Gulda Beethoven

Beethoven - Complete Works For Cello & Piano - Pierre Fournier & Friedrich Gulda (1960) {2CD Deutsche Grammophon rel 2006}
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© 1960, 2006 Deutsche Grammophon | 0289 477 6266
Classical / Cello / Piano

A must-have for collectors of sublime historical recordings, this re-release of Fournier and Gulda's 1960 recording is equally appropriate for listeners seeking their first recording of Beethoven's works for cello and piano. Fournier's commitment to the exploration of the Beethoven sonatas and variations is clear; he made three complete recordings of the works over the course of his career – the first with Artur Schnabel in 1947, this one with Friedrich Gulda in 1960, and finally with pianist Wilhelm Kempff in 1965.

This 10 CD set offers 11 live recitals given by 10 famous pianists in Switzerland from 1953 to 1993. Each pianist is credited by a single CD. Only Backhaus CD contains fragments from two different programs (1953 and 1960), all the other pianists are represented by a single program.

Born in Vienna in 1930, Friedrich Gulda started piano lessons at the age of seven. At 12 he enrolled in the Vienna Music Academy, and four years later he received first prize in the Geneva International Music Festival. In 1949 Gulda toured Europe and South America, earning international acclaim for his treatments of Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven, and the following year he made a successful debut at Carnegie Hall. He also began recording for Decca around this time. Gulda was often grouped with Jörg Demus and Paul Badura-Skoda; all were young Viennese pianists oriented toward the heart of the city's musical tradition.

This is the first of four releases that feature the SWR recordings of Friedrich Gulda. All recordings on this album are being released here for the first time. The recording of the "Inner Circle" on album 7 is to date the only one of Guldas jazz ensemble. The series contains, among solo repertoire and concerts, also compositions by Freidrich Gulda himself. The whole series is thus an extensive documentation of Guldas music universe. Friedrich Gulda began his career in music studying at the Vienna Music Academy. He went on to win first prize at the 1946 Geneva International Music Competition, and made his Carnegie Hall debut in 1950. While most renowned for his Mozart and Beethoven interpretations, he is also remembered for his free improvisation and jazz interests.

Gulda, a brilliant master of rhythm, uncompromising Bach interpreter and jazz musician, is heard at his best when performing Chopin, whose works appear in Guldas earliest concert programmes. His secret in playing Chopin with so much vitality lay in the inimitable mix of rhythmic strictness, cantabile tenderness and controlled outbursts. Beethoven was an important composer for Gulda. The theme and variation form afforded both of them the opportunity to demonstrate their respective abilities and showcase their remarkable skills. And what better showcase than the Diabelli Variations? Although this fourth instalment of the SWR Gulda Edition includes only well-known compositions, Friedrich Gulda's extraordinary sense of sound, sophisticated touch and rhythmic vitality coax new facets out of these works so that we hear them from a fresh perspective.