Icac 克劳迪奥·阿劳 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.
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Maestro's Claudio Arrau radio broadcast performance of Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Orchestre national de France, conducted by Witold Rowicki in Lausanne.