THE LISZT LEGACY - ARRAU, DE LARROCHA, LEWENTHAL, MOISEIWITCH, PETRI (10 CDs)

The pièce de résistance of Deutsche Grammophon’s Liszt 200th anniversary celebration is a 10-CD box that brings together five great piano virtuosos of the past in a staggeringly display of virtuosity and “old-style” pianism – quite unlike anything else on offer in Liszt Year.

The artists – Claudio Arrau, Alicia de Larrocha, Raymond Lewenthal, Benno Moiseiwitch and Egon Petri - can be regarded as Liszt’s heirs for their astounding virtuosic command, for having created a repertoire of their own, or for having studied with Liszt’s own pupils or grand-pupils. The excellent booklet essay by Jed Distler sets out the very convincing rationale behind the choices.

The box draws exclusively on recordings from the American Decca and Westminster labels, most of which have never been released on CD, and, in the case of Claudio Arrau, are now being released for the very first time.

Painstakingly restored, the recordings, from the 1950s and early 1960s, both mono and stereo, have come up wonderfully well. Arrau plays previously unreleased Beethoven (five favourite sonatas) and Chopin; De Larrocha offers pristine accounts of her core repertoire of Granados, Turina and Mompou; Lewenthal has scintillating Scriabin, an incandescent programme of Toccatas and Encores; Moiseiwitch, in his last recorded sessions (New York, 1961), ranges from Beethoven and Schumann to Mussorgsky; and Petri unfolds an unforgettable programme of Liszt and Busoni. Each artist has two CDs to display his or her powers. A summary of content is below.

this is an enthralling collection which pianophiles will relish...carefully annotated and handsomely presented. We must hope for further treasures from the same source: the Decca vaults are deep. --GRAMOPHONE

Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat major, Op. 106 'Hammerklavier'
Claudio Arrau (piano)
Recorded: 1954

1. Allegro
2. Scherzo (Assai vivace - Presto - Prestissimo - Tempo I)
3. Adagio sostenuto
4. Largo - Allegro risoluto

Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 'Pathetique'
Claudio Arrau (piano)
Recorded: 1954

1. Grave - Allegro di molto e con brio
2. Adagio cantabile
3. Rondo (Allegro)

Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2 ‘Moonlight'
Claudio Arrau (piano)
Recorded: 1954

1. Adagio sostenuto
2. Allegretto
3. Presto agitato

Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 'Appassionata'
Claudio Arrau (piano)
Recorded: 1954

1. Allegro assai
2. Andante con moto
3. Allegro ma non troppo

Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 26 in E flat major, Op. 81a 'Les Adieux'
Claudio Arrau (piano)
Recorded: 1954

1. Das Lebewohl (Adagio - Allegro)
2. Abwesenheit (Andante espressivo)
3. Das Wiedersehen (Vivacissimamente)

Chopin: Fantasia in F minor, Op. 49
Claudio Arrau (piano)
Recorded: 1954

Turina: Danzas fantásticas, Op. 22
Alicia de Larrocha (piano)
Recorded: 1953-11-03

1. Exaltación
2. Ensueño
3. Orgía

Turina: Preludios, Op.80 (Ciclo pianistico, VII)
Alicia de Larrocha (piano)
Recorded: 1953-11-03

1. Adagio
2. Allegretto
3. Allegro giusto
4. Allegretto
5. Adagio - Allegro vivo

Turina: Souvenirs de l’Ancienne Espagne, Op. 48
Alicia de Larrocha (piano)
Recorded: 1953-11-03

1. La eterna Carmen
2. Habanera
3. Don Juan
4. Estudiantina

Turina: Partita, Op. 57
Alicia de Larrocha (piano)
Recorded: 1953-11-03

1. Preludio
2. Zarabanda
3. Capricho
4. Introducción y giga

Granados: Escenas romanticas
Alicia de Larrocha (piano)
Recorded: 1956-01-11

1. Mazurka
2. Berceuse
3. Lento con extasis
4. Allegretto
5. Allegretto appassionato
6. Epilogo: Andantino spianato

Granados: Goyescas (piano suite)
Alicia de Larrocha (piano)
Recorded: 1955-05-01

1. Los requiebros
2. Coloquio en la reja
3. El Fandango del Candi
4. Allegretto
5. Allegretto appassionato
6. Epilogo: Andantino spianato


Mompou: Impresiones Intimas
Alicia de Larrocha (piano)
Recorded: 1955

1. Planys I
2. Planys II
3. Planys III
4. Quejas ó la maja y el ruiseñor
5. El amor y la muerte (Balada)
6. Epilogo (Serenata del espectro)
7. El pelele (Escena goyesca)



Scriabin: Preludes (24), Op. 11
Raymond Lewenthal (piano)
Recorded: 1956-06-05

No. 1 in C
No. 5 in D
No. 7 in A
No. 9 in E
No. 20 in C minor
No. 12 in G sharp minor
No. 11 in B
No. 18 in F minor
No. 10 in C sharp minor
No. 13 in G flat
No. 19 in E flat
No. 4 in E minor
No. 3 in G
No. 16 in B flat minor
No. 17 in A flat
No. 14 in E flat minor
No. 15 in D flat
No. 8 in F sharp minor
No. 2 in A minor
No. 21 in B flat
No. 6 in B minor
No. 22 in G minor
No. 23 in F
No. 24 in D minor


Scriabin: Preludes (5), Op. 74
Raymond Lewenthal (piano)


No.1
No.2
No.3
No.4
No.5

Scriabin: Fantasy in B minor, Op. 28
Raymond Lewenthal (piano)
Recorded: 1956-06-05

Scriabin: Vers la flamme, Op. 72
Raymond Lewenthal (piano)
Recorded: 1956-06-05

anon.: Greensleeves to a Ground for Treble Recorder and Continuo - Greensleeves
Raymond Lewenthal (piano)
Recorded: 1957-07

Greensleeves

Saint-Saëns: Le Carnaval des Animaux - Paraphrase by Godowsky
Raymond Lewenthal (piano), Leopold Godowsky (work arranger)
Recorded: 1957-07

XIII The Swan

Felix Mendelssohn, Franz Liszt: On The Wings Of Song Opus 34 No.2
Raymond Lewenthal (piano)
Recorded: 1957-07

Rachmaninov: How Beautiful It Is Here (Zdes' khorosho), Op.21, No.7 - How Fair This Spot
Raymond Lewenthal (piano)
Recorded: 1957-07

How Fair This Spot

Schumann: Toccata in C major, Op. 7
Raymond Lewenthal (piano)
Recorded: 1955-07


Alkan: Toccatina in C minor, Op.75
Raymond Lewenthal (piano)
Recorded: 1955-07


Czerny: Toccata in C Major, Op.92
Raymond Lewenthal (piano)
Recorded: 1955-07

Azzolini della Ciaia: Toccata in G minor
Raymond Lewenthal (piano)
Recorded: 1955-07


Bach, J S: Toccata in C minor, BWV911
Raymond Lewenthal (piano)
Recorded: 1955-07


Prokofiev: Toccata in D minor, Op. 11
Raymond Lewenthal (piano)
Recorded: 1955-07

 Excerpt, Debussy: Pour le piano
Raymond Lewenthal (piano)
Recorded: 1955-07

3. Toccata

 Excerpt, Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin
Raymond Lewenthal (piano)
Recorded: 1955-07

6. Toccata

Valery Jelobinsky: Toccata in C major, Op.19, No.1
Raymond Lewenthal (piano)
Recorded: 1955-07


Lewenthal: Toccata alla Scarlatti
Raymond Lewenthal (piano)
Recorded: 1955-07


Menotti: Ricercare and Toccata on a Theme from 'The Old Maid and the Thief'
Raymond Lewenthal (piano)
Recorded: 1955-07

Rubinstein, A: 6 Soirées de Saint-Pétersbourg, Op.44
Raymond Lewenthal (piano)
Recorded: 1957-07

Romance

Massenet: Elégie
Raymond Lewenthal (piano)
Recorded: 1957-07


Schubert: Serenade (from Schwanengesang)
Raymond Lewenthal (piano), Franz Liszt (work arranger)
Recorded: 1957-07

 Excerpt, Debussy: Suite Bergamasque
Raymond Lewenthal (piano)
Recorded: 1957-07

3. Clair de lune

Liszt: Liebestraum, S541 No. 3 (Nocturne in A flat major)
Raymond Lewenthal (piano)
Recorded: 1957-07

Schumann: Carnaval, Op. 9
Benno Moiseiwitsch (piano)
Recorded: 1961

1. Préambule
2. Pierrot
3. Arlequin
4. Valse noble
5. Eusebius
6. Florestan
7. Coquette
8a. Réplique
9. Papillons
10. A.S.C.H.-S.C.H.A. (Lettres dansantes)
11. Chiarina
12. Chopin
13. Estrella
14. Reconnaissance
15. Pantalon et Colombine
16a. Valse Allemande
16b. Intermezzo: Paganini
17. Aveu
18. Promenade
19. Pause
20. Marche des "Davidsbündler" contre les Philistins

Schumann: Kreisleriana, Op. 16
Benno Moiseiwitsch (piano)
Recorded: 1961

1. Äusserst bewegt
2. Sehr innig und nicht zu rasch - Intermezzo I (Sehr lebhaft) - Tempo I - Intermezzo II (Etwas bewegter) - Tempo I
3. Sehr aufgeregt
4. Sehr langsam
5. Sehr lebhaft
6. Sehr langsam
7. Sehr rasch
8. Schnell und spielend

Schumann: Kinderszenen, Op. 15
Benno Moiseiwitsch (piano)
Recorded: 1961


1. Von fremden Ländern und Menschen
2. Kuriose Geschichte
3. Hasche-Mann
4. Bittendes Kind
5. Glückes genug
6. Wichtige Begebenheit
7. Träumerei
8. Am Kamin
9. Ritter vom Steckenpferd
10. Fast zu ernst
11. Fürchtenmachen
12. Kind im Einschlummern
13. Der Dichter spricht



Schumann: Arabeske in C major, Op. 18
Benno Moiseiwitsch (piano)
Recorded: 1961

Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition - arranged by Moiseiwitsch
Benno Moiseiwitsch (piano), Benno Moiseiwitsch (work arranger)
Recorded: 1961


Promenade
Gnomus
Promenade
Il vecchio castello
Promenade
Tuileries
Bydlo
Promenade
Ballet of the unhatted chicks
Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle
The market-place at Limoges
Catacombae
Cum mortuis in lingua mortua
The hut on chicken's legs
The Bogatyr Gate at Kiev



Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2 ‘Moonlight'
Benno Moiseiwitsch (piano)
Recorded: 1961


1. Adagio sostenuto
2. Allegretto
3. Presto agitato


Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 26 in E flat major, Op. 81a 'Les Adieux'
Benno Moiseiwitsch (piano)
Recorded: 1961


1. Das Lebewohl (Adagio - Allegro)
2. Abwesenheit (Andante espressivo)
3. Das Wiedersehen (Vivacissimamente)


Beethoven: Andante Favori in F, WoO 57
Benno Moiseiwitsch (piano)
Recorded: 1961

 Excerpt, Schumann: Waldszenen, Op. 82
Benno Moiseiwitsch (piano)
Recorded: 1961

7. Vogel als Prophet


 Excerpt, Schumann: Romances (3), Op. 28
Benno Moiseiwitsch (piano)
Recorded: 1961

No. 2 in F sharp (Einfach)

Felix Mendelssohn, Franz Liszt: Paraphrase on "Wedding March" and "Elfin Chorus" from Mendelssohn's "Midsummer Night's Dream"
Egon Petri (piano)

Charles Gounod, Franz Liszt, Ferruccio Busoni: Waltz from Gounod's "Faust"
Egon Petri (piano), Ferruccio Busoni (cadenzor)
Recorded: 1956-06-22

Franz Liszt, Ludwig van Beethoven: Adélaide (after Beethoven)
Egon Petri (piano)
Recorded: 1956-06-22

Liszt: Mephisto Waltz No. 1

Egon Petri (piano), Ferruccio Busoni (work arranger)
Recorded: 1956-06-22

Liszt: Fantasy on two themes from Mozart's "Le Nozze di Figaro", S.697 - edited and completed by F. Busoni
Egon Petri (piano)
Recorded: 1956-06-22

Fantasie on two motives from Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro"

Busoni: Fantasia Contrappuntistica
Egon Petri (piano)
Recorded: 1956-06-22

Preludio corale
Fuga I
Fuga II
Fuga III
Intermezzo
Variazione I
Variazone II - Variazione III
Cadenza
Fuga IV - Corale - Stretta


Bach, J S: Toccata & Fugue in D minor, BWV565
Egon Petri (piano), Ferruccio Busoni (work arranger)
Recorded: 1956-06-21

Toccata
Fugue

Bach, J S: Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C, BWV 564 - Arr. for piano by F. Busoni (1866 - 1924)

Egon Petri (piano), Ferruccio Busoni (work arranger)
Recorded: 1956-06-21


Toccata
Adagio
Fugue

Bach, J S: Prelude and Fugue in E flat, BWV 552 - Arr. for piano by F. Busoni (1886-1924)

Egon Petri (piano), Ferruccio Busoni (work arranger)
Recorded: 1956-06-21

Prelude
Fugue

Bach, J S: Prelude and Fugue in D major, BWV 532 - Arr. for piano by F. Busoni

Egon Petri (piano), Ferruccio Busoni (work arranger)
Recorded: 1956-06-21

Prelude
Fugue

Bach, J S: Chorale Prelude BWV645 'Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme'
Egon Petri (piano)
Recorded: 1956-06-22

Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 645 ('Sleepers, awake') - Transcribed for piano Ferruccio Busoni (1866-1924)

Bach, J S: In dir ist Freude (Fantasia), BWV 615 - Transcribed for piano Ferruccio Busoni (1866-1924)
Egon Petri (piano)
Recorded: 1956-06-22

Bach, J S: Chorale Prelude BWV639 'Ich ruf' zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ'
Egon Petri (piano), Ferruccio Busoni (work arranger)
Recorded: 1956-06-22

Bach, J S: Chorale Prelude BWV734 'Nun freut euch, lieben Christen gmein'
Egon Petri (piano)
Recorded: 1956-06-22

Buxtehude: Now We Thank Thee
Egon Petri (piano), Egon Petri (work arranger)
Recorded: 1956-06-22

Bach, J S: I Step Before Thy Throne, O Lord
Egon Petri (piano), Egon Petri (work arranger)
Recorded: 1956-06-22

Bach, J S: Minuet (from Notebook for W.F. Bach, BWV 841 - 3)
Egon Petri (piano), Egon Petri (work arranger)
Recorded: 1956-06-22

 Excerpt, Bach, J S: Cantata BWV208 'Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd!'
Egon Petri (piano), Egon Petri (work arranger)
Recorded: 1956-06-22

Sheep may safely graze