Arrau's Live Recordings
mandryka
I have his Ascona concert -- with the Fantasie (Ermitage) . And I have
an "interesting" Mozart Sonata CD from Salzburg (orfeo). I can't make
up my mind whether I love it or loath it.
The Ascona recording is bloody fantastic IMO: the blend of drama and
reflectiveness is really special I think,
Simon Roberts
mandryka says...
Brahms Cto 1 on Orfeo
Simon
herman
I say no to the Salzburg Mozart. However there's another Ascona cd
from 1971 with Beethoven's Op 27/1, the Liszt Sonata and some amazing
Chopin.
patterbear
The Chopin Preludes live from Prague (1960ish I believe) could be the
single greatest recorded document of the essence of Arrau's art. Not
to be missed. On APR (I think Berkshire outlet might have it? Not
sure) Todd
herman
>
> The Chopin Preludes live from Prague (1960ish I believe) could be the
> single greatest recorded document of the essence of Arrau's art. Not
> to be missed. On APR (I think Berkshire outlet might have it? Not
> sure) Todd
How could I forget this one? I usually call it "one of the best piano
cds ever."
APR also has a LvB 109 - 111 live cd by Arrau; I don't have this
myself.
jrsnfld
Agreed on both of these APR releases--they're Arrau's best recordings.
--Jeff
mandryka
I also had forgotten the Prague Spring Chopin -- it is good, but
somehow I can never get into his Symphonic Etudes on the same CD.
Can someone say what the other two APR discs are like -- the one with
the late Beethoven and the one with the late Brahms? I haven't bought
them because the jourbalitsts' reviews that I have read have been
guarded.
Fred Maroth
Sonata:
CD-1205(1) Claudio Arrau Plays Liszt: Public Performances [1970-1981] 1)
Sonata in b (C.W. Post College, L.I., New York, Jan. 3, 1976). 2) Dante
Sonata(92d Street YMHA, New York, Feb. 24, 1981). 3) Ballade No. 2. 4) Jeux
d'Eau a la Ville d'Este (both Masonic Auditorium, San Francisco, Feb. 25,
1979). 5) Transcendental Etude No. 10 (Philharmonic Hall, New York, Feb.
15, 1970). Total: 76:08. Released under licence from the Estate of Claudio
Arrau. Producer: Peter Warwick. Restoration engineer: Lani Spahr. Includes
transcript of a previously unpublished conversation with Arrau about Liszt.
AAD [mono]. UPC# 0-17685-12052-7.
Fred
"patterbear" <patte...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:69b82d4b-610b-4777...@p5g2000pre.googlegroups.com...
Steve Emerson
<38cf46af-e968-4215...@r16g2000vbn.googlegroups.com>,
mandryka <howie...@googlemail.com> wrote:
> On Jun 19, 5:03�am, jrsnfld <jrsn...@aol.com> wrote:
> > On Jun 18, 5:49�pm, herman <her...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> > > On 19 juin, 01:35, patterbear <patterb...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > > The Chopin Preludes live from Prague (1960ish I believe) could be the
> > > > single greatest recorded document of the essence of Arrau's art. Not
> > > > to be missed. On APR (I think Berkshire outlet might have it? Not
> > > > sure) Todd
> >
> > > How could I forget this one? I usually call it "one of the best piano
> > > cds ever."
> >
> > > APR also has a LvB 109 - 111 live cd by Arrau; I don't have this
> > > myself.
> >
> > Agreed on both of these APR releases--they're Arrau's best recordings.
> >
> > --Jeff
>
> I also had forgotten the Prague Spring Chopin -- it is good, but
> somehow I can never get into his Symphonic Etudes on the same CD.
I like those just as much as the Preludes, myself. Dreamy and moody, one
of the least straightforward performances of the work, along with
Sofronitsky's.
The Schubert Klavierstucke D946 is my other recommendation for live
Arrau. Completists have probably encountered this side of him elsewhere;
I haven't. There's a freeness to the playing, and an expansiveness,
almost reminiscent of the Golden Age players. Really superb.
Both the Chopin and the Schumann in the APR disc strike me as somewhat
eccentric performances, ones that emphasize certain sides of the work
but not all. That's not the case with the D946. Which, incidentally, is
very different from the studio recording for Philips.
SE.
jagareco
brahms op 15 : kubelik, palmer, giulini
beethoven op 73 : neumann, davis, jochum
schumann op 54 : ceccato, kubelik, bour
liszt : ballade no 2 (new york, 1983)
liszt : b minor sonata (salzburg 1982); philips 1970
jaime
AG
op15 Palmer?
AG
herman
yeah, he really works the keys...
mandryka
I have ordered the BBC Legends record with the Schubert and the Brahms
Concerto. His studio 3 Klavierstuck is outstanding I think -- so I
can't wait to hear this disc.
I an curiois about the liszt ballade no 2 (new york, 1983) -- is the
whole CD good, or is the ballade the only really ourtstanding piece?
(I have to decid whether to buy the whole CD or just download one
track)
I have also ordered a live performance from Ascona in 1971 of the
Liszt Sonata and Chopin Ballade 4 on Aura/Ermitage.
Can anyone tell me whether the Liszt sonata on GPOC is the Philips one
from the 70s?
Howard
Steve Emerson
<b18185e2-91d0-4e67...@m19g2000yqk.googlegroups.com>,
mandryka <howie...@googlemail.com> wrote:
> Thanks for all these posts.
>
> I have ordered the BBC Legends record with the Schubert and the Brahms
> Concerto. His studio 3 Klavierstuck is outstanding I think -- so I
> can't wait to hear this disc.
Please let us know if it's as good as some of us say it is.
[...]
> Can anyone tell me whether the Liszt sonata on GPOC is the Philips one
> from the 70s?
The GPOC volume says 3/1970, Johannesstift, Berlin, and it would appear
to be Philips material (no other labels credited in the notations).
BTW, a few personal favorites among his Philips studio stuff: Liszt
Trancendentals, Brahms Paganini Etudes. The Brahms Sonata #2, which I
got from that MP3count site, also strikes me as one of the best I've
heard.
SE.
HvT
> In article
> <b18185e2-91d0-4e67...@m19g2000yqk.googlegroups.com>,
> mandryka <howie...@googlemail.com> wrote:
>
>> Thanks for all these posts.
>>
>> I have ordered the BBC Legends record with the Schubert and the
>> Brahms Concerto. His studio 3 Klavierstuck is outstanding I think --
>> so I can't wait to hear this disc.
>
>
> Please let us know if it's as good as some of us say it is.
The live Schubert D946 is also outstanding. I don't know a better
version. The Brahms is very good.
Henk
mandryka
> In article
> <b18185e2-91d0-4e67-9838-2bb1758ef...@m19g2000yqk.googlegroups.com>,
:
> Please let us know if it's as good as some of us say it is.
> SE.
The live D946
I think this is a great recording -- in #2 and #3 particularly you
hear that spontaneous dramatic side of Arrau's art that ,makes his
Ascona Schumann Fantasie so memorable.
It's interesting to compare timings -- #1 and '#2 the live version is
about one third faster.
Truth is you need the studio and the live performance I think-- in
fact in #1 I think I prefer the sublime feel of the studio version. In
the studio version of #1 there are passages where it's as if Arrau
takes you into his confidence - the live is more of a public
declaration.
But the live one is outstanding, no doubt about it, And I guess many
people were warm to it because it is so exciting.
What a marvellous adventure it is to find these gems from this elusive
pianist -- keep the suggestions coming please.
patterbear
I think that you'll find that the Bbc live D 946 has the repeats (in 1
and 2) cut and that is what makes for the large difference in the
timings of those movements. They are however still livelier and more
spontaneous than either the 50's EMI or later stereo Philips studio
efforts. Todd
Steve Emerson
<40dfbb63-39f5-4a0a...@x6g2000prc.googlegroups.com>,
patterbear <patte...@hotmail.com> wrote:
Speaking as someone who is more or less a freak for D. 946, I think
Arrau BBC is actually the liveliest version I've heard by anyone.
Mandryka -- thanks for posting on this, and I'm glad to hear the disc
proved worthwhile. I kind of agree that the live Arrau should not be the
only way one hears these works. There is something a little overwhelming
about the degree of -- I don't know if it's extroversion, but a kind of
testosterone-heaviness. Which of course is totally enjoyable. Kalish and
Pollini are a couple of others that I like.
SE.
td
Sviatoslav Richter performed these three Klavierstuecke in Canada in
the 1960s. They were broadcast across the country. Tapes sit in the
CBC Archives.
Not sure, but I cannot find any "recordings" of these pieces by
Richter.
TD
Al Eisner
Does the latter comment refer just to Arrau, or to the entire ensemble
(with Gibson/Scottish Natl. so far as I can tell)?
--
Al Eisner
Rick
>
> - Show quoted text -
In an informational booklet sent to me sometime in the early 90's by
the now (I believe) defunct Friends of Sviatoslav Richter there was a
listing of a live D.964, recorded in the 1950's. I didn't order it
because I suspected it would have awful sound. Now I wish I had.
RH
HvT
>> The live Schubert D946 is also outstanding. I don't know a better
>> version. The Brahms is very good.
>
> Does the latter comment refer just to Arrau, or to the entire ensemble
> (with Gibson/Scottish Natl. so far as I can tell)?
Gibson cum suis do what they are paid to do, very professionaly.
Henk
mandryka
Thanks for putting me on to that 1971 concert -- you were right to say
the Chopin is amazing -- no overstatement at all.
patterbear
In my opinion the Arrau/Salzburg Mozart on Orfeo (a single disc plus
one more sonata on a mixed-pianist two-fer) is some of the greatest
Mozart playing I've heard. And preferable to his later Philips Mozart.
Todd
mandryka
>
> - Show quoted text -
I am with you on the Fantasie and K457, which seem passionate and suit
the high drama of his style. (I'm not sure I really like the way he
treats the Fatasie as a sort of prelude to the sonata though.)
I'm less convinced by K576 and K332, which have been for me less
involving . Too unsmiling, too serious maybe. And .I don't get that
special feeling of passionate committment and intense drama that I get
with the earlier pieces.
But your post will prompt me to listen again.
I like the one on the twofer a lot.
patterbear
Funny thing...I can't hardly listen to K 457 without the Fantasie as
it's "prelude" simply because Arrau makes such a strong case for the
structural drama that that particular combination makes under his
fingers. Just my quirky ears at work I guess. Todd
patterbear
Do you know the Arrau/Kosler Prague Symphony recording of Beethoven C-
minor concerto Op.37 from May 20,1967? Arrau has many documents
playing this work-none in my opinion finer than this one. Elegant and
fiery as well. Todd
A.M. Watkins
AMW
Ward Hardman
--Ward Hardman (the real one)
"The older I get, the more I admire and crave competence,
just simple competence, in any field from adultery to zoology."
- H.L. Mencken