KEMPFF Discography (Part 1 0f 2)
Frank Forman
PART 1 OF 2
(born 1895 November 25 in J》erborg, near Berlin; died 1991
May 23 in Positano, Italy)
by Frank Forman
Version 2, 1995 May 27. Version 1 was 1990 November.
THE QUIET PIANIST
We often call opposite things which are very much alike.
Thus both Protestants and Catholics are Christians and both
liberalism and conservatism are Western political philosophies.
And Wilhelm Kempff and Wilhelm Backhaus are two German
pianists whose differences very much complement each other.
Backhaus' playing can be characterized as a masculine
carving of solid granite. Yet within this huge, rugged
framework, Backhaus is a subtle interpreter. He plays, it might
be said, from the outside in. You might say he is the loudest of
pianists, even in the quietest passages, because he plays with the
most authority.
Kempff is the opposite, or as it might be better put, the
complement of Backhaus in German piano playing. With
Kempff, it is not the loudness but the quiet that one hears.
There is a *suspended* *tension*, a calm, and a holding back
between each note and the next. Under Backhaus' playing there
is a feeling of inevitable movement; with Kempff's an
unfolding. He plays, as it were, from the inside out.
The best example of this is the beginning of the last
movement of the Waldstein Sonata of Beethoven (especially the
1951-2 monophonic LP recording). The pensive second
movement has just ended, and what will become the stormy
finale is quietly beginning. The volume and speed gradually pick
up; but, no, Beethoven hesitates and begins quietly again again,
before moving up and down still more until the work's
triumphant end. Kempff keeps us suspended throughout, no
matter how well we think we know the music. This is a supreme
instance of his use of silence: the spaces between the notes
count as much as the notes themselves.
Another instance of the subtlety of this gentle poet is to be
found in the fourth movement of Bach's Cantata 140. Bach
transcribed the setting of the famous hymn, "Zion Hears the
Watchman Singing," for the organ (No. 1 in the Sch｜ler set),
but Kempff made his own piano version. In the original Cantata,
the violins and violas play in unison over a separate continuous
melody in the bass. After twelve measures, the strings continue
and the tenor chorus joins in with the hymn.
Kempff hardly has the resources of combined chorus and
orchestra at his disposal, or even an organ, but when hearing
the hymn theme intone, I forget momentarily that it is a piano
playing. I imagine myself sitting in a cathedral and the organist
pulling out the reed stops on his instrument! I am not sure how
Kempff accomplishes this feat (again, especially in the 1953
monophonic LP recording), but this kind of control is worth
more than all the pyrotechnics of all the so-called virtuosos put
together.
In his notes to the second movement of Beethoven's 27th
Sonata, Kempff remarked, "We hear the tune played three times
unaltered, but the fourth time Beethoven cannot reist joining in
quietly himself." To this I should add that the pianist also joins
in quietly, and this is a key to understanding his interpretations.
There are times when I put his records on, not to be engaged by
them unitl I, as listener, join in too. Then the effect is
overwhelming.
Wilhelm Kempff was born in a J》erborg, a small town about
thirty miles south of Berlin, on 1895 November 25. He was the
son of a Lutheran pastor, who was a pianist himself. The quality
of the interpretation on his first recording, an acoustic made
about 1920, was such that it was released even though his
exclamation of "Donnerwetter!" when he hit two notes by
mistake was audible [just barely: see the entry below]. He
recorded most of the Beethoven sonatas during the 78 rpm era,
but his finest achievements in the recording studio were on 33s,
of which he made over a hundred.
It was toward the end of his recording career that he at last
turned back to the Bach he was reared on. One might have
expected resigned meditation from an old man, but ones gets the
spirited probing and underlining of youth. He great legacy was,
of course, the two complete cycles of Beethoven sonatas he
recorded, first in monophonic and then, with subtle differences,
in stereo. His Mozart 23rd Piano Concerto is the finest Mozart I
know of. His earlier recording of the 15th Concerto is, perhaps,
even better played, though the composition itself is not the
masterpiece the 23rd was.
Between his Beethoven recordings and his late Bach, Kempff
turned to the romantics Schubert and Schumann. His recording
of the Schumann Fantasy in C is particularly fine, and his
recordings of the Schubert Sonatas truly wafts the listener up
into the Empyrean.
It is not clear when Kempff made his last recordings. There
were several Bach recordings dated by Deutsche Gramophon as
1976, but the dates specify only when the recording engineers
made the final mixing of the master tapes, which may have been
later than the date the pianist was in the studio. There is a
recording of excerpts from Bach's Well-Tempered Klavier
which is dated in this way as 1980 and a recording of Mozart's
Piano Concerti 21 and 22 dated 1982. But it is just as probable
that Kempff retired from making recordings in 1976, when he
was eighty-one. He lived until age 95 and died on 1991 May 23
in Positano, Italy, where he had his summer home and taught
master classes. Excerpts from one have been preserved on disc.
His passing truly marks the end of the days when giants of
musicians walked the earth.
DISCOGRAPHY PROPER
I have all 33s (except a 10" Melodiya reissue (D 21091/2) and
the "Mystery Record" at the end) and the 78s marked
"(own)" after the issue in question (and by * in the margin). I
need the 45 rpm disc of Couperin and Rameau and the CDs
of the Beethoven Concerti 3 and 5, Chopin Concerto 2, and
the Mozart Concerto 24.
DISCS: 12" 78 rpm electric, unless: @ = acoustic 78 rpm
recording, b = 45 rpm (7"), # = mono 33 rpm, $ = stereo
33 rpm. I usually do not list the monophonic equivalent of
discs recorded in stereo. P'xx is the year DGG lists as
copyright and is the date when the recording engineers made
the final mixing of the master tapes ("fixing in sound,"
according to the copyright laws); it is not necessarily the year
Kempff made the recording. I have listed all Polydor 78s I
am aware of but only what I believe are the first issues of the
LPs. I have listed no CD reissues but have listed CDs of
concerts and radio broadcasts. Sides of the 78s: A = first
side of a two-sided disc; B = second side of a two-sided
disc; S = single-sided disc that ends a set. V = 78 rpm
microgroove recording (all releases of the 1951-2 Beethoven
Sonatas).
LABELS: Polydor (DGG), unless: B = Brunswick; D = Decca
(England), except for DL prefixes and the set DX 125
(Beethoven Piano Concerti), which are U.S. releases of DGG
recordings; L = London (USA) (These are U.S. releases of
*English* Decca recordings; [ ] = matrix numbers; [B....]
= (Polydor) side numbers.
BACH, JOHANN SEBASTIAN (1685-1750) Germany
Cantata 29: Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir: 1, Sinfonia
(arr. Kempff).
a. @65700 [1098 1/2as, B27003]
b. (10") 90189 [2901 BH], 65700; D.DE 7010
c. P'76. $2530 647
Cantata 140, Wachet auf!, ruft uns die Stimme: 4, Zion h排t die
W�hter singen (arr. Kempff).
a. 67086 [589 gs], 516.696 (France), D.K 958, D.CA 8252
b. 1953 March. #D.LXT 2820; #L.LL 791
c. P'76. $2530 647
Cantata 147, Herz und Mut und Tat und Leben: 6, Wohl mir
dass ich Jesum habe (arr. Kempff).
a. 1945 Hamburg radio broadcast. Koch-Schwann.3-1029-2 H1
(CD)
b. 1953 March. #D.LXT 2820, #L.LL 791
c. P'76. $ 2530 647
Cappricio (Departing Brother) in Bb, S. 992.
P'76. $2530 723
Chorale Prelude, S. 307, Es ist gewisslich an der Zeit, mixed
with S. 734, Nun freut euch, lieben Christen g'mein (arr.
Kempff).
P'76. $2530 647
Chorale Prelude, S. 639, Ich ruf' zu dir, Herr JC (arr. Kempff).
a. 1954. (10") #17069 (performed on the organ of the Church of
World Peace in Hiroshima)
b. P'76. $2530 674
Chorale Prelude, S. 659, Nun komm der Heiden Heiland (arr.
Kempff).
a. 1953 March. #D.LXT 2820; #L.LL 791
b. P'76. $2530 647
Chorale Prelude, S. 727, Befiehl du deine Wege, also known as
Herzlich thut mich verlangen (arr. Kempff).
a. 1953 March. #D.LXT 2820; #L.LL 791
b. P'76. $2530 647
Chorale Prelude, S. 734, Nun freut euch, lieben Christen
g'mein (arr. Kempff).
1953 March. #D.LXT 2820; #L.LL 791
Chorale Prelude, S. 751, In dulci jubilo (arr. Kempff).
a. 1953 March. #D.LXT 2820; #L.LL 791
b. P'76. $2530 647
Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in d, S. 903.
a. 1945 Hamburg radio broadcast. Koch-Schwann.3-1029-2 H1
(CD). This performance is much better than the rather
disappointing one below made in the studio.
b. 1953 March. #D.LXT 2820; #L.LL 791
Concerto 5 in f, S. 1056: 2, Largo (arr. Kempff).
a. 66685 [573bm, B27195]
b. P'76. $2530 647
English Suite 3 in g, S. 808.
P'76. $2530 723
French Suite 5 in G, S. 816.
a. 67006 [531 1/2gs, 532 1/2gs], 57000; D.CA 8127
b. P'76. $2530 723
Goldberg Variations, S. 988.
$139 455
Italian Concerto in F, S. 971:
1, Allegro: (10") 90188B [2899], 25312; D.DE 7019; B.85021
3, Presto: @65700 [1095as, B27002]
Passacaglia and Fugue in c, S. 582.
1954. (10") #17069 (performed on the organ of the Church of
World Peace, Hirshima)
St. Matthew Passion, S. 244: 51, Wenn ich einmal (arr.
Kempff).
1954. (10") #17069 (performed on the organ of the Church of
World Peace, Hiroshima)
Sonata 2 in Eb, flute and klavier, S. 1031: 2, Siciliano (arr.
Kempff).
*a. @66045 (own)
b. (10") 90188 [2898], 25312; D.DE 7019; B.85021
c. 1953 March. #D.LXT 2829; #L.LL 791
d. P'76. $2530 647
Toccata 3 in D, S. 912.
P'76. $2530 723
WTC 3 in C#, S. 848.
a. @65699 [1094as, B27001]
b. 95017 [829bm, B27238], 67166, 516.751 (France); D.K 958,
D.X 210
c. P'76. $2530 807
WTC 5 in D, S. 850.
a. @65699 [1093 1/2 as, B27000]
b. (10") 90189 [2900BH]; D.DE 7010
c. 95017, 67099 [828bm, B27237], 516.712 (France); D.CA
8261, D.LY 6176; Vox set 459
d. P'76. $2530 807
WTC 1-3, 5-8, 15-17, 21-22.
P'76. $2530 807
WTC 4, 9-13, 27, 30-31, 39, 48.
P'80. $2531 299
BEETHOVEN, LUDWIG VAN (1770-1827) Germany
Andante favori in F, WoO 57 = Grove 170 (Originally intended
for Sonata 21).
$138 934
Bagatelle in c, WoO 52 (originally intended for Sonata 5).
1955 May. (10") #D.LW 5212; #L.LD 9220
Bagatelle in a, WoO 59 = Grove 173 (F〉 Elise).
a. 1955 May. (10") #D.LW 5212; #L.LD 9220
b. $138 934
Bagatelle in C, Op. 33, No. 5.
*a. ca. 1920 (KEMPFF'S FIRST RECORDING). (10") @62400
[2062ar, B7000] (own). Shortly after the return of the "A"
section, Kempff strikes two notes by mistake and makes an
exclamation. In an interview, the pianist said the word was
"Donnerwetter!" While a voice can be heard on the disc
(barely), it is impossible to make out the specific word.
b. (10") 62630, 24795, 47017, 90817; #Melodiya.D 21091/2
(10")
Bagatelles (6), Op. 126.
$138 934
CONCERTI FOR PIANO
Concerto 1 in C, Op. 15.
*a. ?conductor, Berlin State Opera Orchestra. @69815/8 [822
1/2bz, 823 1/2bz, 824 1/2az, 825 1/2az, 828az, 829az, 830
1/2az, 831 1/2az; B20163/20] (own)
b. Paul van Kempen, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. #18129;
#D.set DX 125
c. Ferdinand Leitner, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. $138 774
Concerto 2 in Bb, Op. 19.
a. Paul van Kempen, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. #17083
(10"), #18310 (12"); #D.set DX 125
b. Ferdinand Leitner, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. $138 775
Concerto 3 in c, Op. 37.
a. Paul van Kempen, Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra.
67946/50 [1854 1/2, 1855 1/2, 1856 3/4, 1857 1/2, 1858
1/2, 1859 4/4, 1860 4/4, 1861 3/4, 1862 1/2, 1863 3/4, all
with suffix GS9]
b. Paul van Kempen, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. #18130;
#D.set DX 125
c. Ferdinand Leitner, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. $138 776
d. 1966 in concert. Franz-Paul Decker, Montreal Symphony
Orchestra. Music and Arts.CD 768 (CD)
Concerto 4 in G, Op. 58.
a. Paul van Kempen, German Opera Orchestra. 67674/8 [1363
5/8, 1364, 1365 1/2, 1366 1/2, 1367 1/2, 1368 1/2, 1369
1/2, 1370 3/4, 1371, 1372]
b. Paul van Kempen, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. #17084
(10"), #18310 (12"); #D.set DX 125
c. Ferdinand Leitner, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. $138 775
Concerto 5 in Eb, Op. 73 (Emperor).
a. Peter Raabe, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. 67082/6A [some
later pressings do not have the Bach "Wachet auf!" filler];
D.CA 8248/52A
b. Paul van Kempen, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. #18131;
#D.set DX 125
c. Ferdinand Leitner, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. $138 777
d. 1966 in concert. Seiji Ozawa, Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Music and Arts.CD 768 (CD)
Ecossaisen in Eb, WoO 86.
*a. ca. 1920 (KEMPFF'S FIRST RECORDING). (10") @62400
[2064ar, B7001] (own)
b. (10") 24795, 62630, 47017, 90187; #Melodiya.D 21091/2
(10")
c. $138 934
Rondo in C, Op. 51, No. 1.
a. b30121; #D.DL 4086 (10"), #D.DL 9742 (12")
b. $138 934
Rondo in G, Op. 51, No. 2.
a. @66040
b. b30121; #D.DL 4086 (10")
c. $138 934
Rondo in G, Op. 129 (Wut ｜er den verlorenen Groschen).
a. (10") 62802 [7303, 7809], 47021; D.PO 5129; #Melodiya.D
21091/2 (10")
b. $138 934
Rondo in G = WoO 41, Grove 155.
Yehudi Menuhin, violin. $2720 018
SONATAS FOR CELLO
Sonata 1 in F, Op. 5, No. 1.
1961 Prades (France) in concert .Pablo Casals, cello. $Philips
835.101 LY
Sonata 3 in A, Op. 69.
Paul Gr［mer, cello. 67097/9A [609 1/2, 610 1/2, 611 3/4,
612 1/2, 613 1/2, all with suffix GS8], 57035/7A,
516.710/2A (France); Vox set 459; D.CA 8259/61A
ALL: Pierre Fournier, cello. Recorded in concert. $138 993/5
SONATAS FOR PIANO
Sonata 1 in f, Op. 2, No. 1.
a. 1951/2. (10") 36013/4V, #18105; #D.DL 9583
b. $138 935
Sonata 2 in A, Op. 2, No. 2.
*a. 67590/2 [1351/6, ?takes, suffix GS9]; Ultraphon G 19033/5;
#Melodiya M10 45111 (own)
b. 1951/2. 72183/4V, #18105; #D.DL 9585
c. $138 936
Sonata 3 in C, Op. 2, No. 3.
a. 1951/2. #18079; #D.DL 9583
b. $138 936
Sonata 4 in Eb, Op. 7.
a. 67806/9S [1363/9 GS9, takes 4222222]
b. 1951/2. 72198/9V, #18071; #D.DL 9588
c. $138 938
Sonata 5 in c, Op. 10, No. 1.
*a. 67810/1; #Melodiya M10 45111 (own)
b. 1951/2. 72273/4SV, #18106; #D.DL 9587
c. $138 937
Sonata 6 in F, Op. 10, No. 2.
a. 67812/3S [1374/6 GS 9, takes 422]
b. 1951/2. #18106; #D.DL 9591
c. $138 937
Sonata 7 in D, Op. 10, No. 3.
a. 67814/6 [1377/82 GS9]
b. 1951/2. 72275/6SV, #18019; #D.DL 9584
c. $138 937
Sonata 8 in c, Op. 13 (Pathetique).
AT NINE RECORDINGS, KEMPFF'S MOST RECORDED
WORK
a. @66176/7 [1712/5as, B27090/3]
b. 1927/8. 66676/7 [554bm, 555 IIIbm, 556bm, 830 1/2bm;
B27180/3. I thank Kevork Marouchian for discovering this
recording and noting "not in the Forman discography!" in
one of his catalogs. He said the recording was deleted in
1935.]
*c. 1929 (10"). 90184/6 [3001/6]; D.DE 7016/8; B.85029/31;
#2810 051 (DGG) (own)
d. 1936. 57051/2 (original issue), 67113/4 [630 1/2, 631 1/2,
632 1/2, 633 3/4, suffixes all GS8]; D.X 202/3
*e. 1940. 67682/3 (own)
f. 1951/2. 72048V, 5019V (France), #18019 (12"), 17026
(10"); #D.DL 9578
g. 1957. #19087; #D.DL 9864
h. $136 227
i. $138 941
Sonata 9 in E, Op. 14, No. 1.
a. 67817/8S [1390/2, takes 422, suffixes all GS9]
b. 1951/2. #18071; #D.DL 9588
c. $138 938
Sonata 10 in G, Op. 14, No. 2.
a. 67819/20; #Melodiya.D 21091/2 (10")
b. 1951/2. 72262V, #18079; #D.DL 9592
c. $138 938
Sonata 11 in Bb, Op. 22.
a. 67821/3
b. 1951/2. #18020; #D.DL 9590
c. $138 939
Sonata 12 in Ab, Op. 26 (Funeral March).
a. @66041/3
*b. 95465/7 [576 1/2, 577 1/2, 578 1/2, 579, 580, 581, suffixes
all bm, B27196/201], 40516/8 (Japan) (own); B.90259/61;
D.CA 8240/2
c. 67824/6; Vox set 457
d. 1951/2. #18076 ; #D.DL 9589
e. $138 935
Sonata 13 in Eb, Op. 27, No. 1.
a. 67858/9, 69077/8 (automatic coupling) [1621 GS9, 1622 1/2
GS9, ?, ?]
b. 1951/2. #18076; #D.DL 9584
c. $138 939
Sonata 14 in c#, Op. 27, No. 2 (Moonschein).
a. @66172/3
*b. (10") 90191/2 [3037, 3363, 2999, 3000], 47012/3;
B.85015/6 (own)
c. 67856/7 [1625/8, all 1/2GS9]; Vox set 642
d. 1951/2. 72047V, 5018V (France), #18020 (12"), 17026
(10"); #D.DL 9582.
e. 1957. #19087; #D.DL 9684
f. $136 227
g. $138 941
Sonata 15 in D, Op. 28 (Pastorale).
a. 67860/2 [1628 1/2, 1630 1/2, 1631, 1632, 1633, 1634,
suffixes all GS 9]
b. 1951/2. #18055; #D.DL 9585
c. $138 941
Sonata 16 in G, Op. 31, No. 1.
a. 1951/2. #18055; #D.DL 9589
b. $138 940
Sonata 17 in d, Op. 31, No. 2 (Tempest).
a. 1951/2. #18056; #D.DL 9586
c. $138 942
Sonata 18 in Eb, Op. 31, No. 3.
*a. 57003/5 [537, 538 1/2, 539, 540 1/2, 541 1/2, suffixes all
GS], 67069/71S, 45243/5S (probably Japan) (own)
b. 68273/5S
c. 1951/2. #18056; #D.DL 9586
d. $138 940
Sonata 19 in g, Op. 49, No. 1.
a. 1951/2. 72185V, #18021; #D.DL 9590
b. $138 935
Sonata 20 in G, Op. 49, No. 2.
a. 1951/2. 72185V, #18021; #D.DL 9590
b. $138 935
Sonata 21 in C, Op. 53 (Waldstein).
a. @66036/8 [1694 1/2, 1695, 1696, 1697 1/2, ?, ?, suffixes all
as; B27052/3/4/5/?/?]
b. 66678/80 [558, 559, 560, 561, 562, 563 1/2, suffixes all bm;
B27184/9]
*c. 95474/6 [1205 3/4, 1206, 1207 1/2, 1208, 1209, 1210,
suffixes all BI-1], 57009/11; B.90277/9 (own); D.CA 8044/6
(also own)
d. 68276/8 [2237-4, 2238, 2239, 2240-2, 2241, 2242-4, suffixes
all GS 9]; Vox set 463
e. 1951/2. 72135/6V, #18089; #D.DL 9590
f. $138 943
Sonata 22 in F, Op. 54.
a. 1951/2. #18089; #D.DL 9591
c. $138 930
Sonata 23 in f, Op. 57 (Appassionata).
a. @66033/5 [1688 1/2, 1689, 1690, 1691, 1692 1/2, 1693 1/2;
B27046/51]
b. 66681/3 [?, 569 3/4, 570, 571 1/2, 572, ?, suffixes all bm,
B27190/5]
c. 95471/3 [1199, 1200 1/2, 1201, 1202 1/2, 1203, 1204 1/2,
suffixes all BI-1], 57012/4 [ditto, same suffixes]; B.90241/3
[ditto, suffixes all BMP]
d. 68270/2 [2237/42-GS 9, takes 422244]; Vox set 960
e. 1951/2. 72123/4V, #18021; #D.DL 9580
f. 1957. #19087; #D.DL 9864
g. $136 227
h. $138 943
Sonata 24 in f#, Op. 78.
*a. (10") 90193 [3088/9]; B.85011 (own)
b. 1951/2. 72263V, #17165 (10"), #18135; #D.DL 9578
c. $138 941
Sonata 25 in G, Op. 79.
a. 1951/2. 72263V, #18135; #D.DL 9578
c. $138 943
Sonata 26 in Eb, Op. 81a (Les Adieux).
a. @66174 + @65175 [1708/11as; B27086/9]
b. 66687/8 [582, 583, ?, 585 1/2, suffixes all bm, B27202/5];
B.90123/4
c. 1951/2. 72243V, #18135; #D.DL 9582
d. $138 952
Sonata 27 in e, Op. 90.
a. @62491 (10") [3311/2ar, B7012/3] + @66039 (12")
[unknown]
b. 62639 (10") [?, 1402bk; B7058/9] + 66712 (12") [835/6bm,
B27232/3]
c. 1951/2. #18135; #D.DL 9580
d. $138 939
Sonata 28 in A, Op. 101.
a. @66178/9
b. 1951/2. #18145; #D.DL 9590
c. $138 942
Sonata 29 in Bb, Op. 106 (Hammerklavier).
a. 67077/81; B.95020/4 [590 1/2-GS8, 591 1/2-GS 8, 581 GS,
582 1/2-GS, 583 1/2-GS, 584 1/2-GS, 585 1/2-GS, 586 3/4-
GS, 587 1/2-GS, 588 3/4-GS], 516.697/701 (France); Vox
set 456; D.CA 8254/8
b. 1951/2. #18146; #D.DL 9579
c. $138 944
Sonata 30 in E, Op. 109.
*a. 67091/2, 57056/7, 516.756/7 (France) [615 1/2, 616 1/,
617, 618 1/2, suffixes all GS8], 566.305/6 (France); Vox set
461; D.CA 8266/7 (own)
b. 1951/2. 72210V, #18145; #D.DL 9591
c. $138 944
Sonata 31 in Ab, Op. 110.
a. 67088/90A [610 1/2, 620, 621 1/2, 622, 623 3/4, suffixes all
GS8], 57053/5A; D.X 151/3A
b. 1951/2. #18045; #D.DL 9592
c. $138 945
CONTINUED