Géza Zichy

Count Géza Zichy (23 July 184914 January 1924) was a Hungarian composer and was also renowned as the world's first professional one-armed pianist. Zichy also published an autobiography ("Aus meinem Leben", 3 vols, 1911–24) and some poetry. Zichy lost his right arm in a hunting accident at age 14 or 15. Instead of despair, he doubled his strive, to form himself into a true piano virtuoso. “I closed the door,” he says in his memoirs, “and got dressed alone. The door handle, the furniture, my legs, my teeth all helped. At lunch, I did not eat any food that I could not cut myself and did not accept the slightest service. Today I peel apples, cut my nails myself, dress alone, ride, drive four-in-hand, I am a good hunter with bullets and buckshot, and I even learned to play the piano a bit. You can be independent with one hand, you just have to know how." So, he persevered by writing and performing piano music for the left hand. In 1873 he began six years of study with Franz Liszt. He also studied under Robert Volkmann.

Géza Zichy's concert program in 1881 in Sopron. Liszt and Zichy performed the last piece together. In spite of his limitations, Zichy had a successful career as both a concert pianist and a composer for the next 40 years. He gave entire concerts playing music only for the left hand, the proceeds of which he gave to charity as he was independently wealthy.

Works Among Zichy's many compositions was a left-hand piano concerto and several operas. In addition to his music career, Zichy also worked as a lawyer. An entire chapter is devoted to Zichy in Piano Music for One Hand by Theodore Edel (Indiana University Press), a comprehensive survey of music written for those pianists who have the use of only one hand. The Brazilian composer and virtuoso pianist Artur Cimirro has recorded Zichy's entire piano output for the CD label Acte Préalable. According to Jonathan Welsh:„it is hard to believe there is only one hand at work here as the level of detail to be heard is incredible” or „We finish with the impossibly difficult arrangement of Schubert's Erlkönig for left hand. Here all four voiced sections of Schubert’s masterpiece are presented with just five fingers. The effect is incredible, not just for the pianist; it also shows off Zichy's considerable powers as an arranger.” Zichy's compositions are also part of the repertoire of British pianist Nicholas McCarthy.

Operas A vár története (1888) Alár (1896) Roland mester (1899) Nemo (1905) Rákóczi Ferenz (1909) Radostó (1912)

Ballet Gemma, ballet

Vocal Dolores, cantata (1889) songs

Transcriptions for the left hand alone J. S. Bach - Chaconne BWV 1004 F. Chopin - Polonaise in A major op. 40 no. 1 F. Liszt - Nocturne no. 3 'Liebestraum' Fantasie über Motive aus Wagner 'Tannhäuser'

Arrangements for the left hand alone Rákóczy March

Piano left-hand Sonata Four Studies Six Studies (1878; preface by Liszt) Deux Morceaux Liebestraum-Fantasie Concerto in E flat for piano and orchestra (1902)

Piano two hands Liszt-March Idyll Nász-Gavotte Entrance and King's Anthem (from the opera Alár)

Discography

2016 : Acte Préalable AP0371 – Géza Zichy - Complete Piano Works (Artur Cimirro) 2016 : Acte Préalable AP0372 – Géza Zichy - Complete Piano Transcriptions (Artur Cimirro) 2015 : Parlaphone Records - Solo (Liszt/Zichy: Liebesträume Nr 3), (Nicholas McCarthy)