Wanda Landowska

[George]

I saw her Goldbergs on an EMI CD over the weekend, but wanted to seek out a better transfer on amazon. Just grabbed the last copy of this:



From Dubal's book on the Piano:

"Peter Yates wrote of Landowska's recording of the Bach Goldberg Variations that it "was an event as decisive for the future, and the recovery of the past of music, as the first performance of The Rite of Spring or the conception of the 12 tone method.""

Can't wait to hear this! Was it mastered by Seth Winner?

What are your favorite Landowska CDs?

[Mandryka]

On harpsichord I like her recording of the Rameau E minor suite (Pearl) and the FIRST recording Bach A major English Suite (Pearl) and Bach French Suite 6 (Pearl) and Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue and Couperin Livre 3 . On piano I like her Mozart PC22 and PC13 with Rodzinski and Mozart Sonatas K332 and (most of all)  K576

You may also like to hear her piano rolls of Beethoven's Sonata Op 26 ,   and the extraordinary late performance of Mozart sonata K333 which used to be available from Japan. Also the second Brandenburg Concerto with Cortot, which may have her playing harpsichord. Whatever, it is a very fine performance.

I wonder if anyone has her post war Haydn sonata recordings. If so I would appreciate a transfer and upload forthwith 

[zauberharfe]

I have an other Italian concerto recording, somewhat different from but equally interesting as the one released everywhere. I can upload it, of course lest you already have it.

1934.10.25 - Copenhagen

[Mandryka]

I saw her Goldbergs on an EMI CD over the weekend, but wanted to seek out a better transfer on amazon. Just grabbed the last copy of this:

I must say that I think the second recording of the Goldbergs she made for RCA is better. Is it the 1933 EMI on that Pearl CD or the second (1945 RCA)  recording?

Part of the issue with Landowska recordings is that post war she was often closely miked , making her instrument appear overwhelmingly enormous. In the past I've avoided these later recordings, because I thought the engineering destroyed the pleasure, as it were. But recently I have been gobsmacked by the quality of her playing Couperin in the 1940s recording on Pearl. It's very closely miked -- you have to turn fown the hi fi a lot -- but there's so much feeling in the slow pieces, and so much infectious rhythm in the fast music. Ditto for the RCA Goldbergs.




This is the Couperin which I like so much



By the way I'll just mention that if you are getting into this sort of great, fun,  harpsichord playing then you may enjoy hearing some of Raphael Puyana's ' early recordings, especially this

[George]

I must say that I think the second recording of the Goldbergs she made for RCA is better. Is it the 1933 EMI on that Pearl CD or the second (1945 RCA)  recording

It's the earlier one on EMI.

[Moonfish]

*bump*

Wanda Aleksandra Landowska (5 July 1879 – 16 August 1959) was a Polish-French harpsichordist whose performances, teaching, recordings and writings played a large role in reviving the popularity of the harpsichord in the early 20th century. She was the first person to record Johann Sebastian Bach's Goldberg Variations on the harpsichord (1933).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanda_Landowska



Anybody interested in exploring her performances and interpretations can't go wrong with this 8 cd box from United Archives (still available!! - amazingly):
US: https://smile.amazon.com/Wanda-Landowska-Well-Tempered-Musician-Recordings/dp/B005HO1W5Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1528063506&sr=8-1&keywords=B005HO1W5Q
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Well-tempered-Musician-Wanda-Landowska/dp/B005HO1W5Q/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1528063430&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=landowska+universal
DE: https://www.amazon.de/Well-Tempered-Musician-Wanda-Landowska/dp/B005HO1W5Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1528063607&sr=8-1&keywords=B005HO1W5Q

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

I have never liked Landowska for too many reasons, although, to be fair, I have not heard all of the recordings recommended here. I have always liked Puyana a great deal.

[Mookalafalas]

I just watched a documentary about Landowska. Interesting. She was quite a character. Not overburdened by modesty...