From Stage to Page

Moura: Her Autobiography tells the story of the English concert pianist, Moura Lympany (1916-2005). Written in partnership with her cousin, Margot Strickland, the book covers the career of a stylish and resilient artist who endured many personal hardships.

Born Mary Johnstone, Moura Lympany changed her name at the suggestion of the conductor, Basil Cameron, with whom she made her debut at Harrogate in a performance of the Mendelssohn G-minor Piano Concerto in 1929. Cameron had thought that “Moura” (the Russian version of “Mary”) might lend itself well to a concert career, particularly when combined with an old spelling of her mother’s maiden name, “Limpenny.”

A brief synopsis of Lympany’s life begins with her early piano studies given by her mother. Her father had served in the First World War. Having been sent to a convent school in Belgium, Lympany later went on to study with Paul Weingarten, Mathilde Verne (a pupil of Clara Schumann) and Tobias Matthay, whose spirit and teaching legacy live on in the book as witnessed by numerous stories and anecdotes.

Having made her London debut at Wigmore Hall in 1935, Lympany placed second to Emil Gilels in the Ysaÿe Piano Competition of 1938. Married in 1944 to Colin Defries, a man thirty-two years older than Lympany, the two divorced in 1950, the marriage not having been without complications. A second marriage occurred in 1951 to the American television executive, Bennet Korn. The two divorced in 1961. Lympany had longed for children and speaks about this in her book. Unfortunately, she suffered two miscarriages, as well as a son who died shortly after birth.

Having performed around the world, Lympany’s career picked up considerable momentum after the Second World War. Of notable interest is the Steinway Centenary Concert that Lympany performed at, along with a host of other great pianists, including my piano teacher, Constance Keene. This concert took place in October of 1953 and was apparently broadcast on the television show, Toast of the Town.

Diagnosed with breast cancer in 1969, Lympany had a mastectomy, followed later by a second one. In 1979, she was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). Two years later, Lympany established the Rasiguères Festival of Music and Wine in France. From the mid-1980s and on, she was based in Monaco, having helped Prince Louis de Polignac to establish the Festival des Sept Chapelles in Brittany. Lympany was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1992 and served as a juror for the Ninth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1993.

Throughout her autobiography, one gets a sense of the degree to which Lympany loved living the good life, both in terms of her flair for fine fashion, food, wine, as well as travel, parties and society. Her contacts included many notable individuals, including figures of royalty. The archive of Lympany’s musical career is located at the International Piano Archive at the University of Maryland (IPAM).

Moura: Her Autobiography tells the story of the English concert pianist, Moura Lympany (1916-2005). Written in partnership with her cousin, Margot Strickland, the book covers the career of a stylish and resilient artist who endured many personal hardships.

Born Mary Johnstone, Moura Lympany changed her name at the suggestion of the conductor, Basil Cameron, with whom she made her debut at Harrogate in a performance of the Mendelssohn G-minor Piano Concerto in 1929. Cameron had thought that “Moura” (the Russian version of “Mary”) might lend itself well to a concert career, particularly when combined with an old spelling of her mother’s maiden name, “Limpenny.”

A brief synopsis of Lympany’s life begins with her early piano studies given by her mother. Her father had served in the First World War. Having been sent to a convent school in Belgium, Lympany later went on to study with Paul Weingarten, Mathilde Verne (a pupil of Clara Schumann) and Tobias Matthay, whose spirit and teaching legacy live on in the book as witnessed by numerous stories and anecdotes.

Having made her London debut at Wigmore Hall in 1935, Lympany placed second to Emil Gilels in the Ysaÿe Piano Competition of 1938. Married in 1944 to Colin Defries, a man thirty-two years older than Lympany, the two divorced in 1950, the marriage not having been without complications. A second marriage occurred in 1951 to the American television executive, Bennet Korn. The two divorced in 1961. Lympany had longed for children and speaks about this in her book. Unfortunately, she suffered two miscarriages, as well as a son who died shortly after birth.

Having performed around the world, Lympany’s career picked up considerable momentum after the Second World War. Of notable interest is the Steinway Centenary Concert that Lympany performed at, along with a host of other great pianists, including my piano teacher, Constance Keene. This concert took place in October of 1953 and was apparently broadcast on the television show, Toast of the Town.

Diagnosed with breast cancer in 1969, Lympany had a mastectomy, followed later by a second one. In 1979, she was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). Two years later, Lympany established the Rasiguères Festival of Music and Wine in France. From the mid-1980s and on, she was based in Monaco, having helped Prince Louis de Polignac to establish the Festival des Sept Chapelles in Brittany. Lympany was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1992 and served as a juror for the Ninth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1993.

Throughout her autobiography, one gets a sense of the degree to which Lympany loved living the good life, both in terms of her flair for fine fashion, food, wine, as well as travel, parties and society. Her contacts included many notable individuals, including figures of royalty. The archive of Lympany’s musical career is located at the International Piano Archive at the University of Maryland (IPAM).

Moura: Her Autobiography tells the story of the English concert pianist, Moura Lympany (1916-2005). Written in partnership with her cousin, Margot Strickland, the book covers the career of a stylish and resilient artist who endured many personal hardships.

Born Mary Johnstone, Moura Lympany changed her name at the suggestion of the conductor, Basil Cameron, with whom she made her debut at Harrogate in a performance of the Mendelssohn G-minor Piano Concerto in 1929. Cameron had thought that “Moura” (the Russian version of “Mary”) might lend itself well to a concert career, particularly when combined with an old spelling of her mother’s maiden name, “Limpenny.”

A brief synopsis of Lympany’s life begins with her early piano studies given by her mother. Her father had served in the First World War. Having been sent to a convent school in Belgium, Lympany later went on to study with Paul Weingarten, Mathilde Verne (a pupil of Clara Schumann) and Tobias Matthay, whose spirit and teaching legacy live on in the book as witnessed by numerous stories and anecdotes.

Having made her London debut at Wigmore Hall in 1935, Lympany placed second to Emil Gilels in the Ysaÿe Piano Competition of 1938. Married in 1944 to Colin Defries, a man thirty-two years older than Lympany, the two divorced in 1950, the marriage not having been without complications. A second marriage occurred in 1951 to the American television executive, Bennet Korn. The two divorced in 1961. Lympany had longed for children and speaks about this in her book. Unfortunately, she suffered two miscarriages, as well as a son who died shortly after birth.

Having performed around the world, Lympany’s career picked up considerable momentum after the Second World War. Of notable interest is the Steinway Centenary Concert that Lympany performed at, along with a host of other great pianists, including my piano teacher, Constance Keene. This concert took place in October of 1953 and was apparently broadcast on the television show, Toast of the Town.

Diagnosed with breast cancer in 1969, Lympany had a mastectomy, followed later by a second one. In 1979, she was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). Two years later, Lympany established the Rasiguères Festival of Music and Wine in France. From the mid-1980s and on, she was based in Monaco, having helped Prince Louis de Polignac to establish the Festival des Sept Chapelles in Brittany. Lympany was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1992 and served as a juror for the Ninth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1993.

Throughout her autobiography, one gets a sense of the degree to which Lympany loved living the good life, both in terms of her flair for fine fashion, food, wine, as well as travel, parties and society. Her contacts included many notable individuals, including figures of royalty. The archive of Lympany’s musical career is located at the International Piano Archive at the University of Maryland (IPAM).

Moura: Her Autobiography tells the story of the English concert pianist, Moura Lympany (1916-2005). Written in partnership with her cousin, Margot Strickland, the book covers the career of a stylish and resilient artist who endured many personal hardships.

Born Mary Johnstone, Moura Lympany changed her name at the suggestion of the conductor, Basil Cameron, with whom she made her debut at Harrogate in a performance of the Mendelssohn G-minor Piano Concerto in 1929. Cameron had thought that “Moura” (the Russian version of “Mary”) might lend itself well to a concert career, particularly when combined with an old spelling of her mother’s maiden name, “Limpenny.”

A brief synopsis of Lympany’s life begins with her early piano studies given by her mother. Her father had served in the First World War. Having been sent to a convent school in Belgium, Lympany later went on to study with Paul Weingarten, Mathilde Verne (a pupil of Clara Schumann) and Tobias Matthay, whose spirit and teaching legacy live on in the book as witnessed by numerous stories and anecdotes.

Having made her London debut at Wigmore Hall in 1935, Lympany placed second to Emil Gilels in the Ysaÿe Piano Competition of 1938. Married in 1944 to Colin Defries, a man thirty-two years older than Lympany, the two divorced in 1950, the marriage not having been without complications. A second marriage occurred in 1951 to the American television executive, Bennet Korn. The two divorced in 1961. Lympany had longed for children and speaks about this in her book. Unfortunately, she suffered two miscarriages, as well as a son who died shortly after birth.

Having performed around the world, Lympany’s career picked up considerable momentum after the Second World War. Of notable interest is the Steinway Centenary Concert that Lympany performed at, along with a host of other great pianists, including my piano teacher, Constance Keene. This concert took place in October of 1953 and was apparently broadcast on the television show, Toast of the Town.

Diagnosed with breast cancer in 1969, Lympany had a mastectomy, followed later by a second one. In 1979, she was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). Two years later, Lympany established the Rasiguères Festival of Music and Wine in France. From the mid-1980s and on, she was based in Monaco, having helped Prince Louis de Polignac to establish the Festival des Sept Chapelles in Brittany. Lympany was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1992 and served as a juror for the Ninth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1993.

Throughout her autobiography, one gets a sense of the degree to which Lympany loved living the good life, both in terms of her flair for fine fashion, food, wine, as well as travel, parties and society. Her contacts included many notable individuals, including figures of royalty. The archive of Lympany’s musical career is located at the International Piano Archive at the University of Maryland (IPAM).

Adored by audiences for her “Golden Voice” and dramatic death scenes, her slender figure, a wild mane of hair, a personal menagerie of exotic animals and her boundless energy, Sarah Bernhardt was, according to Peter Rader, the “world’s first superstar.” Born in Paris in 1844, the charismatic actress not only graced the stages of the world, mingling with such persons of distinction as Alexandre Dumas, Thomas Edison, King Edward VII, Emperor Franz Joseph I, Victor Hugo, Napoleon III, Queen Victoria, Oscar Wilde and Kaiser Wilhelm II, but was also a sculptor, painter and writer, whose memoirs she published in 1907.

Born Henriette-Rosine Bernard, Bernhardt spent much of her youth in a convent, the decision having been made by her mother, Judith Bernard, a courtesan who traveled a great deal. The Jewish-born Bernhardt eventually became a Roman Catholic, although she still considered herself “a member of the great Jewish race.” A funeral Mass was attended by 30,000 people, an enormous crowd having followed her casket from the Church of Saint-Francoise-de-Sales to Père Lachaise Cemetery.

After showing early signs of a talent, Bernhardt debuted at the Comédie Français in 1862. Finding it too stiff, she left shortly thereafter for the Gymnase, eventually arriving at the Théâtre de L’Odéon, a theatre she came to love most. Following the birth of her son, Maurice in 1864, Bernhardt continued to appear at the Odéon. With the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, however, Paris was under siege, its news and food supply having been cut off and its theatres having closed. Bernhardt converted the Odéon into a hospital, giving significantly of her own resources and when coal ran out, she used old stage props as fuel to heat the theatre.

Following the war, Bernhardt resumed acting, assembling her own troupe and touring the world. Living a lavish lifestyle that occasionally saw her in debt (her 1891-92 tour involved personal luggage consisting of 250 pairs of shoes, 45 crates for costumes and 75 crates for her off-stage clothing), Bernhardt would typically go on tour every 3-4 years when cash was needed. Having starred in some of the most popular French plays of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, she performed in works by Dumas, Hugo, Racine, Rostand, Sardou and others. She also played male roles, including Hamlet.

Always keen to try new things, Bernhardt loved riding in a balloon. France had played a significant role in the development of this mode of transportation, Henry Giffard having invented in 1852 the first balloon equipped with a steam engine. Bernhardt convinced Giffard to set up a balloon for her own use and in 1877 she went for a ride accompanied by her friends Georges Clairin and Louis Godard. In the Clouds: Impressions of a Chair as Told to Sarah Bernhardt involves these real characters (in the story, Bernhardt calls herself Dona Sol, a heroine she had portrayed in Hugo’s Hernani) in a fictional account from the standpoint of a chair. The story was published in 1878 with illustrations by Clairin.

Sarah Bernhardt possessed a magnetic personality, every appearance having been an event. Living by the motto “Quand même – Despite all” she faced anti-Semitism, was scorned for her lifestyle and endured physical injuries due to onstage accidents which eventually led to the amputation of her leg. Devoted to art, she clung to the sublime and despite the coming trend of a natural school of acting, held to a dramatic manner of expressing emotion. “My true country is the free air, and my vocation is art without constraints.”

Unfortunately, very little information can be found about the English pianist/teacher, Annette Hullah. Apart from an English newspaper having announced her return from Vienna, in 1893, following the completion of her studies with Theodor Leschetizky and the publication of an American newspaper having referred to her as “young” in 1902, one estimates that she was born in the 1870s.

Annette Hullah was the daughter of the famed English organist, teacher and composer, Sir John Pyke Hullah (1812-84). Interestingly, Hullah’s father knew Charles Dickens, the latter having wrote a failed comic opera entitled, The Village Coquettes for which the former was to have composed the music. Years later (ca. 1930) Hullah sold the letters that were written to her father by Dickens. Hullah's mother was Frances Rosser Hullah.

In addition to being a student of Leschetizky (one of the most famous and legendary piano teachers of all time) Hullah was one of his teaching assistants and, judging by her book, Theodor Leschetizky it appears as though she had a firm grasp of the teaching principles of her master. Published in 1906 as part of the “Living Masters of Music Series” by John Lane Company, Hullah’s short book serves more as biography than memoir. A few personal stories do pepper the text and make for an enjoyable read, particularly when read alongside Leschetizky As I Knew Him written by Hullah’s classmate, Ethel Newcomb. (The first seventeen episodes of this podcast are devoted to the book.)

Following her return to England in 1893, Hullah apparently taught piano and performed, although no major tours or orchestral debuts appear to have been documented and it is not known whether or not she made any recordings. Following some health issues, particularly with regards to weak lungs, Hullah resided for some time in California at the turn of the century. Her health having been improved by the weather, she later returned to England where she secured a wealthy patron.

It is interesting to note that during Hullah’s time in California, she performed both solo and chamber music in and around San Francisco and was frequently the guest at the teas, suppers and musicales of noted individuals, including Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Magee. Magee had been a millionaire property owner and was a retired real estate broker when he died in 1902 at the age of seventy.

While there exists very little biographical information about Hullah, one thing that evidently did not go unnoticed was her looks, numerous reporters having described her physical attributes in accounts such as: “Her head reminds you of Du Maurier’s Women…” Not unlike the Polish pianist, Ignacy Jan Paderewski (another pupil of Leschetizky) Hullah’s hair was described as having reminded one of the pre-Raphaelite faces painted by Sir Edward Burne-Jones and Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. Another reporter wrote that Hullah “looks like an angel when she plays, for she has a halo of bright gold hair which is really much like an aureole, and her face is decidedly spirituelle.” Hullah was also frequently described as that “fascinating little English girl,” or the “pretty little English pianist with the aureole of bright hair” and that “dainty and charming little lady.”

As for her character, Hullah has been described as being of the “scholarly, academic, logical school – an intellectual rather than emotional conception” and it has been said that her distinguishing characteristics were “an admirable conscientiousness, considerable technical attainment and unusual poise.” As a pianist, she was said to have played “exceedingly well.”

Hullah also wrote A Little History of Music.

Unfortunately, very little information can be found about the English pianist/teacher, Annette Hullah. Apart from an English newspaper having announced her return from Vienna, in 1893, following the completion of her studies with Theodor Leschetizky and the publication of an American newspaper having referred to her as “young” in 1902, one estimates that she was born in the 1870s.

Annette Hullah was the daughter of the famed English organist, teacher and composer, Sir John Pyke Hullah (1812-84). Interestingly, Hullah’s father knew Charles Dickens, the latter having wrote a failed comic opera entitled, The Village Coquettes for which the former was to have composed the music. Years later (ca. 1930) Hullah sold the letters that were written to her father by Dickens. Hullah's mother was Frances Rosser Hullah.

In addition to being a student of Leschetizky (one of the most famous and legendary piano teachers of all time) Hullah was one of his teaching assistants and, judging by her book, Theodor Leschetizky it appears as though she had a firm grasp of the teaching principles of her master. Published in 1906 as part of the “Living Masters of Music Series” by John Lane Company, Hullah’s short book serves more as biography than memoir. A few personal stories do pepper the text and make for an enjoyable read, particularly when read alongside Leschetizky As I Knew Him written by Hullah’s classmate, Ethel Newcomb. (The first seventeen episodes of this podcast are devoted to the book.)

Following her return to England in 1893, Hullah apparently taught piano and performed, although no major tours or orchestral debuts appear to have been documented and it is not known whether or not she made any recordings. Following some health issues, particularly with regards to weak lungs, Hullah resided for some time in California at the turn of the century. Her health having been improved by the weather, she later returned to England where she secured a wealthy patron.

It is interesting to note that during Hullah’s time in California, she performed both solo and chamber music in and around San Francisco and was frequently the guest at the teas, suppers and musicales of noted individuals, including Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Magee. Magee had been a millionaire property owner and was a retired real estate broker when he died in 1902 at the age of seventy.

While there exists very little biographical information about Hullah, one thing that evidently did not go unnoticed was her looks, numerous reporters having described her physical attributes in accounts such as: “Her head reminds you of Du Maurier’s Women…” Not unlike the Polish pianist, Ignacy Jan Paderewski (another pupil of Leschetizky) Hullah’s hair was described as having reminded one of the pre-Raphaelite faces painted by Sir Edward Burne-Jones and Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. Another reporter wrote that Hullah “looks like an angel when she plays, for she has a halo of bright gold hair which is really much like an aureole, and her face is decidedly spirituelle.” Hullah was also frequently described as that “fascinating little English girl,” or the “pretty little English pianist with the aureole of bright hair” and that “dainty and charming little lady.”

As for her character, Hullah has been described as being of the “scholarly, academic, logical school – an intellectual rather than emotional conception” and it has been said that her distinguishing characteristics were “an admirable conscientiousness, considerable technical attainment and unusual poise.” As a pianist, she was said to have played “exceedingly well.”

Hullah also wrote A Little History of Music.

Unfortunately, very little information can be found about the English pianist/teacher, Annette Hullah. Apart from an English newspaper having announced her return from Vienna, in 1893, following the completion of her studies with Theodor Leschetizky and the publication of an American newspaper having referred to her as “young” in 1902, one estimates that she was born in the 1870s.

Annette Hullah was the daughter of the famed English organist, teacher and composer, Sir John Pyke Hullah (1812-84). Interestingly, Hullah’s father knew Charles Dickens, the latter having wrote a failed comic opera entitled, The Village Coquettes for which the former was to have composed the music. Years later (ca. 1930) Hullah sold the letters that were written to her father by Dickens. Hullah's mother was Frances Rosser Hullah.

In addition to being a student of Leschetizky (one of the most famous and legendary piano teachers of all time) Hullah was one of his teaching assistants and, judging by her book, Theodor Leschetizky it appears as though she had a firm grasp of the teaching principles of her master. Published in 1906 as part of the “Living Masters of Music Series” by John Lane Company, Hullah’s short book serves more as biography than memoir. A few personal stories do pepper the text and make for an enjoyable read, particularly when read alongside Leschetizky As I Knew Him written by Hullah’s classmate, Ethel Newcomb. (The first seventeen episodes of this podcast are devoted to the book.)

Following her return to England in 1893, Hullah apparently taught piano and performed, although no major tours or orchestral debuts appear to have been documented and it is not known whether or not she made any recordings. Following some health issues, particularly with regards to weak lungs, Hullah resided for some time in California at the turn of the century. Her health having been improved by the weather, she later returned to England where she secured a wealthy patron.

It is interesting to note that during Hullah’s time in California, she performed both solo and chamber music in and around San Francisco and was frequently the guest at the teas, suppers and musicales of noted individuals, including Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Magee. Magee had been a millionaire property owner and was a retired real estate broker when he died in 1902 at the age of seventy.

While there exists very little biographical information about Hullah, one thing that evidently did not go unnoticed was her looks, numerous reporters having described her physical attributes in accounts such as: “Her head reminds you of Du Maurier’s Women…” Not unlike the Polish pianist, Ignacy Jan Paderewski (another pupil of Leschetizky) Hullah’s hair was described as having reminded one of the pre-Raphaelite faces painted by Sir Edward Burne-Jones and Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. Another reporter wrote that Hullah “looks like an angel when she plays, for she has a halo of bright gold hair which is really much like an aureole, and her face is decidedly spirituelle.” Hullah was also frequently described as that “fascinating little English girl,” or the “pretty little English pianist with the aureole of bright hair” and that “dainty and charming little lady.”

As for her character, Hullah has been described as being of the “scholarly, academic, logical school – an intellectual rather than emotional conception” and it has been said that her distinguishing characteristics were “an admirable conscientiousness, considerable technical attainment and unusual poise.” As a pianist, she was said to have played “exceedingly well.”

Hullah also wrote A Little History of Music.

Unfortunately, very little information can be found about the English pianist/teacher, Annette Hullah. Apart from an English newspaper having announced her return from Vienna, in 1893, following the completion of her studies with Theodor Leschetizky and the publication of an American newspaper having referred to her as “young” in 1902, one estimates that she was born in the 1870s.

Annette Hullah was the daughter of the famed English organist, teacher and composer, Sir John Pyke Hullah (1812-84). Interestingly, Hullah’s father knew Charles Dickens, the latter having wrote a failed comic opera entitled, The Village Coquettes for which the former was to have composed the music. Years later (ca. 1930) Hullah sold the letters that were written to her father by Dickens. Hullah's mother was Frances Rosser Hullah.

In addition to being a student of Leschetizky (one of the most famous and legendary piano teachers of all time) Hullah was one of his teaching assistants and, judging by her book, Theodor Leschetizky it appears as though she had a firm grasp of the teaching principles of her master. Published in 1906 as part of the “Living Masters of Music Series” by John Lane Company, Hullah’s short book serves more as biography than memoir. A few personal stories do pepper the text and make for an enjoyable read, particularly when read alongside Leschetizky As I Knew Him written by Hullah’s classmate, Ethel Newcomb. (The first seventeen episodes of this podcast are devoted to the book.)

Following her return to England in 1893, Hullah apparently taught piano and performed, although no major tours or orchestral debuts appear to have been documented and it is not known whether or not she made any recordings. Following some health issues, particularly with regards to weak lungs, Hullah resided for some time in California at the turn of the century. Her health having been improved by the weather, she later returned to England where she secured a wealthy patron.

It is interesting to note that during Hullah’s time in California, she performed both solo and chamber music in and around San Francisco and was frequently the guest at the teas, suppers and musicales of noted individuals, including Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Magee. Magee had been a millionaire property owner and was a retired real estate broker when he died in 1902 at the age of seventy.

While there exists very little biographical information about Hullah, one thing that evidently did not go unnoticed was her looks, numerous reporters having described her physical attributes in accounts such as: “Her head reminds you of Du Maurier’s Women…” Not unlike the Polish pianist, Ignacy Jan Paderewski (another pupil of Leschetizky) Hullah’s hair was described as having reminded one of the pre-Raphaelite faces painted by Sir Edward Burne-Jones and Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. Another reporter wrote that Hullah “looks like an angel when she plays, for she has a halo of bright gold hair which is really much like an aureole, and her face is decidedly spirituelle.” Hullah was also frequently described as that “fascinating little English girl,” or the “pretty little English pianist with the aureole of bright hair” and that “dainty and charming little lady.”

As for her character, Hullah has been described as being of the “scholarly, academic, logical school – an intellectual rather than emotional conception” and it has been said that her distinguishing characteristics were “an admirable conscientiousness, considerable technical attainment and unusual poise.” As a pianist, she was said to have played “exceedingly well.”

Hullah also wrote A Little History of Music.

Unfortunately, very little information can be found about the English pianist/teacher, Annette Hullah. Apart from an English newspaper having announced her return from Vienna, in 1893, following the completion of her studies with Theodor Leschetizky and the publication of an American newspaper having referred to her as “young” in 1902, one estimates that she was born in the 1870s.

Annette Hullah was the daughter of the famed English organist, teacher and composer, Sir John Pyke Hullah (1812-84). Interestingly, Hullah’s father knew Charles Dickens, the latter having wrote a failed comic opera entitled, The Village Coquettes for which the former was to have composed the music. Years later (ca. 1930) Hullah sold the letters that were written to her father by Dickens. Hullah's mother was Frances Rosser Hullah.

In addition to being a student of Leschetizky (one of the most famous and legendary piano teachers of all time) Hullah was one of his teaching assistants and, judging by her book, Theodor Leschetizky it appears as though she had a firm grasp of the teaching principles of her master. Published in 1906 as part of the “Living Masters of Music Series” by John Lane Company, Hullah’s short book serves more as biography than memoir. A few personal stories do pepper the text and make for an enjoyable read, particularly when read alongside Leschetizky As I Knew Him written by Hullah’s classmate, Ethel Newcomb. (The first seventeen episodes of this podcast are devoted to the book.)

Following her return to England in 1893, Hullah apparently taught piano and performed, although no major tours or orchestral debuts appear to have been documented and it is not known whether or not she made any recordings. Following some health issues, particularly with regards to weak lungs, Hullah resided for some time in California at the turn of the century. Her health having been improved by the weather, she later returned to England where she secured a wealthy patron.

It is interesting to note that during Hullah’s time in California, she performed both solo and chamber music in and around San Francisco and was frequently the guest at the teas, suppers and musicales of noted individuals, including Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Magee. Magee had been a millionaire property owner and was a retired real estate broker when he died in 1902 at the age of seventy.

While there exists very little biographical information about Hullah, one thing that evidently did not go unnoticed was her looks, numerous reporters having described her physical attributes in accounts such as: “Her head reminds you of Du Maurier’s Women…” Not unlike the Polish pianist, Ignacy Jan Paderewski (another pupil of Leschetizky) Hullah’s hair was described as having reminded one of the pre-Raphaelite faces painted by Sir Edward Burne-Jones and Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. Another reporter wrote that Hullah “looks like an angel when she plays, for she has a halo of bright gold hair which is really much like an aureole, and her face is decidedly spirituelle.” Hullah was also frequently described as that “fascinating little English girl,” or the “pretty little English pianist with the aureole of bright hair” and that “dainty and charming little lady.”

As for her character, Hullah has been described as being of the “scholarly, academic, logical school – an intellectual rather than emotional conception” and it has been said that her distinguishing characteristics were “an admirable conscientiousness, considerable technical attainment and unusual poise.” As a pianist, she was said to have played “exceedingly well.”

Hullah also wrote A Little History of Music.