Maryla Jonas
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The pianist Maryla Jonas ( May 31, 1911 - July 3, 1959), pronounced Marie-la, was born in Warsaw, Poland, debuting her pianistic talent at the early age of 9. In spite of her father's misgivings about Jonas's piano playing as a career objective, Miss Jonas studied with the Polish pianist Ignacy Paderewski -- a fellow pupil of Witold Małcużyński and Halina Czenry-Stefanksa -- and made her debut with the Warsaw Philharmonic in 1920.[1] Jonas's adult career started in 1926 with a tour of various European capitals starting in Germany. Jonas's touring career proved successful and paved the way for a 13th place finish in the second International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition in 1932. Alexander Uninsky took first prize in the same competition. In 1933 Jonas won the Beethoven prize of Vienna and following her victory established a successful European-based performance career. [2]
Jonas's success in establishing herself as a European touring pianist was overshadowed in 1939 by the German invasion of Poland. Jonas refused on the invitation of a Gestapo agent to move to Berlin and perform in a safer environment, As a result, Jonas was arrested and remained in custody for several weeks. A German officer who had once heard her perform in Germany took pity on her and had her released. The German officer advised that Jonas travel to Berlin and visit the Brazilian Embassy for aid. Jonas took the German officer's advice and traveled to Berlin on foot, walking several hundred miles without proper food or shelter. The walk to Berlin severely damaged Jonas's health and may have resulted in her untimely death at the age of 48. [3]
Jonas's connection with the Brazilian embassy in Berlin proved fortuitous; the embassy supplied Jonas with false records that made her out to be the wife of the Ambassador's son. Jonas traveled from Berlin to Lisbon and finally settled in the capital of Brazil, Rio de Janeiro. In the year 1940, while residing in Brazil, Jonas suffered a nervous breakdown and lived several months in sanatoriums. When she seemed to be mending, she received word that one of her brothers had been killed. This was followed by the news that her husband and parents had perished. The number of personal tragedies that Jonas experienced as a result of the Nazi invasion of Poland made it appear unlikely that she would resume performing on the piano. It was primarily through the promptings of Jonas's sister and Artur Rubinstein, another famous Polish pianist, that eventually provided the impetus for her to return to performing and recording piano music. Jonas resumed her pianistic career in New York making her debut at Carnegie Hall in February, 1946. [4]
[edit] References
- ^ "Pupil of Paderewski Made Debut at Nine". (July 5 1959) The New York Herald Tribune.
- ^ Dobson, Jonathan (2000). Album notes for Piano Masters: Maryla Jonas, insert [CD]. Sussex, England: Pearl (GEM 0077).
- ^ "Concert Performer Here Was Hailed as an Interpreter — Pupil of Paderewski". The New York Times. (July 5 1959).
- ^ Taubman, Howard (May 10, 1947). "Lady Who Has Lived". Liberty Magazine, pp. 28-29, 83-84.
