Label: Pearl Classical

Francis Poulenc - Poulenc d'après Poulenc (1988) {Pearl GEMM CD 9311}
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© 1988 Pearl | GEMM CD 9311
Classical / 20th Century / Chamber Music / Neo-Romantic / Piano / Historical

Francis Poulenc (1899 – 1963) was a French composer almost as famous for his personal life as his music, including his Gloria and piano works. Born in Paris in 1899, Poulenc's mother was an amateur pianist who taught him to play. As a young composer, he was influenced by musicians like Debussy, Satie, and Stravinsky - he caught the latter's attention with his first surviving composition, Rapsodie Nègre, written in 1917.

Dame Clara Butt - 'Abide with Me' (2000) {Pearl GEM 0081 rec 1910-1930}
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© 1910-30, 2000 Pearl | GEM 0081
Classical / Vocals / Opera / Operetta / Folk / Historical

Even though Dame Clara Butt engaged in operatic performances at venues such as Covent Garden, her fame was founded in her appearances on the concert stage as well as at festivals. Celebrated for her sturdy and broad lower range, she achieved musical success in Britain quickly after she completed her academic studies. She went on to lead a charmed life, eventually marrying and touring with the prominent baritone Kennerley Rumford.

Béla Bartók - Bartók Plays Bartók, Bartók At The Piano 1929-1941 (1995) {Pearl GEMM CD 9166}
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© 1929-41, 1991 Pearl ‎| GEMM CD 9166
Classical / Early 20th Century / Modern / Piano

Hungarian composer Bela Bartok (born in Romania) was an innovative composer in his day and along with Gyorgy Ligeti is highly regarded as one of the greatest composers to come out of Hungary in the 20th century. While a majority of Bartok's works are timeless classics in modern Classical repertoire, recordings are Bartok performing his own music are extremely rare to find these days. This is what makes the "Bartok Plays Bartok" disc from Pearl Records such a treat to listen to. The recordings on this disc date from between 1929 and 1941 and display Bartok's gifts as a solid pianist in their fullest. His pianistic attack and full command of the instrument comes through in every piece included here.

Aaron Copland & Leonard Bernstein - The Composer As Performer (1997) {Pearl GEMM CD9279 rec 1933-1944}
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© 1933-44, 1997 Pavilion Records / Pearl | GEMM CD 9279
Classical / Early 20th Century / Historical / Piano

Copland never performed other people's piano music in public, but he was an excellent player of his own music. His 1935 78s of his own spiky, wonderful Piano Variations have never been surpassed. This CD collects most of Copland's prewar 78s, adds a piano transcription of Appalachian Spring (well played by someone, but the provenance seems dubious), and concludes with Leonard Bernstein's first recording. As a program it's a bit scattered, but the individual items are important. Some of the dubs are noisy, but the sound is good enough throughout so that we can enjoy a major document of American music.

George Gershwin plays George Gershwin (1991) {2CD Set, Pearl GEMM CDS 9483}
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© 1991 Pearl | GEMM CDS 9483
Classical / Jazz / Early 20th Century / Piano / Historical

The first of these two discs gathers all Gershwin's commercially issued discs as a pianist, including the two abridged Rhapsody in Blue traversals, Gershwin accompanying the Astaire siblings, and twelve solo sides. Hearing the composer play his own music is like getting your ears cleaned out from 75 years of interpretive maulings. Gershwin's crisp touch, clear-cut and unsentimental phrasing, and rhythmic verve comes through more convincingly in these flat discs than in his much-vaunted piano rolls. Also included are the composer-supervised first recordings of An American in Paris and selections from Porgy & Bess, along with a flawed yet revelatory aircheck of Gershwin playing the finale of his concerto. No Gershwin lover should be without this important collection.

Mother of Pearl is the first duo album from composers Sarah Davachi and Sean McCann. Two people, a couple, recording together at home. A slow, autumnal album made with no preconceptions or planning. Intimate, intended for ourselves.

Povla Frijsh - The Complete Recordings, 1926-1942 (1994) {2CD Set, Pearl GEMM CD 9095}
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© 1994 Pearl | GEMM CD 9095
Classical / Vocal / Opera / Historical

Published & Unpublished, plus Broadcast Performances, 1926-42; plus speech recordings, 1943-55. Elaborate 103pp. brochure features extensive biographies, reminiscences, Photos & Definitive Discography. Povla Frijsh (3 August 1881 - 10 July 1960) was a Danish classical soprano and voice teacher. She mainly sang in concerts and recitals; although she did make a few opera appearances at the Paris Opera and the Royal Danish Theatre. She was a champion of contemporary classical music, and was an important exponent of the works of Virgil Thomson, Randall Thompson, Francis Poulenc, Rebecca Clarke, and Samuel Barber. After a 49-year-long performance career, she retired from singing in 1947. Her notable pupils included Adele Addison, Jean Kraft, and Cornelius L. Reid.

Francesco Tamagno - The Complete Recordings and Three Unpublished Recordings (1990) {Pearl-Opal CD 9846 rec 1903-1904}
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© 1903-04, 1990 Opal / Pearl | Opal CD 9846
Classical / Opera / Tenor / Italian Music

Francesco Tamagno (28 December 1850 – 31 August 1905) was an Italian operatic tenor who sang with enormous success throughout Europe and America. On 5 February 1887, he sang Otello in the first performance of Giuseppe Verdi's opera. He is also the earliest Italian tenor of note to have left a sizeable body of recordings of his voice.