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Wilhelm Backhaus: The Complete Pre-War Beethoven Recordings
APR

Wilhelm Backhaus: The Complete Pre-War Beethoven Recordings

$21.99

Details

Composer
BACH BEETHOVEN
Artist
Backhaus, Ronald
Format
CD
Label
APR
Released
Oct 26, 2018
Catalog #
APR6027
UPC
5024709160273

About


Wilhelm Backhaus (1884–1969) left a 60-year recorded legacy which began in 1908, but though known particularly for Beethoven and Brahms in his later years, he performed a much wider repertoire before the war (as seen on the companion album which presents works by Chopin, Liszt and Schumann) and the four sonatas and two concertos included here are the totality of his early Beethoven output. These are nevertheless important recordings – the ‘Emperor’ concerto was only the second ever recording and the first recorded by the ‘electric’ process. The 4th became an instant classic and still stands high among recorded versions. The sonatas benefit from the spontaneity of youth – the didactic and gruff presentation which occasionally afflicts Backhaus’s later complete sonata cycles is little in evidence here. Three of the sonatas were issued with Bach ‘fillers’ and we have included these here to reveal yet another side of Backhaus’ musicianship.

-----

REVIEW:

Backhaus has a particularly fascinating way with the development of the G major’s opening Allegro. The sonatas are a bit of a mixed bag, some superior to his later recordings, others not.

– Gramophone

The Pathétique was recorded the day after the Emperor and is an example of his unmannered (other than tempo speeding in the finale), direct, largely uneffusive sonata playing. The Moonlight has rather too many punctuation points for comfort but is otherwise eloquently phrased with real brio in the finale. Les Adieux is perhaps the pick of these early sonata readings for its consistency of vision; sometimes in Op.101 he is inclined to go hell-for-leather. This disc ends with a particularly beguiling performance of Clarence Lucas’ arrangement from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio.

– MusicWeb International

Tracklist 22 tracks

  1. Disc 1
  2. 1 I. Allegro moderato 16:53
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro moderato
    Duration
    16:53
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Wilhelm Backhaus
    Ensemble
    London Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Landon Ronald
  3. 2 II. Andante con moto 04:31
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Andante con moto
    Duration
    04:31
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Wilhelm Backhaus
    Ensemble
    London Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Landon Ronald
  4. 3 III. Rondo: Vivace 09:55
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Rondo: Vivace
    Duration
    09:55
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Wilhelm Backhaus
    Ensemble
    London Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Landon Ronald
  5. 4 I. Allegro 18:23
    Track
    4
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    18:23
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Wilhelm Backhaus
    Ensemble
    Royal Albert Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Landon Ronald
  6. 5 II. Adagio un poco mosso - 06:33
    Track
    5
    Title
    II. Adagio un poco mosso -
    Duration
    06:33
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Wilhelm Backhaus
    Ensemble
    Royal Albert Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Landon Ronald
  7. 6 III. Rondo: Allegro 09:42
    Track
    6
    Title
    III. Rondo: Allegro
    Duration
    09:42
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Wilhelm Backhaus
    Ensemble
    Royal Albert Hall Orchestra
    Conductor
    Landon Ronald
  8. Disc 2
  9. 1 I. Grave - Allegro di molto e con brio 06:20
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Grave - Allegro di molto e con brio
    Duration
    06:20
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Wilhelm Backhaus
  10. 2 II. Adagio cantabile 04:23
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Adagio cantabile
    Duration
    04:23
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Wilhelm Backhaus
  11. 3 III. Rondo: Allegro 04:23
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Rondo: Allegro
    Duration
    04:23
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Wilhelm Backhaus
  12. 4 I. Adagio sostenuto 04:52
    Track
    4
    Title
    I. Adagio sostenuto
    Duration
    04:52
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Wilhelm Backhaus
  13. 5 II. Allegretto 02:08
    Track
    5
    Title
    II. Allegretto
    Duration
    02:08
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Wilhelm Backhaus
  14. 6 III. Presto agitato 05:39
    Track
    6
    Title
    III. Presto agitato
    Duration
    05:39
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Wilhelm Backhaus
  15. 7 I. Das Lebewohl: Adagio - Allegro 06:17
    Track
    7
    Title
    I. Das Lebewohl: Adagio - Allegro
    Duration
    06:17
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Wilhelm Backhaus
  16. 8 II. Abwesenheit: Andante espressivo 03:01
    Track
    8
    Title
    II. Abwesenheit: Andante espressivo
    Duration
    03:01
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Wilhelm Backhaus
  17. 9 III. Das Wiedersehn: Vivacissimamente 04:15
    Track
    9
    Title
    III. Das Wiedersehn: Vivacissimamente
    Duration
    04:15
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Wilhelm Backhaus
  18. 10 I. Maestoso - Allegro con brio ed appassionato 07:59
    Track
    10
    Title
    I. Maestoso - Allegro con brio ed appassionato
    Duration
    07:59
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Wilhelm Backhaus
  19. 11 II. Arietta: Adagio molto semplice e cantabile 13:01
    Track
    11
    Title
    II. Arietta: Adagio molto semplice e cantabile
    Duration
    13:01
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Wilhelm Backhaus
  20. 12 Prelude No. 1 in C Major, BWV 846 02:02
    Track
    12
    Title
    Prelude No. 1 in C Major, BWV 846
    Duration
    02:02
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Wilhelm Backhaus
  21. 13 Fugue No. 1 in C Major, BWV 846 02:13
    Track
    13
    Title
    Fugue No. 1 in C Major, BWV 846
    Duration
    02:13
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Wilhelm Backhaus
  22. 14 Prelude No. 22 in B-Flat Minor, BWV 867 02:15
    Track
    14
    Title
    Prelude No. 22 in B-Flat Minor, BWV 867
    Duration
    02:15
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Wilhelm Backhaus
  23. 15 Fugue No. 22 in B-Flat Minor, BWV 867 02:40
    Track
    15
    Title
    Fugue No. 22 in B-Flat Minor, BWV 867
    Duration
    02:40
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Wilhelm Backhaus
  24. 16 Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248: Sinfonia "Sheperds' Music" (arr. C. Lucas for piano) 04:53
    Track
    16
    Title
    Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248: Sinfonia "Sheperds' Music" (arr. C. Lucas for piano)
    Duration
    04:53
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Wilhelm Backhaus