Suggia was fluent in several languages. She spoke French, German and English as well Portuguese and occasionally all of these languages are used in a single letter. She had an amazing talent with languages and though she often apologized for her English, in fact she expressed herself beautifully in that language. Perhaps this is why she was encouraged to publish several articles in British publications while she was in London. The most important of these articles are two pieces on cello-playing that were published in the journal Music and Letters in the early 1920s.
These are indispensable sources of insight on Suggia’s musical philosophy. She said, for example, that some people have virtuoso technique but little musicality, while others have good musical instincts but little technique. If she had to choose between the virtuoso and the good musician with little technique, she would choose the musician. Suggia, of course, was someone who had it all: formidable technique and profound musicianship. The Music and Letters articles are published in Portuguese translation in Fatima Pombo’s book Guilhermina Suggia ou o violoncello luxuriante.
Another important aspect of Suggia’s life in England is the recordings she made there, mostly between 1925 and 1930. Unfortunately Suggia did not make many recordings, and that is one of the reasons why she is not better known today. Fortunately in 2004 Dutton Laboratories put out a remastered CD of recordings including the Haydn Cello Concerto in D, Bruch’s Kol Nidrei, the Lalo Cello Concerto and the Sammartini sonata in G major. Suggia’s recording of the Haydn Concerto in D is apparently the first ever recording of this concerto. It was recorded in July 1928 with an orchestra led by John Barbirolli.
I think that Suggia did not like to travel very much. She avoided the extensive touring that was and still is an exhausting feature of international music careers. When she lived in England she took trips to play in Portugal and Spain, but very rarely anywhere else. Her career was very much based in England. People often wonder why Suggia did not tour in America, as virtually all of her colleagues did. In fact, Suggia wanted to play in the United States and at various points she made plans to do so, right up to the end of her life. The closest she came was in 1927, when she agreed to play four concerts in several American cities including Washington, D.C. But at the last minute she cancelled the tour, and she never was introduced to American audiences. Which was a shame, because people were very eager to hear and get to know her.
I’ll finish this part of the story of Suggia at the point where she returned to live in Portugal after an absence of over 20 years. It is now the mid-1920s and Suggia is approaching middle age. At this point in her life Suggia is feeling a strong need to get in touch with her roots in Portugal. She left Portugal when she was still a teenager determined to become a great cellist. She worked hard and sacrificed a great deal, and by the age of 40 she could feel some satisfaction. She had achieved what she had set out to do. She certainly wasn’t ready to retire, but I think she felt the need to go back home. She had many friends in England, but even after 10 years it wasn’t really home. It was cold and wet. She wanted to be with her people in her sunny country speaking her language. Also, her parents were quite old increasingly in need of care. So in 1925 she bought a house for her parents in Porto, and shortly thereafter she became engaged to Dr. Jose Mena, and she settled in another house near her parents with him. I’d to leave you with this thought: being Portuguese meant everything to Suggia. She was relieved and very happy to return to live here, and she went on to have 25 more years as a great performer, teacher, and patron of the arts.
ANITA MERCIER