Vera Lotar-Shevchenko plays Beethoven Piano Sonata no. 32, op. 111

Soviet Gulag survivor Vera Lotar-Shevchenko (Vera Lautard, 1901-1982) is our mystery pianist. Before moving to the Soviet Union in 1937, she studied with Cortot, d’Albert and Sauer. She served between 7 to 13 years within the prison camps (there is conflicting data about this as far as I can tell). Upon release she worked as a music director in a small theatre, and was able to concertise within small halls around the country. However hardly any recordings exist. There is this; a few fragments in a documentary which is already on YT (with English subs); and a collection of her Chopin etudes recorded in 1956, released by the piano competition which carries her name. I will upload these as a tribute to her incredible life, with a longer biography attached. Her temperament and character shine through the poor recording, the bad piano, and even through her mangled fingers which were destroyed in the camps. The photo shows Vera in 1974. Beethoven piano sonata no. 32, op. 111