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This issue's story on Bella Davidovich is the second about a "new" Soviet pianist in four years, and there is a connection between them: The subject of the first in fact initiated the article on the second. In January 1976 we ran an interview from Moscow with the then unknown Lazar Berman just prior to his first American tour. I had commissioned the piece after hearing a tape of a Berman performance played for me by impresario Jacques Leiser. During the next couple of years I met Berman a few times and about a year ago, over a post-concert supper, he exclaimed to me in a fit of modesty: "Why is everybody always writing about me? Why don't you write about Bella Davidovich? She's more interesting than me-phenomenal. But nobody writes about her." "Who's Bella Davidovich?," I asked. "She's our greatest woman pianist. She's superb!" As seems to be expected of Soviet musicians these days, Bella Davidovich soon left Russia. (Those of you holding our Musical AMERICA edition can read of a couple of recent Soviet defectors, including conductor Kiril Kondrashin. An amusing footnote to all this: Pianist Sviatoslav Richter was touring Europe when the latest round of emigrations and defections from his country took place. According to an unconfirmed report, upon hearing about it Richter commented, "If this keeps up, pretty scion I won't have anybody left to make music with.") Not too surprisingly, Davidovich's manager turned out to be Leiser, again armed with tapes. The result of Berman's instigation and Leiser's tapes is this month's article. SCHWANN'S Thirtieth Five years ago this month we ran an article celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the SCHWANN RECORD & TAPE GUIDE. That means, of course, that this month the publication has passed another milestone. For thirty years, what everybody still seems to call "the SCHWANN Catalog" (it hasn't been that since January 1971) has served as the record buyer's invaluable source of information. Our use of caps and small caps instead of italics in printing its name should let you know, if you didn't already, that since that celebratory article, SCHWANN has become what is known in the trade as our "sister publication." (Whoever determined the gender of magazines wasn't thinking too clearly. Magazines are often specific people, and I find it hard to think of Bill Schwann as my "sister." We did, however, recently acquire MCCALL’S NEEDLEWORK AND CRAFTS and its associated publications. Now those I can think of as "sister publications.") HIGH FIDELITY and SCHWANN have many interlocking staff members, so in congratulating SCHWANN, we are in effect congratulating ourselves. So be it. While I'm on the subject, when the 1976 SCHWANN ARTIST ISSUE was published, I lauded it but lamented that it had been six years between editions. As you are no doubt aware, the latest ARTIST Issue came out earlier this year, just as fascinating as its predecessors and with the publishing interval cut in half. I hope you already have yours (see page 147 if you don't), because I don't know how many will be left by the time you read this. I have two, anticipating theft when the issue becomes rare over the next couple of years. (High Fidelity, Oct. 1979) Also see: Bella Davidovich -- The Soviet Union's most prominent woman pianist prepares to conquer America, by Joseph Horowitz. Jensen speakers (ad, May 1981)
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