Ney, Elly (1882–1968)
Ney, Elly (1882–1968)
German pianist, widely known for her performance of Beethoven. Born in Düsseldorf, Germany, on September 27, 1882; died on March 31, 1968, at Tutzing, Bavaria; descendant of France's Marshal Ney; married
Willem van Hoogstraten (a conductor), in 1911 (divorced 1927); married P.F. Allais.
Elly Ney was born in Düsseldorf, Germany, in 1882 and studied first at the Cologne Conservatory under Isidor Seiss and Karl Bottcher and then with Theodor Leschetizky and Emil von Sauer. Her Vienna debut took place in 1905, and her talents were recognized when she won both the coveted Mendelssohn and Ibach prizes. A master of the German repertoire, she taught for many years at the Cologne Conservatory. On tour, she sometimes gave fine performances of the Tchaikovsky First Piano Concerto (e.g, at the Proms concerts in London in 1930). Ney made the first recording of Richard Strauss' Burleske for Piano and Orchestra. In recognition of her countless fine Beethoven performances, in 1927 she was awarded the freedom of the city of Bonn. Recordings made at the end of her career testify to her insights into Beethoven's musical and spiritual universe. A fervent German nationalist, she enthusiastically supported the Third Reich and published statements to that effect in the German musical press.
John Haag , Athens, Georgia