IGNACY JAN PADEREWSKI His Final Recordings

APR5636

The complete HMV Recordings 1937 & 1938
HAYDN Variations in F minor Hob XVII:6 recorded on 29 January 1937
MOZART Rondo in A minor K511 recorded on 30 January 1937
BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No 14 in C sharp minor “Moonlight” Op 27/2 recorded on 30 January 1937
SCHUBERT Moment musical No 2 in A flat major D780 recorded on 15 November 1938
CHOPIN Nocturne No 5 in F sharp major Op 15/2 recorded on 30 January 1937
CHOPIN Nocturne No 17 in B major Op 62/1 recorded on 15 November 1938
CHOPIN Waltz No 7 in C sharp minor Op 64/2 recorded on 15 November 1938
CHOPIN Mazurka No 38 in F sharp minor Op 59/3 recorded on 15 November 1938
CHOPIN Polonaise No 6 in A flat major Op 53 recorded on 30 January 1937
WAGNER/LISZT Tristan und Isolde: Liebestod S447 recorded on 15 November 1938
PADEREWSKI Chants du voyageur Op 8 - No 3 Melodie recorded on 15 November 1938
PADEREWSKI Humoresques de concert Op 14 - No 1 Minuet célèbre recorded on 30 January 1937

A year ago we issued, to great critical acclaim, a double album of Paderewski�s first recordings, made in Europe in 1911-12 (APR6006). Between 1914 and 1931 the pianist recorded for Victor in the US but in 1937, after it appeared Paderewski had retired from the studio, he was persuaded to return to the HMV studios in London to make a final series of recordings. At first the plan was to record the repertoire which featured in the film “Moonlight Sonata”, a huge blockbuster success at the time which featured Paderewski playing himself, but in addition to this repertoire Paderewski went on to record works by Haydn and Mozart which were new to his discography. It has often been said that in later life Paderewski�s technique was not what it had been, and to an extent the is undoubtedly true, but this is not an issue in the classical works featured here, and the Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven in particular reveal the extreme poetry that had mesmerised audiences for fifty years and had made Paderewski the most famous pianist of his generation.

This is the first time all Paderewsk‘s 1930s HMV recordings have been assembled together and two unissued tracks from the 1938 sessions are also included.

APR5636