Rudolf Serkin

[George]

Now, No. 20 from Wolfie.  Not as well engineered as the Ormandy Schumann, but Serkin's performance sparkles. 

Interesting, this has to be the '57 recording listed here:
http://fischer.hosting.paran.com/music/music.htm

but my lp is numbered ML 5367.  Either way, it looks as if this may not be on cd?  What do you folks know?

That we're jealous of you. 

[Bogey]

That we're jealous of you. 

Odd though....not that the fact that you are jealous ....but that it is only on lp.  If you look through the discography he only has two recordings not to make it on disc.  This #20 and the Schumann PC with Ormandy in '46.  Odd that neither made their way to cd.

[Bogey]

 

What is the difference?

[Brian]

Bill, I don't know the box on top, but I have the box on the bottom and it contains some duplicates - for instance, a 1960 recording of Op. 110 which went unreleased for a very long time, to go with the more common 1970s recording. Then of course, the bottom box has the concertos and two different performances of the Choral Fantasy, one of them from Marlboro.

[Opus106]

Don't forget the Diabellis and sundry klavierstücke.

[DavidA]

 

What is the difference?

I think the difference is that one includes the piano concertos and the triple concerto too. In addtion Bagatelles and the Diabelli variations. The other just contains the sonatas that Serkin recorded for CBS. I have the box of sonatas. They are certainly well worth having. His playing can be a bit rough in places but there is an enormous authority and integrity with it. And Serkin was a tremendously exciting player of Beethoven's music.

[Mandryka]

There's an absolutely amazing, energetic, physical, bold, driven, edgy D958 here which I've only just discovered on spotify:

[Bogey]

There's an absolutely amazing, energetic, physical, bold, driven, edgy D958 here which I've only just discovered on spotify:

Not on any cds? 

[George]

Not on any cds?

I have read that it is OOP, but it can be downloaded here (for those who aren't in the USA) in MP3 format: http://www.classicsonline.com/catalogue/product.aspx?pid=1417504

And here worldwide (I think) in MP3 here: http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Archiphon/ARC-105

Serkin's very first sound recordings are from 1928. These original piano rolls have been digitally recorded on the Steinway Welte piano of the late Edwin Welte, founder and inventor of the Welte recording system.

,,The recital of the young Rudolf Serkin offers stereophonic sound which exceeds the interpretational aesthetic of all earlier piano roll recordings." (Handelsblatt)

,,The result: a glass clear, unsentimental Goldberg Variations (a work which Serkin once played - a full 32 minutes in length - as an encore); an extraordinarily austere, but in no way mechanical or insensitive Schubert Sonata; and, a rarity - as Serkin no longer played Chopin after 1940 - three Chopin Etudes." (Basler Zeitung)

[George]

I know that the new, bare-bones set has excluded mono-versions wherever a stereo re-make existed... which I believe is *every* incidence. But if/where two stereo-remakes existed, I don't know if they put both on (such as with op.110) and that therefore it goes to reason that every recording that was in stereo on the "Unpublished" set is necessarily included on this set, too, or not.

Meanwhile, thanks much for your information which will be greatly helpful if we now can have someone compare those dates with the dates on their "Unpublished" set.

Serkin - The Unreleased Studio Recordings
- Except where noted, all sonatas were recorded at Columbia Records 30th Street Studio, New York City.
- Those sonatas with an asterisk were new to the Serkin discography when this set came out in 1994.

Op. 2/1 - October 7, 1970 *
Op. 10/2 - October 7, 1970 *
Op. 26 - December 8, 1970 *
Op. 27/1 - December 7, 1970 *
Op. 31/1 - December 8, 1970 *
Op. 53 - September 24-26, 1975 (recorded at Guilford, Vermont)
Op. 109 - June 8, 1976
Op. 110 - August 28, 1960 (recorded at Marlboro, Vermont (and the best Op. 110 I have ever heard))
Op. 111 - March 15-16, 1967

[kishnevi]

The 11 CD RS Plays B Sony budget box released in 2012 uses all the performances in the Unpublished box, plus  a 1971 performance of Op. 110.  The only other duplication involves PC4.

(Cross posted from the Sonatas thread)

[George]

What set is the White Box?

This 5CD set on Columbia Legends contains all of Serkin's stereo Beethoven recordings for Sony, compiling the three releases pictured above it, except for the Fantasy from the Essential Classics CD and the 1960 Op. 110 from the "Unreleased Box." The 5CD has a later recording of Op. 110, from 1971. Much of this 5CD set is simply OK. This includes Op. 26, 31/1, 57, 78, 81a, 101 and 110. In these sonatas, his technical ability was either beginning to decline or had already declined. As for the better performances, I thought that the Op. 111 was far and away the best of the lot. His Serkinian power and solidity in the first movement led to a tender and profound second movement. The Moonlight, which also can be found coupled with his Appassionata, Pathetique and Les Adieux on a single disc was excellent. I thought the Op. 109, 22, 13, 10/2 and Hammerklavier were also excellent. I don't think I've heard anyone generate the wall of sound that Serkin creates at the start of his Hammerklavier. I was simply awestruck! This one is also available as a single disc (used) on Sony Essential Classics. His Op. 2/1 and 27/1 were not quite as good, but still recommendable and enjoyable. So overall, more strengths than weaknesses IMO, so I recommend the set as a whole. These recordings were made between 1962 and 1977. Luckily, many of them are available at an earlier point in his career when he was at his peak.

[kishnevi]

You got me confuzzled, George!
Is there anything in the White Box not in the Masters budget box?

[George]

You got me confuzzled, George!
Is there anything in the White Box not in the Masters budget box?

I don't know, I don't have the masters box.

[Jo498]

From George's info in #69 I think the "white box" is a subset of the newer "Serkin plays Beethoven" box. What's missing either way are some mono recordings where I do not know about availability at all. I think there was a Music and Arts box with some of them; pretty sure that someone raved about a much better Waldstein than the late stereo one (but I am not avid enough as a Serkin collector to hunt for these things). I have a 1940s op.13 (as well as op. 109 and maybe another one) on a cheapo "membran" (or similar) issue that is even wilder than the early 1960s recording. Serkin was probably the first pianists (Schiff is another one) who played the repeat of the slow "grave" part in the first movement (it's philologically dubious either way but makes musical sense, I think) and overall I am quite fond of his interpretation of this sonata.

[George]

Jo498 - I wrote an extensive post that summarizes all of the Serkin Beethoven (mono and stereo) releases at the beginning of this thread. That's where the info about the white box came from. As I said in that post, I think the mono Serkin Beethoven sonata recordings all better their stereo counterparts.

[kishnevi]

From George's info in #69 I think the "white box" is a subset of the newer "Serkin plays Beethoven" box. What's missing either way are some mono recordings where I do not know about availability at all. I think there was a Music and Arts box with some of them; pretty sure that someone raved about a much better Waldstein than the late stereo one (but I am not avid enough as a Serkin collector to hunt for these things). I have a 1940s op.13 (as well as op. 109 and maybe another one) on a cheapo "membran" (or similar) issue that is even wilder than the early 1960s recording. Serkin was probably the first pianists (Schiff is another one) who played the repeat of the slow "grave" part in the first movement (it's philologically dubious either way but makes musical sense, I think) and overall I am quite fond of his interpretation of this sonata.

Thank you!  It seems I don't need the Legends since I have the Masters.

[Holden]

Jo498 - I wrote an extensive post that summarizes all of the Serkin Beethoven (mono and stereo) releases at the beginning of this thread. That's where the info about the white box came from. As I said in that post, I think the mono Serkin Beethoven sonata recordings all better their stereo counterparts.

I agree especially the Waldstein which is peerless IMO

[DavidA]

If you've the later Beethoven concertos try Serkin's recording of no 4 with Toscanini. An incredible performance that keeps you on the edge of your seat with Serkin showing fantastic virtuosity.

[George]

If you've the later Beethoven concertos try Serkin's recording of no 4 with Toscanini. An incredible performance that keeps you on the edge of your seat with Serkin showing fantastic virtuosity.

Ordered!