Classical Music

IGNACY JAN PADEREWSKI (1860–1941) must be counted as one of the most famous pianists who ever lived, and he was certainly the most financially successful, yet his recorded legacy has always been something of a puzzle. Paderewski was from a generation before these recorded pianists, such as Cortot, Hofmann, Rachmaninov & Schnabel, we now tend to think of as ‘historical’ and his playing style really does take us back to the 19th century. This indispensable set makes available for the first time every surviving matrix from his most prolific recording contract– that with the US Victor company. In conjunction with APR’s earlier releases ‘Paderewski – his earliest recordings’ (APR6006) and ‘Paderewski– his final recordings’ (APR5636) there is now, at last, a complete Paderewski recorded edition.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Though born in the USA, Aline van Barentzen (1897-1981) became the youngest student to be accepted by the Paris Conservatoire, aged nine, and went on to win a premier prix aged just twelve. She was to base herself in Paris for the rest of her life, later teaching at her alma mater where her pupils included Jean-Philippe Collard and Cyprien Katsaris. A supreme virtuoso, as can be heard in her Brahms Paganini variations, she worked with many contemporary composers, making this premiere recording of Falla’s Nights in the Gardens of Spain and also recording the complete Prole do bebê of Villa-Lobos, the second book, which she premiered, was dedicated to her.

Australian pianist William Murdoch (1888–1942) is almost forgotten today but was a major UK Columbia recording artist in the 1920s. A consummate musician, he was known as a chamber player as much as a soloist, as evidenced by many recordings, but was also the first pianist to record Beethoven’s 3rd piano concerto (acoustically in 1925). Amongst his solo recordings, pride of place must go to the two Beethoven sonatas which burst with energy and passion while never descending into superficiality. A little known and fascinating part of his legacy is his recording of the eight test pieces written for the National Piano Competition of 1928 organized by the Daily Express. This unique event was open to pianists of all abilities from beginner to advanced and the specially commissioned pieces, by contemporary British composers, reflected these different levels. Murdoch’s recordings originally came with spoken commentaries on interpretation.

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REVIEWS:

Murdoch’s exemplary pianism and intelligent musicianship consistently make themselves felt. The pianist himself singled out his 1927 Chopin Third Ballade as a favourite. One can hear why: his fluently impassioned yet thoughtfully parsed interpretations ebbs and flows with naturalness and inevitability. Murdoch’s solo Beethoven, however, proves this collection’s prize.

– Gramophone

The two Beethoven 'named' sonatas are the most substantial works in Murdoch's Columbia discography and, despite the thin sound and shellac crackle, they stand up to scrutiny very well. The Pathétique opens in solemn and dramatic vein, with sufficient gravitas. The outer movements are briskly paced, with the finale sparkling and extrovert. I like the way the Adagio cantabile second movement is devoid of sentimentality, and the slightly faster tempo he adopts works well. The Appassionata has a wonderful sense of structure and is technically accomplished, with excitement running throughout. The drama of the outer movements is dispatched with burning intensity.

Murdoch draws a warm, rounded tone in the Chopin Berceuse, with the variations embroidered with diaphanous lace. The composer's Third Ballade has a convincing sense of shape, and is imbued with poetic expression. Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No.12 is a muscular reading with the trills piercingly brilliant. It has to be one of the finest and most dazzling outings this popular piece has ever had. There are two renditions of the ubiquitous Prelude in C sharp minor by Rachmaninov from 1926 and 1931. Both are rhetorically eloquent, with the later one being in much better sound. The Debussy selection of three pieces showcases Murdoch's myriad tonal palette. The Albéniz and de Falla pieces are shot through with a convincing Iberian zest.

– MusicWeb International

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music