Which version of Mozart's piano concerto nr20 & 21 ?

Dear Fredrik,

Do you know if Clara Haskill recorded the K488?

IanGtoo,

If you don't have it already, you must try Mitsuko Uchida’s recording of Nos.20 and 21 with
Jeffery Tate and the ECO.

Brendel/Mackerras for the D minor. Incomparable.

EW

Schiff/Vegh from DECCA

Djorg

I think Todd Arola mentioned, Robert Casadesus’ 1956 recording with George Szell and the Columbia Symphony Orchestra, should be a reference recordning. So I wonder if this is it:

http://www.alapage.com/-/Fiche/MusiqueClassique/503914/...esus%20mozart&sv=X_L

quote:

Originally posted by Basil:
Dear Fredrik,

Do you know if Clara Haskill recorded the K488?

Dear Basil,

Yes to that! And it is something I count as very special. I once had Dennis Matthews playing it, and have Solomon as well (miss the Matthews recording), but CH is indeed the finest in my view, even among such exalted company!

With the Ninth Concerto in E flat, and the Rondo in A KV. 386 (wonderful little find this!), it was recorded by Philips and issued on CD number 420 782-2 in 1987, but if you can find it or a re-release of it is absolutuely all encompassing, in this, I think my favourite of among Mozart's Piano concertos!

Good luck tracking it down.

The orchestra is the VSO and Paul Sacher, the composer, very fine conductor, and friend of CH is accompanist, except in the Rondo where Bernhard Paumgartner achieves just a splendid a result. Good 1954 mono, if that makes any different.

All the best from Fredrik

Dear Rubio,

I hope Todd sees this, as I cannot answer the question! Todd! Please look!

All the best from Fredrik

Many thanks Fredrik,

I have the Solomon recording of K488 on an EMI double album, along with No. 15 K450, No. 24 K491 and two Sonatas Nos.11 & 17 K331 and K576 respectively.

It is my favourite Mozart Piano concerto too.

I first heard it on Radio3, many years ago. It was in a program about a Russian, female pianist from the late 40's I think.
My recollection of this is quite sketchy, but basically, Stalin heard her playing the K488 in a radio broadcast and summoned her for a private performance of the piece.

She refused, cursing "his black heart" and denouncing him for the evil man he was!

Amazingly, she survived this, and out lived him. When staff found him dead in his study, a recording of the concerto, by the same pianist was found on his Gramophone.

Hopefully, someone with a better memory than I, may remember who the pianist was!

Basil,

I heard the play, but have no idea who the pianist was! Isn't that strange? No tele, helps of course! I hope you find CH playing the A Major. Now that is music, actually beyond descrption! Fredrik

I find myself watching less and less TV these days, I'd dispense with it altogether if it weren't for the live Tennis I'd miss.

Dear Basil,

I am working horrid hours at the mo' hence my crazy times for posting. I want my evenings back as I so enjoy the radio. Radio Three for concentrated listening and Four, because it is so broad, and often rather funny as well!

It's a shame I could not work out who that Russian pianist was. Poor old Rostropivich felt the hard side of the regime's hand too, so I hope that artists get a better time in the new Russia.

All the best from Fredrik

Here is the Haskil/Sacher 488 A Major (coupled with the 9th concerto):

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/hnum/9701713/rk/home/rsk/hitlist

It was the only place I found it, and in such cases I order it immediately .

The Deutsche Grammophon website details a live recording by Pollini playing and conducting No 21 (K467) with the Vienna Phhilharmonic last year. But no forthcoming release details.

Graham

Basel--wouldn't surprise me if the Russian pianist was Maria Yudina. Stalin loved her playing and she apparantly hated him and told him off whenever she could, and lived to tell about it. Her Goldberg variations and Diabelli variations on the Great Pianists of the Century Series on EMI on fabulous.

That's her, I put the name into MSN and found this site.

Many downloads, including a recording of the Mozart K488 from 1943. The recording was made on 78 rpm upon josef Stalin's personal request overnight. He may have been a complete bastard, but he had taste in music!

Thank you oldnslow.

quote:

Originally posted by graham55:
The Deutsche Grammophon website details a live recording by Pollini playing and conducting No 21 (K467) with the Vienna Phhilharmonic last year. But no forthcoming release details.

You know it will be out before year-end. I'll probably buy it, but Pollini isn't quite my idea of a Mozartian, and his live recordings of three concertos (including the D minor) on Orfeo aren't world-beaters.

Dear Basil, Espen and others intersted,

There are some very beautiful other Mozart Concerto recordings done by Clara Haskill, certainly worth tracking down or waiting for again...

She recorded the very last one, the 27th in B Flat, with Fricsay, and this is a performance to make you weep at the sadness in the music, but it is never sentimentalised, but really just finds the inner sadness inherent in it, with apparently artless means. Quite staggering.

Also on the same issue, is the lovely Concerto Number 19 in F, where she finds the much happier brilliance of Mozart in full flight, particularly in the Finale, which shows that Mozart certainly knew his Bach! I heard this once on two pianos, in Busoni's arrangement of the Orchestral parts for second piano. It is incredibly woven together, without a note spare, just like Bach, of course. This is the counterblast to the thought that Hsskill was primarily a reflective artist, in her last years.

DG Dokumente 431 872-2, and issued in CD form in 1991. It may be still available, so you experts at searching may like to hunt out a link. It ceratinly is an issue, worth buying if found, or if if it reappears, which it deserves to.

Intersting as an alternative take on the B Flat Concerto is a live concert recording with Klemperer at Koln, which is quite a bit different to the studio effort. It is just as inward, but achieved with even less obvious surface artistry, while being somewhat faster, which may surprise some! Klemperer is fantastically attentive with the orchestral support, though the radio tape presents a very close sound, but without distortion. This is my favourite in this last Concerto. Music and Arts 1096, a two CD set, with live perormances of the Ninth Mozart Concerto with Otto Akermann (splendid), the Twentieth in D Minor with Charles Munch in Boston (less fine in my view) and the same accompanists in the Third Concerto in C Minor by Beethoven, where Haskill is first rate, but the band strangly not on her wave-length, I would think. It is worth it for the Moozart 9 and 27, though.

Also, but certainly not out at the moment, she recorded, with Geza Anda, the Two Piano Concerto for EMI in '55 or '56, and this is both rare repertoire, and rarely done so wonderfully.

Good hunting from Fredrik

Dear Todd,

There was question for you about your recomendation of Robert Casadesus in the D Minor, which you may have missed.

Fredrik

Fredrik - do you think this could be a re-packaging/re-issue of the Haskil 19 & 27 you're recommending ??

Amazon link

Ian (enjoying this thread's surprising reprise)

Dear Ian,

That is it! I won't repeat what I wrote above, but though there are not many records of her, I find Haskill in Mozart the most deeply involving artist I know, even if I happen to enjoy Edwin Fischer's way way just as much. Parting with either would be sad for me!

It's a bit early for me, so I hope that made sense! Fredrik

Sense enough for me to click on the 'buy-it' button!



Ian

Dear Ian,

I am please to read that you have clicked the buy botton on that!

I hope I may fire you enthusiasm in some other repertoire sometime again! Fred

quote:

Also, but certainly not out at the moment, she recorded, with Geza Anda, the Two Piano Concerto for EMI in '55 or '56, and this is both rare repertoire, and rarely done so wonderfully.

Dear Fredrik,

Who is the conductor for this concerto and which orchestra did they play with?

Dear Espen,

Alceo Galliera conducting the Philharmonia in 1956. The issue I have is EMI CDH 763482-2 released in the Reference Series. The couplings are the Two Klavier Concerto in C BWV 1061 of old Bach, which also has Haskill and Anda, and then the First Concerto of Beethoven, but with Anda this time. Which suggests to me that Haskill only ever recorded these two double concertos for EMI, though this is pure guesswork.

Good hunting from Fredrik

I found it here (and ordered it ):

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000026JHN/qid.../026-2009685-0731614

There is also another recording of Haskil/Anda's E flat on Orfeo d'or conducted by Paumgartner:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005NQT5/qid.../026-2009685-0731614

I think I like hunting for these quite rare and excellent performances .

Dear Espen,

Between finding that Edwin Fischer's reading of the D Minor, Number 20, and this Double Concert is also available in that Salzburg performannce from Haskill and Anda, this is going to be an expensive weekend for me as well! I wish I could do links like that, but maybe I'll leave learning that for another day! I am quite tired from a very busy time at work...

All the best from Fredrik