Bruce Hungerford plays Bach/Rummel - "Mortify us by Thy Grace" (1958)

J.S. Bach (1685-1750)
From Cantata BWV 22:
Chorale: Ertöt uns durch dein Güte (Mortify us by Thy Grace) in B-flat major
Arranger: Walter Rummel (1887-1953)
Pianist: Bruce Hungerford (1922-1977)
Recorded in 1958

Some Thoughts About Bruce Hungerford on the Hundredth Anniversary of His Birth
By Donald Isler
Bruce Hungerford and my father, Werner Isler, were good friends. Both were born in 1922. But whereas Dad lived to 91, and I can stretch my imagination to realize “Yeah, he’d really be a hundred years old now! ” it’s harder to think that way about Bruce. He died in a tragic auto accident, together with most of his family, when he was only 54, and never had the chance to “get started” on being old. I can still visualize seeing and hearing him as if we last saw each other just recently, instead of almost 46 years ago. Yet, November 24th of this year would be his hundredth birthday.
His was a life of accomplishment and frustration. Yet he never gave in to negativity because his work did not receive the recognition it deserved. He was multi-talented. He could draw beautifully, was a professional photographer and Egyptologist, and he knew a lot about paleontology. (He almost got arrested once when he was on a “dig” that happened to be near a state penitentiary!) He also studied graphology, sometimes entertaining friends by interpreting handwritings (though never of people who were present; he didn’t want to offend the objects of his readings!)
And he played the piano. That is what he’s remembered for.
Although there was a brief period, as a very young man, when he aggressively pursued people who might help his career (like Eugene Ormandy, when he toured Australia), he spent most of the rest of his life using the opposite approach. He felt that if he just kept practicing, and praying everything would turn out well. Artistically, yes that happened, but commercially – not so much. He never had a very effective manager. His concerts were too few, and far between. And although he was one of the great Beethoven players of his era (in my opinion, of any era) he never had an engagement with a major American orchestra, despite spending most of his adult life in this country.
It was primarily from his life that I realized how foolish it is to assume artistic success equates with material success.
Fortunately, there are many recordings by which to remember him, and his art, and perhaps people will spend part of today listening to some of them.
In addition to the two CD projects and the DVD of his playing the Beethoven G Major Concerto which I produced on KASP Records, much of his playing can be heard on YouTube, including many of his Vanguard recordings of Beethoven, Chopin and Schubert.
What would I particularly recommend, of what is to be found on YouTube? Well, for starters:
His Beethoven Sonata Op. 111, which is exceptionally profound, and his Waldstein Sonata, the first movement of which a friend described as a rollercoaster ride, because of its speed and excitement!
The Chopin B Minor Sonata - a sophisticated and very Romantic interpretation.
The Chopin A-Flat Major Waltz. This is particularly impressive because of its combination of elegance, refinement and high spirits.
The Brahms B Minor Capriccio, Op. 76, No. 2 – full of paprika!
The 1955 Town Hall recital in memory of his teacher, Carl Friedberg.
The 1950’s recording of the Schubert Allegretto in C Minor, which, for me, perfectly captures what this piece is all about.
His October 3rd, 1970 live performance of Schubert Dances at the International Piano Library benefit concert at Hunter College.
His 1958 recording of the Bach Toccata, Adagio and Fugue (which I have always preferred to the more famous recording by Horowitz at his 1965 Carnegie Hall recital).
There are also a couple of interviews with him.
Last, but not least, in connection with YouTube, is something that seems bizarrely out of character for him, but is real. He spent his time dealing with art, matters of deep thought, etc. and had little interest in popular culture. I don’t think he ever owned a television. And yet, he can be seen on the October 10th, 1973 episode of the popular TV program “To Tell the Truth” – pretending to be someone else! What is refreshing about this appearance, for one who knew him well, is that one sees him as he appeared in person – one hears his very cultured speaking voice and his thoughtful explanations – although he’s pretending to be someone else! - and one sees both his serious and amused facial expressions, and his quiet flashes of humor.
This is just a brief picture of who he was, and what he was like. I hope that not only on his birthday will people think of him, but also
1) When thinking of great piano playing, especially of the music of Beethoven, Schubert and Chopin, and also
2) When one has had too much to drink but decides to drive anyway, as we probably would have had him for many years longer had someone else not done just that.
Donald Isler

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