Adolph Hallis plays Schumann's Piano Concerto live
An undated concert performance (probably 1960s) of the Schumann Piano Concerto by South-African pianist Adolph Hallis with the SABC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Edgar Cree.
Hallis is a largely forgotten artist who studied with the great Tobias Matthay (who famously taught Myra Hess and a number of other legendary pianists). He made the world premiere recording of the Debussy Etudes (shared here on my channel - • Adolph Hallis plays Debussy Etudes ) but seems to have recorded nothing else. After a performing career while based London that also included producing film music used by Alfred Hitchcock, Hallis moved back to his native South Africa at the outbreak of WW2, where he became a beloved teacher.
He appears not to have fully given up on concert performance, as revealed by this live recording of Schumann's Piano Concerto. This was only ever issued on a South African CD and is extremely rare, yet very much worth hearing as an example of the artist's superb pianism. In particular this modern recording allows us to appreciate Hallis's gorgeous tonal colours, refined dynamic palette, and wonderful lyrical phrasing.
The recording and photograph of a painting of Hallis playing on an upright piano were both provided by his pupil Petronel Malan, to whom all thanks. This painting was in the room where Hallis taught his pupils and was presumed to have been made by his first wife, Chantal Quenneville.
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