CLAUDIO ARRAU in Concert 1: Chopin & Schumann
King and Emperor!
CHOPIN 24 Preludes Op.28
(Recorded at the 1960 Prague Spring Festival)
SCHUMANN Symphonic Etudes Op.13
(Recorded at the 1976 Prague Spring Festival)
Although Claudio Arrau made many distinctive studio recordings, he often lived more dangerously in front of an audience, as these previously unreleased performances from the Prague Spring Festival prove... An essential acquisition for admirers of this singular pianist. Classics Today (USA)
APR5631 £9.99 
CLAUDIO ARRAU in Concert 2: Beethoven & Brahms
BEETHOVEN Sonata No.3, Op.2/3
(Recorded at the 1976 Prague Spring Festival)
BRAHMS Sonata No.3, Op.5
(Recorded 1978 Fisher Hall, New York)
These recordings from the 1970s show the great pianist Claudio Arrau in magnificent form... [his] superb interpretation of the Brahms sonata was memorably recorded on the pianist's 75th birthday in New York. Classics on the Web
APR5632 £9.99
CLAUDIO ARRAU in Concert 3: Beethoven Sonatas 30-32
Sonatas Opp.109, 110 & 111
APR5633 £9.99
THE AUER LEGACY Vol.1: Auer, Elman, Heifetz, Parlow, Hansen & Menges
2 CDs
Leopold Auer – The known recordings
Mischa Elman – From the London G&T and early RCA recordings
Jascha Heifetz – The prodigy/The first RCA & Bell Laboratory recordings
Kathleen Parlow – The first London recordings
Cecilia Hansen – From the RCA recordings
Isolde Menges – From the HMV recordings
The first thing to grab your attention even before you play these CDs is the documentation. [It] puts some other record companies to shame... Go out at once and buy them! They are a revelation. CD Review (UK)
APR7015 £19.98
THE AUER LEGACY Vol.2: Milstein, Zimbalist, Seidel, Brown etc.
2CDs
Efrem Zimbalist – From the early RCA recordings
Francis Macmillen – From the Gramophone Company recordings
Nathan Milstein – US Columbia and unpublished HMV recordings
Toscha Seidel – From the US Columbia & RCA recordings
Eddy Brown – The Royale and acoustic US Columbia recordings
"Eddy Brown & Friends" – From the Royale recordings
An historic collection of considerable interest featuring five of Leopold Auer's best-known pupils... This nostalgic set amply verifies that Auer pupils did indeed come in all tonal, technical and stylistic "shapes and sizes". The Strad (UK)
APR7016 £19.98
THE AUER LEGACY Vol.3: Dushkin, Piastro, Polyakin, Rosen etc.
2CDs
Alexander Petschnikoff – From the Coliseum/Scala acoustic recordings
May Harrison – Delius Violin Sonata 1
Mishel Piastro – From his Brunswick recordings
Samuel Dushkin – From his HMV recordings
David Hochstein – From his Emerson recordings
Myron Polyakin – Beethoven Kreutzer Sonata
Max Rosen – From his Brunswick recordings
Mischa Weisbord – His surviving unpublished HMV recordings
This is the last volume of The Auer Legacy and Appian has done music historians a great service. The sound is clear and present. ARG (USA)
APR7017 £19.98
GINA BACHAUER The First HMV Recordings
J.S.BACH/BUSONI Toccata, Adagio & Fugue in C, BWV564
LISZT Funérailles; LISZT Hungarian Rhapsody No.12
MOZART Piano Concerto No.26 in D K537 “Coronation” (with New London Orchestra/Sherman)
LISZT/BUSONI Rapsodie espagnole (with New London Orchestra/Sherman)
The Greek pianist Gina Bachauer was born in Athens in 1910. Unlike many of her female colleagues of the time, she was a renowned exponent of the great warhorses of the repertoire including concertos by Brahms and Rachmaninov and, as can be heard on this disc, Busoni's monumental solo transcriptions of Bach and Liszt. Like many of her generation, the launch of her international career was delayed by the Second World War (which she spent in the Middle East, giving some 600 concerts for the Allied Forces) and it was only at the end of the 1940s that she began to receive true recogition. HMV was quick to spot her brilliance and signed her to an exclusive contract and the fruits of her earliest recordings (1949-51) can be heard on this disc. It was unusual to encounter her in Mozart but she offers here a spirited performance of the Coronation Concerto where she is accompanied by the New London Orchestra with Alec Sherman (later to be her husband) on the podium.
APR5643 £9.99
BARBIROLLI & CASADESUS Mozart, Weber & Franck
Clarity and taste are his most impressive qualities.
Live recordings (1936 & 1938) from Carnegie Hall
MOZART Concerto 23
WEBER Konzertstück • FRANCK Symphonic Variations
(New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra/John Barbirolli)
This collection provides important documentation from the earlier phase of his career, and APR deserves thanks for making it available. (IRR UK)
APR5601 £9.99
SIMON BARERE at Carnegie Hall Vol.1: 1946
Including LISZT Concerto 1 (New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra/David Broekman)
JS BACH Chromatic Fantasy & Fugue • BEETHOVEN Sonata 31
Chopin • Glazunov • Liszt • Weber
If lightning finger-work and improvisational musicianship are your priorities, then Simon Barere live will prove a must. Gramophone (UK)
APR5621 £9.99
SIMON BARERE at Carnegie Hall Vol.2: 9th March 1947
Including CHOPIN Fantasie • Nocturne 8
LISZT Un sospiro • La leggierezza • Funérailles • Hungarian Rhapsody 12
Scriabin • Rachmaninov
To anyone not yet familiar with the playing of Barere the epithet ‘legendary’, far from being an exaggeration, almost understates his mercurial brilliance. IRR (UK)
APR5622 £9.99
SIMON BARERE at Carnegie Hall Vol.3: 11th November 1947
Including CHOPIN Ballade 1 • Impromptu 1
LISZT Sonata • BALAKIREV Islamey
Weber • Godowsky • Blumenfeld • Scriabin • Rachmaninov
[Barere's Liszt Sonata] remains in a class by itself... one that captures the Romantic grand manner in a way that makes even such renowned Lisztians as Brendel and Howard seem depressingly literal-minded... If you don't know Barere, this is the best place to start. International Piano (UK)
APR5623 £9.99
SIMON BARERE at Carnegie Hall Vol.4: 1949
BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata 27 • SCHUMANN Carnaval
CHOPIN Andante spianato & Grande Polonaise brillante
Scherzo 3 • Waltz 5 • Etudes, Op.10/8, 4 & 5
LISZT Gnomenreigen
Though musically provocative, Barere's playing suggests in its freedom and daring the extravagant imaginative forays that Liszt and other Great Romantics indulged in as a matter of course. No one today, not even the likes of Kissin or Volodos, sound anything remotely like him, which makes APR's CD among the most significant 'great piano' releases of the last 10 years. (Gramophone)
APR5624 £9.99
SIMON BARERE at Carnegie Hall Vol.5
RACHMANINOV Piano Concerto No.2 (with unknown orchestra, cond. Antonia Brico)
Off Air recital:
SCARLATTI Sonata in A Kk113; CHOPIN Scherzo No.3 Op39; Impromptu No.1 Op29; Waltz No.5 Op42; LISZT La Leggierezza, Gnomenreigen; SCRIABIN Etude Op8/12
The 1929 Odeon recordings:
CHOPIN Etude Op10/8; Waltz No.5 Op42; LISZT Gnomenreigen RACHMANINOV Polka de W.R.
New Zealand radio interview September 1947
This is the final volume in our series of live Barere recordings from Carnegie Hall, however only the performance of the Rachmaninov 2nd Concerto actually originates there. Interestingly, the work is conducted by one of the earliest female conductors - Antonia Brico - who for a time ran her own orchestra. This is a truly passionate performance, perhaps similar to that result one might have expected had Barere's classmate, Horowitz, ever taken up the work.
Though appendices, the other recordings are also of great interest. The off-air recital probably dates from 1944-46 and shows Barere in a selection of his signature showpieces. The commercial Odeon recordings were recorded in Sweden in 1929 and are the earliest record we have of Barere's playing. Finally we have the unique chance to hear Barere speaking in an, admittedly banal, interview for New Zealand radio.
All the performances confirm that Barere was indeed, not only one of the greatest ever keyboard technicians, but a Romantic pianist in the grand tradition, fully worthy of his Russian pedigree.
APR5625 £9.99
SIMON BARERE The complete HMV recordings (1934-36)
2CDs
CD1
LISZT La leggierezza Etude de concert No 2, S144; LISZT Petrarch Sonnet No 104 Années de Pèlerinage: Deuxième année, Italie, S161/5; LISZT Gnomenreigen Etude de concert No 2, S145 LISZT Réminiscences de Don Juan é Mozart S418; LISZT Valse oubliée No 1 S215; LISZT Rapsodie espagnole S254; CHOPIN Scherzo No 3 in C sharp minor Op 39; CHOPIN Mazurka No 38 in F sharp minor Op 59/3; CHOPIN Waltz No.5 in A flat Op 42
CD2
BALAKIREV Islamey - Oriental fantasie; BLUMENFELD Etude for the left hand; GLAZUNOV Etude in C, Op.31/1; SCRIABIN Etude in C sharp minor, Op.2/1; SCRIABIN Etude in D sharp minor, Op.8/12; GODOWSKY Renaissance — No 12 Gigue in E (Loeillet); GODOWSKY Renaissance — No 6 Tambourin in E minor (Rameau); SCHUMANN Toccata in C, Op.7; LISZT Réminiscences de Don Juan — Mozart, S418 (alternative published take); SCRIABIN Etude in D sharp minor, Op.8/12 alternative published take; BALAKIREV Islamey — Oriental fantasie (alternative published take); SCHUMANN Toccata in C, Op.7 (alternative published take); CHOPIN Mazurka No 38 in F sharp minor, Op.59/3 (rogue take); SCHUMANN Toccata in C, Op.7 (rogue take)
This title was APR's very first release. It made a huge impact in the world of historic transfers and put both APR and Simon Barere on the map. Though eventually hailed in his own time as one of the greatest of all virtuosi, Barere's career began slowly, only taking off after he had escaped a poverty-stricken background in post-Revolution Russia. Tragically, just as he was beginning to enjoy real recognition, he suffered a fatal heart attack while playing the Grieg Concerto in Carnegie Hall. His short-lived fame was quickly forgotten by all but the most die-hard piano buffs until these recordings appeared in the 1980s. They comprise almost his complete studio recordings and for this reissue all the transfers have been completely remastered, greatly enhancing the sound.
Grand Prix, Liszt Society Budapest
No superlative is strong enough to convey adequately the quality of this playing ... His fingerwork is quite astonishing and his virtuosity almost in a class on its own ... This set is one to celebrate ... The Penguin Guide
APR6002 £13.99
BLISS PREMIERES Volume 1: Piano Concerto (Solomon) & Adam Zero (Lambert)
Concerto for piano and orchestra in B flat
Solomon/New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra/Sir Adrian Boult
New York: 10 June 1939 (World première performance)
Adam Zero
including Fanfare Overture • Dance of Spring • Awakening of Love
Bridal Ceremony • Dance of Summer • Approach of Autumn
Night Club Scene • Destruction of Adam's world
Dance with Death • Finale
Royal Opera House Orchestra, Covent Garden/Constant Lambert
London: 9 May 1946 (World première broadcast)
(Issued in conjunction with the Bliss Trust)
To have this treasurable recording of the world première [of the concerto] issued commercially is an incredibly exciting find... Solomon is dazzling - a colossal virtuoso in the Horowitz class on this showing... What a pianist! IRR (UK). Bliss's zestful, unjustly neglected inspiration [Adam Zero] positively glows in the safe hands of its dedicatee. So, a fascinating, hugely enterprising release. Gramophone (UK)
APR5627 £9.99
ALEXANDER BRAILOWSKY The 1938 London recordings
A tonal colourist supreme
CHOPIN Sonata 3 • Berceuse • Ecossaises • Waltz 1
VIVALDI - BACH Concerto • SCARLATTI - TAUSIG Pastorale & Capriccio
BEETHOVEN Rage over a lost penny
This will be a revelation to those who remember Brailowsky from his post-war recordings... Here preserved in excellent transfers, he shows himself a first-rank artist... Spontaneity and subtlety permeate this excellent release. Classical Pulse
APR5501 £9.99
THE BUSCH SERKIN DUO Unpublished Recordings
J S BACH Sonata No.5 in f minor for Violin & Keyboard BWV1018
Live recording 2nd March 1939, Library of Congress, Washington
BRAHMS Sonata No.1 in G major for Violin & Piano Op.78
Live BBC Studio Recital 13th October 1936, Broadcasting House, London
BRAHMS Trio in E flat for Piano, Violin & Horn Op.40 (with AUBREY BRAIN horn)
Recorded 16th May and 13th November 1933, Studio 3 Abbey Road. Previously unpublished except side 5 (of 8 originals)
To find three unpublished performances of high quality by the greatest violin and piano duo of the 20th century is luxury indeed. To be able to present seven previously unknown 78rpm sides featuring the legendary horn player Aubrey Brain is a bonus.
Pre-war live recordings are rare and all the more valuable because commercially recorded works were always limited by the four minute side length of a 78rpm disc meaning it was impossible for artists to record in long takes. In the two duos presented here we can hear the artists in full flight, unconstrained by the recording studio. We are also lucky in that the Bach Sonata was never otherwise recorded and is a valuable addition to their discography.
The Brahms Horn Trio is an unissued commercial recording with an unusual history. The complete work was recorded in May 1933 and approved for issue but at the factory mastering stage the master of side 5 was ‘cracked in process’ and could not be used. Unfortunately there had been only one take of that side so release of the recording was abandoned. The work was completely re-recorded in November of the same year and was commercially issued, but by that time Serkin was playing a Steinway instead of a Bechstein and Brain, who had accidentaly destroyed his Labbaye French Horn of 1865 vintage (the same year as the Brahms was written) by reversing his car over it, was playing a completely different instrument. Luckily Busch had a set of test pressings of all but the damaged 5th side and so we are able to present that original recording here for the first time. The missing side has been replaced by the later, commercially issued, recording which also gives us the chance to compare the tonal quality of the two versions.
APR5528 £9.99
BUSCH-SERKIN DUO Vol.1: Beethoven Sonatas 3, 5 & 7
A dream partnership that made history
The European Busch-Serkin Duo Recordings
Volume 1
BEETHOVEN Violin Sonatas 3, 5 ("Spring") & 7
Serkin and Busch's focus is always on unfolding the composer's deepest intentions. There is never a moment of mere fiddling or flash keyboard indulgence... Performances of such stature can only be thoroughly recommended. Classic CD (UK)
APR5541 £9.99
BUSCH-SERKIN DUO Vol.2: Schumann, Brahms & Reger
Volume 2
BRAHMS Violin Sonatas 1 & 2
SCHUMANN Violin Sonata 1 • REGER Allegretto
These recordings were made in 1931-37, and the producers have exercised great care in getting the finest sound from them... I think most listeners would not be aware of the 78 rpm origins of these records ARG (USA)
APR5542 £9.99
BUSCH-SERKIN DUO Vol.3: Vivaldi, J.S. Bach, Mozart & Schubert
Volume 3
J.S.BACH Sonata BWV.1021
MOZART Sonata 25 • SCHUBERT Fantasie
Geminiani and previously unpublished Bach titles
Here is baroque playing to gladden the heart... Busch and Serkin illustrate time and again what interpretative integrity is possible when great artists are committed to each other. Classic CD (UK)
APR5543 £9.99
ALFRED CORTOT The Late Recordings Vol.1: 1947
SCHUMANN Kinderszenen, Op.15 · DEBUSSY Childen's Corner
CHOPIN Nocturnes15 &16 · 3 Nouvelles études
Prelude 25 · Polonaise-Fantaisie
Several of the items [here] show the pianist in visionary form... The transfers are excellent... Definitely recommended for Cortot buffs. Fanfare (USA)
APR5571 £9.99
ALFRED CORTOT The Late Recordings Vol.2: 1948 & 1949
1948 ‘Encores’
BACH arr Cortot “Aria” (Concerto in F minor, BWV1056 - Adagio);PURCELL arr Cortot “Minuet” (Harpsichord Suites 1 & 8 - Minuets); SCHUBERT arr Cortot Litanie; SCHUMANN Vogel als Prophet, Op.82/7; CHOPIN Nocturne in F sharp, Op.15/2; BRAHMS arr Cortot Wiegenlied
1947
FRANCK Prélude, Aria et Final (Previously Unpublished)
1949
DEBUSSY Préludes Book One
Appendix: 1948 ‘encores’ in LP version
BACH arr Cortot “Aria” (Concerto in F minor, BWV1056 - Adagio); PURCELL arr Cortot “Minuet” (Harpsichord Suites1 & 8 - Minuets); SCHUMANN Vogel als Prophet, Op.82/7
Although he was universally regarded as one of the greatest pianists of the last century, Cortot’s later recordings have had a bit of a bad press. Though he had a virtuoso technique it was fallible and the careless slips he was renowned for became more pronounced as he became older. It’s true that some embarrasing recordings exist and and a Beethoven sonata cycle went so badly it has never seen the light of day but in the right repertoire these aspects of his playing are not an issue and in recordings such as those presented here we can enjoy Cortot’s wonderful musicality without the need to make any allowance for a faltering technique The major work here is the complete first book of Debussy Préludes. This set, recorded in the last days of 78s, had only a limited life as LP technology arrived within a year and brought with it improved recording quality. The set was reissued as an LP in 1953, from a technical point of view already out of date, but of course nowadays this is of no consequence when we have the glory of Cortot’s playing to consider.
The Franck Prélude, Aria et Final from 1947 has not been previously issued though passed by Cortot himself. Only one set of test pressings is known to exist, and it is missing the second of six sides, so to make a complete performance we have dubbed in the second side of Cortot’s earlier 1932 recording of the work. Perhaps the gems of this collection are the series of ‘Encores’ which Cortot recorded in 1948. These works present the essence of Cortot’s style, his instantly recognizable singing line, his wonderful voicing of chords and the nobility of it all.It appears that when some of these titles were reissued on LP different takes, recorded on tape, were used so these versions are included as an appendix.
APR5572 £9.99
ALFRED CORTOT The Late Recordings Vol.3: 1949-1951
1949-51 CHOPIN
Nocturne No 2 in E flat major Op.9/2; Nocturne No 4 in F major Op 15/1; Nocturne No 7 in C sharp minor Op 27/1; Etude in E major Op 10/3; Etude in C sharp minor Op 10/4; Etude in F minor Op 25/2; Trois Nouvelles Etudes; Barcarolle in F sharp minor Op 60; Prelude No 15 in D flat major Op 28 (Raindrop); Prelude No 25 in C sharp minor Op 45; Berceuse in D flat major Op 57; Waltz No 3 in A minor Op 34/2; Waltz No 6 in D flat major Op 64/1 (Minute); Waltz No 9 in A flat major Op 69/1; Waltz No 9 in A flat major Op 69/1; Waltz No 11 in G flat major Op 70/1; Waltz No 12 in F minor Op 70/2
1950 MENDELSSOHN
Variations sérieuses in D minor Op 54
This third volume of Cortot’s late recordings once again shows that their neglect has been unjustified. Chopin has always been the composer with whom Cortot was most identified and here we have a wonderful selection of mainly popular works which show off the pianist’s trademark lyrical playing to the full. Of particular interest to collectors are the Chopin titles from 1951 which have generally not yet appeared on any CD transfer; six of these titles were issued in the UK only as 78’s or 45rpm discs, both formats that did not last, another five were only issued in the USA on a RCA Victor LP, but as the relationship between EMI and RCA ceased shortly after these too had a very short life in the catalogue. The CD is completed with a fine performance of the Mendelssohn Variations sérieuses, another Cortot favorite.
APR5573 £9.99
ERNST VON DOHNANYI The complete HMV solo piano recordings 1929-56
2CDs
CD 1 (mono)
Budapest - November 1929
Pastorale • Waltz ("Coppélia": Delibes)
London - February 1931
Schatzwalzer ("Zigeunerbaron": J.Strauss) • Du und Du ("Fledermaus": J.Strauss)
London - November 1946
Six Piano Pieces Op.41 (previously unpublished)
London - August & September 1956
Winterreigen (10 Bagatelles) Op.10 • Variations on a Hungarian Folk Song Op.29
CD 2 (mono & stereo*)
Pastorale • Intermezzo in F minor Op.2/3 • Ruralia Hungarica No.6 Op.32/A
Gavotte and Musette in B flat* • Pavane with Variations Op.17/3*
Suite nach altem Stil (Suite in the Olden Style) Op.24*
Six Piano Pieces Op.41* • Burletta Op.44/1* • Nocturne (Cats on the roof) Op.44/2*
Valses nobles D.969 (Schubert)*
APR7038 £19.98
KATHLEEN FERRIER Brahms Alto Rhapsody & Mahler Das Lied von der Erde
Her unique voice never ceases to impact on the listener
MAHLER Das Lied von der Erde
Richard Lewis/Hallé Orchestra/Sir John Barbirolli (Manchester 1952)
BRAHMS Rhapsody for contralto, male chorus and orchestra, Op.53
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra/ Erik Tuxen (Oslo 1949)
[This] account of Das Lied von der Erde is one of greatest importance because it is only one of two collaborations on disc with Barbirolli, who admired the singer so much, and because it is the only record, in both senses, of Barbirolli's interpretation... Ferrier recorded the Alto Rhapsody for Decca in 1947 with Clemens Krauss; this Norwegian broadcast of two years later is to be preferred. Gramophone (UK)
APR5579 £9.99
FIORENTINO EDITION I Scriabin, Rachmaninov & Prokofiev sonatas
Edition I SCRIABIN Sonata 2 • PROKOFIEV Sonata 8
RACHMANINOV Sonata 2 (1931 version)
A reference recording of these three sonatas. Indispensable! Diapason (France)
APR5552 £9.99
FIORENTINO EDITION II Chopin & Schubert sonatas
Edition II CHOPIN Sonata 3 • SCHUBERT Sonata 21
To these monuments of the piano literature he brings alluring subtlety, a lively intelligence, and a fresh perspective. ARG (USA)
APR5553 £9.99
FIORENTINO EDITION III Scriabin & Rachmaninov sonatas
Edition III SCRIABIN Sonatas 1 & 4 • RACHMANINOV Sonata 1
Mr. Fiorentino's way with [this] music is liquid, psychedelic, multi-dimensional... Here, then, is the work of a master pianist. ARG (USA)
APR5556 £9.99
FIORENTINO EDITION IV J.S. Bach Vol. 1: Partitas 1 & 4 etc.
Edition IV J.S.BACH Volume 1
Partitas 1, BWV 825 & 4, BWV 828
Violin Sonata 1, BWV 1001 (transcribed Fiorentino)
[This] is phenomenal... Everything is clear as glass, the touch very delicate, the cantabile romantic but always dancing. Pianowereld (The Netherlands)
APR5558 £9.99
FIORENTINO EDITION V J.S. Bach Vol. 2: French Suite 5 etc.
Edition V J.S.BACH Volume 2
French Suite 5, BWV 816
Preludes & Fugues in d BWV 532 & E flat (trans. Busoni, arr. Fiorentino)
Fiorentino’s Bach subscribes to all the pianistic notions that characterize the grand Romantic manner... A disc made to order for the piano connoisseur. Classics Today (USA)
APR5559 £9.99
FIORENTINO EDITION VI Schumann Fantaisie, Sonata 2 etc.
Edition VI SCHUMANN
Fantasie • Romanze 2
Sonata 2 • Arabeske • Novellette 1
Arr. Fiorentino: Die Lotosblume • Widmung
In a survey of more than 60 versions of Schumann’s Fantasie for IPQ, Ates Orga wrote of this version: Benefiting from a fabulously voiced instrument, [this is] an overwhelming experience, outstandingly recorded in a golden acoustic. Remarkable... My recommendations, chronologically, are Backhaus, Gieseking, de Lara, Arrau (1959), Sofronitzky (1959), Richter (1960), Argerich (1966), Richter (1979), Bolet, Hough, Perl, Fiorentino (1996). Pushed to choose just one, it’d have to be Fiorentino. IPQ (UK)
APR5560 £9.99
FIORENTINO EDITION VII Schubert Sonatas & Impromptus
Edition VII SCHUBERT
Sonatas 4 & 13
4 Impromptus, D.899
... these performances... are imbued with the golden glow of the sunset of a life filled with dedication to great music... This disc is a winner. MusicWeb (UK)
APR5561 £9.99
FIORENTINO EDITION VIII Liszt Sonata, Ballades 1 & 2 etc.
Edition VIII LISZT
Sonata • Ballades 1 & 2 • Funérailles
La leggierezza • Waldesrauschen
(Grand Prix, Liszt Society Budapest 2004)
Here is poetic and pianistic glory. Gramophone (UK)
APR5562 £9.99
FIORENTINO EDITION IX Franck Prélude, Chorale & Fugue etc.
Edition IX FRANCK
Prélude, Fugue & Variation op.18 (transc. Bauer);
Prélude, Choral et Fugue; Danse Lente; Prélude, Aria et Final
That the Italian pianist Sergio Fiorentino is now recognised as one of the great pianists of the 20th century is due almost entirely to his championing by APR in the last decade of his life. Sadly it was not always so. His career started well enough (he won the acclaimed Geneva competition, amongst others, in 1948) but after a near fatal plane crash Fiorentino withdrew for a time from playing in public and he never managed to re-establish himself at the level he deserved. Throughout the 50's and 60's he made many recordings for a variety of small British budget labels (Concert Artist, Fidelio & Saga), unfortunately though, these labels sold on the basis of their low price, the performances were not highly promoted and few at the time seemed to notice the exceptional quality of the playing. Through the 70?s & 80?s Fiorentino settled to a life of teaching but with the arrival of 90?s the pianist began to concertize again and finally the critics gave him his due. Also at this time (between 1994 and 1997) Fiorentino began recording again, this time for APR, and 10 CDs were made of which this is the ninth to be released. These discs, together with reissues of some of his earlier recordings, have been greeted with superlatives, winning several Diapason's d'Or, and two Grand Prix du disque Liszt. His Schumann Fantasy was also chosen by International Piano Quarterly as the best ever recording.
This new CD brings us all Cesar Franck's mature piano music in performances which take us to the heart of these spiritual works.
APR5563 £9.99
SERGIO FIORENTINO The Early Recordings 1 - The Contemplative Liszt
Volume 1
"Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen Präludium • Consolations 1- 6
Nuage gris • La lugubre gondola (1st & 2nd versions) • R.W. - Venezia
4 Kleine Klavierstücke • Elegie No.2 • Dem Andenken Petöfis
Schlafos! Frage und Antwort • Unstern! Sinistre, disastro?
This memorable disc forms a moving and retrospective tribute to Sergio Fiorentino... and suggests throughout a timeless veracity and compliance between creator and re-creator, between composer and pianist. [The] refurbishment has done wonders for the sound and the performances are of the rarest inwardness and delicacy. IPQ (UK)
APR5581 £9.99
SERGIO FIORENTINO The Early Recordings 2 - The Virtuoso Liszt
Volume 2
Paganini Etude 2 • Gnomenreigen
Hungarian Rhapsodies 6, 7, 10, 11 & 13 • Grand galop chromatique
Grande Fantasie de bravoure sur la Clochette de Paganini (première recording)
Happily, Fiorentino’s easy command of Liszt’s many, many notes is matched by his ability to convey the composer’s overt theatricality with poise and panache. As a result, the Hungarian Rhapsodies come across as being more three-dimensional pieces than the virtuoso fluff for which they are wrongly dismissed. Classics Today (USA)
APR5582 £9.99
SERGIO FIORENTINO The Early Recordings 3 - Liszt Années de Pèlerinage
Volume 3
Seconde année supplément - Venezia e Napoli
Fiorentino’s performances are of a rare virtuosity and imaginative delicacy... This is an invaluable reissue. Gramophone (UK)
APR5583 £9.99
SERGIO FIORENTINO The Early Recordings 4 - Orchestral Liszt etc
Volume 4
Liszt Piano Concerto 2 · Polonaise brillante (Weber)
Chopin Fantasia on Polish Airs, Op.13
with Guildford Philharmonic Orchestra/Vernon Handley
also Mephisto Waltz 1 · Spozalizio
Ab irato · 5 Ungarische Volkslieder
Fiorentino was a Lisztian of convincing credentials... He had a big technique, transparency of texture, wide dynamics which were never employed for superficial, crowd-pleasing effect, never forced through the tone and was quite without the egocentricity often to be found amongst less musically engaged colleagues. Allied to these qualities is a faithfulness not literalness to the score. Classical Music Web
APR5584 £9.99
SERGIO FIORENTINO The Early Recordings 5 - Rachmaninov complete Preludes
Rachmaninov
Prelude in C sharp minor Op3/2
10 Preludes Op23
13 Preludes Op32
Fiorentino’s Rachmaninov Preludes were recorded in 1963 for Concert Artist Recordings and issued on that label and a variety of others from the same stable through the 1960’s. As these were poorly promoted budget labels few at the time became aware of what a great talent Fiorentino was and it is only with hindsight that we realise what a tragedy it was that he did not receive the acclaim due during his lifetime. His playing is characterised by an effortless and aristocratic virtuosity, wonderful pianistic colour and a natural singing line. What is all the more remarkable is that it appears all the Preludes were recorded in a single day along with pieces by other composers! This is one of the earliest complete recordings of Rachmaninov’s Preludes and still one of the best.
APR5585 £9.99
SERGIO FIORENTINO The Early Recordings 6 - Schumann
SCHUMANN
Carnaval Op 9; Kinderszenen Op 15; Arabeske Op18; Symphonic Etudes Op13
THE ITALIAN PIANIST Sergio Fiorentino excelled in many areas of the repertory, but he enjoyed a particularly close affinity with the music of Schumann. His effortless blend of a seemingly unimpeachable technique, a wonderful ability to sing a line, and a sense of strong but never overbearing characterization made him a natural for Schumann’s highly strung emotionalism. The four works included here, recorded over a mere two days in August 1965, show him equally at home in a work as outwardly modest as the Arabeske, and in the virtuosic Études symphoniques and Carnaval.
APR5586 £9.99
FIORENTINO - Live in Germany 1993
BACH - BUSONI Prelude & Fugue in D, BWV 532 • SCHUMANN Fantasie Op17 BEETHOVEN Sonata Op110 • CHOPIN Sonata 2 • SCRIABIN Sonata 4
Liszt - Gounod • J.Strauss II - Tausig • J.Strauss - Godowsky
The programme contains some of the most demanding repertoire...I was not
prepared for such brilliant, grand playing, a throwback to the golden days of Lhévinne, Godowsky and Hofmann. Newport Life (USA)
APR7036 £19.98
EDWIN FISCHER The first Beethoven Sonata recordings
BEETHOVEN Sonatas Op13 'Pathétique', Op57 'Appassionata' & Op110
HANDEL Chaconne in G • Suite No.3 (extracts)
Here in excellent sound, are his versions of the Appassionata and Pathétique sonatas, together with the Sonata Op.110... For beauty of thought and utterance it is hard to beat. Classic CD (UK)
APR5502 £9.99
EDWIN FISCHER The Schubert Impromptus & Wanderer Fantasy
The pre-war Schubert recordings
Four Impromptus, D.899 • Four Impromptus, D.935
Fantasy in C, D.760 ("Wanderer")
It's hard to imagine any living pianist offering Schubert at this level, at least consistently...As for sonics, these transfers strike me as a good compromise between the full-toned but scratchy sound of Pearl and the dull, over-filtered quality typical of EMI...Appian wins handily this time.- ARG (USA)
APR5515 £9.99
EDWIN FISCHER Mozart Concerto recordings Vol.1: Nos.20 & 22 etc.
The Mozart Piano Concerto Recordings 1933-47
Volume 1
Concerto 20 (London Philharmonic Orchestra/Edwin Fischer)
Concerto 22 (orchestra/John Barbirolli)
Rondo in D (Edwin Fischer Chamber Orchestra/Edwin Fischer)`
Minuet in G, K.1
This is Mozart for our times still, experienced with imagination and feeling and communicated with a directness that touches the heart. Gramophone (UK)
APR's transfers are exemplary and certainly better than any previous reissue, which makes these performances worthy competitors to any versions - historic or otherwise. ICRC (UK)
APR5523 £9.99
EDWIN FISCHER Mozart Concerto recordings Vol.2: Nos.17 & 24 etc.
Volume 2
Concerto 17 (Edwin Fischer Chamber Orchestra/Edwin Fischer)`
Concerto 24 (London Philharmonic Orchestra/Lawrance Collingwood)
Fantasia K.396 • Piano Sonata 11
[APR] has extracted dynamic range and tonal subtleties from these 1937 originals that must be heard to be believed. The Absolute Sound (USA)
APR5524 £9.99
EDWIN FISCHER Mozart Concerto recordings Vol.3: No.25 & HAYDN
Volume 3
Concerto 25 (Philharmonia Orchestra/Josef Krips)
Fantasia K.475 • Piano Sonata 10 • Romance, K.Anh.205
HAYDN Concerto in D (Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/Edwin Fischer)
With this volume APR completes its survey...and it has perhaps saved the best until last.. Those who own the first two volumes of this series will already be familiar with APR’s fine transfers and documentation. IRR (UK)
APR5525 £9.99
The Russian Piano Tradition - YAKOV FLIER
FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN (1810–1849)
Sonata No 2 in B flat minor Op 35
recorded in Moscow c1956
SERGEI RACHMANINOV (1873–1943)
Prelude in C sharp minor Op 3 No 2
Prelude in G minor Op 23 No 5
recorded in Moscow c1952
DMITRI KABALEVSKY (1904–1987)
24 Preludes Op 38
recorded in Moscow c1955
We continue our comprehensive survey of the many great pianists who worked in Russia in the Soviet era with the first two discs in the Igumnov School. The bulk of the issues will be divided into 'schools' which represent the three main teachers of this period - Neuhaus, Goldenweiser and Igumnov, - and their pupils. Igumnov was the oldest of the thre great teachers we are considering.
Flier arrived at the Moscow Conservatiore a prodigy and rapidly went on to become one of the greatest of Igumnov's many pupils. He had a friendly rivalry with Emil Gilels, beating him in competition in 1935, only for the roles to be reversed in the Queen Elizabeth Competition of 1938. In many ways his career mimicked that of his teacher Igumnov, as Flier also taught at the Moscow Conservatiore from an early age until his death and produced many illustrious pupils, though perhaps his own fame, at least internationally, suffered as a result.
Flier had a large repertoire and specialized particularly in the great works of the Romantic period which suited his all-encompassing, but undemonstrative, technique. Unfortunately he made surprisingly few recordings though all we have are very fine. Of particular interest here is the world premiere recording of Kabalevsky's 24 Preludes Op.34, a work Flier also premiered in concert. These and all the other material included, are new to CD.
APR5665 £9.99
ANDOR FOLDES The Tono recordings (1950-51)
The Tono recordings (1950-51)
BEETHOVEN Sonatas 8 (Pathètique), 24 & 25
SCHUMANN Abegg Variations & Papillons
Chopin & Brahms
You can hear how he enjoys performing Beethoven. Listen to the 'Pathétique', and it's like hearing it for the first time, and his Schumann sparkles with fresh thoughts... In a time where the past is looked upon with veneration by only a selected few, we must be grateful to APR for bringing back an hour of piano-playing simmering with joy, beauty and that good old-fashioned word: dignity. Pianist (UK)
APR5580 £9.99
IGNAZ FRIEDMAN Highlights from his discography 1925-36
If you've not yet entered the hallowed ground of Friedman worship, then hesitate no longer and bow the knee.
Highlights (1925-36) from his discography
containing 4 previously unpublished titles (marked +) and including
HUMMEL Rondo • BEETHOVEN Moonlight Sonata
FRIEDMAN Elle danse • Tabatière a musique • Shield Old English Menuet+
CHOPIN Polonaise 6 • Sonata 2 – III/IV • Waltz 9+
Mazurkas 17+ & 25+ • Impromptu 2 • Nocturne 16 • 4 Etudes
Who else launches Chopin’s "Revolutionary" Study with such incredible velocity, raising an aural storm in the process but with every note intact? Mendelssohn's elfin E minor Scherzo is a rocket trailed by stardust; Chopin's A flat Polonaise is all thunder and pride, and Hummel's elegant Rondo becomes a tonal hurricane... Four previously unissued tracks add further confirmation of Friedman's pianistic genius. The Independent (UK)
APR5508 £9.99
WALTER GIESEKING The first Concerto recordings Vol.1: Mozart & Beethoven
In these recordings... we hear the pianist at his best.
His First Concerto Recordings
Volume 1
MOZART Concerto 9 • BEETHOVEN Concerto 1
(Berlin State Opera Orchestra/Hans Rosbaud)
Mozart Sonata 17
The listener will search long and assiduously to find recorded performances that equal these in beauty and polish. This is music-making that unlocks new secrets on each hearing. American Record Guide (USA)
APR5511 £9.99
WALTER GIESEKING The first Concerto recordings Vol.2: Beethoven 4 & 5
Volume 2
BEETHOVEN
Concerto 4 (Saxon State Orchestra/Karl Böhm)
Concerto 5 ("Emperor") (Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/Bruno Walter)
[In the Emperor] Gieseking offers felicitous insights into this marvellous score. His understated manner makes the elegaic slow movement the most memorable I've heard, while the finale is excitingly projected. Classic CD (UK)
[In the Fourth], the first movement is as light-textured and delicately turned as chamber music, with more light (sunlight) than shade...The sound throughout is even better than on some post-war concerto recordings, and the transfers seem immaculate. Gramophone (UK)
APR5512 £9.99
WALTER GIESEKING The first Concerto recordings Vol.3: Liszt, Franck & Grieg
Volume 3
LISZT Concerto 1 • FRANCK Symphonic Variations
(London Philharmonic Orchestra/Henry Wood)
GRIEG Concerto* • At the cradle, Op.68/5 • French Serenade, Op.62/3
(*Berlin State Opera House Orchestra/Hans Rosbaud)
Here the unexpected ear-opener is Gieseking the barn-storming virtuoso in Liszt's popular First Concerto. [With] Sir Henry Wood, the great tone-colourist, he hurtles through the most hair-raising passages to thrilling effect. .[Also] you will hear one of the great performances of the Franck from any era... The sound quality is quite astonishing. Classic CD (UK)
APR5513 £9.99
The Russian Piano Tradition - EMIL GILELS
SCARLATTI Sonata in C major L104 (Kk159); Sonata in G major L487 (Kk125)
recorded in Moscow in 1955
LOEILLET–GODOWSKY Gigue; SCHUMANN–TAUSIG Der Kontrabandiste
recorded in Moscow in 1935
SCHUMANN Toccata in C major Op 7
recorded in Moscow in 1935
SCHUMANN Traumes Wirren Op 12 No 7
recorded in Moscow in 1937
LISZT Paganini Étude No 5 ‘La Chasse’; Hungarian Rhapsody No 6 in D flat
recorded in Moscow in 1940
LISZT Hungarian Rhapsody No 9 in E flat major
recorded in Moscow in 1951
BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No 3 in C major Op 2 No 3
recorded in Moscow in 1952
PROKOFIEV Piano Sonata No 2 in D minor Op 14
recorded in Moscow in 1951
These four titles are the first in a comprehensive survey of the many great pianists who worked in Russia in the Soviet era. The bulk of the issues will be divided into 'schools' which represent the three main teachers of this period - Neuhaus, Goldenweiser and Igumnov, - and their pupils. We begin with perhaps the greatest of these - Neuhaus, and two of his pupils - Emil Gilels & Yakov Zak.
Along with Sviatoslav Richter (to feature later) Emil Gilels was regarded as the greatest of the Soviet pianists and, as he was allowed to travel to the west, he become know as one of the supreme pianists of the 20th century. Latterly he became known as a great player of Beethoven & Brahms. Here, in a selection of his earliest recordings, we see a different side to his talent as he reveals an astonishing virtuosity in such warhorses as the Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodies and the Schumann Toccata. Balancing the recital we also present the earliest of what were to be many Beethoven recordings and a performance of Prokofiev’s 2nd Sonata which reminds us why he was the dedicatee of that composer’s 8th, and greatest, Sonata.
APR5663 £9.99
The Russian Piano Tradition - EMIL GILELS & YAKOV ZAK
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756–1791)
arranged by FERRUCCIO BUSONI (1866–1924)
Overture ‘The Magic Flute’ for two pianos (K620) (6.08)
Fantasia in F minor for two pianos (Fantasie für eine Orgelwalze after K608)
Duettino Concertante for two pianos (after Concerto K459 finale)
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756–1791)
Fugue in C minor for two pianos, K426
Concerto for two pianos and orchestra in E flat K365
(with USSR STATE ORCHESTRA / KYRILL KONDRASHIN)
CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS (1835–1921)
Variations for two pianos on a theme of Beethoven Op 35
These four titles are the first in a comprehensive survey of the many great pianists who worked in Russia in the Soviet era. The bulk of the issues will be divided into 'schools' which represent the three main teachers of this period - Neuhaus, Goldenweiser and Igumnov, - and their pupils. We begin with perhaps the greatest of these - Neuhaus, and two of his pupils - Emil Gilels & Yakov Zak.
That Gilels and Zak began performing together is perhaps not surprising as they both grew up in Odessa and then moved to Moscow to study with Neuhaus, however it was probably the Second World War, and their confinement to the Soviet Union where there was a need for morale boosting concerts, which brought the duo together in a partnership which lasted about ten years. With the exception of a performance of Carnival of the Animals their complete recordings are featured here, and a fascinating selection they are. Gilels was one of the few Russian pianists who played Mozart successfully and these recordings, either as original works, or transcribed by Busoni, present both pianists revelling in an easy virtuosity and joie-de-vivre. The disc is completed with Saint-Saëns’ masterly ‘Variations on a theme of Beethoven’, a work less well known than it should be - or would be, were it not written for two pianos. Perhaps surprisingly, its very French brilliance seems particularly suited to these two Russians!
APR5664 £9.99
LEOPOLD GODOWSKY The complete UK Columbia recordings 1928-30
2CDs
Godowsky's artistry finally is available for restudy as a result of modern transfers of his acoustic and electrical recordings
BEETHOVEN Sonata 26 ("Les Adieux")
GRIEG Ballade • SCHUMANN Carnaval
CHOPIN Sonata 2 • Nocturnes 1 & 2, 4 & 5, 7 - 9, 11 & 12, 14 & 15, 19
APR7010 £19.98
LEOPOLD GODOWSKY An anthology of his American recordings 1913-26
2CDs
Including US Columbia recordings 1913-16
Godowsky Rarities & "Godowskyana"
Liszt • Mendelssohn • Dohnányi • Debussy • Chopin
These albums are essential additions to any serious pianist's library, not only from a historical standpoint, but in order to hear pianism that at times is transcendental by any standards. The Piano Quarterly (Europe)
APR7011 £19.98
COR DE GROOT Collection 1: Ravel
Miroirs (Nos.1-3 & 5) • Gaspard de la nuit
La Valse (2 piano version with Gérard van Blerk)
Piano Concerto (with Concertgebouw Orchestra/Eduard van Beinum)
What de Groot achieves with almost imperceptible rubato, with sonority and tension has never been equalled. Pianowereld (The Netherlands)
APR5611 £9.99
COR DE GROOT Collection 2: The Early Recordings (Schumann & Beethoven)
SCHUMANN Papillons (Odeon recording 1942)
BEETHOVEN Sonata 23 (Appassionata) (Private recording 1937)
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto 5 (Emperor)
(with Concertgebouw Orchestra/Willem Mengelberg 1942)
APR's second Cor de Groot volume resurrects another wartime date with the Concertgebouw, this time under Willem Mengelberg, who gives his young soloist his head in a mellow, well though-out reading of the Emperor Concerto... The sound is certainly good enough to enjoy this 1942 treasure... .Schumann's Papillons [is a] delightfully turned account... Beethoven's Appassionata..is very much a heart-on-sleeve, hectic affair... but absolutely riveting all the same. Classical Express (UK)
APR5612 £9.99
MARK HAMBOURG The Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody Recordings
2CDs
DISC 1
Hungarian Rhapsodies 1 - 11 (recorded between 1927 & 1934)
DISC 2
Hungarian Rhapsodies 12 - 14 (1930, 1934 & 1933 recordings)
Marche de Rákóczy (1927 recording)
Hungarian Rhapsody No2 (1926 recording)
Hungarian Rhapsody No14 (1929 recording)
Concerto pathétique in E minor (two pianos - with Michal Hambourg) (1934 recording)
Mark Hambourg has become a somewhat forgotten figure today but from his first recording in 1909 until the mid 1930’s he was a mainstay of the HMV catalogue and one of the most prolific recording artists of the time. Hambourg was born in Russia and studied there and with the great teacher Leschetitzky in Vienna but when still a teenager his family moved to London and Hambourg made England his home for the rest of his life.
He was a pianist of the old school and this is exemplified in these performances of the Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodies, the first such cycle to be committed to disc. This is about as far away from ‘urtext’ playing as one can get; indeed often it sounds as if the performances are being improvised, but who’s to say this is not nearer the style the composer would have expected.
It was only after Hambourg had recorded a few of the most popular Rhapsodies that it was decided to make a complete cycle and three of these earlier recordings were remade. We have included the first recordings here as an appendix though in the event the later recording of the Rákóczy March was never issued so only the first exists. There is a further mystery about Rhapsodies 1 & 3. These also were not issued and the masters subsequently destroyed, however there are single copies of each held at the International Piano Archives at the University of Maryland and we are very happy to present them here. Finally, by way of a filler, we have included the first commercial recording of Liszt’s Concerto pathétique for two pianos where Hambourg is joined by his daughter Michal.
None of these titles has been reissued since their first appearance on 78’s so this makes for a truly collectable set which is sure to be snapped up by pianophiles.
APR7040 £19.98
MYRA HESS AT ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY Vol.1: Chopin & Schubert
Live recordings from the University of Illinois, 1949
Volume 1 including
CHOPIN Fantaisie • Waltz 1
SCHUBERT Sonata 21 • 22 German Dances
This invaluable issue not only confirms but greatly expands Dame Myra's legendary status. The only known live solo recordings...They show her as an often ebullient virtuoso, her regality of English fame happily blown to the winds...This issue is beyond price. Gramophone (UK)
APR5520 £9.99