Ilona Prunyi
In the mid-'60s, Ilona Prunyi was a gifted piano student forced to delay the launch of her promising career owing to a lengthy illness. She is now regarded as among the most important Hungarian pianists of her generation, both in the realms of solo and chamber music. Her repertory is broad, taking in many standards by Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Bartók, and others. But more often than not, even the works she plays by well-known composers are likely to be their less-often encountered pieces. She also performs works by Godowsky and Korngold, and in the realm of chamber music, compositions by Atterberg, d'Indy, Sinding, and Berwald. She has introduced or championed works by contemporary Hungarian composers like Láng, Hollós, Petrovics, and Sári. Most of Prunyi's nearly 40 recordings have been issued by Naxos and Hungaroton.
Prunyi was born in Debrecen, Hungary, on May 1, 1941. She began her piano studies at age six and in 1958 enrolled at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest. Her chief teachers there were András Mihály and József Gát. After her 1964 graduation she remained at the Liszt Academy as a teacher and struggled with illness for the next 10 years.
Prunyi gave her official debut concert in 1974, and thereafter regularly appeared as recitalist and soloist with major Hungarian orchestras. She also collaborated with prominent artists in chamber repertory and even occasionally appeared on Hungarian radio and television.
Though she would give concerts abroad (throughout, England, China, and Canada), she limited her career largely to her homeland. In 1988 she began recording for Naxos and its sister label Marco Polo, generally delving into lesser-known repertory, such as the four-hand piano music of Schubert and chamber works by William Sterndale Bennett and Kuhlau. Through 2007 she appeared on more than 25 recordings for Naxos and Marco Polo.
In the 1990s Prunyi also began recording for the Hungaroton label. Among her more important efforts was her 1994 Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and two discs of piano music by Ernö von Dohnányi, from 2000 and 2004, respectively. Prunyi has regularly given concerts throughout Hungary and appeared as collaborator in duo works with Zoltán Kocsis and Jeno Jandó, and in chamber works with the New Budapest Quartet and Tátrai Quartet. Among her later recordings is the 2006 CD of piano music of Stephen Heller on Hungaroton.
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SCHUBERT: Piano Works for Four Hands, Vol. 1
Klassiek - Released by Naxos on 1 jul. 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
KORNGOLD: Violin Sonata, Op. 6 / Piano Quintet, Op. 15
Andras Kiss, Ilona Prunyi, Danubius Quartet
Kamermuziek - Released by Marco-Polo on 25 feb. 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
MASTERPIECES OF THE ROMANTIC PIANO
Jenő Jandó, Peter Nagy, Balázs Szokolay, Idil Biret, Ilona Prunyi, Klára Körmendi
Klassiek - Released by Naxos on 28 nov. 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tchaikovsky: Seasons / Chanson Triste
Klassiek - Released by Naxos on 14 jan. 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
ATTERBERG: Violin Sonata / Trio Concertante
Eszter Perenyi, Sándor Falvai, Gyorgy Kertesz, Ilona Prunyi, Andras Kiss, Deborah Sipkay
Kamermuziek - Released by Marco-Polo on 1 jan. 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Fur Elise - Romantic Piano Music
Jenő Jandó, Idil Biret, Balázs Szokolay, Ilona Prunyi, Klára Körmendi
Klassiek - Released by Naxos on 1 aug. 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Maiden's Prayer: Leaves from Grandmother's Piano Album
Peter Nagy, Balázs Szokolay, Peter Szokolay, Ilona Prunyi
Klassiek - Released by Naxos on 5 sep. 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Easy-Listening Piano Classics
Konstantin Scherbakov, Ilona Prunyi, Joseph Banowetz, Alton Chung Ming Chan
Klassiek - Released by Naxos on 28 sep. 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
KIEL: Piano Quintets Nos. 1 and 2
Ilona Prunyi, New Budapest Quartet
Kamermuziek - Released by Marco-Polo on 3 aug. 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
BORODIN: Piano Quintet / String Quintet
Otto Kertesz, Ilona Prunyi, New Budapest Quartet
Kamermuziek - Released by Marco-Polo on 22 mei 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Largo I: A Special 2 ½ Hour Collection of Piano Classics
Pi-hsien Chen, Jen? Jandó, Idil Biret, Klára Körmendi, Sándor Falvai, Ilona Prunyi
Klassiek - Released by Celestial Harmonies on 3 nov. 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
DAVID: Piano Trios Nos. 2 and 3
Tibor Parkanyi, Eszter Perenyi, Ilona Prunyi
Kamermuziek - Released by Marco-Polo on 28 mei 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tchaikovsky: Piano Music
Klassiek - Released by Naxos on 16 okt. 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dohnanyi: Piano Music
Klassiek - Released by Hungaroton on 15 jul. 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
ATTERBERG: Piano Quintet / Suite No. 1 / Horn Sonata
Ilona Prunyi, Ferenc Balogh, Imre Magyari, New Budapest Quartet, Gyorgy Kertesz, Andras Kiss
Kamermuziek - Released by Marco-Polo on 15 mrt. 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Widor : Trio avec piano, op.19 - Quintette avec piano, op.7
Károly Botvay, Andras Kiss, New Budapest Quartet, Ilona Prunyi
Kamermuziek - Released by Naxos on 14 jul. 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Quatuors à cordes n°1 & 2 - Quintette pour piano, Op. 51
Kamermuziek - Released by Marco-Polo on 29 mei 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bartok: 5 Songs / Hungarian Folksongs
Julia Hamari, Ilona Prunyi, Hungarian State Orchestra, Janos Kovacs
Vocale muziek (wereldlijk en religieus) - Released by Hungaroton on 15 jul. 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
BERWALD: Piano Trios Nos. 1-3
Andras Kiss, Csaba Onczay, Ilona Prunyi
Kamermuziek - Released by Marco-Polo on 14 mei 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stephen Heller: Works for Piano
Klassiek - Released by Hungaroton on 8 okt. 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Transcriptions pour piano
Klassiek - Released by Marco-Polo on 2 aug. 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo