Anca Seidlova

Anca Seidlova
A young white woman with bobbed hair cut with bangs, wearing a satin top with a scooped neckline
Anca Seidlova, from a 1927 publication
Born(1895-04-19)April 19, 1895
Brno, Austria-Hungary
DiedMarch 8, 1982(1982-03-08) (aged 86)
Marion, Massachusetts, United States
Other namesAnca Edwards
Occupation(s)Pianist, music educator, writer

Anca Seidlova Edwards (April 19, 1895 – March 8, 1982) was a Czech-American pianist.

Early life and education

Anca Seidlová was born in Brno, the daughter of Jaroslav Seidl. Her father was a lawyer.[1] She studied with Leoš Janáček at a conservatory in Brno, with Robert Teichmüller in Leipzig, and with Edwin Hughes and Alexander Lambert in New York.[2][3][4]

Career

A pamphlet featuring the face of Renée Chemet, for a violin recital given in Japan on May 31, 1932, with Anca Seidlova on piano and Michio Miyagi on koto
Pamphlet of Renée Chemet, Anca Seidlova and Michio Miyagi's recital that was held in Japan in 1932

Seidlova was a concert pianist and accompanist.[5][6][7] She made her New York debut in 1926, at Aeolian Hall.[8][9] "Miss Seidlova is a pianist of considerable technical attainments," noted a Boston Globe review in 1928. "She has a vigorous sense of rhythm, and a feeling for the tonal possibilities of the piano."[10]

Seidlova made several recordings with French violinist Renée Chemet between 1926 and 1931.[11] She performed with Chemet and koto player and composer Michio Miyagi in Japan in 1932. She played with the Wilberscheid String Quartet in 1934, and the Czechoslovak Instrumental Ensemble in 1935, both with Bedrich Vaska.[12][13]

She co-authored a book for young readers on the history of music,[14] and taught piano; one of her students was jazz bassist Gene Perla.[15] "I always tell my students to think before they play," she explained in a 1974 interview. "It has to be in you—it has to be thought first."[16]

Publications

Personal life

Seidlova married American sea captain Charles G. Edwards in 1931.[18] They lived in Teaneck, New Jersey in the 1930s,[19] and later moved to Florida. Her husband died in 1973. In her last years, she wrote short stories,[20] and attended weekly Russian language classes.[21] She died in Marion, Massachusetts in 1982, at the age of 86.[22][23]

References

  1. ^ Raulerson, Rayna (1976-07-06). "Concert Pianist Goes Home". Fort Lauderdale News. pp. 1C, 4C. Retrieved 2023-04-20 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Anca Seidlova". Discogs. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
  3. ^ Pickering, Grace (1968-03-13). "Music's For All Ages Says Pianist-Author". Fort Lauderdale News. p. 29. Retrieved 2023-04-20 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Anca Seidlova Gave Recital". The Courier-News. 1922-03-04. p. 5. Retrieved 2023-04-20 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Anca Seidlova Heard in Piano Recital". Musical Observer. 26 (12): 65. December 1927.
  6. ^ "Recital by Mme. Chemet; French Violinist Gives Second of Series at Newcomer Hall". The Baltimore Sun. 1927-12-05. p. 4. Retrieved 2023-04-20 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Mme. Seidlova's Playing Thrills Music Department". Ridgewood Herald-News. 1942-01-29. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-04-20 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "A First Appearance". Musical Digest. 10: 14. September 28, 1926.
  9. ^ "Seidlova in Second New York Recital" Musical Courier (October 27, 1927): 19. via Internet Archive
  10. ^ "Piano Recital by Anca Seidlova". The Boston Globe. 1928-01-18. p. 13. Retrieved 2023-04-20 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Anca Seidlova". Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
  12. ^ "Wilberscheid String Quartet to Feature Anca Seidlova". The Courier-News. 1934-12-01. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-04-20 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Nairn, Norman (1935-11-19). "The Concert Reviewed: N. Y. String Quartet, Seidlova". The Courier-News. p. 12. Retrieved 2023-04-20 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ a b Shippen, Katherine B.; Seidlova, Anca (1963). The Heritage of Music. Viking Press. ISBN 978-0-670-36883-9.
  15. ^ Feather, Leonard (1976). The encyclopedia of jazz in the seventies. Internet Archive. New York : Horizon Press. p. 272. ISBN 978-0-8180-1215-0.
  16. ^ Raulerson, Rayna (1974-01-30). "She Played her Own Tune". Fort Lauderdale News. p. 34. Retrieved 2023-04-20 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Catalog of Copyright Entries: Musical compositions. Library of Congress, Copyright Office. 1941. p. 1901.
  18. ^ Mann, Raleigh (1976-08-01). "Anca Seidlova: 'Why did it take me a lifetime?'". The Miami Herald. p. 201. Retrieved 2023-04-20 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Mme. Anca Seidlova is Guest at Chaminade Society Recital". The Record. 1937-12-14. p. 16. Retrieved 2023-04-20 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ Jones, Rosemary (1979-07-08). "Authors and Books Gaining on the Seashells". The Miami Herald. p. 290. Retrieved 2023-04-20 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ Anderson, Serrin E. (1981-03-22). "Learning the Russian Language: It's Subtle in Sound, Marvelous to Master". Fort Lauderdale News. p. 353. Retrieved 2023-04-20 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "Anca Edwards, Concert Pianist". The Journal News. 1982-03-09. p. 15. Retrieved 2023-04-20 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "Anca Seidlova Leaves Music Legacy". Fort Lauderdale News. 1982-03-12. p. 28. Retrieved 2023-04-20 – via Newspapers.com.