Maestros and their motor cars (27): Hitler’s pianist had a post-War chauffeur
UncategorizedIn the 1960s, Elly Ney bounced back from her Nazi past and enjoyed the services of a musically literate chauffeur Frithjof von Bodungen. He recorded everything she said and played. Here’s a radio feature on their intimate connection.
He looks like more than a chauffeur. In Germany and he has no uniform on?
Ney was a gifted pianist and a Nazi.
i saw her at the festival hall
early 60s. if i knew her politics i would not of gone
to this concert.
“Can a person who does evil things be a great artist?” Question posed by Stephen Hough.
She was a Beethoven expert and replaced the great Rudolph Serkin.
She refused to replace Serkin because he was a Jew and she quoted parts of Hitler’s speeches in performances. She was a very committed Jew hating nazi who, after WW2, was barred from playing in Bonn due to her publicly expressed hatred.
Hi Mr. Arnold, how did she “refuse” to replace the far greater Rudolph Serkin when in fact she did? It’s a fact.
Elly Ney was a wonderful and truly great pianist. you can criticize her for being naive and even stupid, but please don’t call her H… Pianist. that is so wrong, unbelievable.
It is not easy to drive your car yourself if your right hand is pointing towards the sky. She probably only played piano concertos for the left hand.
Have Arthur Honegger and Willem Pijper been mentioned?
The list of ‘Hitler’s musicians’ is almost endless – either those who directly supported the regime or those who equivocated (like Fürtwangler). Their dubious political affiliations had no effect on the quality of their performances. Same in Russia today. More is the pity…
Musicians are humans. And many humans are simply opportunists.
…or stupid.