The Electric Recording Company.

Yura Guller was born in 1895 in Marseille, France. She started to learn the piano at the age of five, giving recitals at a very early age before enrolling at the Paris Conservatoire at just nine years old. It is here that she studied under Isidor Philipp (a tutor of impeccable pedigree having studied with Camille Saint-Saëns), Théodore Ritter & Georges Amadée St. Claire Mathias (himself a direct pupil of Frédéric Chopin). It was only Mathias who fully absorbed the Chopin tradition and carried it forward, in turn passing the legacy and philosophy of teaching to Isidor Philipp. This is one reason why these miraculous performances by Guller are so important, they give us a truly unique insight, with a direct line of tutoring that has passed on Chopin’s style through the generations. For us at ERC it is the finest interpretation of Chopin works ever recorded.

Guller faced many turbulent years during her lifetime. In the 1930’s she traveled to China where she stayed for 8 years, before returning to France just before the breakout of the Second World War. Guller was of Jewish decent, and as such she was forced to restrict her playing activities and go into hiding. This long period of oppression that Guller faced only helps to solidify the emotional impact and beauty of these recordings. Sadly Guller also suffered a long period of illness which also curtailed her recording and performing.

For these reasons Yura Guller only produced four records during her lifetime; Two Chopin recitals for Ducretet-Thomson in the mid 1950’s, and two further recordings in the 1970’s for Erato (Beethoven Piano Sonatas Nos. 31 & 32) and a recital of works for Nimbus.

Guller has a unique style of pianism with beauty, honesty and integrity – light through the darkness.

Please note; This release is limited to 99 copies only. Ordering priority will be given to our longest standing customers and best new customers.