Lehmann’s Accompanists

Ulanowsky

Paul Ulanowsky was Lehmann's principal accompanist from 1938 until 1951, performing with her over 50 times in New York alone. She called him "the ideal accompanist for me. We understood each other musically in perfect time." He had the ability to adjust to the demands of the moment, which, given Lehmann's rhythmic freedom, was necessary. Concerning improvisation, he said, "The ideal is that you prepare something extremely well... and then at the moment of performance you make yourself forget (all that) and create, as it were, completely from scratch.''

He memorized the music and could play in any key, which also suited Lehmann's wishes. In a 1966 master class demonstration of Strauss' Cäcilie, Ulanowsky, in a whisper which we heard in the balcony, asked in a pleading, hopeful voice, "Mme., what key?" He, like all of us, wanted to hear her, even at the age of 78, sing this exciting song. She replied. "The original key! I'm not going to sing it...I'll just speak it through." And so she did, though there was pitch to the words and a projection of emotion that allowed us to understand what critics and audiences had raved about years before.

As Ulanowsky himself said, "The most important thing is the honesty with which you try to identify yourself...with the composer and poet. To go back to what they wanted...in their combined work of sound and word.''

Ulanowsky was born in Vienna in 1908 and lived until 1968. He accompanied many great artists besides Lehmann and was also a gifted teacher. I had the pleasure of hearing him accompany Ernst Haefliger at Carnegie Hall and teach at Yale Summer School of Music and Art. Later I turned his pages when he played Bach Aria Group concerts at Town Hall. Each occasion offered the opportunity for me to enjoy his ready wit and to hear Lehmann stories.

Regarding Lehmann's Town Hall farewell recital in 1951, Ulanowsky said that only a few people knew, and he wasn't among them. She asked him to remain on stage while she spoke to the audience, telling them that it was indeed her farewell recital in New York. Ulanowsky remembered, "There wasn't a tearless eye...except Lotte Lehmann. With incredible discipline she carried through the speech and the rest of the program (until) just a few seconds before the end...when she broke down. This was not a studied thing. She didn't expect it to happen and as she went . . . out the door of Town Hall she said to me, 'This is terrible!'"

Many thanks to Philip Ulanowsky for providing a tape which included a masterclass and interviews of his father, from which this article borrowed. He is interested in collecting more material relating to his farher which should be sent to hlm at 801 W. Holly Lane. Purcellville. VA 22132. --GH