In his later years, SHURA CHERKASSKY (1909–1995) was regarded as one of the last ‘Romantics’ – a throwback to the so-called ‘golden age’ of pianism in the first decades of the 20th century. As a pupil of Josef Hofmann, he had an impeccable pedigree, but we tend to forget his long career meant he was already playing and recording in that ‘golden age’. Here then are these early recordings, complete for the first time, starting in the acoustic era with the young prodigy’s 1923 Victor discs. Much of the repertoire is unique in his discography, including his only recording of chamber music – the Rachmaninov cello sonata. The Tchaikovsky 2nd Concerto, Cherkassky’s earliest concerto recording, has never previously been reissued and reveals the 36-year-old artist at his virtuoso peak.

REVIEWS:

It is a joy to have all these recordings available together. Cherkassky was a supremely gifted and communicative pianist and there is something to admire in every piece in this collection.

-- MusicWeb International

Of special note are the many Chopin pieces and a smashing performance of the Fantasy in F minor from 1950. The latter has reasonably decent sound and gives us the opportunity of hearing what Cherkassky can do with one of Chopin’s masterworks.

Outstanding in-depth notes are supplied by Jonathan Summers, and special praise must be given to Seth B. Winner for his detail about restoration techniques. No lover of the art of the piano can afford to be without this set.

-- American Record Guide

This is the tenth release in APR’s ongoing French Piano School series which aims to present important recordings from the often-forgotten pianists who represent the very distinctive French style of playing in the first half of the 20th century. Were it not for the chronic illness which dogged him after service in WW1 and led to his premature death, Robert Lortat (1885–1938) would undoubtedly have recorded more and been remembered as one of the greatest French pianists of the 20th century. He performed a wide repertoire, including much Fauré and Debussy, magnificently, but Chopin was central to his art. He first performed the composer’s complete works from memory in five concerts in 1912 and his only recordings, presented here complete, are of Chopin. Lortat was only the second pianist to record Chopin’s complete etudes, after the Backhaus cycle of 1928 (on APR6026), and that they preceded Cortot cycle shows the esteem with which Lortat’s playing was held in France. When they have been presented before, Lortat’s recordings have suffered from very poor transfers from the original 78s. We hope these new transfers, by Mark Obert-Thorn, cast them in a new and much improved light.

An unobtrusive figure in the British music scene and despite her self-stated lack of ambition, KATHLEEN LONG (1896–1968) was a musician of the highest order. She taught for 44 years at the Royal College of Music and was a major Decca artist for two decades, having recorded for several other labels before that. Her first recording was made in 1928, and her first Decca recordings (of Mozart’s Piano Concertos K449 and K450) were made in 1935. Her first Decca solo recordings are those on this release. On disc, she made premiere recordings of several Mozart concertos and sonatas and was renowned for her Scarlatti and Fauré. For her service to French music, she was made Honorary Member of the Académie de France.

Undoubtedly the foremost French female pianist of the 20th century, Marguerite Long (1874–1966) prided herself on her personal friendships with some of the foremost composers of her day – Debussy, Fauré and Ravel. She championed their works, premiering Ravel’s G major piano concerto, and was to write books on the interpretation of each of them.

This addition to our continuing French Piano School series is the second of two APR volumes, together containing her complete recordings of French repertoire, and of honorary Frenchman, Chopin. Of particular significance here are the premiere recordings of the Ravel G major and Milhaud 1st concertos - both works dedicated to her - and also the first ever recording of Chopin's 2nd Concerto from 1929, which has not previously been reissued.

REVIEW:

The second volume of APR’s Marguerite Long retrospective is once again focused on French repertoire, with recordings set down between 1929 and 1952. In common with the previous volume, all the recordings featured here have been superbly restored by Mark Obert-Thorn.

CD 1 is devoted exclusively to Chopin. Centre stage is the premiere recording of the Piano Concerto No.2. Philippe Gaubert conducts the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatore in this June 1929 inscription. She made a later recording of the work in 1953 with André Cluytens which I haven’t heard, so can’t offer any comparisons. In this earlier recording, the soloist is forwardly projected, with the orchestra sounding slightly recessed. The first movement begins with a heavily truncated tutti. The slow movement, an exquisite nocturne imbued with pathos and beauty and speaking of unrequited love, isn’t the best I’ve heard. I find Long’s rendition oddly prosaic and devoid of poetry. Gaubert’s staid support isn’t much to write home about either.

Set down on 11 May 1929, the Fantasy in F minor is the earliest recording in the set. Long displays virtuosity in abundance and captures the piece’s mercurial moods, with rubato kept firmly under control. The playful F sharp minor Mazurka is stylish. Of the two waltzes, the A flat seems a bit rushed. Elegance and poise characterize her Barcarolle, whilst the Berceuse, a true lullaby, is well-paced and gently rendered. Adopting a pearl-like tone, she achieves myriad tonal colours with each successive variation. It’s certainly one of the highlights of this collection. The Second Scherzo is action-packed with drama, with contrasting sections of poetic lyricism.

Despite the fact that Long forged a personal friendship with Debussy and championed his music, she recorded very little of it. The two Arabesques are played with geniality and affection. Jardins sous la pluie is nicely paced and sparkling even though she herself considered her performance too fast. La plus que lente is tastefully delivered without the overindulgence on the rubato front one sometimes encounters.

The set offers two recordings of Ravel’s G major Piano Concerto recorded twenty years apart, and how different they are. The 1932 traversal is the world premiere recording with an orchestra directed by Pedro de Freitas Branco. Perhaps this version is the better known of the two. The first two movements are more brisk than in the later version. The central slow movement is rhythmically strict. In 1952, this time with the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire and Georges Tzipine, she takes a more relaxed approach and allows herself more rhythmic freedom. The sound quality had improved greatly by the time the second recording was made. I have to say that I much prefer the later one for its less hemmed in approach and the more perceived affection lavished upon it.

Darius Milhaud dedicated the first of his five piano concertos to Marguerite Long. She premiered it in Paris in 1934. That performance was conducted by Alberf Wolff. The recording was made a year later on 5 & 6 April 1935 with the composer himself at the helm of an unnamed orchestra. Two vigorous, neo-classically wrought outer movements frame a central Barcarolle, which provides a soothing contrast. This ‘slow’ movement is a delight, where radiant woodwind writing provides a diaphanous backdrop to the luminous piano writing. Long achieves some subtle, glorious colouring. The two solo piano pieces offer some striking contrast. Paysandú is dark and sombre, whilst the more virtuosic Alfama displays a sparkling, carefree demeanour.

This volume, together with volume 1, positions Long in the hierarchy of great pianists. I’m grateful to the skill and care APR have lavished upon these valuable recordings. Roger Nichols insightful liner notes are the icing on the cake.

-- MusicWeb International (Stephen Greenbank)

Australia seems to have produced more than its fair share of pianists in the early days of recording, with Percy Grainger, William Murdoch, and Eileen Joyce all being mainstays of the 78rpm catalogue. To their ranks we should add Una Bourne, signed to the most prestigious label of all: HMV.

A stalwart of the acoustic period of recording, Bourne had early success as a prodigy and travelled to Europe to study, but it was being asked to tour with Nellie Melba which established her career. Later, as well as playing as a soloist she played and recorded much chamber music. She excelled in what we might now call ‘salon music’ and character pieces, as can be seem from her recorded repertoire. Both Grieg and Chaminade were specialties. She favored fast tempos and played with brilliance and charm in repertoire, much of which has now been neglected. In 1939 Bourne abandoned her international career and retired to teach in Australia. She has been all but forgotten and this is the first time almost any of her recordings have been reissued. They give a fascinating snapshot of musical taste and playing in the early 20th century, a time when classical music and popular were much closer bedfellows.

REVIEWS:

This new APR set reveals Bourne as a pianist of extraordinary clarity, charm and considerable finesse. She strikes as extraordinarily objective for her era; nothing seems sentimental or emotionally cluttered. Yet at the same time, each of the miniatures – many of a strongly national cast – speaks with a highly individual voice. Everything seems considered and poised. She is perhaps closest to letting go in the two Chaminade Études, both of which fairly ooze with a nonchalant abandon, even as they deliver the most delicate fioritura.

Like her compatriot Percy Grainger, Bourne felt an affinity with the music of Grieg, and a sizeable piece of real estate on the second disc is devoted to the Norwegian composer. The Op 7 Sonata, only slightly abridged, was apparently the only complete recording of the work during the 78rpm era. Meanwhile, the various selections from the Op 12, 43 and 65 sets of Lyric Pieces are captivating.

It may be in the four Liszt operatic transcriptions that Bourne’s wide-ranging technical achievement becomes most apparent. In the Rigoletto Paraphrase, her repeated octaves are exquisite. Both the Entrance of the Guests from Tannhäuser and the Liebestod go a long way towards capturing the breadth and rich textures of the operatic originals. By themselves, these performances are worth the price of the set.

-- Gramophone

The playing here is so good that I find it hard to think why her star has faded so thoroughly; APR must be thanked for giving her a voice again and unless you are resolutely opposed to the lighter side of the piano repertoire this is an album that will bring pleasure whenever you listen to it.

-- MusicWeb International

WALTER GIESEKING (1895–1956) has long been regarded as one of the supreme interpreters of Debussy, his recordings having achieved almost definitive status. But it’s generally his later recordings from the early 1950s which have been reissued time and time again. His first Columbia recordings, mostly made in the 1930s, are much less known, yet many critics have regarded them as even finer than the later remakes. Here then are these legendary albums in what we consider to be the finest transfers from the original 78s they have ever had.

Although his post-war recordings are best known, many regard Gieseking’s finest years in the studio as the 1930s and this set includes all the concerto recordings he made in that decade. He didn’t record much Liszt, but the first concerto he set down was that composer’s 1st, and he gives a swashbuckling performance, revealing a very different side of his pianism to the refinement of his justly renowned Debussy and Ravel. Another Gieseking favourite was Grieg and he gives a classic account of the concerto with the two exquisitely performed Lyric Pieces which were the filler on the final side of the original 78rpm set also included. Gieseking’s Beethoven is classical and Mozartean so it’s no surprise that the 1st concerto comes off particularly well, though Bruno Walter’s contribution in the ‘Emperor’ makes it also a major event. Columbia’s sound is excellent for its time.

Classical Music

Though Hungarian by birth, and having studied at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, Louis Kentner, like so many others of Jewish origin, immigrated to London in the mid 1930s, aware that central Europe was not the best place to be at that time for someone of his race. He was to remain in London for the rest of his life, becoming very much part of British musical life both as pianist and, later, as teacher.

His somewhat sensational London debut took place in the Aeolian Hall in October 1936 where he gave an all Liszt recital. As a direct result he was signed up by HMV and over the next fifteen years, in addition to much other repertoire, he made a large number of Liszt recordings which featured not only the often recorded etudes and Hungarian Rhapsodies but also premiere recordings of many of Liszt's more important, but then less well known, larger works. Our first APR title (APR5514) featured such unusual works as the Scherzo & March, the Berceuse and the first Polonaise; on the current disc, in addition to a number of the well known aforementioned etudes, we find a group of late pieces, including the bizarre Czárdás Macabre, which was only published in the year of its recording, and the Meyerbeer/Liszt 'Les Patineurs' scherzo. This later piece is one of Liszt's most brilliant operatic transcriptions, but is strangely little known. It is perhaps Kentner's most stunning recording and a fitting way to end this fascinating recital.

- APR Recordings

Classical Music

Classical Music

Russian born Leff Pouishnoff (1891– 1959) studied piano in St Petersburg with Annette Essipov but settled in the UK after the revolution where he became particularly renowned as a Chopin player. His earlier Columbia recordings reveal a brilliant technique and a penchant for fast tempi, but perhaps most interesting is his premiere recording of Schubert’s G major sonata. The set includes several of the pianist’s own compositions and closes with his late recording of the variations by his composition teacher Glazunov. This is the first time his complete 78rpm recordings have been reissued and is the only currently available recording of his work. The set is completed with a representative sample from the single LP and EP he made for Saga shortly before his death. Research into these Saga recordings for this project uncovered a mysterious case of fraud which cannot yet be fully explained. All the details are revealed in the booklet.

This recording received a 1998 "Critic's Choice" award from Gramophone magazine.

"Yes, the pundits were right. This is the Rachmaninov Third to end all Rachmaninov Thirds, a performance of such super-human pianistic aplomb, pace and virtuosity that it makes all comparisons, save with Horowitz himself...a study in irrelevance...The ultimate wizard of the keyboard is in expansive mood in the Tchaikovsky...The perfomance ends in what I can only describe as a scream of octaves and an outburst by an audience driven near to hysteria." - Gramophone

Historic record of the year. (1998) - Classic CD - (Recordings from 1940 & 1941.)

Classical Music

The Swiss pianist, editor and writer, Walter Rehberg (1900-1957) was a mainstay of the German Polydor label in the 1920s & 1930s, but his work has never before been transferred to modern recording formats, and as a result he has faded from view. He was entrusted with the first ever recordings of such masterworks as the Schubert and Schumann Fantasies, and these and his Liszt performances reveal a true Romantic virtuoso who was nevertheless equally at home in the Classicism of the Haydn sonata he recorded in early 1925 - another gramophone premiere. Gramophone wrote in 1928: "Rehberg has done well, his technique is equal to the formidable demands made on it, but his virtuosity never blinds him to the imaginative qualities of the music... I have nothing but admiration for a rendering that is both competent and poetical." Rehberg was also a champion of the Janko piano, an instrument that allowed the easier playing of larger intervals and complex chords. The instrument never caught on, but the pianist's own compositions for it (featured on the latter portion of this release) reveal the fascinating sonorities that could be created with it. The transfers and remastering featured on this album were expertly done by Ward Marston.