Jelly d'Arányi
Encyclopedia
Jelly d'Aranyi, fully Jelly Aranyi de Hunyadvár ( (30 May 189330 March 1966) was a Hungarian violin
ist who made her home in London
.
She born in Budapest
, the grand-niece of Joseph Joachim
, and sister of the violinist Adila Fachiri
. She began her studies as a pianist, but switched to violin at the Music Academy
in Budapest
when Jenő Hubay
accepted her as a student. After concert tours of Europe
and America
as a soloist and chamber musician she settled in London
. On memorable occasions, she and Béla Bartók
gave sonata recitals together in London and Paris
. His sonatas were dedicated to her sister Adila, but Jelly and Bartók presented them in London in March 1922 (No. 1) and May 1923 (No. 2).
She was an excellent interpreter of Classical
, Romantic
and modern music. Maurice Ravel
dedicated his popular violin-and-piano composition Tzigane to her. Ralph Vaughan Williams
dedicated his Concerto Academico to her. Gustav Holst
's Double Concerto for 2 Violins was written for Jelly and Adila. The D'Aranyi String Quartet is named after her.
She played a curious role in the emergence and 1937 world premiere of Robert Schumann
's Violin Concerto
. On the basis of messages she received at a 1933 séance
, allegedly from Schumann himself, about this concerto of which she had never previously heard, she claimed the right to perform it publicly for the first time. That was not to be, but she did perform it at the London premiere. (Of this Robert Elkin remarked, 'of this dismal fiasco, the less said the better.')
While in her 20s, Jelly was a friend of Georgie Hyde-Lees
, later to become the wife of W. B. Yeats
.
She died in Florence
in 1966. aged 72.
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist who made her home in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
She born 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...
, the grand-niece of Joseph Joachim
Joseph Joachim
Joseph Joachim was a Hungarian violinist, conductor, composer and teacher. A close collaborator of Johannes Brahms, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant violinists of the 19th century.-Origins:...
, and sister of the violinist Adila Fachiri
Adila Fachiri
Adila Fachiri was a Hungarian violinist who had an international career but made her home in England. She was the sister of the violinist Jelly d'Arányi....
. She began her studies as a pianist, but switched to violin at the Music Academy
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...
when Jenő Hubay
Jeno Hubay
Eugen Huber , better known by his Hungarian name Jenő Hubay , was a Hungarian violinist, composer and music teacher.-Early life:Eugen Huber was born into a German family of musicians in Pest, Hungary...
accepted her as a student. After concert tours of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and America
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
as a soloist and chamber musician she settled in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. On memorable occasions, she and Béla Bartók
Béla Bartók
Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
gave sonata recitals together in London and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. His sonatas were dedicated to her sister Adila, but Jelly and Bartók presented them in London in March 1922 (No. 1) and May 1923 (No. 2).
She was an excellent interpreter of Classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, Romantic
Romantic music
Romantic music or music in the Romantic Period is a musicological and artistic term referring to a particular period, theory, compositional practice, and canon in Western music history, from 1810 to 1900....
and modern music. Maurice Ravel
Maurice Ravel
Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
dedicated his popular violin-and-piano composition Tzigane to her. Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many...
dedicated his Concerto Academico to her. Gustav Holst
Gustav Holst
Gustav Theodore Holst was an English composer. He is most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets....
's Double Concerto for 2 Violins was written for Jelly and Adila. The D'Aranyi String Quartet is named after her.
She played a curious role in the emergence and 1937 world premiere of Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
's Violin Concerto
Violin Concerto (Schumann)
Robert Schumann’s Violin Concerto in D minor, WoO 23 was his only violin concerto and one of his last significant compositions, and one that remained unknown to all but a very small circle for more than 80 years after it was written.- Composition :...
. On the basis of messages she received at a 1933 séance
Séance
A séance is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word "séance" comes from the French word for "seat," "session" or "sitting," from the Old French "seoir," "to sit." In French, the word's meaning is quite general: one may, for example, speak of "une séance de cinéma"...
, allegedly from Schumann himself, about this concerto of which she had never previously heard, she claimed the right to perform it publicly for the first time. That was not to be, but she did perform it at the London premiere. (Of this Robert Elkin remarked, 'of this dismal fiasco, the less said the better.')
While in her 20s, Jelly was a friend of Georgie Hyde-Lees
Georgie Hyde-Lees
Georgie Hyde-Lees was the daughter of Edith Ellen and Gilbert Hyde-Lees, and the wife of the poet William Butler Yeats....
, later to become the wife of W. B. Yeats
William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
.
She died in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
in 1966. aged 72.
Literature
- A Eaglefield-Hull (Ed), A Dictionary of Modern Music and Musicians (Dent, London 1924)
- Elkin, Robert, Queen's Hall 1893-1941 (Rider, London 1944), 51.
- MacLeod, Joseph, The Sisters d'Aranyi (London, Allen & Unwin, 1969).
- Magidoff, Robert, Yehudi Menuhin: The Story of the Man and the Musician (Robert Hale, London 1956).
- http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/13/3216285.htm