Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Sergio Fiorentino has been one of the best pianists of the second half of the twentieth century. Nevertheless, he is not as known as many other colleagues of his, who were supported by important labels. For this reason he lacks a catalogue of official recordings, but this does not mean that he has no documentation of his art. The proof is this extensive release that contains a selection of Fiorentino’s version of some of the masterpieces of Franz Liszt’s repertoire, who was one of his most beloved composers.

Collectors cannot pass over this edition. Schumann’s Manfred still has a small discography. The eighty-minute version of Carl Schuricht’s interpretation in 1952 remains, even today, a reference point, largely due to its uncommonly attractive audio quality. The second half of this release collects very rare pieces, especially notable are Volkmann’s, Pfitzner’s, and Delius’ symphonic works, that are here published for the first time as performed by the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus under the capable direction of Carl Schuricht.

Classical Music

Is there is any other pianist of the twentieth century who, like Marcelle Meyer (1897-1958), can boast such a close relationship with the composers of which she would later become the interpreter. Born in 1897 in Lille, she spent her life in Paris. She was a student of Marguerite Long and Alfred Cortot, and then of Maurice Ravel. Meyer collaborated with a very young with Debussy and performed the first ever recital entirely dedicated to the composer, including the famous Preludes and premiering the Etudes, at the Salle Gaveau. Meyer also became Erik Satie's favored pianist and she premiered Francis Poulenc's Sonata for piano four-hands together with Poulenc and also collaborated with Chabrier. Marcelle Meyer became the favored pianist of Les Six, also performing for Stravinsky and Milhaud. Indeed, Marcelle is the central figure in the famous portrait of Les Six by Jacques-Emile Balance. (The painting depicts Jean Cocteau, Germaine Tailleferre, Darius Milhaud, Arthur Honegger, Louis Durey, Georges Auric, Francis Poulenc and Jean Winer). In the last years of her life, Meyer fortunately recorded in stereophonic sound the best of her repertoire and between 1955 and 1957, she recorded the integral of Debussy's Preludes and the best of Emanuel Chabrier's piano works, recordings that this double box faithfully reproduces.