Claudio Arrau

[George]

There's a 1938 recording of 10/3 on Music and Arts which is radically different in conception from the 1964. It's impressive,  particularly for the ebb and flow between fast and slow passages in the first movement. The reading is more mercurial. You lose some of the nobility maybe of the 1964 -- but only maybe. I think the 1938 is one of the great Beethoven sonata recordings.

There's also a 10/3 on DVD from a 1977 Bonn concert which I haven't heard.

And there's also a 10/3 in the new EMI Icon box from 1958-59. He must have loved this work.

[George]

"For me, interpretation is the process of interpenetration between the world of the composer and the world of the interpreter. The interpreter gives his blood to the work, so to speak, without which he wouldn't exist. I think that an ideal interpretation is one which consists in an equal sharing between the creation of the composer and the creation of the performer -- that requires that the latter study the manuscripts, first editions, biographies etc. Claudio  Arrau, 11 July 1961"

Very cool quote, thanks for sharing. More proof of why I love this pianist.

[Mandryka]

And there's also a 10/3 in the new EMI Icon box from 1958-59. He must have loved this work.

Sorry I meant 2/3 not 10/3 -- I've edited the post. As it happens he recorded 10/3 in Germany in 1938 too -- and that's very good. I'll get round to listeningt o the 10/3s later.

[Mandryka]

The largo of Op 7 in the 1985 recording is quite different in conception from the 1964. I'm not sure what to say about it: it's very strange and I need time to think.

I think the later record is a majorly interesting artefact, more so that the earlier one. True the first movement is slightly more alluring in the 1964, because it's energetic. But the third movement in the 1985 has a real Haydnesque buffo feel. And I like the lyricism and the intensity  he finds in the rondo. The 1964 is just fine as a reading, but the 1985 is somehow more interesting, even if at the end of the day it isn't a complete success.

[Mandryka]

I have 5 Arrau recordings of Op 10/3 -- 1938, 1958, 1964, 1973 and 1985.

In terms of conception he's pretty consistent except for a slight lengthening of the largo to Schnabel style duration. I don't like any of the studio recordings much in fact. The 1985 seems the least interesting to me: slightly stiff and uninspired in the faster music and almost unbearable for me in the largo, which seems overworked, overnuanced. The 1958 and 1964 are less offensive - I like the way he plays the first movement for EMI; I like the way he plays the largo for the Philips Analogue.

The 1938 has good sound and is a very fine performance -- you can hear that distinctive Arrau tone a  bit even in the early recording. The tempos are faster than post war and many would say that that's no bad thing. It's a radio concert performance.

My favourite  is the 1973 -- by far. This is one of the  Arrau performances that I really treasure -- spontaneous, fiery, passionate, beautiful tone (the live concert recording on Hansler is excellent), a sense of inevitability to the flow of the music, a sense of ebb and flow, a coherence, a unity.

Mandryka's list of favourite Arrau Beethoven so far:

2/1 -- Philips Digital
2/2 -- Philips Analogue
2/3 -- 1938
7 -- Philips Digital
10/3 -- Hansler

[George]

I have 5 Arrau recordings of Op 10/3 -- 1938, 1958, 1964, 1973 and 1985.

In terms of conception he's pretty consistent except for a slight lengthening of the largo to Schnabel style duration. I don't like any of the studio recordings much in fact. The 1985 seems the least interesting to me: slightly stiff and uninspired in the faster music and almost unbearable for me in the largo, which seems overworked, overnuanced. The 1958 and 1964 are less offensive - I like the way he plays the first movement for EMI; I like the way he plays the largo for the Philips Analogue.

The 1938 has good sound and is a very fine performance -- you can hear that distinctive Arrau tone a  bit even in the early recording. The tempos are faster than post war and many would say that that's no bad thing. It's a radio concert performance.

My favourite  is the 1973 -- by far. This is one of the  Arrau performances that I really treasure -- spontaneous, fiery, passionate, beautiful tone (the live concert recording on Hansler is excellent), a sense of inevitability to the flow of the music, a sense of ebb and flow, a coherence, a unity.

Mandryka's list of favourite Arrau Beethoven so far:

2/1 -- Philips Digital
2/2 -- Philips Analogue
2/3 -- 1938
7 -- Philips Digital
10/3 -- Hansler

Thanks for summarizing. What label is that 1938 Opus 2/3 and 10/3 on?

[DieNacht]

Interesting posts, thanks.

[Mandryka]

Thanks for summarizing. What label is that 1938 Opus 2/3 and 10/3 on?

Music and Arts

[George]

Listening to some of this before bedtime. Picked up this OOP set tonight for $50 at a local used shop. Boy, Arrau sure could bring out the poetry in Liszt, while at the same time possessing the requisite power and technique. Great depth and beauty in his Liszt, for sure.

[Renfield]

I'm not sure if it's been mentioned, but Arrau's Brahms piano concerti with Giulini are included in the recently reissued EMI set, and the first in particular is pretty stunning, even for Arrau's stellar standards in the Romantic concerto repertoire.




Edit: And here as well, it would seem.

[bwv1052]

Arrua's Beethoven recordings are outstanding!...first time I saw him was on tv as a kid and he played the Waldstein...still my favorite guy for this sonata, any time he played it

[George]

I've been listening to his Schumann the last few days (the Philips recordings) and they are wonderful! This guy was awesome!

[Mandryka]

What were you listening to?

He was really proud of the Davidsbundlertanze he made for Philips (I think he said he thought it was his best recording or something like that)

Outside of the Philips recordings, I like the 1946 Kreisleriana (for Columbia) a lot. I haven't heard the Philips one.  Also there's a good live Fantasy on Aura which is especially memorable in the electric coda to the second movement, and the delicate raptness of the primo. Again I haven't heard the Philips  Fantasy or the BBC one.

And I played the live Symphonic Studies from Prague a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it.

[George]

What were you listening to?

Much of the Philips set.

I like the 1946 Kreisleriana (for Columbia) a lot.

Where is that available?

[Mandryka]

Much of the Philips set.

Where is that available?

The Kreisliana? You can find it ar musique ouverte I think -- let me know if it's not there any more. Cortot's Kreisleriana was there too, which is quite a contentious and unorthodox interpretation. I prefer Cortot's to Arrau's and prefer Sofronitsky's to both 

[Herman]

Much of the Philips set.

Where is that available?

Most recently it was in the United Archives box, which should be around in places, I guess.

And it may come back on the market when United Archives gets back into business.

[George]

The Kreisliana? You can find it ar musique ouverte I think -- let me know if it's not there any more. Cortot's Kreisleriana was there too, which is quite a contentious and unorthodox interpretation. I prefer Cortot's to Arrau's and prefer Sofronitsky's to both 

I prefer Natan Brand's studio recording for that work.

[George]

Found a great photo of Arrau and wanted to share it:

[Scarpia]

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 1949.  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).

http://www.mediafire.com/?gdx4j7og4g8x05k
http://www.mediafire.com/?nb3m3ipfplg5d5h
http://www.mediafire.com/?zdrnllgl2o48u8a

(raw transferes from a 10 inch LP, with no attempt at repair or noise reduction).



As you can see, this recording cost me $1.00.

[George]

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

Here is a very find 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).

http://www.mediafire.com/?gdx4j7og4g8x05k
http://www.mediafire.com/?nb3m3ipfplg5d5h
http://www.mediafire.com/?zdrnllgl2o48u8a

(raw transferes from a 10 inch LP, with no attempt at repair or noise reduction).

Many thanks for that! 

Edit: looks like (only) one of the three were issued on Marston in a release titled "The Complete Pre-War recordings."

http://www.marstonrecords.com/arrau/arrau_tracks.htm