Claudio Arrau

[ccar]

It seems no matter how many recordings are made available, there are more to be discovered.

Here is a very fine recording of Debussy's Estampes by Arrau, from 1939.  Arrau made a series of recordings for Columbia around that time that are currently not available on CD (there are some difficult to find, out of print editions, notably from United Archives).

AFAIK Arrau only recorded one of the Estampes in 1939 - No.3 Jardins sur la pluie. This was originally a Parlophone 78 rpm, reissued in LP by EMI and latter as CD by various labels - including Marston 52023 (as referred by George).

In 1949 Arrau recorded the 3 Estampes for Columbia (originally Columbia US 78 rpm) and these "post-war" recordings were then reissued in LP by Columbia (ML2086 which cover is depicted above) and in CD (United Archives, Dante, Arlecchino,...).

And for those who like to compare there is another recording of the 3 Estampes (Philips 1980) and still a later recording of No.2 La soirée dans Grenade (Philips 1993)

[Scarpia]

Sorry, I corrected my typo, this release is from 1949 (not 1939, as I originally typed).  Despite the noisy surface on my copy, the sound of the piano is quite vivid in this old recording.

As was mentioned above, the recordings were released here.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Claudio-Arrau-Legend-Claude-Debussy/dp/B000J4P9Y4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352867605&sr=8-1

[sachs]

Want 'the best'? First go to Liszt Sonata live in Salzburg and in New York. Any recording you get by Arrau will be GEAVADthe best available. Regards.

[George]

Somewhat new release that didn't get mention here, so I thought I'd bring it up. It's dirt cheap. My copy is on the way. amazon link

[Pat B]

(Claudio Arrau "Rarities 1929-1951")
Somewhat new release that didn't get mention here, so I thought I'd bring it up. It's dirt cheap. My copy is on the way.

Wishlisted. I have heard good things about his early recordings but don't have any. Thanks for posting.

[George]

Wishlisted. I have heard good things about his early recordings but don't have any. Thanks for posting.

No problem.

I suggest you get the 2CD set on Marston ahead of this set, though. Better mastering and documentation.

[Pat B]

I suggest you get the 2CD set on Marston ahead of this set, though. Better mastering and documentation.

Oh, so you have heard the EMI/Warner "Rarities" set then?

[George]

Oh, so you have heard the EMI/Warner "Rarities" set then?

No, I haven't, sorry. I guess I am making an assumption based on past experience. The only time I have found an EMI mastering to have measured up to Ward Marston's work was in the Cortot Anniversary box, done by EMI France. There are a number of performances unique to both Arrau sets, however, so fans of the pianist will ultimately want both.

[Pat B]

No, I haven't, sorry. I guess I am making an assumption based on past experience. The only time I have found an EMI mastering to have measured up to Ward Marston's work was in the Cortot Anniversary box, done by EMI France. There are a number of performances unique to both Arrau sets, however, so fans of the pianist will ultimately want both.

Okay, thanks for the clarification. You may well be right -- at the very least, I suspect folks like Marston put more effort into remastering than the majors. However the EMI-Warner set has a longer and more appealing (for me) program and is cheaper to boot.

[George]

Okay, thanks for the clarification. You may well be right -- at the very least, I suspect folks like Marston put more effort into remastering than the majors. However the EMI-Warner set has a longer and more appealing (for me) program and is cheaper to boot.

All good points! Enjoy! 

[George]

Recently, we saw the Mozart Arrau Edition reissued in a budget Decca box.

What do folks think the likelihood is of them doing this with some of his other composer boxes in the Arrau Edition series?

[Jo498]

Yeah, except for the Beethoven (the 60s recordings came out in two slightly different boxes a few years ago after having been oop for quite a while) those cheapo boxes only had music I am not so interested in (Mozart sonatas, Liszt). I have been waiting for the Schumann (and even more) Brahms to re-appear for years now...

This is quite astonishing because I still remember that when I started listening to classical music in the late 1980s, Arrau was THE great old man, the noble grandseigneur of piano playing and his late recordings issued as high price single CDs by Philips, but the earlier stuff usually also available. Most of this (except the most central stuff like some Beethoven and Chopin) went oop fairly soon after his death.

[George]

Now enjoying CD 01 of this 12 CD set, which contains 1941 performances of Mozart and Bach works. The set covers his recordings for RCA and Columbia from 1941-1952. Folks who associate Arrau with slow, plodding readings should check out his youthful, animated playing here. The transfer, as with other discs in this set that I sampled, is good without being great. The booklet states that the transfers, editing, mixing and mastering were all done by Andreas Meyer. I compared some of the discs in this new set to transfers previously made for Naxos and the United Archives set, and this new set compares favorably. The Naxos (by Mark Obert-Thorn) has more surface noise, but the new set preserves most of the tone heard on the Naxos with much less noise. I wouldn't say one is better than the other, just different. The United Archives set sounds almost exactly the same as the material I compared from the new set, sound quality-wise, but the United Archives set is still desirable for Arrau fanatics, as it has the Beethoven Op. 81a piano sonata recording that is missing from this set. Liner notes in this set are by Jed Distler. Get this set!   

[Todd]

Get this set!

That seems like sound advice.  It's on my new year's shopping list.  Now, when will UMG do a comprehensive Arrau box.  I mean, they did it for Brendel.

[Parsifal]

Now enjoying CD 01 of this 11 CD set, which contains 1941 performances of Mozart and Bach works. The set covers his recordings for RCA and Columbia from 1941-1952. Folks who associate Arrau with slow, plodding readings should check out his youthful, animated playing here. The transfer, as with other discs in this set that I sampled, is good without being great. The booklet states that the transfers, editing, mixing and mastering were all done by Andreas Meyer. I compared some of the discs in this new set to transfers previously made for Naxos and the United Archives set, and this new set compares favorably. The Naxos (by Mark Obert-Thorn) has more surface noise, but the new set preserves most of the tone heard on the Naxos with much less noise. I wouldn't say one is better than the other, just different. The United Archives set sounds almost exactly the same as the material I compared from the new set, sound quality-wise, but the United Archives set is still desirable for Arrau fanatics, as it has the Beethoven Op. 81a piano sonata recording that is missing from this set. Liner notes in this set are by Jed Distler. Get this set!

I found a few of these recordings on Columbia 10" LPs and was mightily impressed. Jumped on this set as soon as it appeared, after despairing of ever getting hold of the United Archive release, which was out of print and virtually impossible to find used.

[George]

That seems like sound advice.  It's on my new year's shopping list.  Now, when will UMG do a comprehensive Arrau box.  I mean, they did it for Brendel.

I've bought a great deal of it already, so I'd be happy if they even just reissued all of the Arrau Heritage sets (like they did with the Mozart and Liszt sets.) The Arrau Heritage sets are crazy expensive these days. So far, I have his Chopin, Brahms, Liszt, Mozart and Schumann sets.

[George]

I found a few of these recordings on Columbia 10" LPs and was mightily impressed. Jumped on this set as soon as it appeared, after despairing of ever getting hold of the United Archive release, which was out of print and virtually impossible to find used.

I was lucky enough to find a new copy of the United Archives set last year.

[staxomega]

Someone has confirmed the new Complete Warner box is using Art&Son transfers which means this is a must have for me, if their past work is anything to go by. The Arrau Complete Philips box is among my most played boxes. Will put this Warner set in my heavy listening via Qobuz but before that kick it off with one of my favorite performances of op. 111 with the 1970 live recording from Paris.

[JBS]

Someone has confirmed the new Complete Warner box is using Art&Son transfers which means this is a must have for me, if their past work is anything to go by. The Arrau Complete Philips box is among my most played boxes. Will put this Warner set in my heavy listening via Qobuz but before that kick it off with one of my favorite performances of op. 111 with the 1970 live recording from Paris.

Other than the new mastering, what does it have that's not in the EMI Icon box, which I already have.

For reference--

[Spotted Horses]

Other than the new mastering, what does it have that's not in the EMI Icon box, which I already have.

For reference--

The contents are listed on presto. I think I noticed more than one set of Beethoven concertos. Probably more older mono recordings.