Annie Fischer, Beethoven Sonatas?

Dear George

Annie Fischers only complete LvB sonata cycle is the Hungaroton set, you mention.
She recorded a few of the somatas for EMI (English Columbia at the time) in the late 1950es.

Regards, Poul

Dear Poul,

Thanks for that clarification. I shall send to you an email later this afternoon!

I was certain that I had seen some old English Columbia LPs with her on in the olden days, so I wondered if perhaps she had recorded the whole series twice at that rate!

The Hungaraton set is £90 which is £10 per disc, so for me quite a big expence!

Thanks from George

Hi George,

The amazon price of £90 for this box set is 'used-as new', i think this is a bit steep considering arkivmusicdot will sell it new at $124.00
Although, this would be special order... so you may have to wait a while for it... and even though this would be around £70 (including the p+p) you may get hit by import tax (but you may be lucky and not be) <?>

I haven't heard anything from them as yet about the Walcha harpsichord 5 cd-set i ordered...
but i'm still happy to wait it out!

good luck to you with the fisching ; )

regards ~
nymph

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=49965

quote:

Originally posted by naim_nymph:

I haven't heard anything from them as yet about the Walcha harpsichord 5 cd-set i ordered...
but i'm still happy to wait it out!

What about this??
http://www.amazon.fr/Bach-Clavier-Temp%C3%A9r%C3%A9-Var...id=1212172354&sr=1-1

quote:

Originally posted by GFFJ:
The Hungaraton set is £90 which is £10 per disc, so for me quite a big expence!

Yes it is terribly expensive, and I certainly made a long running jump, before I jumped and purchased it.

I got the Fischer set as individual, full price discs, and thought then, and think today, that the set is worth every cent. It is one of my very favorite of all the 45 or so cycles I've listened to. Just buy it I say!

(Incidentally, that's not the most expensive cycle I've bought. Akiyoshi Sako's cycle cost me roughly $250. A bit pricey, but I'm glad to have it too. Next up in the expensive cycle series is Michael Houstoun's cycle, which will be close to $300.)


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Todd, what are your favorite complete cycles, say the top five....for me it is Kempff (mono), Fischer, Gulda, Paul Lewis and Ronald Brautigam (not completed yet). The Fischer and Gulda sets came about because of your comments, so thank you very much!

Good timing. My top ten was just compiled for another forum, and is listed below. It's not really 100% accurate since I only wanted to list each pianist once and both Kempff and Backhaus recorded two amazing cycles which may place higher than some other cycles. (Gulda's earlier Decca cycle isn't nearly as good as his Amadeo cycle.)


Annie Fischer
Friedrich Gulda (Amadeo)
Wilhelm Backhaus (mono)
Wilhelm Kempff (mono)
Robert Silverman
Eric Heidsieck
Emil Gilels
Artur Schnabel
Russell Sherman
Claude Frank


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Fischer is one of my favorites too - got a couple of the individual CDs. The Bosendorfer sound is impressive and suits her playing.

Also really like the Francois-Frederic Guy 8/29/19 on Naive, hope he releases others.

quote:

Originally posted by Oldnslow:
Todd, what are your favorite complete cycles, say the top five....for me it is Kempff (mono), Fischer, Gulda, Paul Lewis and Ronald Brautigam (not completed yet). The Fischer and Gulda sets came about because of your comments, so thank you very much!

I'm just going throught the Ronald Brautigam series on BIS (upto #3) and because he is using a period Fortepiano which if I read it right has a much different sound from a modern Piano. This has made me want to to hear the sonata's on a modern Piano, guys who would be a good Pianist to start with.



Dean..

Todd, are you listing them in order of your favorites or just randomly?

George, the Annie Fischer set is superb, but as you say quite costly (I have never seen any bargains on it and I know I paid about $125 for it). On the other hand, the Gulda Amadeo recordings from 1968 on Brilliant is ridiculously cheap. In my view both sets are equally great, and are my two favorite complete sets. Just a thought, but you may wish to explore Gulda. He's not for everyone, but the set is so cheap you could explore it very easily.

Todd, I heard parts of the Claude Frank cycle when viewing a 24 DVD lecture series on the Beethoven Piano sonatas by Robert Greenberg (Teaching Company). Very interesting, entertaining analysis of each of the Beethoven piano sonatas, with excerpts from the Claude Frank cycle to assist in his lectures. If you haven't heard about the Teaching Company lectures you might wish to explore them. I have watched many of their art, history, and religion lecture series, but this was the first one on music. I found the extended analysis of the Beethoven piano sonatas fascinating. Claude Frank's playing was very fine too. By the way, Claude Frank's CD recording of the Archduke Trio (with Leslie Parnas and Jaime Laredo) on Newport Classics (I think) some years back remains my favorite version of that great piece--long out of print now but if you ever see it snap it up).

Todd, or anyone that knows...
I'm wondering about this Backhaus mono set that was referenced. My feeble attempt to find this didn't turn up anything so I am wondering if anyone can help me and point me in the right direction (label/availability?). I do have his Decca stereo (except Op. 106) set which was done between 1952 and 1969.

Any help on this will be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Doug (another fanatic collector of all things Beethoven...darn this thread, Annie Fischer is now on my Christmas wish list too!)

A few years ago I heard Michael Houstoun play the complete cycle, seven concerts in 3 weeks. In the opening bars of the moonlight the lady behind me said in a loud voice "I like this one." I have his cycle on CD, but can't play the moonlight without hearing that annoying intrusion.

Todd, it was good to see Michael mentioned on the forum. Can't imagine why his cycle should be so expensive in the USA though.

quote:

Originally posted by Florestan:
Todd, or anyone that knows...I'm wondering about this Backhaus mono set that was referenced.

The mono set is a Decca Italy release. Stradivarius.it had as of last year. Also, for a bit more money, HMV Japan carries it. I’ve found it nowhere else.

quote:

Originally posted by Mick Roberts:
Can't imagine why his cycle should be so expensive in the USA though.

The Houstoun set isn’t currently available in the US. The distributor doesn’t carry it anymore. As such, I’ll have to import it. The only place I found is Buywell, and with the weak dollar, well, it’s pricey. (If you happen to know a New Zealand merchant who sells online, please let me know.)


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~<>~ Musical Interlude ~<>~


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zolsDg0DCw&feature=related

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Arola:

The Houstoun set isn’t currently available in the US. The distributor doesn’t carry it anymore. As such, I’ll have to import it. The only place I found is Buywell, and with the weak dollar, well, it’s pricey. (If you happen to know a New Zealand merchant who sells online, please let me know.)


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Go to

http://www.marbecks.co.nz/classical/

I once phoned Marbeck's and asked if they'd got Annie Fischer playing Schumann. They asked if Annie Lennox would do, but then I discovered I'd been put through to the wrong department. The guys in classical are knowledgable.

Well, if I'm in the right mood, Annie Lennox would do it for me......

Thanks for all the replies.

I have access to Arraw's recordings as well, and the Fischer set will come, but not till next month, for reasons of financial prudence!

I resently gave a friend the HMV set played by Schnabel ... Yes I can be ruthless in pruning recordings from my collection. I have had the Schnabel set on LPs and then CDs since the late 1970s, but really I knew these recordings so well that I stopped using them. It was easier to imagine them in my head!

ATB from George

Ordered! I must be going soft in the head! George

And arrived. I could not possibly reckon to give a reasonable review of such a large collection on nine CDs.

But one favourite has already pleased me very much, and though I would have prefered the arrangement on the discs to be in numerical publised order, I am warming to the idea of mixed it up as here! If I too lazy to turn off at the end of a favourite, I shall end up listening to something from a different period of Beethoven's creative career! A good idea.

Todd Arola has written so much fine observation on this set and other Beethoven Piano Sonata Cycles, that any words from me fall into insigificance!

ATB from George

A snippet of Todd on the subject of Annie Fischer's Beethoven recordings.

This is superb. This is the first time that this most elusive - for me - of the great Beethoven works, the Hammerklavier Sonata, has made compelling sense.

There is no feeling that the music could go any other way, and the recording fortunately concentrates on clarity, which, with Annie Fischer's sense of balancing the weight of notes against each other, really makes the contours of emotional tension and release of the music utterly clear. Beethoven's logic is devastating.

This was one of her recordings I had not come across before, and all to often in other hands the music is slowed down to allow it to be played cleanly, or it is crunched together so that the clarity is lost with the loss of impetus or simply not there in the first place. I have Solomon's recording, which I have enjoyed, if very rarely, but this is on another level altogether in my view.

Very pleased by this. George

I have progressed unusually slowly through these nine discs, and cannot find any weak link! If the Hammerklavier is made sense of [for the first time in a gramophone recording for me] then everything else is coming through as newly minted as well!

For once I will comment that the actual sonority of the Piano is showing itself as important, even if this is a big modern instrument, a Bosendorfer, rather than a period Beethoven Fort-e-Piano. This specific sound world is wonderfully characterised in the very fine recording by Hungaraton. It is close enough for every strand to tell, and not be covered over with studio acoustic haze, and presents the nicely tangy overtones on all the registers of the piano to flower! The Bosendorfer has a world of expressive tonal possibilities, which Annie Fischer delights in bringing out. The actual sound is bright in Forte, but never harsh! I think this suits the music rather well.

Though the set is expensive and seems to be available as a deletion in new and second hand copies on Amazon, currently, I can only say that it should please anyone.

I also have the Arraw Philips set on loan, and this makes a perfect counterpart! He is darker in hue, and less driven, but on returning to his efforts in one instance since, I am finding much more is his readings after hearing Fischer's. That often seems the case.

It took for me to obtain Solomon's wonderful recording of Beethoven’s Second Piano Concerto, for me to really love that work. Then after acquainting myself with the music in Solomon's hands, Schnabel's recording made perfect sense as well!

Some performances of music really unlock the mysteries contained, once and for all.

Annie Fischer has that talent with Beethoven. The music seems more easily understood in any performance after it!

George

If you want more Annie Fischer playing Beethoven, there are here earlier EMI recordings which are superb if you can find it, as well as some on BBC Legends. Plus there's a new-ish release, which I just learned of last weekend, that has her version of the 1st and 5th concertos to go with the 3rd (of which three versions are available). There are five other concertos in this DVD/CD combo set. I've finished the Emperor, which I'll detail later in my next installment of my Emperor log, and look forward to the rest.



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