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.

As we all know, Walter Gieseking was the first pianist to record the entire piano works of Mozart. This series was produced by the British Columbia and it consisted of no less than 16/20 LPs which have represented a reference point of Mozart’s chamber music discography. From this edition, we have taken all these “minor” but absolutely fundamental pieces (minuets, Variations, Fantasies, Rondos) that today are difficult to find together in one release. French-German pianist Walter Gieseking was largely self-taught. He was born in France and travelled with his family throughout Europe until he enrolled at the Hannover Conservatory where he studied under Karl Leimer until his graduation in 1916. In 1915 he made his debut in Hannover. He was drafted into the German army in 1916, but escaped combat by performing in his regimental band. After the war he undertook the life of a working musician, accompanying singers and instrumentalists, playing in chamber music ensembles, and working as an opera coach.He later became an advocate of new music, performing works by Arnold Schoenberg, Ferruccio Busoni, and Paul Hindemith. One of the most extraordinary pianists of his time, he never practiced, except in his mind. He would study the score, imagine playing it, and then perform it flawlessly.

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.

Arch-Romantic Robert Schumann’s (1810-1856) first two-dozen or so opuses feature some of the finest solo piano compositions of the era. Included among these are the works on this two-disc set of WWII-era recordings by the great yet controversial Franco-German pianist Walter Gieseking (1895-1956). +Most noted for his sublime pedal technique and contrapuntal clarity, his performances of Debussy, Ravel and the modernists were often revelatory and are still considered benchmark interpretations.

Classical Music

A phenomenal technician and colourist who made melody communicate to a unique degree and played with great stylistic differentiation, Walter Gieseking was one of the most individual and consistently inspired pianists of our time. Although his commercial recordings encompass some of the great recordings ever made, he didn't live to record under ideal circumstances even a small part of his vast repertoire. The present disc of broadcast performances is therefore of special importance not only in increasing the Gieseking legacy but in chronicling the history of great pianism. The Concerto K488 and Sonata K545 appear on CD for the first time in this collection, while the Concerto K467 and the Sonata K576 are issued here in considerably improved sound over prior editions.

Classical Music