
name.
I haven't tried the MP3 sites, but I am sure you will find it, if it is
there!
Nick
CONSTANTIN MARCOU
Nick Spindler wrote:
> I am inclined to believe that Helena Schubert may be the 'spurious'
> name.
> I haven't tried the MP3 sites, but I am sure you will find it, if it is
> there!
>
> Nick
My understanding (and there are others on this newagroup who know much more about
this, but they are keeping silent here) is that these fly-by-night labels (mostly
originating in the former DDR) such as Pilz, Digital Concerto, Vienna Masters, etc.
re-issue the same recordings by well known artists under false names, in order to
avoid paying the artists. Maybe someone else can clarify this further.