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Michael Zadora: The Complete Recordings, 1922-1938
APR

Michael Zadora: The Complete Recordings, 1922-1938

$21.99

Details

Composer
CHOPIN LISZT BUSONI
Artist
Michael Zadora
Format
CD
Label
APR
Released
Nov 01, 2009
Catalog #
APR6008
UPC
5024709160082

About

Back in the 1970s the International Piano Library issued an LP with Ferruccio Busoni's complete disc recordings on one side, and the other side featuring Busoni pupils playing Busoni, including the Sonatina No. 6 (the Carmen Fantasy) played by the New York-born pianist Michael Zadora (1882-1946). Many years later Pearl brought out a superior transfer of this riveting performance, along with further Zadora sides. APR now has gathered all of Zadora's recordings in a two-CD set, evenly divided between acoustic and electric 78s. Most of this material appears for the first time in a long-playing format.

For whatever reason, Zadora's 78s were unusually well engineered for their time, especially the 1929 Polydor sides with their resonant bloom. Aside from certain items that reflect a tendency to rush--the electrical Chopin Op. 64 No. 1 that ought to be retitled the "half-minute" waltz!, and a rather slapdash Debussy Toccata--Zadora's musical intelligence and keen ear for nuance and tone color impress, even in the numerous light works such as Hummel's Rondo, Lemare's La Passione, and Zadora's own transcriptions of the Barcarolle from Offenbach's Tales of Hoffmann, selections from Delibes ballets, and the schmaltzy Vienna Waltz he penned under the pseudonym Pietro Amadis.

The pianist's superb textural layering in Liszt's D-flat and E major Consolations substantiates his unusually fast yet never hectic-sounding tempos. By contrast, Raff's La Fileuse unfolds in delicate, deliberately paced arcs. The Busoni Second and Fifth sonatinas recorded in 1938 for the independent Friends of New Music label suffer from cramped, dynamically constricted sound that probably makes the music sound drier and more austere than it is, although Zadora's affinity for and commitment to this repertoire certainly cuts through the sonic grime. With so many reissues of reissues of reissues on the market, it's heartening that APR continues to lavish considerable time and effort on "virgin territory", so to speak. Jonathan Summers' excellent, informative notes and Mark Obert-Thorn's fine transfers add further value to this release.

--Jed Distler, ClassicsToday.com

Tracklist 45 tracks

  1. Disc 1
  2. 1 Waltz No. 9 in A-Flat Major, Op. 69, No. 1, "L'adieu" 03:53
    Track
    1
    Title
    Waltz No. 9 in A-Flat Major, Op. 69, No. 1, "L'adieu"
    Duration
    03:53
    Composer
    Frédéric Chopin
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  3. 2 Waltz No. 10 in B Minor, Op. 69, No. 2 03:59
    Track
    2
    Title
    Waltz No. 10 in B Minor, Op. 69, No. 2
    Duration
    03:59
    Composer
    Frédéric Chopin
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  4. 3 Waltz No. 7 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 64, No. 2 03:12
    Track
    3
    Title
    Waltz No. 7 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 64, No. 2
    Duration
    03:12
    Composer
    Frédéric Chopin
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  5. 4 Nocturne No. 9 in B Major, Op. 32, No. 1 04:01
    Track
    4
    Title
    Nocturne No. 9 in B Major, Op. 32, No. 1
    Duration
    04:01
    Composer
    Frédéric Chopin
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  6. 5 No. 14 in F Minor, Op. 25, No. 2 01:27
    Track
    5
    Title
    No. 14 in F Minor, Op. 25, No. 2
    Duration
    01:27
    Composer
    Frédéric Chopin
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  7. 6 No. 21 in G-Flat Major, Op. 25, No. 9, "Butterfly's Wings" 00:56
    Track
    6
    Title
    No. 21 in G-Flat Major, Op. 25, No. 9, "Butterfly's Wings"
    Duration
    00:56
    Composer
    Frédéric Chopin
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  8. 7 No. 13 in A-Flat Major, Op. 25, No. 1, "Harp Study" 02:03
    Track
    7
    Title
    No. 13 in A-Flat Major, Op. 25, No. 1, "Harp Study"
    Duration
    02:03
    Composer
    Frédéric Chopin
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  9. 8 Waltz No. 6 in D-Flat Major, Op. 64, No. 1, "Minute" 01:49
    Track
    8
    Title
    Waltz No. 6 in D-Flat Major, Op. 64, No. 1, "Minute"
    Duration
    01:49
    Composer
    Frédéric Chopin
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  10. 9 No. 1. Andante con moto 01:24
    Track
    9
    Title
    No. 1. Andante con moto
    Duration
    01:24
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  11. 10 No. 2. Un poco più mosso 02:36
    Track
    10
    Title
    No. 2. Un poco più mosso
    Duration
    02:36
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  12. 11 No. 3 in D-Flat Major: Lento placido 02:59
    Track
    11
    Title
    No. 3 in D-Flat Major: Lento placido
    Duration
    02:59
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  13. 12 No. 5. Andantino 02:17
    Track
    12
    Title
    No. 5. Andantino
    Duration
    02:17
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  14. 13 2 Pieces, Op. 157: No. 2. La fileuse 03:46
    Track
    13
    Title
    2 Pieces, Op. 157: No. 2. La fileuse
    Duration
    03:46
    Composer
    Joachim Raff
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  15. 14 Prelude and Fugue, Op. 6: Prelude 03:27
    Track
    14
    Title
    Prelude and Fugue, Op. 6: Prelude
    Duration
    03:27
    Composer
    Giovanni Sgambati
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  16. 15 Scarlatti: Pastorale in E Minor - Capriccio in E Major (arr. of K.9/L.413/P.65 and K.20/L.375/P.76) 03:41
    Track
    15
    Title
    Scarlatti: Pastorale in E Minor - Capriccio in E Major (arr. of K.9/L.413/P.65 and K.20/L.375/P.76)
    Duration
    03:41
    Composer
    Carl Tausig
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  17. 16 Se tu m'ami (arr. M. von, Zadora for piano) 02:54
    Track
    16
    Title
    Se tu m'ami (arr. M. von, Zadora for piano)
    Duration
    02:54
    Composer
    Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  18. 17 Ecossaise in E-Flat Major, WoO 86 (arr. F. Busoni for piano) 02:14
    Track
    17
    Title
    Ecossaise in E-Flat Major, WoO 86 (arr. F. Busoni for piano)
    Duration
    02:14
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  19. 18 No. 6 in B Minor 01:26
    Track
    18
    Title
    No. 6 in B Minor
    Duration
    01:26
    Composer
    Frédéric Chopin
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  20. 19 No. 7 in A Major 00:47
    Track
    19
    Title
    No. 7 in A Major
    Duration
    00:47
    Composer
    Frédéric Chopin
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  21. 20 No. 13 in F-Sharp Major 02:37
    Track
    20
    Title
    No. 13 in F-Sharp Major
    Duration
    02:37
    Composer
    Frédéric Chopin
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  22. 21 No. 23 in F Major 00:43
    Track
    21
    Title
    No. 23 in F Major
    Duration
    00:43
    Composer
    Frédéric Chopin
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  23. 22 Mazurka No. 45 in A Minor, Op. 67, No. 4 02:44
    Track
    22
    Title
    Mazurka No. 45 in A Minor, Op. 67, No. 4
    Duration
    02:44
    Composer
    Frédéric Chopin
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  24. 23 Soirees a Saint-Petersbourg, Op. 44: No. 1. Romance in E-Flat Major 02:49
    Track
    23
    Title
    Soirees a Saint-Petersbourg, Op. 44: No. 1. Romance in E-Flat Major
    Duration
    02:49
    Composer
    Anton Rubinstein
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  25. 24 3 Intermezzos, Op. 117: No. 2 in B-Flat Minor 03:13
    Track
    24
    Title
    3 Intermezzos, Op. 117: No. 2 in B-Flat Minor
    Duration
    03:13
    Composer
    Johannes Brahms
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  26. 25 Nocturne No. 5 in B-Flat Major, H. 37A 02:46
    Track
    25
    Title
    Nocturne No. 5 in B-Flat Major, H. 37A
    Duration
    02:46
    Composer
    John Field
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  27. 26 The Prima Ballerina 03:23
    Track
    26
    Title
    The Prima Ballerina
    Duration
    03:23
    Composer
    Michael Zadora
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  28. 27 Vienna Waltz 02:56
    Track
    27
    Title
    Vienna Waltz
    Duration
    02:56
    Composer
    Michael Zadora
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  29. Disc 2
  30. 1 Waltz No. 6 in D-Flat Major, Op. 64, No. 1, "Minute" 01:45
    Track
    1
    Title
    Waltz No. 6 in D-Flat Major, Op. 64, No. 1, "Minute"
    Duration
    01:45
    Composer
    Frédéric Chopin
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  31. 2 Waltz No. 7 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 64, No. 2 03:24
    Track
    2
    Title
    Waltz No. 7 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 64, No. 2
    Duration
    03:24
    Composer
    Frédéric Chopin
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  32. 3 10 Pieces, Op. 12: No. 7. Prelude 01:36
    Track
    3
    Title
    10 Pieces, Op. 12: No. 7. Prelude
    Duration
    01:36
    Composer
    Sergei Prokofiev
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  33. 4 La Passion 02:29
    Track
    4
    Title
    La Passion
    Duration
    02:29
    Composer
    Lamare
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  34. 5 Sylvia: Valse lente (arr. M. von Zadora for piano) 02:44
    Track
    5
    Title
    Sylvia: Valse lente (arr. M. von Zadora for piano)
    Duration
    02:44
    Composer
    Léo Delibes
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  35. 6 7 Songs from Spanischen Liederbuch, Op. 21: No. 4. Murmuring Zephyrs (arr. M. von Zadora for piano) 02:58
    Track
    6
    Title
    7 Songs from Spanischen Liederbuch, Op. 21: No. 4. Murmuring Zephyrs (arr. M. von Zadora for piano)
    Duration
    02:58
    Composer
    Adolf Jensen
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  36. 7 Sarabande con Partite in C Major, BWV 990 07:27
    Track
    7
    Title
    Sarabande con Partite in C Major, BWV 990
    Duration
    07:27
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  37. 8 I. Prelude 03:09
    Track
    8
    Title
    I. Prelude
    Duration
    03:09
    Composer
    Claude Debussy
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  38. 9 III. Toccata 02:58
    Track
    9
    Title
    III. Toccata
    Duration
    02:58
    Composer
    Claude Debussy
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  39. 10 Piano Sonatina No. 6 super Carmen, "Kammerfantasie" 06:12
    Track
    10
    Title
    Piano Sonatina No. 6 super Carmen, "Kammerfantasie"
    Duration
    06:12
    Composer
    Ferruccio Busoni
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  40. 11 Les contes d'Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann): Barcarolle (arr. M. von Zadora for piano) 03:14
    Track
    11
    Title
    Les contes d'Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann): Barcarolle (arr. M. von Zadora for piano)
    Duration
    03:14
    Composer
    Jacques Offenbach
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  41. 12 Meine Puppe Tanzt 02:01
    Track
    12
    Title
    Meine Puppe Tanzt
    Duration
    02:01
    Composer
    Michael Zadora
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  42. 13 Piano Concerto in F minor, Op. 16: II. Larghetto (arr. M. von Zadora for piano) 04:10
    Track
    13
    Title
    Piano Concerto in F minor, Op. 16: II. Larghetto (arr. M. von Zadora for piano)
    Duration
    04:10
    Composer
    Adolf von Henselt
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  43. 14 Rondo in E-Flat Major, Op. 11, "Rondo favori" 03:36
    Track
    14
    Title
    Rondo in E-Flat Major, Op. 11, "Rondo favori"
    Duration
    03:36
    Composer
    Johann Nepomuk Hummel
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  44. 15 Coppelia: Valse lente (arr. M. von Zadora for piano) 03:30
    Track
    15
    Title
    Coppelia: Valse lente (arr. M. von Zadora for piano)
    Duration
    03:30
    Composer
    Léo Delibes
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  45. 16 Sylvia, Act III: Pizzicati (arr. M. von Zadora for piano) 02:39
    Track
    16
    Title
    Sylvia, Act III: Pizzicati (arr. M. von Zadora for piano)
    Duration
    02:39
    Composer
    Léo Delibes
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  46. 17 Piano Sonatina No. 3, "ad usum infantis" 05:31
    Track
    17
    Title
    Piano Sonatina No. 3, "ad usum infantis"
    Duration
    05:31
    Composer
    Ferruccio Busoni
    Performer
    Michael Zadora
  47. 18 Piano Sonatina No. 5, "Sonatina brevis in signo Joannis Sebastiani Magni" 05:57
    Track
    18
    Title
    Piano Sonatina No. 5, "Sonatina brevis in signo Joannis Sebastiani Magni"
    Duration
    05:57
    Composer
    Ferruccio Busoni
    Performer
    Michael Zadora