Claudio Rosssi

Claudio Arrau (1903-1991) is a pianist fully deserving of the epithet ‘legendary’. His rigorous intellect and sense of the sublime found expression in his transcendent technique and sumptuous, yet lucid sonorities.

The pianist Claudio Arrau fully deserves the epithet "legendary": a sovereign technical command, a deep patience and a gravitation towards weighty matters, enriched by his study with 'philosopher pianists' such as Busoni and Martin Krause.

Claudio Arrau (1903-1991) is a pianist fully deserving of the epithet 'legendary'. His rigorous intellect and sense of the sublime found expression in his transcendent technique and sumptuous, yet lucid sonorities. The recordings in the recently released 24CD collection - made for Columbia Graphophone, Electrola, HMV, Parlophone and Telefunken between 1921 and 1962 - represent a significant portion of his legacy and are indispensable to his extensive discography.

This first complete recording of the rarely performed Naples version of Claudio Monteverdi‘s L‘incoronazione di Poppea examines the familiar story about love, seduction and power from a new perspective, and enthrals with its passion and gusto. Both the music and text differ from the earlier, ‘Venice’ version from 1643 in many places, enabling the story of Poppea and the Emperor Nero to be experienced in a fresh and thrilling way. Beautifully played on historical instruments by the Cantus Firmus Consort under the direction of Andreas Reize, who is the new Thomaskantor in Leipzig since September 2021, this elaborate CD production was created within the framework of the production at Waldegg Castle / Solothurn in summer 2021.

Only rarely do musicians win fame a great interpreters of everything they touch.

He was one of the most important virtuosos in the world, and his ingenuity is still undisputed – well over twenty years after his death – as are the standards he set with many of his recordings.

This collection combines Claudio Arrau’s best recordings of Chopin, including the iconic complete set of Études, the third piano sonata, and various rare pieces from the 78-rpm era.

FHR Remasters. Released as a 5CD box set and on all digital platforms: 27 June 2025. Booklet notes by Jonathan Summers.