Claudio Arrau

Deep thought, care and love pervade this newest contribution to Arrau's Schumann cycle, just as they did all the others. The discovery for me was the Blumenstück, which if played at all (it isn't often) so easily emerges like some pretty but pale little drawing-room aquarelle. But not from Arrau. Characteristically, he reads between the lines of every bar, and discovers as much to express as in any of Schumann's wholly introspective pieces. I was amazed at the variety of mood he extracts from the work's not greatly varied figuration throughout the sequence of brief, closely related sections.

Claudio Arrau recorded these concertos twice for Philips, the present performances in 1963, and then again in 1980 with Colin Davis and the Boston Symphony. There's very little to choose between them. Tempos are almost identical, and contrary to what one might expect, the slow movement of the Schumann concerto is actually a bit faster in the later version. Arrau's way with the music is wholly characteristic of the man: serious, even reverential (at the beginning of the Schumann), and played with drop-dead gorgeous tone. The result enhances the stature of both works, but the Grieg in particular. The climax of the finale has an epic grandeur without a hint of bombast that you simply won't find in any other performance. Dohnányi's accompaniments are also distinguished: he lets Arrau lead but isn't afraid to permit the orchestra to assert itself where necessary; and of course the playing of the Concertgebouw is top-notch. If you haven't heard Arrau in this music, it really doesn't matter which of his recordings you wind up with, but do try to get at least one of them.

This Final Sessions release captures Arrau's tone better than any CD album I have heard. From the intial English Suites, all four of which were recorded during Arrau's Debussy sessions in Switzerland. The Beethoven is from Arrau's final Beethoven cycle, left incomplete at the time of his death and vary somewhat from his 60's set containig the concerto's and variations. The Schubert is wonderful. I can imagine a better vehicle for Arrau's wonderful sound and legato than D894. The Debussy, attainable only on Warner France, is also very incitful. Arrau does not subscribe to the Gieseking haze, but rather combines a germanic profundity with Michelangli's precision.
.

Fabulous set of the complete Beethoven piano sonatas from the late Danish pianist Anne Oland. At this incredibly low price, you might be forgiven for thinking there is a catch. The only drawback of this set is the absence of any liner notes, but this repertoire is so well known that you can quickly find information about any of the sonatas from other sources. The quality of the playing and recorded sound are superlative throughout. A pianist of real distinction who sadly passed away in 2015.

Though it`s hardly uncommon for a musician to be performing and recording at age 85, it`s difficult to think of many octogenarian performers who continue to explore new paths. Arrau is the wonderful exception, as his current Beethoven cycle for Philips has indicated time and again. This recording of the first two piano concertos offers further proof, for here Arrau turns in performances that force us to reconsider these works. We may be accustomed to hearing the First Concerto played with lightness and Mozartean elegance, but Arrau goes well beyond this cliche. His account of the first movement has a depth and mystery it is rarely accorded.

The Lost Recordings has rediscovered the master tapes of this double recital in the Berlin radio archives. The label thus offers the world premiere of this Beethoven recital by the great Claudio Arrau, recorded on 12 March 1959 at the Hochschule für Muzik in Berlin. An exceptional document.

Claudio Arrau, one of the greatest piano masters of the s. XX, leaves us astonished with this intense and majestic version, showing his immense knowledge of German Romanticism of which he was an excellent exponent. Excellent temps and wonderful nuances. Here Bernard Haitink shows us why he became a benchmark in conducting by one of the best ensembles on the planet: the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra.