Balint Vazsonyi
Encyclopedia
Balint Vazsonyi was a Hungarian
pianist
, international recitalist, soloist with leading orchestras, and political journalist. He made performance history in playing chronological cycles of all 32 piano sonatas by Beethoven over two days in New York, Boston, and London. During the last 6 years of his life, he became a commentator in Washington, D.C.
, on the state of American politics.
from which he earned an Artist Diploma. He made his debut in Budapest (at age 12) with the F Minor Concerto of J.S.Bach.
On 15 December 1956 Vazsonyi fled Budapest on foot for Austria, where he became pianist in the refugee Philharmonia Hungarica
under conductor Antal Doráti
. He studied at the Vienna Music Academy with Professor Richard Hauser from 1957–58 and made his Western debut in the Großer Musikvereinsaal, Vienna in January 1958 as soloist with L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
under conductor Volkmar Andreae
.
In 1960, upon receiving a scholarship to study with Ernő Dohnányi
at the School of Music Florida State University
, Vazsonyi moved to the United States, earning a Master of Music degree. Being the last pupil of the master, Vazsonyi became the last link in a tradition that stretched back to Franz Liszt
. At FSU, he met another Dohnányi student, Barbara Whittington, whom he married on February 26, 1960.
, Switzerland and in Wiesbaden
, Germany, giving concerts and recording in Europe.
From 1962-64 he became Pianist-in-Residence at the newly-formed Interlochen Arts Academy where his son Nicholas Vazsonyi was born in 1963. He became an American citizen in Ann Arbor, Michigan
in 1964 and was awarded the Liberty Bell Award in that same year.
In 1964-78 Vazsonyi moved to London, England with his family for private studies with pianist Dame Myra Hess
, from 1964 to her death in 1965. London remained his home base for concertizing in Europe, England, America, and South Africa, recording, and presiding over master class
es at Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, New England Conservatory, Catholic University, Peabody, University of Washington.
based, in part, upon his seminal monograph of Ernő Dohnányi
, which resulted in a street next to the Franz Liszt Academy of Music
in Budapest
being named for his mentor as well as an official absolving (2002) of false Nazi-sympathizer charges against Ernő Dohnányi made after World War II.
While professor at Indiana University School of Music, Dr. Vazsonyi held a masterclass in piano performance. In this weekly seminar, performances were offered critical comments from students and from Professor Vazsonyi. No stranger to the political arena, he exposed his piano students to the realities of the international political climate.
Balint is survived by his musical spouse Barbara and their son Nicholas with his wife Agnes and Balint and Barbara's grandchdildren.
, he leads the viewer through cities of Europe in search of the life and soul of these composers, using costume drama, music video, and musical selections. According to the Washington Times obituary, he once played all of Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas in the order they were composed over the course of a single weekend.
's Republican mayoral candidate having stepped down with 100 days (3½ months) remaining, Vazsonyi, based on several articles published in Bloomington's The Herald-Times regarding the First Gulf War, was recruited to run. Even though his opponent won, he claimed the experience taught him how America works full circle.
in Miami, Florida
but was forced to resign in disgrace by September 1994, after reconfiguring the music program to provide him a platform for his eccentric views on politics and the world. During that time, he was appointed Senior Fellow at the Potomac Foundation, McLean, Virginia and wrote his first political treatise "The Battle for America's Soul". Between 1993-95, he was Honorary Cultural Counselor in America for Hungary (The Republic of Hungary), a member of the Board of Directors, Chopin Foundation of the United States
and of the Washington Bach Consort
.
as Senior Fellow of the McLean, Virginia think tank
, Potomac Foundation and within that, founded and became Director of Center for the American Founding dedicated to the following principle: "We advocate and practice discussion of national issues as they relate to America's founding principles. For continued success, we believe this nation needs to return to the Rule of Law, Individual Rights, the Security of Property, and the same American Identity for all its citizens." Dr. Vassonyi clear recognized what was taking place in America as time progressed: the creation of commissar positions in America acquired the dimensions of a growth industry. The avalanche began with affirmative action officers, equal opportunity officers, judicial inquiry officers, and civil rights divisions. These positions exist for the sole purpose of enforcing a political agenda - an occupation at odds with the very nature of America. Certain college and university departments - departments of education, of communications, of journalism, social studies, and urban planning-became the reliable producers of commissars. Law schools, too, began to churn out graduates trained to serve a specific political agenda, rather than jurisprudence.
Soon, entire government departments were created to function as Commissariats, such as the Department of Education, Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Commerce. Several other federal agencies, such as the National Endowment for the Arts, and its sister outfit, for the Humanities, fall into the same category. All these agencies offer services people find useful, and employ many capable professionals along with commissars. But they are of the same cloth, for they provide a platform for commissars, lack constitutional legitimacy, and are virtually immune to citizen complaints. Eventually, commissar types found their way into legislatures, the Supreme Court, and the White House. The recent acquisition of the Department of justice as a commissariat, and the growing multitude of commissar judges on federal benches, complete this massive force whose effectiveness - unlike the armies and submarines of the Third Reich or the ICBMs of the Soviet Union - has proved a match for America's awesome industrial, financial, and spiritual strength." ~Balint Vasonyi, America’s Thirty years War: Who is Winning (1998)
, National Review
, wrote a bi-weekly column for The Washington Times
, and a weekly, nationally syndicated column for Scripps Howard. His proposals for the application of America's founding principles to the national debates have been printed in the Congressional Record
, Imprimis, the Heritage Foundation
and in Representative American Speeches.
His book, "America's 30 Years War: Who is Winning"? defining the source of alien ideas subverting America's culture and society was published by Regnery in 1998. Balint Vazsonyi was a frequent guest on national talk radio and appeared on television shows such as NBC Today, Booknotes
on C-SPAN
with Brian Lamb
, and Washington Journal
, MSNBC
, and Insights with Robert Novak.
In 2000, he toured the nation's capitals to promote a national conversation he called Re-Elect America!. The one-hour television documentary about the tour has been aired on WETA-TV
, Washington's PBS station.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, international recitalist, soloist with leading orchestras, and political journalist. He made performance history in playing chronological cycles of all 32 piano sonatas by Beethoven over two days in New York, Boston, and London. During the last 6 years of his life, he became a commentator in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, on the state of American politics.
Early Studies
From 1945-56 Balint Vazsonyi attended the Franz Liszt Academy of MusicFranz Liszt Academy of Music
The Franz Liszt Academy of Music is a concert hall and music conservatory in Budapest, Hungary, founded on November 14, 1875...
from which he earned an Artist Diploma. He made his debut in Budapest (at age 12) with the F Minor Concerto of J.S.Bach.
On 15 December 1956 Vazsonyi fled Budapest on foot for Austria, where he became pianist in the refugee Philharmonia Hungarica
Philharmonia Hungarica
The Philharmonia Hungarica was a symphony orchestra, based in Germany, which existed from 1956 to 2001.It was first established in Baden bei Wien near Vienna by Hungarian musicians who had fled their homeland after it was invaded by Soviet troops...
under conductor Antal Doráti
Antal Doráti
Antal Doráti, KBE was a Hungarian-born conductor and composer who became a naturalized American citizen in 1947.-Biography:...
. He studied at the Vienna Music Academy with Professor Richard Hauser from 1957–58 and made his Western debut in the Großer Musikvereinsaal, Vienna in January 1958 as soloist with L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
The Orchestre de la Suisse Romande is a Swiss symphony orchestra, based in Geneva at the Victoria Hall...
under conductor Volkmar Andreae
Volkmar Andreae
Volkmar Andreae was a Swiss conductor and composer.Andreae was born in Bern. He received piano instruction as a child and his first lessons in composition with Karl Munzinger. From 1897 to 1900, he studied at the Cologne Conservatory and was a student of Fritz Brun, Franz Wüllner, and Friedrich...
.
In 1960, upon receiving a scholarship to study with Ernő Dohnányi
Erno Dohnányi
Ernő Dohnányi was a Hungarian conductor, composer, and pianist. He used the German form of his name Ernst von Dohnányi for most of his published compositions....
at the School of Music Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
, Vazsonyi moved to the United States, earning a Master of Music degree. Being the last pupil of the master, Vazsonyi became the last link in a tradition that stretched back to Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
. At FSU, he met another Dohnányi student, Barbara Whittington, whom he married on February 26, 1960.
Early career
In 1960-62 Vazsonyi resided in ZürichZürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, Switzerland and in Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
, Germany, giving concerts and recording in Europe.
From 1962-64 he became Pianist-in-Residence at the newly-formed Interlochen Arts Academy where his son Nicholas Vazsonyi was born in 1963. He became an American citizen in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
in 1964 and was awarded the Liberty Bell Award in that same year.
In 1964-78 Vazsonyi moved to London, England with his family for private studies with pianist Dame Myra Hess
Myra Hess
Dame Myra Hess DBE was a British pianist.She was born in London as Julia Myra Hess, but was best known by her middle name. At the age of five she began to study the piano and two years later entered the Guildhall School of Music, where she graduated as winner of the Gold Medal...
, from 1964 to her death in 1965. London remained his home base for concertizing in Europe, England, America, and South Africa, recording, and presiding over master class
Master class
A master class is a class given to students of a particular discipline by an expert of that discipline—usually music, but also painting, drama, or any of the arts....
es at Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, New England Conservatory, Catholic University, Peabody, University of Washington.
Professorship
In 1978-84 Vazsonyi was invited to be Professor of Music at Indiana University, Bloomington School of Music where, as well as having a private piano studio, he conducted all Doctoral Seminars in Piano Literature.Dohnányi biography
In 1982, while still teaching at Indiana University, Bloomington, Balint Vazsonyi earned a Ph.D in History, University of BudapestUniversity of Budapest
The Eötvös Loránd University or ELTE, founded in 1635, is the largest university in Hungary, located in Budapest.-History:The university was founded in 1635 in Nagyszombat by the archbishop and theologian Péter Pázmány. Leadership was given over to the Jesuits...
based, in part, upon his seminal monograph of Ernő Dohnányi
Erno Dohnányi
Ernő Dohnányi was a Hungarian conductor, composer, and pianist. He used the German form of his name Ernst von Dohnányi for most of his published compositions....
, which resulted in a street next to the Franz Liszt Academy of Music
Franz Liszt Academy of Music
The Franz Liszt Academy of Music is a concert hall and music conservatory in Budapest, Hungary, founded on November 14, 1875...
in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
being named for his mentor as well as an official absolving (2002) of false Nazi-sympathizer charges against Ernő Dohnányi made after World War II.
While professor at Indiana University School of Music, Dr. Vazsonyi held a masterclass in piano performance. In this weekly seminar, performances were offered critical comments from students and from Professor Vazsonyi. No stranger to the political arena, he exposed his piano students to the realities of the international political climate.
Balint is survived by his musical spouse Barbara and their son Nicholas with his wife Agnes and Balint and Barbara's grandchdildren.
Entrepreneurship -- Telemusic, Inc.
In 1983-92, Vazsonyi, founder/CEO of Telemusic, Inc., wrote/produced, along with video conceptualizer/director Nicholas Vazsonyi, four TV/Home Video/DVD (see list below) films on the lives of Mozart (scripted by Nicholas Vazsonyi), Beethoven (European portions directed by Cash Baxter), Schubert, and Brahms (see TV/Video titles below). With the English actor Sir Anthony QuayleAnthony Quayle
Sir John Anthony Quayle, CBE was an English actor and director.-Early life:Quayle was born in Ainsdale, Southport, in Lancashire to a Manx family....
, he leads the viewer through cities of Europe in search of the life and soul of these composers, using costume drama, music video, and musical selections. According to the Washington Times obituary, he once played all of Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas in the order they were composed over the course of a single weekend.
Mayoral run
In 1991, Bloomington, IndianaBloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....
's Republican mayoral candidate having stepped down with 100 days (3½ months) remaining, Vazsonyi, based on several articles published in Bloomington's The Herald-Times regarding the First Gulf War, was recruited to run. Even though his opponent won, he claimed the experience taught him how America works full circle.
Deanship
In 1993, Balint Vazsonyi became Dean of Music at the New World School of the ArtsNew World School of the Arts
New World School of the Arts is a public magnet high school and college in Downtown Miami, Florida with dual-enrollment programs in visual arts, dance, theatre, musical theatre, instrumental music, and vocal music. Both the college and the high school are accredited by the Southern Association of...
in Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
but was forced to resign in disgrace by September 1994, after reconfiguring the music program to provide him a platform for his eccentric views on politics and the world. During that time, he was appointed Senior Fellow at the Potomac Foundation, McLean, Virginia and wrote his first political treatise "The Battle for America's Soul". Between 1993-95, he was Honorary Cultural Counselor in America for Hungary (The Republic of Hungary), a member of the Board of Directors, Chopin Foundation of the United States
Chopin Foundation of the United States
Founded by Lady Blanka Rosenstiel in 1977, the Chopin Foundation of the United States provides performance opportunities for young American pianists, exchange and scholarship programs as well as awards....
and of the Washington Bach Consort
Washington Bach Consort
What began as a group of friends coming together to play the music of Bach has become one of the world's premiere Baroque ensembles. Founded in 1977 by J. Reilly Lewis, the Washington Bach Consort is a professional chorus and orchestra noted for its performance of 18th-century music on period...
.
Political philosopher
In 1995–2003, he moved to Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
as Senior Fellow of the McLean, Virginia think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
, Potomac Foundation and within that, founded and became Director of Center for the American Founding dedicated to the following principle: "We advocate and practice discussion of national issues as they relate to America's founding principles. For continued success, we believe this nation needs to return to the Rule of Law, Individual Rights, the Security of Property, and the same American Identity for all its citizens." Dr. Vassonyi clear recognized what was taking place in America as time progressed: the creation of commissar positions in America acquired the dimensions of a growth industry. The avalanche began with affirmative action officers, equal opportunity officers, judicial inquiry officers, and civil rights divisions. These positions exist for the sole purpose of enforcing a political agenda - an occupation at odds with the very nature of America. Certain college and university departments - departments of education, of communications, of journalism, social studies, and urban planning-became the reliable producers of commissars. Law schools, too, began to churn out graduates trained to serve a specific political agenda, rather than jurisprudence.
Soon, entire government departments were created to function as Commissariats, such as the Department of Education, Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Commerce. Several other federal agencies, such as the National Endowment for the Arts, and its sister outfit, for the Humanities, fall into the same category. All these agencies offer services people find useful, and employ many capable professionals along with commissars. But they are of the same cloth, for they provide a platform for commissars, lack constitutional legitimacy, and are virtually immune to citizen complaints. Eventually, commissar types found their way into legislatures, the Supreme Court, and the White House. The recent acquisition of the Department of justice as a commissariat, and the growing multitude of commissar judges on federal benches, complete this massive force whose effectiveness - unlike the armies and submarines of the Third Reich or the ICBMs of the Soviet Union - has proved a match for America's awesome industrial, financial, and spiritual strength." ~Balint Vasonyi, America’s Thirty years War: Who is Winning (1998)
Last years
During those years he published and lectured extensively on cultural and political subjects, appeared in The Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
, National Review
National Review
National Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the...
, wrote a bi-weekly column for The Washington Times
The Washington Times
The Washington Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It was founded in 1982 by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and until 2010 was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the...
, and a weekly, nationally syndicated column for Scripps Howard. His proposals for the application of America's founding principles to the national debates have been printed in the Congressional Record
Congressional Record
The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published by the United States Government Printing Office, and is issued daily when the United States Congress is in session. Indexes are issued approximately every two weeks...
, Imprimis, the Heritage Foundation
Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation is a conservative American think tank based in Washington, D.C. Heritage's stated mission is to "formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong...
and in Representative American Speeches.
His book, "America's 30 Years War: Who is Winning"? defining the source of alien ideas subverting America's culture and society was published by Regnery in 1998. Balint Vazsonyi was a frequent guest on national talk radio and appeared on television shows such as NBC Today, Booknotes
Booknotes
Booknotes is an American television series on the C-SPAN network hosted by Brian Lamb, which originally aired from 1989 to 2004. The format of the show is a one-hour, one-on-one interview with a non-fiction author. The series was broadcast at 8 p.m. Eastern Time each Sunday night, and was the...
on C-SPAN
C-SPAN
C-SPAN , an acronym for Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, is an American cable television network that offers coverage of federal government proceedings and other public affairs programming via its three television channels , one radio station and a group of websites that provide streaming...
with Brian Lamb
Brian Lamb
Brian Patrick Lamb is the founder and chief executive officer of C-SPAN, a television network dedicated to coverage of government proceedings and public affairs. Born and raised in Lafayette, Indiana, Lamb earned a degree from Purdue University before joining the United States Navy...
, and Washington Journal
Washington Journal
Washington Journal is an American television series on the C-SPAN network in the format of a political call-in and interview program. The program features elected officials, government administrators and journalists as guests, answering questions from the hosts and from members of the general...
, MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
, and Insights with Robert Novak.
In 2000, he toured the nation's capitals to promote a national conversation he called Re-Elect America!. The one-hour television documentary about the tour has been aired on WETA-TV
WETA-TV
WETA-TV is a Public Broadcasting Service member public televisionstation for the Washington, D.C., area. Its studios are in nearby Arlington, Virginia...
, Washington's PBS station.
Discography
- Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsodies (Vox STPL 512.340/1966)
- "Reverie": Small gems by Great Masters (ALLEGRO AR 88038/1966)
- Schumann: Scenes from Childhood; Arabeske; Symphonic Etudes (PYE Virtuoso, TPLS 13026/1968)
- Brahms: Phantasien, Op.116; Klavierstuecke Op.119; Variations on an original Theme Op.21, No.1 (PYE Virtuoso TPLS 13016/1968)
- Beethoven: Sonata in F Minor, Op.57 ("Appassionata") (PYE Virtuoso TPLS 13042/1969)
- Liszt: Sonata in B Minor (PYE Virtuoso TPLS 13042/1969)
- Brahms: Two Rhapsodies, Op.79; Intermezzi Op.117; Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op.24 (PYE Virtuoso GSGC 2048/1969)
- Dohnányi: (First Recording) Piano Concerto No.1 in E Minor, Op.5, New Pharmonia Orchestra/Pritchard (PYE Virtuoso TPLS 13052/1972)
- JolivetAndré JolivetAndré Jolivet was a French composer. Known for his devotion to French culture and musical thought, Jolivet's music draws on his interest in acoustics and atonality as well as both ancient and modern influences in music, particularly on instruments used in ancient times...
: Concerto for Trumpet and Piano, Maurice Andre/EDO (DGG 1972) - Chopin: Fantasie F Minor, Op.49; Barcarolle in F Sharp Major, Op.60; Sonata B flat Minor, Op.35 (PYE Virtuoso TPLS 13053/1973)
- Schubert: Moments musicaux; Sonata in G Major, D.894 (PYE Virtuoso - not pressed/1973)
- "Gala Concert": 12 renowned pianists perform at London's Royal Festival Hall (DESMAR DSM 1005/1975)
- "The Hungarians": Dohnányi—Bartok—Kodaly (PANTHEON PFN 1981/1984)
TV/Video/DVD
- "Mozart": A production of Telemusic in association with Hungarian TV and TVOntario VHS:MPI 1700/1989; DVD:Delta Music GmbH, D-50226
- "Beethoven": A production of Telemusic VHS:MPI 1701
- "Schubert": A production of Telemusic in association with Hungarian TV and TVOntario VHS:MPI 1702
- "Brahms": A production of Telemusic in association with Hungarian TV and TVOntario VHS: MPI 1703
Print publications
- "Schumann's Piano Cycles" in "Schumann: The Man and his Music", Barrie & Jenkins. London, 1972 ISBN 0-214-66805-3
- "Bartok and Dohnányi" Editio Musica. Budapest, 1972
- "The 32 Piano Sonatas of Beethoven" Analytical notes for performance of the complete cycle. London, 1977
- "Dohnányi, Erno" in "The New Grove Dictionary of Music & Musicians", Macmillan. London 1981/99 ISBN 1-56159-239-0
- "Bartok and the 21st Century" in "Bartok and Kodaly revisted", Corvina. Budapest, 1985
- "Guidance Notes for Teachers" for Telemusic's VHSs of "Mozart", "Beethoven", "Schubert", "Brahms", Stylus. London,1990
- "Dohnányi, Erno" in "The New Grove Dictionary of Opera", Macmillan. London, 1993 ISBN 1-56159-228-5
- "The Battle for America's Soul" in "The Potomac Papers, 1995 and in "Common Sense" American Enterprise Institute. 1996
- "America on my Mind" - Selected essays, The Potomac Foundation. Washington, 1996
- "Four Points of the Compass: Restoring America's Sense of Direction" in "Representative American Speeches 1996–1997" H.W.Wilson Company. New York, 1997 ISSN 0197-6923
- "America's 30 Years War: Who is Winning?" Regnery. 1998 ISBN 0-89526-354-8
- "The pity of self-pity: The sentimentalism of music" in "Faking It - the sentimentalism of modern society" The Social Affairs Unit. London ISBN 0-907631-75-4
- "America on my Mind" - New selected essays, The Potomac Foundation. Washington, 2004 ISBN 0-615-12753-3
Quotes from reviews
- "Beethoven himself might have played his sonatas much as Mr. Vazsonyi did." The Times, London
- "Chopin's F minor Fantasie was played as Chopin might have played it." Irish Independent, Dublin
- "Vazsonyi has a mind as well as fingers and reminds us that Liszt had too; his interpretation of the Sonata is in a class of its own." The Gramophone, London
- "Vazsonyi plays Brahms with subtlety and understanding, giving the listener the feeling that the pianist gets right inside the composer's mind." Penguin Stereo Record Guide
- "His playing seemed to make the music spring spontaneously to life." The New York Times
- "He played all the bravura passages easily and he made the piano consistently sing." The New York Post
- "He placed his astonishing arts of virtuosity and sound magic in the service of Beethoven." Die Welt, Hamburg
- "He held the listener in an absolutely hypnotic spell." Musical America
- "Among the countless pianists Vazsonyi belongs to the chosen few for whom the piano is a spiritual medium." Die Tat, Zurich