Clifford Curzon

[George]

We don't have a thread for this fine pianist, so I thought I would start one, having just bought this box set.

What are your favorite Curzon recordings? I have only heard a little from him, but what I have heard has been excellent.

[Atriod]

Outside of the Mozart Piano Concerti and a recording of him with in the Trout Quintet I've never enjoyed his recordings. He comes across as too constrained / boxed in, really lacking in spontaneity.

[Mandryka]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YBTshRYyeUs

[Mandryka]

[/quote]

Outside of the Mozart Piano Concerti and a recording of him with in the Trout Quintet I've never enjoyed his recordings. He comes across as too constrained / boxed in, really lacking in spontaneity.

One of the ones I like is the Schubert 960 on Orfeo.

[vandermolen]

The Falla and the Rawsthorne are favourites of mine. They feature in an earlier Decca boxed set.

[Holden]

The D960 was my seminal version and I liked it. However it has been surpassed by so many other recordings that I've never listened to it for a very long time.

[pjme]

I have a question about Willem Pijpers third symphony, included in this DECCA box:

Although the piano has a prominent role in this work, I think that it is very doubtful that Curzon is the pianist.

Pijpers symphony is not a "symphonie concertante" (cfr. Szymanowsky 4 or Florent Schmitt).
The piano part (partly even " à quatre mains") is only coloristic, not very difficult,  definitely not a vehicle for a soloist of Curzons status or fame.
On the original Decca LP, one can read Pijpers own words: this symphony is definitely not a concerto! - Moreover that original Decca LP does not mention Curzon at all...!

Pijper Decca LP

Could Curzon have done a favor to van Beinum while recording Brahms first concerto in that same period?
That would have been well documented news, I suppose.
I did some research:
nor the Van Beinum archives nor the Koncert gebouw Orchestra archives have documents that would/could prove Curzon performed this minor part in a - for him- very unusual composition.

Why is the second pianist not mentioned?

Is this a mistake? Sloppy editing by DECCA? I think so.
What do you think?

I was at this performance in Utrecht:

[Mandryka]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YBTshRYyeUs

 @Florestan and @premont -- I think you should both try to speak English with the Curzon accent.

[Florestan]

@Florestan and @premont -- I think you should both try to speak English with the Curzon accent.

But, Howard, I've always spoken English like that. 

[prémont]

@Florestan and @premont -- I think you should both try to speak English with the Curzon accent.

Oh no, I'm asking for permission to continue speaking English with my unmistakable Danish accent.

[George]

I have a question about Willem Pijpers third symphony, included in this DECCA box:

Although the piano has a prominent role in this work, I think that it is very doubtful that Curzon is the pianist.

Pijpers symphony is not a "symphonie concertante" (cfr. Szymanowsky 4 or Florent Schmitt).
The piano part (partly even " à quatre mains") is only coloristic, not very difficult,  definitely not a vehicle for a soloist of Curzons status or fame.
On the original Decca LP, one can read Pijpers own words: this symphony is definitely not a concerto! - Moreover that original Decca LP does not mention Curzon at all...!

Pijper Decca LP

Could Curzon have done a favor to van Beinum while recording Brahms first concerto in that same period?
That would have been well documented news, I suppose.
I did some research:
nor the Van Beinum archives nor the Koncert gebouw Orchestra archives have documents that would/could prove Curzon performed this minor part in a - for him- very unusual composition.

Why is the second pianist not mentioned?

Is this a mistake? Sloppy editing by DECCA? I think so.
What do you think?

I can confirm that the booklet clearly indicates Beinum as conductor, Curzon as piano obbligato, but does not mention a second pianist.

It is also listed similarly in this earlier set: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000JU7N8I/classicalne06-20/?redirectFromSmile=1#aw-udpv3-customer-reviews_feature_div

[Florestan]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YBTshRYyeUs

Very interesting, thanks for posting it. Great choices. I particularly liked Helene Gerhardt's Brahms and Paderewski's Schumann.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Hearing his Mozart concertos are what got me scrambling to hear more of his recordings, which is why I picked up the set in my OP.

I enjoyed his LvB PC5 and Tchaikovsky PC1 with Szell earlier today and tonight I listened to his Schubert D850m in which I hear some of what you described, though I mostly hear it as being a solid, reliable understanding of the music. At any rate, I am excited to listen to more of the set. 

Like you, I love his Mozart piano concertos.  Someone (years ago) had recommended this 2-CD set to me.  Glad that I purchased it!



From what I recall, I've also enjoyed his Schubert and some other works.  I don't have the huge set that you have, but some years ago, I purchased CD sets (four in total) entitled "Clifford Curzon:  Decca Recordings" Volumes 1 - 4.  There are between 4 - 7 CDs in each set.

PD

[vandermolen]

This is a fine set which features the Falla and Rawsthorne recordings:

[Pohjolas Daughter]

This is a fine set which features the Falla and Rawsthorne recordings:

Yep!  That's one of the four volumes that I was referring to. 

PD

[pjme]

I can confirm that the booklet clearly indicates Beinum as conductor, Curzon as piano obbligato, but does not mention a second pianist.

It is also listed similarly in this earlier set: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000JU7N8I/classicalne06-20/?redirectFromSmile=1#aw-udpv3-customer-reviews_feature_div

Well, the booklets don't convince me. 

[Mandryka]

Hearing his Mozart concertos are what got me scrambling to hear more of his recordings, which is why I picked up the set in my OP.

There's a recording I have of K491 with Giulini in Chicago which is extraordinary really. Curzon obviously specialised in this concerto and left behind a considerable legacy of performances,

[Pohjolas Daughter]

@Florestan and @premont -- I think you should both try to speak English with the Curzon accent.

I'm getting a kick out of listening to his interview on Desert Island Choices!  He cracked me up on his very detailed description of what the desert island would look like (including a discussion with his doctor).  Also loved his recollection about an encounter with Britten and what BB said about Mozart.

PD

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I have a question about Willem Pijpers third symphony, included in this DECCA box:

Although the piano has a prominent role in this work, I think that it is very doubtful that Curzon is the pianist.

Pijpers symphony is not a "symphonie concertante" (cfr. Szymanowsky 4 or Florent Schmitt).
The piano part (partly even " à quatre mains") is only coloristic, not very difficult,  definitely not a vehicle for a soloist of Curzons status or fame.
On the original Decca LP, one can read Pijpers own words: this symphony is definitely not a concerto! - Moreover that original Decca LP does not mention Curzon at all...!

Pijper Decca LP

Could Curzon have done a favor to van Beinum while recording Brahms first concerto in that same period?
That would have been well documented news, I suppose.
I did some research:
nor the Van Beinum archives nor the Koncert gebouw Orchestra archives have documents that would/could prove Curzon performed this minor part in a - for him- very unusual composition.

Why is the second pianist not mentioned?

Is this a mistake? Sloppy editing by DECCA? I think so.
What do you think?

I was at this performance in Utrecht:

I found this (from a listing on eBay).  It's a photo of the back cover liner notes from that LXT LP.  Regarding piano:  "The use of the piano is so considerable that it has been suggested that the work should have been called a concerto, but, as the composer himself pointed out, this instrument has too integral a part in the orchestration and too little display to allow of such a description.  Nevertheless, it does make a very considerable contribution to the character of the work.  It will be noted in this connection that the enunciations of the first of the three germ-cells in the opening bars of the work is given to this instrument.  Another notable characteristic of the orchestration is the very original and effective use of the percussion instruments."

And no, there is no mention of Curzon on the LP.  But I don't think that it doesn't mean that he didn't play on it.  Just my thoughts.

PD

[George]

Anyone know why Curzon recorded a number of Mozart concertos multiple times (for the same label!)?

For Decca, he recorded:

PC 23 - 4 times
PC 27 - 3 times
PC 24 - 2 times